Cannot have Dual Screen & HDMI Sound at the same time...? Options

[skuppy]

No matter what configuration that I do--either by making use of my onboard Intel HD Graphics & Audio, my last NVIDIA GTX 465 card that processed audio, or my new AMD 6950--I cannot have both of my monitors running with sound processing via the HDMI input to my AV receiver (Pioneer VSX520).

With my primary monitor powered on, I can receive and play 5.1 audio absolutely fine. However, as soon as I turn on the 2nd monitor, the screen flickers, the 2nd monitor turns on, and sound becomes disabled with the speaker icon in my System Tray gets a big red X, claiming that nothing is plugged in. All the while, my receiver shows on the LCD that it is receiving a valid HDMI audio stream (only registers when I boot into Windows). It is not until I either turn off the monitor or pull the plug out from the HDMI out from the back of the AV receiver, turn off the AV receiver, and turn the AV receiver back on that sound works again. It is extremely annoying.

This occurs while passing the video from my GPU through my receiver and into my display using a HDMI (M) -> DVI (f) adapter from the output of my receiver, while attempting to Eyefinity with my receiver registered as the third "display", and using all of the possible arrangements of cables and adapters from the back of my GPU (which has 2 DVI, 1 HDMI, and 2 DP) to my monitors and AV receiver that I could think of.

What is most desirable is to have the first monitor connected directly to my GPU via DVI, and for my second monitor to receive its video after being passed through my AV receiver to process the audio, which be directly connected directly connected to my GPU's HDMI out. Currently, in this configuration, it can process both the 2nd display and audio, but never together..

:confused:
Help!

my graphics card: XFX Double D HD-695X-CDFC Radeon HD 6950 2GB
my two monitors: Apple Cinema Display 23" A1082 M9178LL/A Note: DVI out is physically attached to monitor. Has Firewire also. No DP input.
my AV receiver: Pioneer VSX-520-K 5.1-Channel 3-D Ready A/V Receiver
adapters I've used: 1 2 3 4 Note: None of them are "active" I don't think. DVI input on Apple monitor cable is DVI-D Single Link, while on the adapter it is DVI-I Dual Link. I don't know if these details make any difference..

[hlloyge]

Why don't you use optical out from soundcard to receiver?
If all else fails...

[LithosZA]

Optical could be an option, but optical out can only handle lossy 5.1 unless it is ADAT Lightpipe instead of S/PDIF.

This post has been edited by LithosZA: Aug 22 2012, 08:22

[probedb]

I can't help but it would be worth specifying what OS you're running and which Catalyst drivers too.

[LithosZA]

You could try using Monitor Asset Manager to check if the EDID sent to your graphics card lists the screen as supporting audio over HDMI. It is listed in the extension block.
http://entechtaiwan.com/util/moninfo.shtm

If it doesn't list correctly then you could try overriding the EDID to force your graphics card to think that the screen supports audio over HDMI. Do a google search on 'edid override hdmi audio'.

[LithosZA]

Also make sure that when you plug in the second monitor that windows doesn't move the default primary playback device around