My scenario.
I have recently switched from integrated amps to using a Quad 304 power amp which I love.
Now I have just sold my pre-amp that I was using however I still have an M-Dac and a Meridian Prime Headphone amp (which is also a pre-amp)
I am limited in the number of inputs/outputs that I can use. The headphone amp only has one pair of RCA's in and one pair out. The DAC has plenty of digital inputs but just one pair of RCA outs.
I can only use one pair of RCA's to connect to the power amp. I have however four sets of RCA's that I need to connect. 1. The headphone amp, 2. The DAC (which will run my digital sources like radio and CD), 3. Turntable phono stage, 4. Cassette deck (Just one pair for playing as I no longer record)
So could I purchase an RCA Switch box which has 3 RCA inputs and 1 RCA output. I can then attach the DAC, Phono stage and cassette to the inputs and have the RCA output running to the Meridian Prime Headphone amp. I would then run the Meridian RCA output to my power amp. I can then select whichever source I am using but must always run whatever source it is via the Meridian.
I think this would work as volume could be controlled with the Meridian (and also the DAC if this is the source) however would the quality of the signal be degraded. Having good quality kit and cables is fine but if it is all running through a £20 RCA Switch box from Amazon seems like an obvious weak link to me. I appreciate its only function is to link the output to either input 1, 2 or 3 but there does not appear to be any good quality expensive switch boxes around.
Would this plan work or can somebody think of another option apart from the obvious manually unplugging the RCA's from the power amp every time I switch sources.
I have recently switched from integrated amps to using a Quad 304 power amp which I love.
Now I have just sold my pre-amp that I was using however I still have an M-Dac and a Meridian Prime Headphone amp (which is also a pre-amp)
I am limited in the number of inputs/outputs that I can use. The headphone amp only has one pair of RCA's in and one pair out. The DAC has plenty of digital inputs but just one pair of RCA outs.
I can only use one pair of RCA's to connect to the power amp. I have however four sets of RCA's that I need to connect. 1. The headphone amp, 2. The DAC (which will run my digital sources like radio and CD), 3. Turntable phono stage, 4. Cassette deck (Just one pair for playing as I no longer record)
So could I purchase an RCA Switch box which has 3 RCA inputs and 1 RCA output. I can then attach the DAC, Phono stage and cassette to the inputs and have the RCA output running to the Meridian Prime Headphone amp. I would then run the Meridian RCA output to my power amp. I can then select whichever source I am using but must always run whatever source it is via the Meridian.
I think this would work as volume could be controlled with the Meridian (and also the DAC if this is the source) however would the quality of the signal be degraded. Having good quality kit and cables is fine but if it is all running through a £20 RCA Switch box from Amazon seems like an obvious weak link to me. I appreciate its only function is to link the output to either input 1, 2 or 3 but there does not appear to be any good quality expensive switch boxes around.
Would this plan work or can somebody think of another option apart from the obvious manually unplugging the RCA's from the power amp every time I switch sources.