Optical splitter question

lpv

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Mar 14, 2013
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Would you rather buy device/ dac with 2 optical inputs or you wouldn't mind 1 optical input and use '2 in 1 out' optical splitter instead? Does the introduction of a splitter has any influnce on sound quality? Is it safe to use? ( ie you send 2 signals from 2 different devices via the splitter at the same time into the 1 optical input of a DAC). Is there anything to look for particulary while searching for an optical splitter? Any thoughts appreciated.
 

davedotco

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lpv said:
Al ears said:
Not sure why you would want to use 2 into one optical when co-axial input is invariably better and most dacs have both.

1 for Airpot Express, second for tv.

Exactly, a common dilema.

So many dacs have one of each, usb, coax, toslink etc.

Depends on budget etc but the Beresford Bushmaster II has 2 coax and 2 toslink (and a very decent headphone amp) for about £150, best cheap non-usb dac I can think of.

Note. If you have a spare coax, a toslink > coax converter can be had for £10-15.
 

iMark

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I think there's one of those audio myths that coax is better than optical. After all it's just transporting 1's and 0's and if all the bits get delivered there is no difference in sound. Same for an optical splitter. If the bits arrive at the destination you get the full information that was sent in the first place without any degredation. You have sound or you have no sound.

Our DAC has 2 optical and 2 coax inputs (and a not very good USB input that we don't use). Supposedly I should only use 1 optical and 1 coax input. I have worked out that if I don't have signal through both inputs simultaneously, I can have 2 devices on one input. I have configured it as follows:

Input 1 optical: TV: input 1 coax: DVD recorder

Input 2 optical: Airport Express; input 2 coax: Bluray player.

The coax inputs are only used for audio when the TV is switched off. Most of the time either the TV or the Airport Express are used. Listening to SACD and Bluray Audio is through the analogue outputs of the Bluray player.
 

davedotco

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lpv said:
... so having 1 USB, 1 coax, 1 optical I'll be need some sort of splitter/ converter anyway.. I won't avoid it.

Let's say Mac Mini via USB, AirPort Express via optical, TV via optical to coax converter.. then I also have DVD.. hence my original ' optical splitter' question... or just get dac/ preamp with more inputs? but doing this I'm entering higher price tag ones, like new Pioneer U-05 which looks great.. no reviews yet

Hi-fi companies are well behind the curve on this, decent dac/pre-amps with a reasonable collection of inputs are pretty thin on the ground, whoever decided that '1 of everything' is the way forward needs a good kick up the ........
 

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