Split Digital Coaxial Audio?
 

Can one simple use a AudioQuest Y splitter https://www.audioquest.com/accessori...le-to-2-female to split the signal coming out of a Vault2i streamer to two separate devices? Is there a better device to do this? Is there sound quality degradation when split? I DO NOT mean splitting an audio signal for say two subs.

The Vault2i streamer has only one Coaxial output but I would like to send that signal to two separate DACs. The DACs are my Oppo205 and McIntosh C2700 DA2.

The reason for this is two fold. One, without changing cables I want to do a A/B comparison between the Oppo205 and DA2 DACs and two simplicity for my wife when she listens to whole house music.

If anyone is interested I will post my findings on the comparison.

I think it unlikely that this splitter will work. First, it's made for audio frequencies, not the high speed of digital. It's also going to introduce an impedance imbalance because your streamer will be seeing the loads of both DACs.

I think your solution is to get a switch that will allow you to select one DAC at a time.

I've researched this for about a week and I'm coming up with little definitive data. I came across one guy stating similar to your thoughts. He even offered a switch but that switch turned out to be multiple IN and one OUT. I need a one IN and two OUT switch which I'm finding hard to locate. I've got to believe someone has done this in the past.

I should clarify I will only run one device at a time. Both devices (Oppo 205 and Vault2i) end up going through the C2700. These are the paths:

1) Vault2i (Coaxial OUT) > Oppo205 (Coaxial IN) > Oppo205 (XLR OUT) > C2700 (XLR IN) > MC601 > B&W
2) Vault2i (Coaxial OUT) > C2700 DA2 (Coaxial IN) > MC601 > B&W

Digital Cable Coaxial Splitter
 

I think this would work. It's what Xfinity (Comcast) uses to split the single coax input for their service. One goes to my set top box and the other goes to their Xfinity Gateway.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/171371659404

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/O7gAA...vn5/s-l400.jpg

Edit: You would need 2 more coax cables + 3 RCA Female to F Type Male RF Connector Coaxial Adapters

A cable type splitter is best (but the one above won't pass SPDIF signals - the low end starts at 5 MHz). If you don't match impedances you will have a reflection problem (like light reflecting air to water, but less dramatic). At the frequencies of SPDIF (about 3 MHz), the wavelength in cable is roughly 70 meters - the reflected phase will be nearly the same as the outgoing phase for 1 meter cable back at the source (meaning no problem). So, you might get away with a Y-splitter that you suggested, but I would get a cheapo - the reflection issue will overwhelm any advantage of fancy copper for your tests.

It may not work, but it won't hurt anything either (just don't use cables over 15 meters, and even that won't hurt but you may not get a signal).

You can overthink this kind of stuff.

Can you use optical for the test? There are S/PDIF optical splitters for a few $ (Monoprice has one). Then no issues.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_...AaAox-EALw_wcB

That was my thought going the y-splitter rout. "It couldn't hurt"

The Vault2i ALSO has an optical OUT but like many others I believe the sound quality is not up to the coaxial. I believe this would also apply to an optical splitter similar to the one you suggest. Maybe my misguided opinion but now that you mention it I think I have a optical splitter somewhere around here. I might just make that part of the A/B or A/B/C comparison.

OP, do you have Roon by chance? If so, it's a pretty easy solution since both your Vault2i and Oppo 205 are Roon Ready endpoints, so you wouldn't have to run output from the Vault2i to the Oppo at all. Just have both devices connected to your network and you can send output to both endpoints from a Roon server.

Thanks Luke for the suggestion which is valid but I do not have Roon at this point in time. Although, that may change shortly. :groucho: I'm entertaining an optical networking system.

It's not just a matter of getting the signal to the endpoint but using the path that yields the best SQ. Do you have experience with a signal being sent over ethernet/optical network? My initial test seem to indicate the coaxial connection exceeds my optical connection. I have no idea how the coaxial compares against a Roon ether/optical setup.

I don't have personal experience with an optical network (I use ethernet to connect to my ultraRendu, which outputs USB to my DAC), nor with coax outside of regular ol' cable boxes. However, I've read some favorable SQ comments about converting an ethernet signal to fiber optic from an upstream location and running the fiber out to wherever your audio system is, where a device like Sonore's opticalRendu can convert the fiber signal to USB out to your DAC.

I would get a coax switch since you don’t need to drive both at the same time. Most of them use F connectors but you may find one that uses RCA connectors. Happy hunting.