Splitting Signal to Multiple DAC’s

Very interesting reading from @spatialking- getting more into it seems as though clock issues with the SPDIF data stream with increased jitter/distortion potential makes this not so simple (at least from my perspective). Sounds like the answer may be along the lines of this-

https://www.mutec-net.com/product_mc-3-plus-usb.php#data

@bruce_philly 

Hello-

I just came across a thread you started 5 years ago where you mention using a Mutec 1.2 as a throughput device to stream your music playback to multiple DAC’s and CD player. I’d like to ask if you’re still using this device and if so how well has it been working for you? Have you changed equipment/configuration since starting the thread? 
As you can see from the subject of this thread I’m trying to find the best method of distributing a single source to three separate DAC’s. Any insight you can provide would be appreciated.

Best-

Designsfx

@designsfx 

Hi there, the Sonifex is the transformer splitter I told you about.   The only problem with this approach, if it is a problem, is there is a loss of power in the signal, so you "may" have a loss of fidelity in the digital signal.  Fidelity here means the difference between a "1" and a "0" becomes blurred.  This is where EYE Diagrams and BERT testing will show if this is a problem.  You can Google this to find out what I am talking about if you are interested in that detail.   Clearly, the higher the digital frequency then the more likely this is to occur.  They didn't specify the loss factor in the unit but they did say 100M of coax at 96 KHz, so use that as your guide.  Do make sure your cable is rated 75 Ohms, most video cables are 75 Ohms, so use a good one. 

Note that in a properly terminated 75 Ohm line, the source, the coax cable, and the receiving unit must all be rated at 75 Ohms.  In spite of what is often advertised, RCA jacks can't actually achieve a 75 Ohms impedance, but they can be close.   BNC's are not a problem for 50 or 75 Ohm lines. 

An active device doesn't have the loss factor since it drives each output independently of the others, as each output is buffered.  However, they are more expensive, require power to operate, and overall may not make an improvement in your system over the transformer approach.   So, if you can, experiment and decide for yourself.  

@spatialking -

Thank you again for your advice on this- it’s really been helpful. Quick background with Sonifex- I made an inquiry on their devices earlier this year, they make both active and passive. I didn’t care for their active SPDIF distribution device as all connections are RCA and their sales dept couldn’t comment on the the approach to buffering.
The transformer based passive unit seemed like the way to go but I held off purchasing because I didn’t understand if the signal loss would be too high due to the fact that it was designed for AES 110 ohm applications. I like the idea of the passive though. I asked if Sonifex’s engineers could perform a quick test with SPDIF over BNC but they declined as “it wasn’t worth their time for a single unit sale”.

At this point I like the thought of using the Mutec 3+ USB as it seems to be of higher quality, offers a selection of different outputs and also offers an excellent word clock (at least from what I’ve read). I’m not in a hurry with this so I’ll do a little more research before throwing money at it. Again- thank you for the time and the great advice.

Best-

Todd

You could use This and if your DACs don't have AES3 in use These. The reason this type of splitter mainly uses AES3 is because they're used in professional situations.