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Optical Toslink splitter

An respected Audiogon member some time ago expressed doubts about signal loss associated with use of a splitter, so that one digital optical output could feed two components.
I recently had an application where a splitter was the solution. I wanted to interconnect an HT setup that has Direct TV Satelite service and my audio system, located in different rooms on different electrical power circuits. (This is so that I can access the music channels on my good audio stuff). Not surprisingly, a wire hookup produced hum. An optical interconnection would avoid this. The Direct TV receiver has only one digital output, optical.

The optical connection consists of a 3 foot interconnect, a splitter (several $ from Parts Express) and another 3 foot interconnect to the HT amp, and a 12 foot interconnect to the audio system.

Bottom line is that it works fine. Fears of problems due to signal loss (roughly 8dB) are unfounded. Fear not to use a splitter.
eldartford
unclejeff
1,313 posts
 
Good. If you like it then this is good. It is your music and this should be your decision. I can understand your point...that there should be no loss in quality.

Lots of folks hereabouts don't like anything but a clean feed from one point to another. this is a good start....just not the best solution which in your case it is self evident.
eldartford OP
4,262 posts
 
Unclejeff....In the analog world, signal to noise ratio has a direct effect on sound quality. The signal is the sound. Even a slight degradation will have some effect.
Digital is different. Signal degradation has no effect until it reaches a point where the information being transmitted is corrupted. The signal is not the sound. The information being transmitted is used to generate the signal that is the sound. This is the D/A function.
Analog goes downhill gradually. Digital goes over a cliff.
It is my simple observation that a splitter does not, in practice, drive you over that cliff. Clean digital lines are desirable, but largely cosmetic rather than functional.
isellstuff
99 posts
 
Does any company make a splitter?
I can recall Sony had a
3 optical in: 1 optical out unit back in 1999.
I cut the ad out of my Home Theater mag.
Since then, I`ve NEVER seen one.
Let me know if there is 1 out there,
But NOT Sony!
eldartford OP
4,262 posts
 
Isellstuff...What you describe would be an active (powered) device, and would cost more than "several" dollars. I think that Partsexpress.com has such a device. They also have a manually actuated optical switch. It would be used if your amp had too few inputs for the sources you want to connect. My application was the oposite situation.
However, the passive splitter might work in reverse so long as only one source is powered up at a time.
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