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Message |
paddy
Guest
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 Posted:
Wed Nov 24, 2004 2:03 am Post subject:
one output, 2 inputs |
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If I want to be able to send the signal from a CD player (or record
deck) to
a) amp (for "pure" listening)
- OR -
b) rough old DJ mixer (for occasional parties)
.... is it an acceptable option to use a "Y" splitter cable out of the
CD player (record player)?
I want to avoid doing any replugging when moving from "audiophile
mode" to "party mode". When in "audiophile mode" the mixer would be
turned off. I have tried to look around for an answer to this, and
while people seem to react against Y splitters, I haven't been told
exactly WHY they are such a bad idea.
Is there a good electronics engineering reason to avoid them? Would it
make any detectable difference in the real world (double-blind testing
etc etc)?
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Kalman Rubinson
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 24, 2004 2:03 am Post subject:
Re: one output, 2 inputs |
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Y-connectors should work fine assuming both the amp and the mixer have
reasonably high input impedances. Try it. Nothing wrong will happen
(except, perhaps, for a ground loop). Just start with the volume
controls turned down.
Perfectionist alternative is to build a buffered splitter but it
should not be necessary.
Kal
On 24 Nov 2004 00:34:41 GMT, paddyeason@yahoo.co.uk (paddy) wrote:
| Quote: | If I want to be able to send the signal from a CD player (or record
deck) to
a) amp (for "pure" listening)
- OR -
b) rough old DJ mixer (for occasional parties)
... is it an acceptable option to use a "Y" splitter cable out of the
CD player (record player)?
I want to avoid doing any replugging when moving from "audiophile
mode" to "party mode". When in "audiophile mode" the mixer would be
turned off. I have tried to look around for an answer to this, and
while people seem to react against Y splitters, I haven't been told
exactly WHY they are such a bad idea.
Is there a good electronics engineering reason to avoid them? Would it
make any detectable difference in the real world (double-blind testing
etc etc)? |
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Harry Lavo
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 24, 2004 6:06 am Post subject:
Re: one output, 2 inputs |
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"paddy" <paddyeason@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:co0kv102fbc@news4.newsguy.com...
| Quote: | If I want to be able to send the signal from a CD player (or record
deck) to
a) amp (for "pure" listening)
- OR -
b) rough old DJ mixer (for occasional parties)
... is it an acceptable option to use a "Y" splitter cable out of the
CD player (record player)?
I want to avoid doing any replugging when moving from "audiophile
mode" to "party mode". When in "audiophile mode" the mixer would be
turned off. I have tried to look around for an answer to this, and
while people seem to react against Y splitters, I haven't been told
exactly WHY they are such a bad idea.
Is there a good electronics engineering reason to avoid them? Would it
make any detectable difference in the real world (double-blind testing
etc etc)?
|
Frankly, I've used "Y" splitters many times both in and out, and have never
had a problem. I try to make sure that I have only one piece of the "Y"
active at any time, as your say you do. Theoretically, I suppose you could
have an impedance problem if both pieces of gear receiving the signal had
marginally low input impedances, but I've never experienced that in the real
world. |
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paddy
Guest
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| Posted:
Thu Nov 25, 2004 10:05 am Post subject:
Re: one output, 2 inputs |
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| Quote: | while people seem to react against Y splitters, I haven't been told
exactly WHY they are such a bad idea.
Is there a good electronics engineering reason to avoid them? Would it
make any detectable difference in the real world (double-blind testing
etc etc)?
Frankly, I've used "Y" splitters many times both in and out, and have never
had a problem. I try to make sure that I have only one piece of the "Y"
active at any time, as your say you do. Theoretically, I suppose you could
have an impedance problem if both pieces of gear receiving the signal had
marginally low input impedances, but I've never experienced that in the real
world.
|
Marvellous! Thanks for the feedback.
I have found, since delving back into this hifi business after some
years of not taking an interest, that much of the info you can find
(in hifi shops, in reviews, even in newsgroups!) is pretty clearly
total tosh. Recieved wisdom, as it were. There are a lot of charlatans
about, a not a lot of rigour!
Upgrading my current system is proving an interesting experience. It
is tricky to work out where the longest levers are for actually
getting a better sound (rather that making things look prettier, or
emptying the wallet). I reckon money spent on expensive cabling is
probably largely wasted (and it's the first thing a lot of people tell
you to spend on!). I know the first thing I need to do is get the
signal away of the DJ mixer (unless I'm having a party, in which case
everyone will be too drunk to worry about sound quality).
Here's the history of my gear (I started well, I think):
mid-'80's
Nagaoka MP11 cart >
Dual CS-505-1 deck >
NAD 3020 amp >
Key Coda 2 speakers.
A pretty classy setup for an 18 year old! I think I must have had very
good advice, in hindsight.
The NAD was stolen, and replaced with a used Technics SU-V303 amp. New
Class A, pretty chunky piece of kit (seems to be the same as the
SU-V505). I wonder if this is better or worse than the NAD? - never
got a chance to do a comparison, obviously. My feeling is that it
isn't superior. I might go back to NAD.
The Dual deck was replaced with a pair of Technics SL1200's, with
Stanton AL500 carts. I know the carts are a huge weak spot - I intend
to get another headshell, and put a decent cart in for normal use, and
keep the Stantons for parties. Which cart I wonder? Grado?
With the Technics decks, in came a nasty little DJ mixer, which I know
I need to bypass for normal use. It seems a Y splitter for the outputs
of one of the decks and the CD player, to give me a choice of going
through the mixer or direct into the amp is a reasonable way to go.
Somewhere along the way I picked up a CD player - a well reviewed
Sherwood. But as it's my feeling that most CD players are pretty well
the same, and it's quite new, I'm not so interested in replacing that
yet.
The Kef Coda 2's have been retired (you will see them on eBay an day
now) in favour of Kef Q15.2's.
Now:
{Sherwood CD >
{Stanton AL500 cart > Technics SL1200 decks >
(nasty DJ mixer) >
Technics SU-V303 amp >
Kef Q15.2 speakers
Where next? :) |
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Chung
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Nov 26, 2004 10:12 am Post subject:
Re: one output, 2 inputs |
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paddy wrote:
| Quote: | If I want to be able to send the signal from a CD player (or record
deck) to
a) amp (for "pure" listening)
- OR -
b) rough old DJ mixer (for occasional parties)
... is it an acceptable option to use a "Y" splitter cable out of the
CD player (record player)?
I want to avoid doing any replugging when moving from "audiophile
mode" to "party mode". When in "audiophile mode" the mixer would be
turned off. I have tried to look around for an answer to this, and
while people seem to react against Y splitters, I haven't been told
exactly WHY they are such a bad idea.
Is there a good electronics engineering reason to avoid them? Would it
make any detectable difference in the real world (double-blind testing
etc etc)?
|
It depends on the design of the components you are sending the signals
to. Some devices have low, non-linear, impedances when they are powered
off, which would cause distortion in the signal going to the other
active device that you are listening through. Not too long ago in this
forum, there was a poster noticing this problem when his preamp also
drives a CD recorder in addition to the main amplifier, and when the CD
recorder is powered off, there is noticeable distortion at high levels.
I have also found this problem in a certain receiver, due to the use of
analog switches that basically clamp the input signal to ground when the
receiver is off. |
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paddy
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Nov 27, 2004 6:14 am Post subject:
Re: one output, 2 inputs |
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Chung <chunglau@covad.net> wrote in message news:<co6gei01kuq@news3.newsguy.com>...
| Quote: |
It depends on the design of the components you are sending the signals
to. Some devices have low, non-linear, impedances when they are powered
off, which would cause distortion in the signal going to the other
active device that you are listening through. Not too long ago in this
forum, there was a poster noticing this problem when his preamp also
drives a CD recorder in addition to the main amplifier, and when the CD
recorder is powered off, there is noticeable distortion at high levels.
I have also found this problem in a certain receiver, due to the use of
analog switches that basically clamp the input signal to ground when the
receiver is off.
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Hmmm. OK - so maybe I will have to live with a little bit of
replugging before using the mixer/having a party. I just bought some
splitters and extra phono leads and will have a play tonight... |
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