|
|
Post by monkumonku on Aug 1, 2020 10:34:55 GMT -5
Another perhaps dumb question, but if you split a digital output signal from a coax or optical toslink jack, does the signal get degraded in any way? I'm thinking since it is digital then it shouldn't, but I'm dumb when it comes to stuff like that so I figured someone in the Lounge could enlighten me. Thanks!
|
|
|
|
Post by AudioHTIT on Aug 1, 2020 11:11:22 GMT -5
Another perhaps dumb question, but if you split a digital output signal from a coax or optical toslink jack, does the signal get degraded in any way? I'm thinking since it is digital then it shouldn't, but I'm dumb when it comes to stuff like that so I figured someone in the Lounge could enlighten me. Thanks! I have not researched the answer, but my thinking is similar to yours. I’ve been considering a TOSLink splitter to go from the optical audio out on the G3P to two locations. I imagine there are concerns about reflection and the like, but I don’t know if it’s really a problem with any of the splitters out there. Intuitively it seems Coax would be easier to split, but maybe it’s more sensitive to impedance changes. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2020 11:16:03 GMT -5
Another perhaps dumb question, but if you split a digital output signal from a coax or optical toslink jack, does the signal get degraded in any way? I'm thinking since it is digital then it shouldn't, but I'm dumb when it comes to stuff like that so I figured someone in the Lounge could enlighten me. Thanks! Theoretically, there shouldn't be any degradation. My ISP boosted my signal to my house for a fiber line. As far as I understand repeaters/boosters may be necessary to improve signal strength but I am unawares of whether there's a quality of zeros and ones....... they either are transmitted or not. |
|
|
|
Post by Jean Genie on Aug 1, 2020 11:38:43 GMT -5
Another perhaps dumb question, but if you split a digital output signal from a coax or optical toslink jack, does the signal get degraded in any way? I'm thinking since it is digital then it shouldn't, but I'm dumb when it comes to stuff like that so I figured someone in the Lounge could enlighten me. Thanks!  Maybe the 1's go to one output and the 0's go to the other? |
|
|
|
Post by AudioHTIT on Aug 1, 2020 12:11:19 GMT -5
Another perhaps dumb question, but if you split a digital output signal from a coax or optical toslink jack, does the signal get degraded in any way? I'm thinking since it is digital then it shouldn't, but I'm dumb when it comes to stuff like that so I figured someone in the Lounge could enlighten me. Thanks! Theoretically, there shouldn't be any degradation. My ISP boosted my signal to my house for a fiber line. As far as I understand repeaters/boosters may be necessary to improve signal strength but I am unawares of whether there's a quality of zeros and ones....... they either are transmitted or not. Apparently there is, I’ve always been amused by the term used by Subaru on my outback — PZEV — which stands for Partial Zero Emission Vehicle. So it follows that if we don’t get the signal split properly, we could end up with a partial zero! 🙂 |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2020 12:12:27 GMT -5
Theoretically, there shouldn't be any degradation. My ISP boosted my signal to my house for a fiber line. As far as I understand repeaters/boosters may be necessary to improve signal strength but I am unawares of whether there's a quality of zeros and ones....... they either are transmitted or not. Apparently there is, I’ve always been amused by the term used by Subaru on my outback — PZEV — which stands for Partial Zero Emission Vehicle. So it follows that if we don’t get the signal split properly, we could end up with a partial zero! 🙂 That's next to nothing! |
|
|
|
Post by ttocs on Aug 1, 2020 12:22:01 GMT -5
Splitting = Degradation, but the 1's and 0's don't change or sound worse, they just don't get transmitted with the same vim and vigor.
Degradation = Attenuation due to resistance at the very least.
Attenuation of what? Voltage and or Current.
Less voltage/current can mean less signal. Signal to Noise decreases.
Does any of this matter? Probably not, if the cable length is not beyond some spec. But add a lot of cable, and more connections, then the resistance will increase.
Will it work? Probably. But it depends . . . . .
Will it work every time? Who knows?
|
|
|
|
Post by 405x5 on Aug 1, 2020 12:52:29 GMT -5
Another perhaps dumb question, but if you split a digital output signal from a coax or optical toslink jack, does the signal get degraded in any way? I'm thinking since it is digital then it shouldn't, but I'm dumb when it comes to stuff like that so I figured someone in the Lounge could enlighten me. Thanks! Better to use zone 2 instead of contemplating this.... |
|
|
|
Post by AudioHTIT on Aug 1, 2020 13:11:44 GMT -5
Another perhaps dumb question, but if you split a digital output signal from a coax or optical toslink jack, does the signal get degraded in any way? I'm thinking since it is digital then it shouldn't, but I'm dumb when it comes to stuff like that so I figured someone in the Lounge could enlighten me. Thanks! Better to use zone 2 instead of contemplating this.... That doesn’t solve the problem in any way, how do you even know what digital device he’s trying to split? It may not have a Zone 2, and that’s throwing a DAC in the solution too. What if you want to go to a DAC or other digital input, no, this is worth contemplating. |
|
DYohn
Emo VIPs 
Posts: 18,340
|
Post by DYohn on Aug 1, 2020 13:13:03 GMT -5
Another perhaps dumb question, but if you split a digital output signal from a coax or optical toslink jack, does the signal get degraded in any way? I'm thinking since it is digital then it shouldn't, but I'm dumb when it comes to stuff like that so I figured someone in the Lounge could enlighten me. Thanks! You can split a digital audio signal but you will degrade the signal strength, which generally means it will only be available over shorter cable runs without dropouts and errors. Use a splitter box and not a Y-cable as it is possible with a Y-cable to introduce reflections between the cables and a splitter contains circuitry to prevent this. For best results use an active splitter, which is basically a powered receiver that re-transmits the signal to each output at full strength. |
|
|
|
Post by 405x5 on Aug 1, 2020 14:08:14 GMT -5
Another perhaps dumb question, but if you split a digital output signal from a coax or optical toslink jack, does the signal get degraded in any way? I'm thinking since it is digital then it shouldn't, but I'm dumb when it comes to stuff like that so I figured someone in the Lounge could enlighten me. Thanks! I need to ask after some of the responses have come in....what purpose do you have in mind for needing or wanting to split a digital output? Bill |
|
|
|
Post by monkumonku on Aug 1, 2020 14:18:28 GMT -5
Another perhaps dumb question, but if you split a digital output signal from a coax or optical toslink jack, does the signal get degraded in any way? I'm thinking since it is digital then it shouldn't, but I'm dumb when it comes to stuff like that so I figured someone in the Lounge could enlighten me. Thanks! You can split a digital audio signal but you will degrade the signal strength, which generally means it will only be available over shorter cable runs without dropouts and errors. Use a splitter box and not a Y-cable as it is possible with a Y-cable to introduce reflections between the cables and a splitter contains circuitry to prevent this. For best results use an active splitter, which is basically a powered receiver that re-transmits the signal to each output at full strength. Thanks. The reason I asked this question is for splitting the digital signal from a Sonos box, one going to a Bifrost DAC and the other to the XMC-2. The cable lengths from the output would be about 3' to 6'. |
|
DYohn
Emo VIPs
Posts: 18,340
|
Post by DYohn on Aug 1, 2020 14:25:48 GMT -5
Under 2 meters you should not have any problems.
|
|
|
|
Post by JKCashin on Aug 1, 2020 15:54:16 GMT -5
Unless there is bidirectional handshaking. Many digital protocols talk back and forth over the link... so that would be a problem... there would be a 3rd (or 4th, etc.) participant in what is designed and expected to be a two way conversation. SPDIF optical is unidirectional, with the clock rate being managed by teh source... so that should work. There is a possibility of reflections causing issue though, depending on how you do the split.
|
|
Maybe the 1's go to one output and the 0's go to the other? 
