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#1
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one output, 2 inputs
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)? |
#3
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"paddy" wrote in message
... 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. |
#4
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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? |
#5
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paddy wrote:
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. |
#6
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Chung wrote in message ...
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. 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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