splitting digital coaxial signal into 2 cables?? possible?

I am looking to split the digital signal coming out of my Squeezebox 3 into 2 or 3 seperate cables, as I want to run the digital signal to the inputs of a couple of receivers I use for my house and deck audio system...

I have a high quality Monster cable rca splitter laying around - is it ok to use this? I need to use a 30' run of cable to go from my HT rack to the amps located in another closet - is that a problem? What cable should I use - can I use regular RCA video cable or should I use the black coaxial cable that the cable company uses and just attach some rca connectors to them?

Please let me know!

thanks alot

I believe that most good digital cables are a true 75 ohm coaxial construction terminated with either RCA, BNC or AES/EBU type connectors depending on what your DAC accepts.

My question is why you would want to do it this way. Why not just add additional Squeezeboxs and do it wirelessly? Squeezebox has that capability doesn't it?

I think you'll get some pretty significant losses in quality trying to run long digital cables, not to mention the cost associated with a "good" digital cable that length. But then, I subscribe to the notion of being able to percieve differences in cables and the ones I use would cost you multiple thousands of dollars for that sort of length.

gordonmenninger said:

I am looking to split the digital signal coming out of my Squeezebox 3 into 2 or 3 seperate cables, as I want to run the digital signal to the inputs of a couple of receivers I use for my house and deck audio system...

I have a high quality Monster cable rca splitter laying around - is it ok to use this? I need to use a 30' run of cable to go from my HT rack to the amps located in another closet - is that a problem? What cable should I use - can I use regular RCA video cable or should I use the black coaxial cable that the cable company uses and just attach some rca connectors to them?

Please let me know!

thanks alot

Click to expand...

Gordon, I'm not sure about splitting SPDIF mechanically alone, as you would totally skew the impedance balance.

Look around on Pro audio sites (like www.sweetwater.com) and see if there are active SPDIF splitters. They should not be too expensive IMO.

Or get an Audio Authority switcher and hardwire multiple outputs together (they are all active opto-coupled). But that's more if you are versed in electronics.


You can indeed extend SPIF 30' or so running on RG6 coax (the usual type found in homes for cable TV). Just be REALLY sure it's totally decoupled from any other cable TV infrastructure.

As a for instance: the rear of my HT also has a Keyboard stand for a keyboard and rack synth I used to have. I ran the SPDIF output from the synth on RCA to an RCA to F-Connector converter which then linked up to a typical Wall-plate with a coax connection. The 30' of coax cable (RG6) ran under the HT up into the audio equipment area and into another wall jack. Another RCA to F-connector adapter and an RCA patch cord to link into the preamp, and voila, I could play the synth at the rear of the room through my audio system, with a clean digital link between the two.

No single component of the link up cost more than $15.

So color me as skeptical that one needs uber-expensive cables for digital.

JonFo said:

So color me as skeptical that one needs uber-expensive cables for digital.

Click to expand...

I used to think the same until I tried a $500 MIT cable in place of my $150 Cardas Lightning cable between my CD transport and DAC. I was astounded by the difference, so I bought the MIT.

Then I got rid of it all and bought a CDP; no digital cable to worry about.

I still think getting one of the Squeezebox Receivers for $150.00 would be the best solution. Why not take advantage of what the Squeezebox can do best? Then you can select what you want to listen to from room to room and you don't have to mess with stringing wires.

http://www.slimdevices.com/pi_receiver.html

That's what I'm doing with my Sonos system and it works great. I can link them and listen to the same thing all over the house, or I can have seperate playlists running in every room if I want to. You already have money invested in the Squeezebox, why not keep it uniform?

wow, thanks for the quick info! i was looking at just getting one of these Monoprice 75 ohm cables
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10236&cs_id=1023601&p_id=2982&seq=1&format=2

and trying to use a monster splitter right by my main squeezebox receiver to come up with 2 digital spdif signal cables... I have 3 receivers that I want to hook up with a digital signal - one for the deck, one for the living/dining/kitchen and the other for my bathroom. These receivers are stacked right on top of one another in a seperate closet from the rest of my system... I guess I am trying to take the cheap route not wanting to shell out another $450 to hook these up, if I can do it for a fraction of the price.
That 50' Monoprice cable is only $6.58 for a 50' run!

I just want to make sure that I do not screw up the sound quality on my main squeezebox for my main HT system!

You can probably find a used Squeezebox Classic for under $150. It has THREE outputs- one RCA analog, and two digital (S/PDIF and optical), so you could feed each of your separate receivers/amps simultaneously.

Gordon you can not use a physical spliter on Digital audio.

You msut use an active device like one of the following:

For coax SPDIF, there's this $95 box that does 1:3


For Optical SPDIF there this $67 box (albeit only 1:2)

More SPDIF adpaters/converters at this page


Also, you could use a video distribution amplifier, like this one on fleaBay for $14. It even has coax SPDIF distribution.



That first one I linked should do the trick for you if you want new, the last one will also work just fine.

That cable should work OK, but if you can use a shorter one do.