Need your help - High quality digital Y cable needed

70'sMusic

Well-Known Member
Hi Everyone,

Recently, I purchased a Wadia 171 iPod transport and use it with my Musical Fidelity TriVista DAC. Unfortunately, it's a little old and only has one coax digital input. I use my DAC for my CD player and now the Wadia iPod dock. Where can I find a high-quality digital cable splitter? Don't intend on using both units at once, wanted to find a solution to keep from constantly pulling the digital cable in and out from the back of my DAC all of the time.

Thank you in advance for your help, I really appreciate it!
 
Try a simple Y connector with RCA's. You don't need special cables for a coax connection. Any well shielded cable should be more than sufficient.
 
I need a splitter

Right, you're planning to use a splitter as a combiner. Remember you're dealing with a baseband signal, not RF. Check the frequency response of any splitter you buy; it will need to respond down to DC. Look for a video splitter, not an antenna splitter.

Using an unbalanced connection will result in reflections, which will degrade the signal, which may lead to degraded timing performance, and may even result in data errors or link failure.
 
Right, you're planning to use a splitter as a combiner. Remember you're dealing with a baseband signal, not RF. Check the frequency response of any splitter you buy; it will need to respond down to DC. Look for a video splitter, not an antenna splitter.

Using an unbalanced connection will result in reflections, which will degrade the signal, which may lead to degraded timing performance, and may even result in data errors or link failure.

Thanks!
 
Try a simple Y connector with RCA's. You don't need special cables for a coax connection. Any well shielded cable should be more than sufficient.

Thanks for sharing! It's a digital signal so I don't believe a regular RCA will work.
 
Thank you for responding, I responding. I need a splitter.
You need a switch, two outputs into one input.

A splitter sends one output to two inputs, which a simple splitter cable will work for, even digital. But that's not what you're asking for. You want to combine two outputs into a single input (your DAC), which requires a switch.
 
You need a switch, two outputs into one input.

A splitter sends one output to two inputs, which a simple splitter cable will work for, even digital. But that's not what you're asking for. You want to combine two outputs into a single input (your DAC), which requires a switch.

Yes, thanks!
 
Thanks for sharing! It's a digital signal so I don't believe a regular RCA will work.

Yes it will. There seems to be some confusion about regular RCA IC's. Digital signals work fine with any RCA terminated IC I've ever tried. This includes the giveaways included with a lot of gear up to my DH Labs Air Matrix. They even work with my Kimber Silver Streaks which have no shielding whatsoever.

If you are really concerned buy a length of RG-59 (75 Ohm Coax) connect some RCA's to the ends and go from there. If your cable installer left any excess, cut a three foot piece and attach RCA's to it.
 
Digital signals work fine with any RCA terminated IC I've ever tried.

It depends on the nature of the cable, and the length.

If it's a proper, 75 ohm impedance controlled cable (e.g. your RG-59), then the length will only affect the attenuation, and you won't get any ringing.

If it's an uncontrolled impedance (which would be fine for audio signals), and the cable is long enough, you will get issues with line impedance mismatch, causing ringing, which may degrade the data transfer.

Some experience with CCTV video and poor line impedance/termination means that I've seen the visible effects of ringing on analogue CCTV displays.
 

:thumbsup: + chicks... The best solution, in my opinion & experience.

Great little S/PDIF coax/TOSLINK 4X1 switch with remote too.
Mine has been in use for nearly 8 years feeding my DAC from 4 separate S/PDIF coax sources.

I mentioned it to another AK member a while back, and he bought one, and now uses it, as well, and has conveyed that he is quite happy with it`s flexibility/performance.
 
:thumbsup: + chicks... The best solution, in my opinion & experience.

Great little S/PDIF coax/TOSLINK 4X1 switch with remote too.
Mine has been in use for nearly 8 years feeding my DAC from 4 separate S/PDIF coax sources.

I mentioned it to another AK member a while back, and he bought one, and now uses it, as well, and has conveyed that he is quite happy with it`s flexibility/performance.

Great, thanks for sharing! Which one of the two do you have?
 
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