Digital Distribution Amp

[jglacken]

I currently run a Mach2 Mac mini (pure music) into an Offramp 3. I use the spdif (rca) out to my main system. Since all the outputs on the Offramp are hot at the same time I decided to run a 110 ohm aes/ebu to my 1st floor system-approx 100 feet. I have a little dac that accepts aes/ebu (xlr) in that system and all is well. We use ipads to access the mini and my wife seems to love the interface. So being the good husband that I am, (I gain in this one too!) I asked if she would like the same convenience with her audio system in her third floor art studio. Well, Yeah!

So I order a Y splitter cable for the aes/ebu output, run the cable, terminate both ends, add a Neutrik 110 to 75 ohm converter 'cause her little Wadia power dac only has usb, spdif (rca) or toslink inputs and hook them all up and away we go. Well sorta'.

With both zones hooked up we only get music on the original first floor. So we try every conceivable combination and find that if only the cable for the third floor is hooked up we get music on the third floor. Quite good sounding actually. It doesn't matter what side of the Y cable we use. Even if the first floor is plugged in but the system is not on, we get no sound on the third floor.

I called the place where I bought it and they finally come to the conclusion that there is just not enough power for both signals to be run that far. The third floor is about 80 feet. Steve at Empirical said the same thing.

So, I guess I need a digital distribution amp??? I have looked at ATI, Soniflex, Studio Technologies and Henry digimatch. Not all can handle 192, some cannot even handle 96Khz sample rate. The offramp I have maxs out at 96. That is fine for me now as my Meridian pre/pro only handles up to 96Khz.

Has anyone here had any experience with these distribution amps and what might you recommend? And, why does the signal that goes to the first floor, longest run always get the signal no matter what? Anything to do with the Neutrik converter from 110 ohm to 75 ohm?

 

Thanks,

 

Jeff

 

[jglacken]

Bump,

 

how about these alternatives???

 

Jeff

 

[jglacken]

anybody out there

 

 

[esldude]

But it sure appears the 110 ohm to 75 ohm converter is placing too much load on the signal.

 

You mention she has USB on the Wadia Powerdac.

 

These monoprice extenders do work even at 192 khz. You can get up to 82 feet extenders. Not owning a Mac Mini don't know if this would cause any other issues for your control of it. I am guessing there might be problems trying to feed two USB out's one to the Offramp, and one to the Wadia, but perhaps someone with a Mac Mini can tell you how to do this.

 

 

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10303&cs_id=1030312&p_id=7644&seq=1&format=2

 

[jglacken]

I favor going to a Weiss INT202 which has four outputs hot at the same time. 2 aes and two rca. Daniel says that my situation should be taken care of with his unit. I would then switch to firewire out of my mini which may actually improve the sonics.