usb to spdif bridge with multiple output to two or more dacsHello,
I want to play same music on 2 DACs on my computer, connect them to one headphone via mechanical switch to test differences between them.
It is possible? Or how are you testing different DACs under Windows?
To my knowledge a computer can only handle one output (has to do with handshake thingie).... but when outputting to an usb/spdif bridge the bridge can output to several dac, depending on the number of output de bridge has.What about outputting to Toslink and USB at the same time (older Macs have Toslink output)? Or outputting to several USB ports at the same time?
It is very simple.
If you plug in an external DAC is will show in de Win audio panel.
You can choose it in the media player as an output device.
If you have 2 USB DACs, you will see them both.
The “problem” is probably feeding them both the same track in sync.
A simple one might be running 2 instances of the same media player.
I know players like JRiver can have multiple zones (different DACs) and you can link these zones.
Maybe a product like Virtual audio cable can route the output of one player to multiple outputs.
BTW: any evidence that JRiver with linked zones is not in sync?
Sync between zones is not perfect but for the purpose here, it is entirely sufficient. I do this all the time to compare DACs and the A/B switching between them is seamless.BTW: any evidence that JRiver with linked zones is not in sync?
BTW: any evidence that JRiver with linked zones is not in sync?
Any evidence they are in sync?
For JRiver I I couldn't see any options how I could output audio in parallel.
I use the Roon player which allows me to group DACs and run them simultaneously. I then run them to my Stax headphone amp which has dual inputs with AB switch in the front.Hello,
I want to play same music on 2 DACs on my computer, connect them to one headphone via mechanical switch to test differences between them.
It is possible? Or how are you testing different DACs under Windows?
I was fighting with it for 30 minutes but I found how to configure it and they are in perfect sync.Expand Playing Now (upper left)
Define your zones
Left click on one and choose Link Zone
I have also managed running 3 USB DACs simultaneously for multichannel using just a USB hub but with the master clock from DAC1 daisy-chained to DAC2 and to DAC3.If the only device inputs are async USB, then ofc the two devices will never be in sync (they are not capable of syncing to an external clock under any circumstances). Like @Kal Rubinson, I think this would be sufficient for the OP's purposes (it would be a potential problem only if the two sources were intended to be listened to at the same time).
Does anyone know if the JRiver method would be less in-sync than any other alternative? Apart from leaving the DACs to clock the data, is there any other sense in which JRiver zones are not in-sync?
I have also managed running 3 USB DACs simultaneously for multichannel using just a USB hub but with the master clock from DAC1 daisy-chained to DAC2 and to DAC3.