Little Bear MC3 XLR & RCA Switch Review

[poopy]

I’ve had a set of these for a year or so. I use them to switch between AVR and Okto DAC8. A little kludgy for 7.1, but functional. My surrounds are active, and require XLR in. AVR out is RCA, so these switches are a handy interface.

Same here. Used 4 of the same type to switch between Okto DAC8 pro and my AV prepro with XLR outputs for 7.2. Not ideal, but very practical. The rotary switches have a good 'feel', i.e. they are not loose

 

[amirm]

Yes, but:
- what about QC with these Chinese equipment
- there is no remote
- I will buy when some EQ will be integrated
- I don't like the color
- there is an American product more expensive with bad measurements I prefer to buy
-...

This is a little switchbox. If anything is wrong with it, you can open and repair it yourself. As for remote, EQ, etc. this is just $69. You can't get that kind of functionality at these prices.

Your alternative is to build your own which will take time and cost more.

 

[JeremyFife]

Considered 'as-is' it's a very handy, functional switch for cheap. Nice to see performant gear.

Just griping (which isn't fair, or really related to the review) ... My use case is to be able to add an analogue source in addition to my DAC. In that case I'm looking for volume control too. This, with passive volume control would be great (for me)

 

[restorer-john]

Considered 'as-is' it's a very handy, functional switch for cheap. Nice to see performant gear.

There is absolutely nothing remotely 'performant' here. It's a cheap passive switchbox- that's all. One where they can't even line up the knob markings with the internal fluting. Two knobs, both disgracefully aligned. I mean, at what point do you call a spade a spade?

It takes a balanced input and obviously discards one leg (which leg amir did not test for) to output RCA. And vice-versa? Who knows, but most likely a floating negative/inverting judging by the garbage on the AP's FFT. It's not a 'ground loop'- it's a floating, unterminated input on a differential input. We've all seen that before.

My suggestion to you guys- don't be lazy. Pull off the cover and visually scope out the topology. Get out a DMM and check the routing instead of looping back through an AP and proclaiming it transparent. Check the crosstalk from L-L-L from live-active inputs (the most likely usage scenario), not L-R. I'm sorry, the review is incomplete, superficial and no useful conclusions can be drawn as to the actual 'performance' of the device.

 

[sarumbear]

someone should put a switcher inside a box with a phono preamp and a dac with a streamer. Maybe some EQ and a volume knob too, and a headphone out.

Here it is

DRA-800H - 2.2 Ch. 145W Stereo Network Receiver with HEOS® Built-in | Denon - UK

The DRA-800H 2.2 Ch. 145W Stereo Network Receiver with HEOS® Built-in from Denon provides high quality audio for your hi-fi needs. Explore more AV Receivers at Denon - UK.

www.denon.com

 

[renaudrenaud]

This is a little switchbox. If anything is wrong with it, you can open and repair it yourself. As for remote, EQ, etc. this is just $69. You can't get that kind of functionality at these prices.

Your alternative is to build your own which will take time and cost more.

It was ironic. Every time the same complaints from the same people.

 

[madrac]

I added one of these to my system a few months ago to switch between HT processor (XLR and RCA) and 2 channel preamp (RCA only) then run XLR into my amp. One of these days, I may move to a 2 channel preamp with XLR outs also. Anyways, the switch works great, no degradation to sound that I've heard. Only thing is I have to remember to switch source when I watch a movie (mostly use my system for music).

 

[Tom C]

Considered 'as-is' it's a very handy, functional switch for cheap. Nice to see performant gear.

Just griping (which isn't fair, or really related to the review) ... My use case is to be able to add an analogue source in addition to my DAC. In that case I'm looking for volume control too. This, with passive volume control would be great (for me)

For you, there’s this.

 

[JeremyFife]

There is absolutely nothing remotely 'performant' here. It's a cheap passive switchbox- that's all. One where they can't even line up the knob markings with the internal fluting. Two knobs, both disgracefully aligned. I mean, at what point do you call a spade a spade?

It takes a balanced input and obviously discards one leg (which leg amir did not test for) to output RCA. And vice-versa? Who knows, but most likely a floating negative/inverting judging by the garbage on the AP's FFT. It's not a 'ground loop'- it's a floating, unterminated input on a differential input. We've all seen that before.

My suggestion to you guys- don't be lazy. Pull off the cover and visually scope out the topology. Get out a DMM and check the routing instead of looping back through an AP and proclaiming it transparent. Check the crosstalk from L-L-L from live-active inputs (the most likely usage scenario), not L-R. I'm sorry, the review is incomplete, superficial and no useful conclusions can be drawn as to the actual 'performance' of the device.

Noted, and I'll be more careful with my words around real engineers (which I am not).

 

[amirm]

There is absolutely nothing remotely 'performant' here.

Of course there is. I have a switchbox that bleeds so much that you almost don't need to select any input to hear it! Even on hi-fi gear of the yesterday I would hear such bleeding. Yes, the conversion from one type to another is not proper. But that doesn't take away its functionality and performance for such a low cost.

 

[Hipster Doofus]

someone should put a switcher inside a box with a phono preamp and a dac with a streamer. Maybe some EQ and a volume knob too, and a headphone out.

YES, THE SELF DRIVING STEREO WE ALL LONG FOR, WHERE IS ELON MUSK

 

[F1308]

Excuse me...

I am reading " It is a great solution to add more inputs to an amplifier."

I cannot see how...

I plug cables from three sources, get same number of cables out of the box...my amplifier
has single XLR(L/R), so I don't quite understand.

Looks like a good way to switch sources, but I cannot plug all those cables in my amp, just a pair of XLR.

Or is it that I plug three IN, only one out (XLR in my case) leave the OUT for that single one and then move IN to switch sources ?

Must be so...

 

[Blumlein 88]

There is absolutely nothing remotely 'performant' here. It's a cheap passive switchbox- that's all. One where they can't even line up the knob markings with the internal fluting. Two knobs, both disgracefully aligned. I mean, at what point do you call a spade a spade?

Reminds me of the early days of Honda automobiles. The idea of quality at Honda was so drilled into employees one of them recounted how if he saw misaligned wipers on Hondas parked on the street he would straighten them out. He could not stand the idea of such a sloppy thing on cars he helped assemble. They were to be assembled as perfectly as possible.

 

[Tom C]

There are three pairs of inputs, XLR x 2 and RCA x 1. There are three output pairs as well, but you don’t have to use all three. So say your amp has a single XLR pair for input. You connect those to one of the XLR outs of this switch box. And you can connect two pairs of XLR to the switch box, plus one pair of RCA, for total of three. So amp has just one pair input, and switch box expands to accept up to three pairs input.
If you look at the back of the box in the pictures Amir posted in the OP, you’ll see the deal.

 

[restorer-john]

Reminds me of the early days of Honda automobiles. The idea of quality at Honda was so drilled into employees one of them recounted how if he saw misaligned wipers on Hondas parked on the street he would straighten them out. He could not stand the idea of such a sloppy thing on cars he helped assemble. They were to be assembled as perfectly as possible.

With fluted metric shafts, there are IIRC, 18 flutes (16 actual and two missing for the split shaft), which means 20 degrees per position on the knob. The pictured error looks less than 20 degrees to me. If the knobs they are buying have an insert and a screen/marked cap- they should have a locator moulding or pin inside to prevent poor alignment.

If the shaft is a 'D' shape, the knobs are to blame as the selector is PCB pin mounted and would align perfectly (it should).

If the shafts are round (unlikely), then it's somebody's job to secure the knob's grub screw correctly and they clearly need retraining...

I've been known to completely dismantle receivers to de-solder and re-align pots to chassis mountings just to get the knobs perfectly aligned to the degree. Most boards were assembled, pots and all and then placed into the front panel chassis. With pots like balance and stepped tone etc, it's better to install the pots in the chassis perfectly, so the knobs are all precisely centred and then solder the PCB afterwards (if you can). Makes a huge difference to aesthetics. Vintage Marantz (SRC Japan) was really average when it came to matching knobs to flute alignment. They were pretty much the worst with the aluminium caps rarely aligning perfectly. Sometimes considerable time is spent by me looking for the best combination, especially with detented pots.

 

[amirm]

With fluted metric shafts, there are IIRC, 18 flutes (16 actual and two missing for the split shaft), which means 20 degrees per position on the knob. The pictured error looks less than 20 degrees to me. If the knobs they are buying have an insert and a screen/marked cap- they should have a locator moulding or pin inside to prevent poor alignment.

It is fluted. I pulled the knob out and tried to straighten in a couple of times but it kept going in the same way. It was late so I gave up.

 

[Robbo99999]

I use the following cheap switcher to switch my speakers between TV and music listening inputs:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000XT8XHU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'd be interested to see how such supercheap switchers measure. I always thought they would perform just as well as using a simple wire (ie no switch, ie no effect), but maybe I'm wrong - kind of along the lines that "audiophile cables are snake-oil".

 

[amirm]

I'd be interested to see how such supercheap switchers measure. I always thought they would perform just as well as using a simple wire (ie no switch, ie no effect), but maybe I'm wrong - kind of along the lines that "audiophile cables are snake-oil".

As I noted, some bleed pretty bad. I have one that I use for 3.5mm switching and it is that way. Test yours by listening to the non-active input and cranking up the volume. If you hear the playing channel, then it is no good.

 

[solderdude]

A simple Ohm meter could tell what it does.
As there is only a switch in there it makes sense that in XLR to XLR mode the + and - are both switched.
In RCA to XLR most likely +XLR goes to RCA signal and -XLR goes to RCA ground and vice versa, given the RCA test results.

NO balanced to SE conversion (would require a transformer).

So the only quality aspects here are:
switch build quality,
box build quality (screening)
Connector build quality
Channel separation: I wonder how ground is handled, all tied together or L and R separate ?
Only XLR screens connected ?
I would assume pin 1 is not switched and always connected in to out (seems to switch phantom power)

 

[F1308]

There are three pairs of inputs, XLR x 2 and RCA x 1. There are three output pairs as well, but you don’t have to use all three. So say your amp has a single XLR pair for input. You connect those to one of the XLR outs of this switch box. And you can connect two pairs of XLR to the switch box, plus one pair of RCA, for total of three. So amp has just one pair input, and switch box expands to accept up to three pairs input.
If you look at the back of the box in the pictures Amir posted in the OP, you’ll see the deal.

Yes, thank you.

It is simply that as you see 3 IN and 3 OUT, at first you plug 3 IN and 3 OUT and then thinks: what am I to do with these 3 OUT if I am only having 1 IN in my amp...?

Funny...