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Outputing same audio to 2 playback devices on Windows

vito45

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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?
 

Patrick1958

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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?
usb to spdif bridge with multiple output to two or more dacs
 

svart-hvitt

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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?
 

Purité Audio

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On Macs you can connect both via USB and then switch between them in ‘audio midi’ , Windows probably has something similar.
Keith
 

Patrick1958

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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?
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.
 
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vito45

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I want to do this with Topping NX4, Fiio K1 which have only USB input and onboard soundcard so toslink is out of question :(
There was some hack through some windows setting in "Recording devices" panel but it is not working in my case.
 

Vincent Kars

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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.
 

Krunok

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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.

So it's not really that simple, isn't it? :D
With the solution you're proposing both instances will never run in perfect sync. The solution with USB to SPDIF bridge will solve that problem seamlessly.
 

Vincent Kars

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As the OP pointed out, the DACs he want to test have no SPDIF inputs hence your "solution" is inadequate.

BTW: any evidence that JRiver with linked zones is not in sync?
 

Kal Rubinson

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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.
 

andreasmaaan

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BTW: any evidence that JRiver with linked zones is not in sync?

Any evidence they are in sync?

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?
 
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vito45

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Best solution for me was audio-router:
https://github.com/audiorouterdev/audio-router
It have simple interface. Outputs are not in perfect sync so it is not possible to use it outputting audio to acoustically connected rooms but for my use it is enough.

There is native option:
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...ndows-10/b284def2-d684-4f1f-87a0-f562f556aedd
But in my case I need to select right chain of devices to make it work, you can output to one additional output and NX4 and onboard audio were little bit more out of sync then in audio-router.

Voicemeeter was unusable because there were horrible amout of artifacts, so much that I cant tell how out of sync outputs were. But overall I like looks and options of this software.
https://www.vb-audio.com/Voicemeeter/index.htm

For JRiver I I couldn't see any options how I could output audio in parallel.

I have tested this on my PC: Win10 64 bit, AMD 1700@3,8Ghz, 16GB RAM, ASRock Fatal1ty X470 Gaming K4 with Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec. All effect were disabled. ALC1220 and NX4 DSD was set to 24bit 96kHz.
 

Jinjuku

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Install the Realtek HD Audio Package. With that it will install Stereomix. You will be able to then pipe the audio to multiple DAC's. It's what I use to scare people the believe certain, expensive, USB cables will sound different. Because we can in real time direct A/B blind.

 

Vincent Kars

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For JRiver I I couldn't see any options how I could output audio in parallel.

Expand Playing Now (upper left)
Define your zones
Left click on one and choose Link Zone
 

amirm

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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 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.
 

Purité Audio

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I use that feature too, extremely useful for comparative listening.
Keith
 
OP
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vito45

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Expand Playing Now (upper left)
Define your zones
Left click on one and choose Link Zone
I was fighting with it for 30 minutes but I found how to configure it and they are in perfect sync.
Downside it that it cost 60USD but at least it have 30 days trial.
 

Kal Rubinson

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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.
 
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