Toslink switch and TosLink/Coaxial SPDIF converter - Review and measurements

[gumblag]

I would suggest to call the connector a 'cinch connector' instead of a RCA connector, when dealing with digital signals and maintain 'RCA connector' when analog signals are at play.

 

[Rja4000]

It's the RME or the Topping receiving the signal through SPDIF (TosLink or Coaxial, depending the path) and outputing in analog.
The RME is used to measure the analog signal.
It's similar to what @amirm is doing in similar cases.

 

[Rja4000]

I would suggest to call the connector a 'cinch connector' instead of a RCA connector, when dealing with digital signals and maintain 'RCA connector' when analog signals are at play.

I'll change RCA into coaxial.

EDIT: Done

 

[pkane]

I've run the J-test in full digital.
Everything is perfect, whatever of thise devices you insert.

In digital domain you'll need much more specialized equipment to measure clock differences/jitter. J-Test is only useful once digital is converted to analog, where timing variations can be viewed as FM modulation sidebands.

 

[Rja4000]

In digital domain you'll need much more specialized equipment to measure clock differences/jitter. J-Test is only useful once digital is converted to analog, where timing variations can be viewed as FM modulation sidebands.

I know

 

[pkane]

I know

 

[MC_RME]

Thanks for the test, very interesting. Two comments: these boxes are too cheap to have serious 192 kHz capable TOSLINK receivers. You should try that test again with a least 5 meter optical cable length. Would be astonishing for me if they still work.

And the reason they can do ADAT is because they don't do anything internally. The input signal is just fed identical to the output. Therefore they also don't add serious jitter (no clock, no PLL inside). Using DigiCheck with the UCX II you could also see that the Channel Status does not change when inserted.

 

[Rja4000]

Thanks for th test, very interesting.

Thanks

You should try that test again with a least 5 meter optical cable length. Would be astonishing for me if they still work.

I don't have one at hand.
My TOSLink cables are 1m long.
Let me try and get one.

Using DigiCheck with the UCX II you could also see that the Channel Status does not change when inserted.

I'll give it a try

 

[amirm]

Very good work. Promoted to home page.

 

[quimbo]

I bought this Amalink 3 Port Optical Switcher Splitter 3 in 1 Out, with 1 Way Spdif Toslink Optical Splitter/IR Remote Control Optical Switcher Splitter, 3 Port Spdif Toslink Optical Switch at amazon 2 weeks ago, looks the same, different company listed on the top of the device. Works well for my use case, replaced a larger 4x1 SPDIF Digital Audio Switcher

How I currently use it

Port 1 is fed from my computer USB into a Luxury Precision W2 Portable USB DAC/AMP Headphone AMP into a Analog to Digital Audio Converter. Port 2 is fed from the DSD Tech mentioned above which can be connected to any USB-C OTG input such as my phone (for podcasts) and my tablet (for movies). Port 3 is fed from my Cowan PLENUE 2 MK2 DAP

 

[MCH]

serious 192 kHz capable TOSLINK receivers.

Can you recommend any?

And the reason they can do ADAT is because they don't do anything internally. The input signal is just fed identical to the output. Therefore they also don't add serious jitter (no clock, no PLL inside).

And no issues with trample rate changes... perfectly fit for purpose. The problem is to implement some sort of additional functionality like signal sensing.
It would be interesting to test one based on a proper spdif transceiver.

 

[ocinn]

I use a toslink switcher and splitter to send PC audio to my headphone DAC/Amp, my MiniDSP and my TC Electronics Mastering Analyzer. Happy to take a couple sinad hit to avoid having to mess around in Windows every time I want to re-route audio.

 

[TNT]

"After further look and check with the more Jitter-sensitive (and way cheaper) Topping E30 II Lite, this is not absolutely true.
There are measurable performance degradations."

So if one uses a worse performing DAC, the jitter in the DUT increases? Or did you switch test object on the fly?

I think you have some way yet to go.... my young Padawan...

//

 

[Swtoby]

I bought this Amalink 3 Port Optical Switcher Splitter 3 in 1 Out, with 1 Way Spdif Toslink Optical Splitter/IR Remote Control Optical Switcher Splitter, 3 Port Spdif Toslink Optical Switch at amazon 2 weeks ago, looks the same, different company listed on the top of the device. Works well for my use case, replaced a larger 4x1 SPDIF Digital Audio Switcher

I'm curious about what prompted you to replace the Inday switcher, apart from the size difference?

 

[quimbo]

I'm curious about what prompted you to replace the Inday switcher, apart from the size difference?

The size and all the cables. None of the 3 devices used on this switch are used for my main listening

BiFrost 2/64 DAC --> Lokius --> LYR 3 --> gjallarhorn --> AV123 ELT525M speakers

DCA Aeon Closed, AKG 240, Sennheiser 250 and 540, a few others


USB Input - Allo UsBridge Streamer, moode front end, NAS with 17 TB and growing of flac

Coaxial Input - Shanling PCD300B Hifi CD Player (I still have about 500 commercial CDs, most will be ripped and given away)

Optical Input - The device in this review

• Port 1 - fed from my computer USB into a Luxury Precision W2 Portable USB DAC/AMP Headphone AMP into a Analog to Digital Audio Converter. Used for movies, playing music with FooBar to see if it is NAS worthy
• Port 2 - Phone and tablet to this DSD TECH SH-AU01A USB to TOSLINK Coaxial Optical Audio Adapter , mostly used for podcasts which i manage on my phone
• Port 3 - Cowan PLENUE 2 MK2 DAP, rarely used as both my DAPS have a subset of the NAS so i would use my streamer.

I also have 2 backups of all my music, 1 at home, the other at work

 

[MrOtto]

Is it possible to measure delay on the cox-toslink conveter? Problems with lipsync on a TV for example.

 

[MC_RME]

There is no delay, because the data is not processed. Or more precise: the delay is below one sample aka microseconds. Lip-sync is several milliseconds.

 

[fordiebianco]

Lovely work, thank you.

 

[Joachim Herbert]

I would suggest to call the connector a 'cinch connector' instead of a RCA connector, when dealing with digital signals and maintain 'RCA connector' when analog signals are at play.

The same plug, isn't it? Any suggestion for a correct name in video applications? +

 

[Colonel7]

Thanks for the testing. I think it’s convinced me to save and step up to the RME