Dual optical output via splitter not working

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Level 1

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Dual optical output via splitter not working

First, happy new year to everyone.
I have a late 2009 mini, using both video outputs over DVI to two displays in two rooms.
These each have an audio amplifier with optical input.
I cannot get it to work with an optical splitter so that both amplifiers are driven by the mini.
I have tried two different manufacturer's optical splitter without success.
All I get is silence.

And I have checked each cable (1.5m or 5') from the mini directly to each amplifier in turn and they all work.
I can see the red light out of each output of the splitter when that is connected to the mini.
This is with iTunes playing continuously to avoid sleep issues.

fails> [mini] -- optical cable --< splitter == optical cables == [amp a] and [amp b]

OK > [mini] -- optical cable -- [amp a] or [amp b] (and I tried all 3 cables)

What am I doing wrong?
Thanks for any suggestions,
Peter Jones, Western Australia

MacBook Pro, iMac & late 2009 mini, Mac OS X (10.6.2)

Posted on Jan 10, 2010 7:19 AM

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Answer 1

BSteely

Level 5

7,643 points

Jan 10, 2010 7:28 PM in response to PEJ-UWA

A splitter does cut the optical power in half. It sounds like the detectors in the receivers may no longer be able to work from the half-power output. That's all I can think of.

Maybe there are such things as active splitters rather than passive ones. That might be a solution.

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Answer 2

Jan 15, 2010 9:23 AM in response to PEJ-UWA

You don't say what make of splitter(s) you have tried, have a look at this one

http://www.gefen.com/kvm/dproduct.jsp?prod_id=6008

It comes with a power supply so the power should not be an issue, and obviously if a splitter exists it should be possible to do it.

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Answer 3

PEJ-UWA Author

Level 1

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Jan 15, 2010 4:41 PM in response to John Lockwood

Thanks for both those replies with positive suggestions.
It just may be that splitting the signal makes it too weak at the receivers.
Thought it might have been something else that I was doing that caused the problem.

I think it may have to be the powered one as John suggests at $79, about AUD$125 down here.
And there was I thinking we were almost at parity with the US greenback!

The two passive types I have tried are:
(1) From Dick Smith Electronics at http://www.dse.com.au/
"Optic Fibre TOS Splitter Adaptor" Product Code: P6700 at AUD$12.
It has JYFT on the body.
(2) From Altronics at http://www.altronics.com.au/
"Toslink Splitter" P/No: P6484 at AUD$22.

The two amplifiers are an Onkyo TX-SR602 (an AV receiver) which has optical in and out so that might be able to do the switch for me if I can figure out how to alter its settings; and the other is a Yamaha YSP-1 with lots of little speakers to make a surround sound from the front.

- Peter Jones, Western Australia

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Answer 4

PEJ-UWA Author

Level 1

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Jan 20, 2010 8:57 PM in response to PEJ-UWA

SUCCESS!!!

I changed, as John suggested, from the passive splitter to a powered one.
In particular this one."2 way digital audio Toslink Splitter", was available in Western Australia made by Digitech, model AC-1613 made in Taiwan at AUD$69.95. It is powered by a small mains brick and has one optical in and two optical out.

There is now the recently re-mastered Beatles blasting out in two rooms from one tiny Apple mini.

Shame the el-cheapo passive splitters didn't work, I dislike all these power bricks.
Why don't those power boards have a supply of 5V?

Peter Jones, Western Australia

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Answer 5

BSteely

Level 5

7,643 points

Jan 20, 2010 9:26 PM in response to PEJ-UWA

Glad you got it to work. About 5 volts auxillary, the mini does have 5 USB ports. Depending on the power requirement of the splitter, you might be able to get a USB cable that has the correct personality connector at the opposite end for the Digitech box. Just a thought.

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