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RCA Y-Adapter but in one-direction?

post #1 of 14
2/14/13 at 3:58am
Thread Starter 
I'm dreaming of a future application... I'm wiring up my house, and I figured one of these couldn't be too expensive, but when I tried googling for it. I couldn't find one. I realize when you wire two items in a Y-Adapter you get noise, especially in the application I'm going to have with long wires. I'm also talking about needing 3 of them... 6channel Y-Adaption (L,R C,Sub SR, SL)

So I wanted to find a Y-Adapter that only worked in one direction. I didn't want to spend the money on a 5.1 switcher box. I wanted to be cheap. Anybody know if such a thing exists?

I will have discrete wires coming in from my computer, and I need to pair those with the ones I already have going into my older deck from my DVD.

1) Don't ask -- why don't I use non-discrete inputs... This is the only 5.1 inputs into my Audio Deck.
2) Don't tell me to throw out all my stuff and buy buy buy $$$$. don't bother to post.
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post #2 of 14
2/14/13 at 4:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by robertkjr3d View Post

I'm dreaming of a future application... I'm wiring up my house, and I figured one of these couldn't be too expensive, but when I tried googling for it. I couldn't find one. I realize when you wire two items in a Y-Adapter you get noise, especially in the application I'm going to have with long wires. I'm also talking about needing 3 of them... 6channel Y-Adaption (L,R C,Sub SR, SL)

So I wanted to find a Y-Adapter that only worked in one direction. I didn't want to spend the money on a 5.1 switcher box. I wanted to be cheap. Anybody know if such a thing exists?

I will have discrete wires coming in from my computer, and I need to pair those with the ones I already have going into my older deck from my DVD.

1) Don't ask -- why don't I use non-discrete inputs... This is the only 5.1 inputs into my Audio Deck.
2) Don't tell me to throw out all my stuff and buy buy buy $$$$. don't bother to post.

If you want to isolate the loads from the source to avoid noise:

(1) This is a good idea

(2) If you have the money to spend you obtain something called a "Distribution Amplifier"

(3) If you don't have a lot of money to spend you put a ground isolator in line with every load.

Most of the noise comes from grounding problems and the ground isolators do a good job of making those go away.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062214

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post #3 of 14
2/14/13 at 4:42am
Thread Starter 
Oh I actually have one of those... I didn't think of that. However I'm going go in a different direction. Since I'm building the long cable (cat6) anyway. It suddenly came to me while taking a shower--- that why not also put a switch in it as well. - switches are cheap... The ground loop I do have I want to isolate a different way, with a Power conditioner.
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post #4 of 14
2/14/13 at 5:08am
A power conditioner typically won't fix a ground loop because grounds must be carried through the equipment.

If the power conditioner is the single point connection for ALL of your interconnected gear then it might help in that regard. But again, if you have gear spread over different electrical circuits then typically a power conditioner won't fix ground loop problems.
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post #5 of 14
2/14/13 at 5:20am
Thread Starter 
hmm... so the only way is to run an extension cord?

What is the best way to handle... sound carried 75ft away HTPC to an amplifier? on obviously two different ground sources
Edited by robertkjr3d - 2/14/13 at 5:29am
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post #6 of 14
2/14/13 at 5:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by robertkjr3d View Post

Oh I actually have one of those... I didn't think of that. However I'm going go in a different direction. Since I'm building the long cable (cat6) anyway. It suddenly came to me while taking a shower--- that why not also put a switch in it as well. - switches are cheap...

Switches have to be manually operated and depending on how they are wired, they may not do anything about a ground loop.
Quote:
The ground loop I do have I want to isolate a different way, with a Power conditioner.

Boy, your mental toolbox is chock full of costly, expensive and ineffective solutions, isn't it? ;-)

One word: transformers.
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post #7 of 14
2/14/13 at 5:50am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by arnyk View Post

Switches have to be manually operated and depending on how they are wired, they may not do anything about a ground loop.
Boy, your mental toolbox is chock full of costly, expensive and ineffective solutions, isn't it? ;-)

One word: transformers.

The switch isn't anythng to do with a ground loop--- and if you look earlier in the thread - 'you brought up the ground loop isolator' - I just mentioned I happened to have a 'ground loop' problem, and now we are on a different subject. The switch is to keep two different items from clashing one another: Currently I have a DVD player with 6 discrete outputs that goes out to my older 5.1 audio receiver with no decoder - My audio receiver has no switch for its 5.1 inputs. So I want to build my own via - wiring these items together with Y-Adapters.... I don't use the DVD player that often but when I do I would turn off the Computer source at the Cat6 cable switch that I'm planning I'm building. -- -The circuit would go from 2Cat6 to 6discrete RCA.

Transformers??? explain - sounds expensive... Aren't those the things that get knocked out when lightning strikes them.
edit: "more than meets the eye"...lol
Edited by robertkjr3d - 2/14/13 at 5:58am
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post #8 of 14
2/14/13 at 6:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by robertkjr3d View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by arnyk View Post

Switches have to be manually operated and depending on how they are wired, they may not do anything about a ground loop.
Boy, your mental toolbox is chock full of costly, expensive and ineffective solutions, isn't it? ;-)

One word: transformers.

The switch isn't anythng to do with a ground loop---

Really? It may or it may not, depending on a lot of details that haven't been explored.
Quote:
and if you look earlier in the thread - 'you brought up the ground loop isolator' - I just mentioned I happened to have a 'ground loop' problem, and now we are on a different subject.

Not at all. You brought up ground loops. The Ground Loop Isolator which is a pair of high quality audio transformers, is about as close to a one-size-fits-all solution to ground loops and other sources of hum as is known to man.

Quote:
The switch is to keep two different items from clashing one another:

How the switch intersects with grounding relates to hum.
Quote:
Currently I have a DVD player with 6 discrete outputs that goes out to my older 5.1 audio receiver with no decoder - My audio receiver has no switch for its 5.1 inputs. So I want to build my own via - wiring these items together with Y-Adapters.... I don't use the DVD player that often but when I do I would turn off the Computer source at the Cat6 cable switch that I'm planning I'm building. -- -The circuit would go from 2Cat6 to 6discrete RCA.


The simple answer is that if your AVR has digital inputs and the DVD player has digital outputs, then go that way. That leaves the 5.1 input free for other purposes, right?

It's hard to provide a solution for a system that is only described in fragments.
Quote:
Transformers??? explain - sounds expensive... Aren't those the things that get knocked out when lightning strikes them.
edit: "more than meets the eye"...lol

The Ground Loop Isolator that you say you already have is basically composed of two transformers.
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post #9 of 14
2/14/13 at 7:04am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by arnyk View Post

Really? It may or it may not, depending on a lot of details that haven't been explored.
Not at all. You brought up ground loops. The Ground Loop Isolator which is a pair of high quality audio transformers, is about as close to a one-size-fits-all solution to ground loops and other sources of hum as is known to man.
How the switch intersects with grounding relates to hum.
The simple answer is that if your AVR has digital inputs and the DVD player has digital outputs, then go that way. That leaves the 5.1 input free for other purposes, right?

It's hard to provide a solution for a system that is only described in fragments.
The Ground Loop Isolator that you say you already have is basically composed of two transformers.

As explained in the 1st thread.. My audio deck does not have digital input... if it did, than yes I could do that, but no I can't. So here we are. I was told that the GLI..<-- using an abbreviation actually reduces sound quality is that true? If not, than I'll pick up more of them, instead of another solution. Since I'm building stuff myself. Is there a simple cheap way to build that myself?
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post #10 of 14
2/14/13 at 8:13am
Thread Starter 
This is going to be cheaper than I can build...--- see this: http://www.compbargains.com/_e/Car_Audio_Video_Kits/sproduct/11531865/METRA_GL15_Ground_Loop_Isolator.htm

I have 1 (or 1 pair) - but I need to isolate 6channels. so I need 2 more of them
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post #11 of 14
2/14/13 at 8:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by robertkjr3d View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by arnyk View Post

Really? It may or it may not, depending on a lot of details that haven't been explored.
Not at all. You brought up ground loops. The Ground Loop Isolator which is a pair of high quality audio transformers, is about as close to a one-size-fits-all solution to ground loops and other sources of hum as is known to man.
How the switch intersects with grounding relates to hum.
The simple answer is that if your AVR has digital inputs and the DVD player has digital outputs, then go that way. That leaves the 5.1 input free for other purposes, right?

It's hard to provide a solution for a system that is only described in fragments.
The Ground Loop Isolator that you say you already have is basically composed of two transformers.

As explained in the 1st thread.. My audio deck does not have digital input... if it did, than yes I could do that, but no I can't.

Maybe it is time to modernize.
Quote:
So here we are. I was told that the GLI..<-- using an abbreviation actually reduces sound quality is that true?

They are probably not all the same. I tested the one I mentioned and it won't hurt sound quality, but devices of its kind have the potential hurt sound quality. I can't test them alll!
Quote:
If not, than I'll pick up more of them, instead of another solution. Since I'm building stuff myself. Is there a simple cheap way to build that myself?

For the price and what they are, probably not. The transformers inside the one I mentioned are so good and so inexpensive that I've been known to tear that device apart for the transformers to put in another project.
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post #12 of 14
2/14/13 at 8:34am
Is this 3x1 5.1 switch what you're looking for?

edit: Actual this, a 2x1 5.1 switch

You would need RCA->balanced cables though...
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post #13 of 14
2/14/13 at 9:04am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by rick240 View Post

Is this 3x1 5.1 switch what you're looking for?

edit: Actual this, a 2x1 5.1 switch

You would need RCA->balanced cables though...

Yes rick but.. Letme Refer you to rule #2 in my original post. Unless you are buying.

TotalPrice - As of right now:
Monoprice Cat6 cable $20 +shipping http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10232&cs_id=1023216&p_id=5906&seq=1&format=2 - I think this is the right cable. I'm only going to need one for now. 2channels are already working. 1cat6 cable has 4pairs (4channels).

Quantity 2 - Ground-Loop Isolators $30

Edit (I won't need the switches... ) - that will go into a box that I'll build - cat6 in --> RCA out.

I already have all the ends necessary for the job, and solder. - still too much money for the GLIs.
Edited by robertkjr3d - 2/14/13 at 10:49am
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post #14 of 14
2/14/13 at 10:04am
Thread Starter 
Looky looky what I found - http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10844&cs_id=1084402&p_id=6909&seq=1&format=2#description

It's 4 channel - so it will do the job yet half the cost.
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