[michaelkingdom]

I'm looking to run USB audio from my computer to two different devices. One device is a stereo system and the other is an AVR. They won't be on at the same time.


Can I split the signal via a standard USB splitter?


Do splitters exist that have selectable destinations - so that I can choose which device I want my computer to connect to (if they were both on)?

 

[arnyk]



Quote:
Originally Posted by michaelkingdom  /t/1518108/splitting-usb-audio-from-computer#post_24364275


I'm looking to run USB audio from my computer to two different devices. One device is a stereo system and the other is an AVR. They won't be on at the same time.


Can I split the signal via a standard USB splitter?

In general, no. USB is a bidirectional network protocol that requires active mutual participation between the components at each end of a link.


Unlike HDMI there are actually no such things as USB splitters.


The one-to-many USB appliances that we are familiar with are a kind of network hub.


It is possible for some types of networks to support many-to-many connections (the internet being such a thing) but USB does not appear to be one of them.

Quote:
Do splitters exist that have selectable destinations - so that I can choose which device I want my computer to connect to (if they were both on)?

The usual solution is to handle a problem like the one above in the audio domain, as both analog and digital audio splitters are standard audio components.

 

[michaelkingdom]

I was afraid of that.


I wonder if there are any DACs or AVRs or Preamps that feature USB in and multiple digital outs. Two USB out would probably be too much to ask but USB/Toslink/SPDIF is a possibility.

 

[arnyk]



Quote:
Originally Posted by michaelkingdom  /t/1518108/splitting-usb-audio-from-computer#post_24364567


I was afraid of that.


I wonder if there are any DACs or AVRs or Preamps that feature USB in and multiple digital outs. Two USB out would probably be too much to ask but USB/Toslink/SPDIF is a possibility.

TOSLINK splitters are commercial products:

http://www.monoprice.com/Category?c_id=104&cp_id=10423&cs_id=1042302





S/PDIF splits nicely with video distribution amplifiers:

http://www.amazon.com/Sound-Storm-Laboratories-SVA4-Amplifier/dp/B000O554MU/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1392560663

 

[commsysman]

If you have multiple USB sockets on the computer, just connect the devices to them. That is all you have to do. The USB uses time-sharing multiplexing between any number of connected devices, so there is no such thing as a "splitter'. Many computers have USB sockets both on the rear panel and the front panel (or left and right on laptops etc.), so look carefully to see how many you have.


If you need additional USB connections, just buy an inexpensive USB HUB, which has one input to connect to the computer and multiple USB jacks for additional devices. It just expands the number of physical USB connections available.


It does not matter if a device is on or off. When you send any signal on the USB, it is available to all USB devices that are connected, but devices for which the data is inappropriate (such as printers) will simply not recognize or use it.


Many USB devices only become "active" when they receive a dedicated set of "handshaking" signals that address and activate them. Until this happens they are semi-dormant.


If one device is off it is the same as if were not connected at all, and has no effect on other devices that are on and connected.


If you need a hub, I recommend the D-LINK 7-port USB hub, which you can get for about $25 at Wal-Mart and Amazon.


Sometimes a device works better connected directly to one of the computer USB jacks than through the hub, so you might want to use a direct connection to the computer where available for the audio devices and then connect other devices through the hub.

 

[Selden Ball]

michaelkingdom.


It might help if you provided more information about what you're actually trying to do.


There might be other solutions which don't involve USB at all.

 

[michaelkingdom]

Primarily, I use my computer to play itunes and flac through my audio receiver (Outlaw RR2150) which has a usb dac in it. I would also like to send audio/video to an AVR for watching movies off my computer. I would like to handle both audio and video through the AVR for the benefit of 5.1. In Windows, you have to choose an audio device you'd like to activate. As far as I know, HDMI audio and USB audio cannot be simultaneously active. I would like to avoid going to my taskbar and selecting an audio destination, each time I would like to hear/see something.


So, I was looking to split the USB signal to send one to the Outlaw and one to the AVR. If that is not possible, one potential solution I see is to run an analog pre-out signal from the Outlaw to the AVR - selecting the analog signal as the audio source on the AVR. However, that way I would be losing any multichannel information in the d to a and a to d conversions.


Another solution would be to get a DAC that has digital out so that I could still send the digital info to my AVR and the analog converted signal to the Outlaw. But that's another component for just one task.


Another option would be to hunt down a way to play multiple forms of audio out from my Windows computer but I have not found that yet. I'm not interested in DACing the signal in the computer.


Another option would be to send the signal to my AVR first and use the digital outs to send a digital signal to the Outlaw - however, the outlaw DAC (which is GRRRREAT) is USB and I don't think any AVRs have USB out. Plus, that means I would have to run another huge box just for 2-channel listening.

 

[michaelkingdom]

Commsysman - If I connect two USB DACs to one computer, are you saying both will be active simultaneously? Doesn't a single destination need to be chosen?