I've just spent nearly two hours trying to connect my CLD-D925 to the optical input of my amp and failing miserably to get it to work, trying different SPDIF cables, switching back to phono leads, trying something else, etc.

Then realised I was switching to the wrong {expletive deleted} channel on the amp...

Worked well in the end, but I am seriously annoyed with my own stupidity.

Does lead me to ask a question - are there any good (preferably automatic) SPDIF boxes that'll take one of two or three optical inputs and send them to one output? I had to disconnect my DVD recorder and use stereo leads instead for this since the amp only has one optical input.

I use a Zektor HDS4.2, don't remember if it can be set for auto, but it'll cover your needs:

http://www.zektor.com/hds42/

je

That's serious overkill for me - also, I've realised that there's a problem, if I was recording from a laserdisc the laserdisc player and the DVD recorder would both be outputting signals which would probably be out of sync. Doubt the amp would like it!

How about this one that Amazon sells:

http://www.amazon.com/DA4X-R-SPDIF-Digi ... er+toslink

There is no mention in the ad about automatic switching of inputs. I thought that I had read about that somewhere.

http://www.allekabels.nl/spdif-kabel/58 ... wwodbj0Axg

Used this for my Onkyo tx-sr600e years ago. Worked great.
Obsolete device meanwhile

Again, serious overkill for my needs and more importantly my budget, unfortunately.



That looks a better option since only one is connected at a time - this isn't something I imagine doing very often, might as well be a manual switch. They're on eBay UK a little cheaper, I'll get one. MANY thanks!

Well there you go.

Just remember, that if you use the optical connector, then when playing an analogue sound-only disc you will need to select the analogue input on your amp manually. The optical connector only ever carries the digital signal but is not turned off when a disc is ana-only.

Just to be clear: you need all three connections between the 925 and the amp:
Phono for analogue signals
Digital for digital soundtracks and DTS
AC3-RF for AC3 discs.

Seriously? Haven't tried that yet, but thanks for the heads up! You'd think that it would be common sense to feed the analogue signal into the digital output, but never mind...

Sorry to differ, but it wouldn't make sense, common or otherwise. You propose that the analogue sound signal be converted to the digital domain for transmission down 12 inches of fibre, then converted back to analogue by the amp?

It would make sense for the digital output to be turned off so that the amp would automatically revert to the analogue connection.

Well, you appear to be right, but it seems odd that it works the other way - you get sound from the digital tracks on the analogue outputs - but not vice versa. Yes, it would need a little more circuitry, but you'd think it would be worthwhile from the point of view of the user not having to mess around with the output settings to find one that works.

Don't know the 925 all that well. But I'm sure you get both signals at the same time with a LD having a digital sound track. You get the analog sound track and the separate digital track. When there is analog only, obviously you would only get the analog track. I take it your using the optical output for the digital sound.

When the LD has a digital soundtrack, the 925 outputs are as follows.
Optical output: digital soundtrack (or the DTS stream if present)
Analogue output: determined by the "audio" setting you choose on the 925 remote. (Four options with NTSC discs with digital and analogue soundtracks, two options for PAL discs. Additionally, if the 925 detects an AC3 disc, it does not allow the AC3 stream (on Analogue-R) to be sent to the analogue output, which would make a terrible racket.)

When the LD is ANA-only, then the outputs are as follows.
Optical output: Nothing (but still active, irritatingly)
Analogue output: determined by the audio setting, but this time only two options, Analogue L and R)

Well, I got the switch and SPDIF cables today and set it all up - it works, but the switch is not the easiest thing in the world to use because you have to push a spring-loaded part back before twisting it round, and it's a bit stiff, then when you move it to the new position you often have to twist back and forth a little before the spring-loaded part moves forward again. What I think happens is that there's an SPDIF connector in the switch, pushing beck pulls it out of the socket, then it has to engage into the new socket. This isn't a huge problem because I can leave it set to laserdisc most of the time - the other inputs are a digital TV box (which only has stereo sound anyway, and works well enough on the analogue outputs) and my DVD player / recorder, very rarely used. My blu-ray player uses digital coax, not SPDIF.

It belatedly occurs to me that I could get exactly the same result with two SPDIF Y splitters and another short SPDIF cable, without messing around with a switch - since it's a digital signal the reduction in signal strength shouldn't have much effect. Something like this



If the switch turns out to be a big hassle I may give it a try.

I checked while I was setting the switch up and I actually have five devices with optical outputs - the laserdisc player, DVD recorder, and digital TV receiver I've connected, also an old DVD player/VCR and a computer (which has component sound outputs and is connected to the amp that way). But I took a look at adverts for amps and there are very few with more than one or two digital inputs of each type. I suspect that the modern approach is to get the digital signal from the HDMI lead - all very well if your equipment has an HDMI output, but most of mine is way too old.

Found this - it's a lot more than I want to spend and isn't automatic, but if anyone else wants to mess with a LOT of digital sources (e.g. 4 each SPDIF and digital coaxial) it could be useful

http://www.inday.com/da4x/da4x.htm