How to connect two amps with one source?


I want to connect my modded Ack dac (with one set of RCA outputs) to my tubed headphone amp (Singlepower Supra) and power amp (AVA FetValve Ultra 550).

What is a way of doing this that will have the least effect on the sound? Do I need to use a line router or switch box, or will an inexpensive y-splitter work at the output of the RCA terminals?
kevin_mcdonough
Well, if the units are well-designed, a pair of Y-connectors will be fine. This means that the dac has a low output impedance and decent current output and that the two loads each have a relatively high, constant and similar input impedance. I do not know any those devices, so I cannot advise further.

A switch, of course, will do fine, too.

Kal
I would not use a cheap one. In the past when I was a dealer for them I had Audio Quest and XLO make up ones for me. You can try Signal Cable and Morrow and others to see if they would make them. The chain is no better than it's worst cable so if I had good ones elsewhere I wouldn't use a cheap on at the beginning of the chain.
i suggest a simple mod to the dac, which will create a second pair of analog out females.

i have often thought that digital designers furnish dacs and/or cd players with 2 sets of analog out connectors.

tsuch an approach would solve your problem.
Mrtennis
i suggest a simple mod to the dac, which will create a second pair of analog out females.

i have often thought that digital designers furnish dacs and/or cd players with 2 sets of analog out connectors.

You mean an internal Y-connection. Why not?

Kal
i do not mean an internal y connection.

consider a preamp with multiple inputs and outputs.

in the same way, consider a digital source with more than one output. you would have two sets of analog outs, the same way a preamp can have two sets of main outputs.
A preamp with two sets of main outputs may or may not have independent buffer stages for them.

If it does not, then in effect it has an internal y-connection, that will perform no differently than an external y-connection, aside from possible cable effects which should be negligible because the y-adapter should be very short.

Creating a separately buffered second output of the dac would not be "a simple mod" for most users.

Regards,
-- Al
Just having multiple outputs does not mean that they are independently driven. If not, and this is more common than otherwise, those outputs are simply Y-ed together.

Kal