Audio Splitters

With a wide range of splitters and switches available for you, your audio and video setup can be extended when connected to other devices. A single installation can be made versatile and flexible as well.

It is important to note that an audio splitter will always have connecting sources and destinations that are set in a particular configuration.

Sources refer to devices that provide data or signal, such as a Blu-ray player, an iPod, or a tablet PC. Destinations, on the other hand, are devices that display or receive the source data. These are the speakers or amplifiers that play music from an audio device or the television or projector that displays what's playing from a video source.

Not all devices work as a source or destination only. A television, for example, works as both an optical output and a source of digital audio.

The role of an optical audio splitter is to bridge the gap from the source to the destination.

When to Use an Optical Audio Splitter

Most audio-visual equipment uses electrical signals, whether it is analog or digital. But optical audio systems use fiber optic cables to transmit digital audio signals between devices. Toshiba introduced the standard way back in 1983, and optical audio cables are sometimes referred to as TOSLINK or Toshiba-Link.

If the equipment you own has an optical audio or TOSLINK port, you must use an optical audio splitter to distribute the one single output to different devices. Using this type of audio splitter has its benefits.

Extend the service life of older audio equipment

HDMI has taken over TOSLINK, making the cable almost obsolete. But because older audio equipment mostly has an optical audio port, compatible audio splitters will let you use your old stereo up to its last tune.

Isolate audio

Between HDMI and TOSLINK cables, it is easier to separate the audio signal using the latter. So if you want to use your Blu-ray player as a CD player, you can just pipe out the audio through the optical port without the need to turn on the TV.

Lowdown on a Digital Audio Splitter

An audio splitter lets you connect one source device to many destinations. Your MP3 player can be linked to a speaker or TV. Depending on the splitter, you can also use it to connect two headphones from a single output source.

A digital audio splitter is either passive or active. A good example of the former is a simple 3.5 mm speaker cable. Another one is a 4-way phone splitter.

Passive splitting works best with analog signals, but there are limits. This is because every split halves the available power that can impact volume.

Active splitting, on the other hand, takes power from the mains outlet and boosts signals on every output. This offers full strength and the ability to run more destinations even over longer cables.

Don't know which audio splitter you need for your audio and video setup? Contact 3D HD Gear today for expert advice. We can also provide information for the audio-video setup you want to create. Gives us a call now.