Basic SPDIF audio receiver

[Thetwinmeister]

Greetings

We constructed our house approximately 3 years ago and installed a 'fancy' audio system from On-Q. It's basically onqlegrand[dot]com/products/AU1003 with like twenty more zones. This is a huge house, and there are speakers in practically every room, but the fact that it's so big has turned into somewhat of a problem for the cable running. The main source(s) produce a humming in the speakers that can be eliminated by moving the sources to the home-run base. I wired the house myself, so I'm very well educated in just about every aspect of this system... except... Receivers. I haven't really had to rely on them until now. (I mean, I already own two, one in the home theater and one on the main source inputs, so when it comes to that I know what I'm doing. It just so happens in this specific application (which is rare I have come to realize) I'm not sure what to do... You could say I'm not an expert on that one yet. ^^)

What I need is a basic receiver, or some other device, that can sit up in my home-run base and receive SPDIF signals (Preferably coax, but I can convert fiber optic into coax and vise-versa with a ~$24 adapter) and then somehow, via line out or standard speaker out, I need to output analog audio to one of the main source inputs, which I will also be moving to the home-run base to eliminate the noise. I have already tested everything, and confirmed this system will work. I just need the last element, and that is this simple receiver/device. I don't want or need anything fancy, as anything more than SPDIF / out (and IR for switching via the IR network built into the On-Q system) will not be used. Basically I need something cheap. I mean, I can find the $600 versions with everything else under the sun and 3-6 SPDIF inputs... but that's not the point. Hah.

Thanks very much for any help/assistance/advice. I really do appreciate it.

 

[TLS Guy]

Greetings

We constructed our house approximately 3 years ago and installed a 'fancy' audio system from On-Q. It's basically onqlegrand[dot]com/products/AU1003 with like twenty more zones. This is a huge house, and there are speakers in practically every room, but the fact that it's so big has turned into somewhat of a problem for the cable running. The main source(s) produce a humming in the speakers that can be eliminated by moving the sources to the home-run base. I wired the house myself, so I'm very well educated in just about every aspect of this system... except... Receivers. I haven't really had to rely on them until now. (I mean, I already own two, one in the home theater and one on the main source inputs, so when it comes to that I know what I'm doing. It just so happens in this specific application (which is rare I have come to realize) I'm not sure what to do... You could say I'm not an expert on that one yet. ^^)

What I need is a basic receiver, or some other device, that can sit up in my home-run base and receive SPDIF signals (Preferably coax, but I can convert fiber optic into coax and vise-versa with a ~$24 adapter) and then somehow, via line out or standard speaker out, I need to output analog audio to one of the main source inputs, which I will also be moving to the home-run base to eliminate the noise. I have already tested everything, and confirmed this system will work. I just need the last element, and that is this simple receiver/device. I don't want or need anything fancy, as anything more than SPDIF / out (and IR for switching via the IR network built into the On-Q system) will not be used. Basically I need something cheap. I mean, I can find the $600 versions with everything else under the sun and 3-6 SPDIF inputs... but that's not the point. Hah.

Thanks very much for any help/assistance/advice. I really do appreciate it.

You post has me totally confused! Why on earth do you think what you propose will stop hum? The hum is a ground loop which you have to isolate. Those types of systems which you have set up are ground loop nightmares. I have answered quite a few request for help on the ghastly total home speaker everywhere systems of late. I would say as far as I'm concerned they a totally misbegotten, and any one who gets involved with them is inviting a negative bank balance.

I do not know of a receiver that will do what you want, however expensive pre pros such as the Rotel 1570 will.

However I should stress that I fail to see how this would help with ground loop hum problems. I guess I'm done trying to trouble shoot these misconceived systems at long range.

If you need help call in an expert who can analyze the system on site. If he is any good expect to pay him handsomely.

 

[Thetwinmeister]

Indeed, this I know... they are indeed a nightmare.

SPDIF via coax is a digital signal, and thus is not affected by noise or ground loop hums. (I'm like, 99% sure) I have already extensively tested this by running a ridiculously long cable throughout the the entire house. The result was a crisp, clean, unaffected sound.
When I wired the house I ran 2 and sometimes 4 coaxial cables to each room, so I have an abundance of these laying around begging to be used. I'm sorry that I forgot to specify the source. The source(s) is/are computer(s) equipped with SPDIF. (Which, in addition to, have the standard 3.5mm jack output.) So rather than using the 3.5mm jack and connecting that to the main source input at the location of the computer, then running that though the cat5e with ground loop fault up to the home-run base, I wanted to send a SPDIF signal though the coax cable up to the attic, then have some type of receiver take that signal and make it useable by my house's sound system. (Standard RCA jacks) and have the main source input located directly in the home-run base, completely isolating it from the cat5e with the ground loop fault.

Wow, that is a nice (and expensive ) receiver. I need something just about like that... minus all the extras. heh

Sorry for not making my current system more clear. If needed be, I can create a schematic with MS paint. It might not be the prettiest thing, but a picture is worth a thousand words, as they say.

Worst case senerio, I can live with something the opposite of this: buy[dot]com/prod/startech-audio-converter-2-x-rca-female-to-toslink-rca-female/q/loc/111/211020272.html
I just can't seem to find anything that will go the other way.

(No need for experts. :/ I can do anything he could do, and I could even pay myself the same! Actually, that sounds pretty good. )

 

[TLS Guy]

Indeed, this I know... they are indeed a nightmare.

SPDIF via coax is a digital signal, and thus is not affected by noise or ground loop hums. (I'm like, 99% sure) I have already extensively tested this by running a ridiculously long cable throughout the the entire house. The result was a crisp, clean, unaffected sound.
When I wired the house I ran 2 and sometimes 4 coaxial cables to each room, so I have an abundance of these laying around begging to be used. I'm sorry that I forgot to specify the source. The source(s) is/are computer(s) equipped with SPDIF. (Which, in addition to, have the standard 3.5mm jack output.) So rather than using the 3.5mm jack and connecting that to the main source input at the location of the computer, then running that though the cat5e with ground loop fault up to the home-run base, I wanted to send a SPDIF signal though the coax cable up to the attic, then have some type of receiver take that signal and make it useable by my house's sound system. (Standard RCA jacks) and have the main source input located directly in the home-run base, completely isolating it from the cat5e with the ground loop fault.

Wow, that is a nice (and expensive ) receiver. I need something just about like that... minus all the extras. heh

Sorry for not making my current system more clear. If needed be, I can create a schematic with MS paint. It might not be the prettiest thing, but a picture is worth a thousand words, as they say.

Worst case senerio, I can live with something the opposite of this: buy[dot]com/prod/startech-audio-converter-2-x-rca-female-to-toslink-rca-female/q/loc/111/211020272.html
I just can't seem to find anything that will go the other way.

(No need for experts. :/ I can do anything he could do, and I could even pay myself the same! Actually, that sounds pretty good. )

SPDIF coax can certainly transmit a ground loop. Ground loops can be just as easily transmitted by digital as analog caox cables. However optical cables can not, as there is no ground link. Ground loops are caused by potentials between grounds, and don't care if the center core is transmitting a digital or analog signal.

Somehow when you were doing your test you interrupted the ground loop, but it was not because you used a digital connection.

Your theory makes no sense, and you should be able to stop your ground loop for nothing or next to nothing. Read up on grounds loops. They are very common, especially in spread out convoluted systems.

 

[Thetwinmeister]

Hmmm... I see. That makes sense, I guess. I wonder why the digital was unaffected... That's actually quite interesting. I'll have to look into that.

Alright then, I'll do research on ground loop faults. Thank you very much for correcting my false assumptions on digital signals. I would've hated to get the system set up and find out I still had a problem. xD