Hiya,

I'm trying to send audio from my 2 Denon receivers and my Shaw cable box to my Whole House Audio system.

I have a bunch of ethernet in the walls, but going analog to analog gives me a bit of hum, so I would like to go Digital thru the length.

That is, Output from my sources via the SPDIF connector, then convert the SPDIF to RCA Stereo right next to the whole home theater amp.

Anyone have an idea where I could pick up such a converter?

Thanks for any help or better ideas....

Peter

Peter, your description of the proposed connections isn't entirely clear. What is the SPDIF connector? The pre-outs from your Denons are analog outputs and hum isn't a problem unless the connecting cables aren't adequately shielded.

Also confused; doesn't your HT receiver have digital inputs?

Sorry, should have been clearer....

My Whole Home Audio Amp only has Analog RCA Stereo inputs, so eventually I need to get the audio to that amp in analog form.

I have Ethernet in the walls, so Analog audio over 60 feet gives some noise, and I have a weird grounding loop between the two amps. So, I'd like to go digital.

I have an Optical Digital Out on my Denon, and I also have an Optical to SPDIF converter to get the optical out to SPDIF (Coaxial Digital Out... I think it stands for Sony Philips Digital Interface Format)

So, the connection would go:

Denon Optical > Optical>Coaxial > 60 foot run in walls > ?????? > Analog Input to Whole Home Audio System.


It's the ????? that I need to find, or come up with a better solution.

Thanks!

Ah, so you need an outboard DAC. Pretty available, although usually at absurd prices because they're targeted at audiophiles.

You can look at muxlab.com for baluns.

That's clearer, Peter. Yes, that's what SPDIF stands for, but the reason that I questioned it was because I thought that you were thinking of using the Denon pre-outs, which are analog.

The basic premise here appears to be flawed: a digital connection doesn't necessarily help a hum problem. The digital 1s and 0s aren't themselves corrupted by the voltage at the hum frequency, but unless the entire connection is adequately shielded, the hum voltage will ride in and be amplified along with the real signals. If you use the same in-wall wiring which you believe is picking up hum, it'll continue to do so.

Okay - thanks for both of those posts. I'll see what I can find.

Not if he's running optical cable.

Check out Blue Circle Audio. They have a product line called "Thingee" which might do what you want.

But he isn't.

Oh. Right. I knew that.

The hum could easily be a ground loop, between the two analog devices at the ends of the cat 5 run. He did mention having an optical out for the S/PDIF. If that was used in anyway, it would break the ground loop.

Though the amount of money to be invested to try sending the digital signal over the same wire, could end up being a real waste, if the hum was something induced by having the cat 5 run in parallel to power lines, and not a group loop.