Analog Audio source selector? - Page 2

If only 2 inputs is ok, you can go with simple two-positional toggle switch.

My customed Selector from AmpBox

Hi folks,

This is what I ordered from Art Taylor :-







The Selector have two source (input selector), and 5 output selectors - 3 RCA pairs on the back, and 1 RCA and 1 mini-jack on the front. The connectors on the front can allow me to quickly A/B new toys without the need to mess with connecting and reconnecting cables behind my rig.

22ga DH Labs copper wiring inside, and Elma selector switch (close to DACT but cheaper), Tiffany RCAs. chassis is 3/16 aluminum plate.

F. Lo

Art did beautiful work on this unit. You made a great selection of options to put this together.

Wow, ain't she a beauty!
Any pics inside the chassis?

Yes, Art is great to deal with. He explained to me the options, and what are possibly better value. He is very responsive, and workmanship is great. Honestly, I simply cannot hear any difference of this box in my audio chain, compared to direct connect to source.

I am one very happy customer.

F. Lo

This is what Art sent me before shipment. I did not open the box myself - simply no need.



F. Lo

I strongly doubt that this will cost anything around $40.00....I'm assuming at least five times as much...

Guys the OP has a budget in mind, to post an expensive piece of technology completelly outside the budget, will not help him in his selection at all...

I got one to solve a temporary problem here, from MCM electronics it cost me around $14.00, and for that price I can't complaint, of course quality is not the same as this fancy one, but I doubt you will hear any difference against the most expensive ones...

The most expensive things on these are the case BTW, I was trying to create one, to sell along with our amps, and all what I could find out was the same, after the price of the parts, the case price is killer!!!

You could buy one of these from Jaycar

Jaycar Electronics

I built myself a cut-down version of MB3k's SOCRAM



I left out the crossfeed switching so its just a 4 input -> 4 output.

I replaced the standard metal front panel with stained plywood, it came up really well. I ended up rewiring it completely with silver wire, it also has a small container of lead shot inside, its a heavy little sucker now

As other members have posted directions to cheaper solutions, I think there is no harm to share other possibilities. Besides, the OP asked for no change in sound qualities so I guess this is an important requirement.

I do think the Skipjack from Manley Labs is the real high-end switch, and mine compare to that is, well, basic.

http://www.manleylabs.com/containerpages/skipjack.html

As you can see, there is a lot more than the case.

F. Lo

That's is a very nice DIY!

If you are selling one I am at all ears

F. Lo

No, no, no... You got it all wrong!
These are cheap, if you compare them to the Cello piece in another thread... Actually, Lo's unit's internal view looks better!
There are other more "purist" options. You can get yourself a bunch of mercury-wetted relays and build a very nice looking switching network with extremely short signal paths!
The relays can cost a pretty penny but then the two units pictured don't seem like cheap parts either. It's just a matter of which option is "more sexy". Head-Fi is great - it gives you options! Wait a minute, what happened to my wallet?!

An input selector "switch" with volume control can mean a start-of-the-art high end passive pre-amp - where we will be talking about US$3,500 +

I have seen one with use a very special kind of passive volume control (using mutual inductive between 2 transformers) with a price tag that shocked me

F. Lo

Okay, so i know I'm bring this thread up from the dead.  Just one question/observation: it seems that, since each RCA jack only has one wire coming from it/going to it, that this uses the chassis as ground and only source-selects the signal.  It looks to me that all your components will now share ground.  Is this how this works?  If so, I don't think that's a very good idea.  That ground loop would be massive and perhaps a little unstable.