Just in case anyone finds this thread while wondering about Y-splitters, I just tried that experiment myself. I have a vintage Lector Digicode Tube dac which sounds spectacular with its balanced XLR out on both my Stax 353X and my Taurus MkII. I didn't want to have to keep switching cables so I got a pair of Y-splitters from Blue Jeans Cable. I've been happy with everything I've gotten from them and their service is stellar. Bottom line is no matter how I arranged the wiring (whether going straight from dac>splitter>amp or dac>splitter>XLR cables>amp) whether both amps were even connected or powered on, the difference in sound quality with the y-splitter in play was substantial. I'm not talking some subtle shift in soundstage. I'm talking a change from exquisite to well, bad enough to make me think there was something wrong with my Stax (thank goodness the sound quality came right back when I removed the splitter). I emailed Blue Jeans and explained that I didn't think there was anything "wrong" with their splitters. They just weren't meant to do what I was trying to do. They agreed and offered a full refund (there's that stellar service again) and even pointed me in the direction of a good switch, so that will be my next experiment.