Direct Optical mode - How to

[DesertEagleAZ]

Awesome to see such activity in this thread. I'm looking to receive my 2 new Phantoms tomorrow or Wednesday the latest. Right now, the Airport Express works really nicely with Phantom Elevate in Direct Optical mode, with the volume range nicely controlled via iPhone/iPad/AppleTV/Mac. It also works well with the other speakers and Airfoil on my Mac, which I sometimes use to stream FLAC files from my Plex Server.

I've received my new Gold Phantoms on Wednesday. Glasgow airport security actually opened the boxes, what the heck. Those things do look suspicious.. 

Anyhow, they are fine and now hooked up to the Airport Express via Optical through a self-powered optical splitter, with Optical Direct (L/R) modes engaged. Airplay 2.0 works nicely, with the speakers in sync with my other connected devices (Libratone Zipps, HomePod). I can waltz into my apartment and tell my HomePod or iPhone to play music in the living room, which works nicely. Very happy. Not to mention the sound going from a single Elevate to these two babies. 

[NevB]

I've received my new Gold Phantoms on Wednesday. Glasgow airport security actually opened the boxes, what the heck. Those things do look suspicious.. 

Anyhow, they are fine and now hooked up to the Airport Express via Optical through a self-powered optical splitter, with Optical Direct (L/R) modes engaged. Airplay 2.0 works nicely, with the speakers in sync with my other connected devices (Libratone Zipps, HomePod). I can waltz into my apartment and tell my HomePod or iPhone to play music in the living room, which works nicely. Very happy. Not to mention the sound going from a single Elevate to these two babies. 

Which optical splitter are you using?

[DesertEagleAZ]

Which optical splitter are you using?

This one. I don't know why I've gotten it for 24 Euros though. I have ordered a couple others without power, but I'm probably not gonna bother, as this one's fine. Plus, I assume that I won't run into issues with cable length should I decide to buy two Gecko wall mounts and place the Phantoms further apart..

[JDtheJD]

I am confused as to how the optical splitter works. Does the splitter separate left from right or are the phantoms themselves handling the sound processing to split for stereo?

[alandbush]

I assume that I won't run into issues with cable length should I decide to buy two Gecko wall mounts and place the Phantoms further apart..

I would have thought you would be OK as I am using 3x 5m generic optical cables, of which two are connected to a passive optical splitter.


Doh! Correction - 1x 10m cable and 2x 5m cables which are connected to a passive splitter

[alandbush]

I am confused as to how the optical splitter works. Does the splitter separate left from right or are the phantoms themselves handling the sound processing to split for stereo?

Yes, it is confusing although the term splitter is correct, I think.

The audio signal is actually being duplicated but being split to two or more outputs, depending on the device.
Each output contains the original stereo signal and a Phantom is set to choose either left, right or mix.

[Malmbak]

Nice thread! Would it be possible to use this optical splitter with a preamp? I would like to connect a turntable and a Roon Ready streamer to a preamp and control everything from the preamp. Is that possible if said preamp has optical out?

Would this work as a preamp?: https://www.project-audio.com/en/product...2-digital/

[ragwo]

Nice thread! Would it be possible to use this optical splitter with a preamp? I would like to connect a turntable and a Roon Ready streamer to a preamp and control everything from the preamp. Is that possible if said preamp has optical out?

Would this work as a preamp?: https://www.project-audio.com/en/product...2-digital/

The specs sheet doesn't say if the optical output is variable. In another thread Yamaha WXC-50 is mentioned  It has a variable optical output. The splitter will work by the way.

[alandbush]

Would this work as a preamp?: https://www.project-audio.com/en/product...2-digital/

Sorry, I see no optical output.

However, if you really like it, there is a variable gain RCA output and this could be connected to a RCA to optical converter and then onto the splitter!!!

[Malmbak]

I don't really know the Pro-ject. Just an example. A bad one at that:-)

But the "hidden mode" will turn my two Golds into a pair a traditional active monitors, where I can control everything from a preamp? And the preamp can then be connected to everything from a streamer to a turntable to a CD player, etc? I guess the most important thing is that Spark is bypassed and volume is done via the preamp. If this is possible it would be simply amazing....