"Richard Crowley" writes:
"AZ Nomad" wrote...
Richard Crowley wrote:
The simple and inexpensive method is to just use a "Y-cable"
which connects the Left and Right outputs together to form a
monaural signal combined from both. This is effective most of
the time, and with reasonable quality.
That's a terrible solution. If you mix them and the outputs don't
like being shorted together then you'll end up with horrible
distortion.
Yes that is the common theory. However, I have actually done
this many times and I have NEVER had "horrible distortion".
Sorry to hear that you have had such poor luck.
The reason this works is that the analog outputs from most
audio equipment (consumer and professional) is NOT zero
impedance. They all have some amount of output resistance,
most typically with a simple series resistor in the output if you
look at the circuit schematics. Pro equipment typically has
~600 ohm resistors in series with the outputs, and consumer
stuff has at least 1K and likely higher.
Why would they do that? They'd be derating an ideal voltage amplifier
characteristic (zero output impedance) that is desirable in such devices.
--
Randy Yates % "Though you ride on the wheels of tomorrow,
Digital Signal Labs % you still wander the fields of your
% sorrow."
http://www.digitalsignallabs.com % '21st Century Man', *Time*, ELO