Toslink (Optical) Audio splitting or combining

Look, I had no idea optical inputs and outputs were referred to as Toslink either, but anyway onwards....

I made a big mistake and got a cheapy KLH receiver (oh WHY OH WHY LORD?!?!?), because I am not into audio, and wanted to get some gaming surround sound out of the consoles. It's there, so why not use it? Mistake was that this terrible system, worked, after prodding at the remote more than the person in front of you, at an ATM! You have to enter a menu to enter another menu to scroll down to activate the optical (or Toslink as we now all know) input. They for some really wild and wacky reason, you have to come out of all those sub menus, right back to nothing before the actual setting takes effect. And before you say it... every time you switch off the unit, IT GOES BACK TO DEFAULT SETTINGS!!!

So I dashed out and decided to get a receiver that would indeed cope with a DirecTivo, Xbox and PS2. No prob here, I can use the optical inputs, if I can find one with three of them. It appears, from my chats with people in the stores that I need to use this feature if I want surround sound from the speaker setup. So the hunt for a decent system that did not cost more than God's Christmas list!

Ok I settle on a YHT-150 from Yamaha. Not the most expensive one, but very nice and nearly 50% after BestBuy coupons, instant rebates and gift cards they showered upon us at checkout time!

Then came the issue at hand. 2 optical inputs and 3 optical audio devices. Hmmm what to do? The answer seems to come in the form of the Toslink Digial Audio Splitter. Take two optical devices and stick them into the same socket on the back of the receiver. Hopefully this sorts out the input problem. Now I have to see if the selection on the receiver allows for the same inputs to be used while looking at different video sources. Oooo the complexities of life :)

If like me, you are getting, or are only recently educated on such things, please bear in mind the cost of such a thing...

The receivers are always in the hundres of what ever currency your country uses, but the optical cables are expensive still. Anything from $20 to $40 for a 6 foot piece of it! Be warned!



This appears to cost around $10.
Oh and if you were wondering about this optical malarky, then go around the back of your consumer electronics and look for what looks like a little square peg. Pull it out of it's hole and look for a red light, THAT is the optical socket flashing in it's sci-fi-edness!