I have no clue at all what’s changed with my gear or system, but as of about 4 weeks ago my Mimby + Eitr will NOT give me ANY sound at all when using Audirvana (PC). The strange thing is that I have the Modi Multibit and my Airist RDAC both connected through the Eitr with a Monoprice Onix 75ohm y-splitter cable (one I made sure could handle coax before buying), and the RDAC gives me sound just like it always has. I also have all of this running thru a Little Bear MC3 2-in-2-out unbalanced to balanced switch box, so that I can take advantage of the balanced output of my Loxjie P20 (which is my main amplifier for both DACs). After a month of troubleshooting, I’m at a complete loss and so, so frustrated; I feel like I’ll never get this issue handled. That being said, any help or advice AT ALL would be of the greatest help I can assure you. Thanks, everyone (anyone, lol).
You need to start simplifying. You can start with Little Bear, get rid of it. It doesn’t give you any additional benefit and it’s just complicating your setup.
Next step could be to replace Eitr with some device that has multiple digital outputs. That would get rid of the Y cable splitter.
Can’t you try to connect one dac at a time? This could help to narrow the issue
Ok…can you tell me how using the LB MC3 is complicating my setup and not benefitting me at all? Forgive me if I’m mistaken, but I was under the impression that I wouldn’t receive the benefits of using a balanced output without using an unbalanced-to-balanced converter. These are benefits that I do actually want, no matter how small the benefit unfortunately. That being said, the Loxjie P20 (if I’m not mistaken) is able to produce a “pseudo-balanced” output even if all you have is / are single-ended DACs (as far as the threads on Head-Fi and SBAF are concerned). As far as replacing Eitr, that’s really not something I’m really wiling to do considering the gain in sound quality, plus knowing that both dacs have worked with my single Eitr before.
You won’t get any benefit from converting single ended signal to balanced. If the signal at the source is not balanced, making it balanced does not make it better. This passive conversion won’t even benefit you for longer cable runs (maybe a little). Loxjie has single ended inputs. If it didn’t I would understand the need for converter, but since it does it’s pointless.
Every component in the chain degrades the signal, even if it’s ever so slightly. Try without the Y splitter with just one DAC at the time.
Here is what Paul from PS Audio has to say on the subject of balanced vs unbalanced:
Ok. Well, one of the main reasons I’m using the balanced option is because of the difference in sound quality in using it over the single ended option. If you look at a whole lot of reviews on the P20, you’ll see that most reviewers heard a huge difference in sq using balanced. That being said, tonight I removed the Y-splitter RCA cable and have both DACs hooked up independently.: Mimby / Eitr using Coax and RDAC using USB. The Eitr is going into the Little Bear using RCA to 3-pin XLR cables which then go from it into the balanced outputs of the P20. They’re both still going thru the Little Bear, though. And… I’m still not getting sound from the Mimby / Eitr combo. I also updated the drivers for both of them, with both installing new drivers. I just don’t understand what the issue could be; I was able to see sound being recognized in my Windows 10 Sound Settings, too…
Try to connect Mimbi directly via USB and straight to P20. If that works, next step is to connect Eitr to Mimbi via coax and then straight into P20. Only when that works you can connect the Little Bear in between.
If you really want to benefit from the balanced capability of P20, get a balanced DAC.