Relay switched source selector

[mike_steinert]

Apologies in advance if this topic has been covered, I did a search and couldn't find what I was looking for.

I'm attempting to build a source selector box using some mechanical Tyco DPDT relays I basically got for free on eBay. I've seen the schematic for the Darwin source selector. This is basically what I had come up with.

My question is whether or not it would be possible to reconfigure a circuit like this so that the audio signal doesn't go through the relay switch. I was thinking something like grounding out or shorting out the inputs that aren't selected, but I'm getting into design territory I'm not comfortable with (software is my trade).

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Mike

[Arx]

My question is whether or not it would be possible to reconfigure a circuit like this so that the audio signal doesn't go through the relay switch. I was thinking something like grounding out or shorting out the inputs that aren't selected

Yeah, you would basicly be building a mixer, only with switches instead of pots. It would work, and probably sound fine, but probably not as good as just running it through the switches.

Sounds like a lot of extra design work, and probably more significant drops in sound quality to avoid something probably orders of magnitude below what any of us can hear.

Unless your relays really suck in amazing new ways.

-Nick

[mike_steinert]

Originally posted by Arx

Unless your relays really suck in amazing new ways.

I don't really know much about relays... They're mechanical power relays. The switch is rated at 240VDC... The contacts are HUGE. I suspect they're fine, even overkill for what I'm doing. I wouldn't expect to hear any sort of audible improvement by doing it some other way than running it through the switch, I was more just asking out of curiosity.

I think I'll probably just go ahead and build the thing how I originally planned.

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Mike