MCMCustom Audio Automatic Two-Way Source Selector - Sound Activated - 50-8396

Rarely write a review but this is a fantastic product. Used it to connect a reel to reel and a Nakamichi Dragon cassette deck to the input of our McIntosh AVP. Works very well. It will switch to the B side if it senses a signal. It switches back to the A side only after a time delay which can be adjusted from 4 seconds to over 2 minutes

This is a great idea, but poorly executed. The main issue is sensitivity. I'm trying to get my TV to play through an amp that I use for Whole Home Audio. With the switch in the most sensitive position, I need to keep the TV at too high of a volume in order to keep it switched to the TV. If they made it more sensitive it would work great.

I installed this in an old CD juke box to integrate a new Bluetooth receiver for my phone. Works like a champ! Good sound so far after 5 years it’s been reliable. This thing works pretty well, but if I turn my phone down a little too low the switch reverts to the other channel. I just have to keep my phone turned up a little. It’s annoying that this unit needs a stronger signal but really I’m pretty happy with it.

This Selector is awesome, I used it to connect ceiling speakers to Alexa and to an audiocast wifi music receiver, so they could both share the speakers. So now I can amplify music from my cellphone, or tablets, but Alexa can interrupt at anytime with notifications or answers to queries. Since the configuration was not trivial and connecting Alexa to input A was a success, but a failure when connected to input B (A is dominant and can interrupt B but not the other way around) and I needed to tweak the whole installation through several iterations until it finally worked as I envisioned it, I thought I'd include the process I came up with to save you the trouble.Here it is:1. Configure the audiocast device per its instructions, and hook it up to your speakers amplifier and try it out and see that it works and it amplifies your music without issues.2. Configure your Bluetooth receiver and hook it up to your speakers amplifier and try it out and see that it works and it amplifies your music without issues.3. Configure Alexa and connect it to the Bluetooth receiver4. Connect the output of the selector, to the speakers amplifier input (line-in)5. Connect Alexa to the selector's input A.6. Connect the audiocast device to the selector's input B7. With a thin screwdriver, on the holes on top of the source selector, set the delay counterclockwise all the way (minimum value).8. Set your amplifier volume to 50%9. Start broadcasting music to your audiocast device. Increase the volume of the tablet, phone or whatever your source is to MAX10. With a thin screwdriver, on the holes on top of the source selector, set the Sensitivity to 70-80%11. Music should be playing through your speakers right now. Slowly reduce the sensitivity until it no longer does, and then go back 10-20%12. On the Alexa device, set the volume to MAX and then ask Alexa the time. Music should stop, and Alexa should now be amplified. If it doesn't, increase the sensitivity of the source selector by turning it clockwise a bit more.13. Set the amplifiers volume to Zero (lowest volume). Now increase the phone or tablets volume to the maximum value, and when it's maxed out, increase your amplifiers volume to what you'd consider your maximum desired volume (loud enough, no distortion). From this point forth, the volume of the system should only be controlled from the phone or tablet. Do remember, that if you go too low, the signal from the audiocast source will go below the switch sensitivity threshold and it will switch from audiocast music (input B) to Bluetooth-Alexa (input A). Also, even with music playing, Alexa should be able to take over the speakers for notifications and replies. If not, increase the sensitivity of the switch as needed, or reduce the amplifiers volume (or both) until unintended switch backs do not happen.15. Extend the delay a little (2 to 3 seconds) by turning the delay screw clockwise just a tiny bit. A good way to check the length of the delay is to broadcast music and then ask Alexa a question, she will answer, and then the delay will kick in before the device switches back again to the music. Extending the delay may be needed as sometimes when Alexa makes pauses (as when telling a joke or a story) the device may switch back unintendedly. 2 to 3 seconds should be enough to handle these situations and not extend the switchbacks too long.

I tried two of these, one broke in shipping, the other wouldn't tune and would just swap back and forth between the two imputs no matter where I put the sensitivity settings. I gave up on the project.

but mostly doesn't. This is one of those products that sounds great, but in reality isn't. It promises to do something cool, but it's too difficult to set-up and calibrate, then maintain calibration, to be of any practical use. My device wasn't defective, it just didn't work as seamlessly as advertised (not even close.) I would avoid this product.I ended up finding out that my old high-end Logitech speakers has two inputs that are live all the time. Solved my problem. I just wish I didn't shell out $$ for this pipe-dream before knowing this.

The device is solidly-built and the connection points are firm and not flimsy feeling when attaching the RCA cables. Out of the box, the "level adjust" trim pot needed to be slightly adjusted (it was turned all the way counter clockwise, and a relatively loud signal didn't trigger the device to switchover). The timing adjust is between 0.5sec and 2 minutes, which is quite a wide range and should work for everyone. Note that the timing is for the switch *back* from input B to input A - the unit will immediately switch from A to B when it detects a signal on B.The only thing I'd say could be improved is the power supply. Based on its size and weight, I'm guessing it is a linear regulator. Given that this device will always be plugged in, it would be nice to have the "vampire power" be reduced by using an active electronic supply instead. This is just a guess - I have not verified.

I needed a method to automatically switch between TV audio and a streaming music device in one room of my home. This device does just that. There is a default audio input which is active (TV audio in my case) until audio is detected from the sense input (streaming music device in my case) at which point the device automatically switches to over music, until I stop the music, and the device then switches back to TV audio. Great way to utilize some in-ceiling speakers for both TV audio and a music source (using a common streaming music device often controlled via an app on your phone).