Balanced Headphone Amp/DAC

neil_g · 7 Jun 2018 at 13:46

At the moment I am set up as follows:

I've made the move to balanced headphones, which is easy for mobile use as I've got the Fiio Q1 mk2. However I'm looking to swap the
desktop SD793 for something that has a balanced headphone out while retaining the inputs and preout/monitor drive requirement.

The only devices I've seen that don't completely nuke my budget are:

Topping DX7s - http://en.tpdz.net/products_detail/productId=32.html
This ticks the boxes on the input front and the balanced headphone out. However I'm reading this has line out rather than pre-out, I can't work out if that is going to be an issue with the powered HS5 monitors? If it works then the XLR output is a bonus as can run that to the HS5.

SMSL M9 - http://www.smsl-audio.com/productshow.asp?id=108
Less inputs, will have to move the PC to USB rather than optical. But does have a pre-out mode. It's definitely an ugly duckling though.

Is there anything else I should be considering? The M9 comes in at £375 (Amazon pricing), the DX7s is trickier to locate and probably imported via AliExpress for roughly the same price.

Cheers chaps

neil_g · 7 Jun 2018 at 16:14

Yeah I looked at that, but the multibit DAC is an extra £150 and it's not clear what inputs you get on that?

neil_g · 7 Jun 2018 at 16:28

no worries.

second hand is okay too, not sure if that helps my options?

neil_g · 8 Jun 2018 at 09:00

Marsman said:
Line out from the headphone amp would mean that the volume of the speakers would not alter when adjusting the pot. Pre out will.

so volume would be set by the source? i.e. the PC or device streaming to crhomecast?

rids57 said:
Looks like the Aune S6 will do what you want, with USB, COAX and Optical inputs, balanced and SE 6.5mm headphone outputs and switchable pre out / line out RCA and balanced outputs.

You can even buy it from Europe (from here) although the warranty looks a little odd but par for the course with Chinese goods.

thanks, I think I looked at that. not sure why I didn't consider it.

neil_g · 8 Jun 2018 at 12:15

Marsman said:
Yes, or with the volume on the speakers. With pre out, the volume knob on the amp adjusts the speaker volume.

okay so not a huge issue then, the HS5 dont have volume control so would be done on the client end