DAC with SPDIF input, headphone output but no AMP

Not a good idea.

Every kind of headphone or IEM will at least need some sort of amping. Most DACs have a too weak signal that needs to be amplified. I think it would be a waste too to have a good DAC and no or a lousy amp.

Just look for a DAC/Amp combo with gain controls, and use a low gain setting.

Dude, why would you want a headphone output on a DAC unit with NO amp??? The RCA outputs are for you to hook up to another amp. You want a headphone output? Try looking at a unit with a amp...
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by songdawg 

I figured out that what I really need is just a high quality DAC for my IEMs with SPDIF input.  I need a SPDIF input and not just a USB input because I tend to still X-FI sound processing for games and movies.  However, I don't want to use a DAC/AMP combo because 1) IEMs don't really need amping 2) the amplification will just add an additional layer of coloration.  The problem is that there seems to be hardly such devices.  Every high quality DAC I've seen, with no headphone amp, has only L/R analog output but no headphone output.  Is there anything that I might have overlooked?  My budget is a little less than $500 but I will prefer something that's around $300.  Thanks for your help. 

You will still most likely get "coloration" if you use a DAC with no amp: severe bass roll-off. This is the common result when plugging headphones directly into a DAC's output. You will also then need to control the volume digitally since there is no analog volume pot. And unless all your music is in hi-res 24-bit format (and your DAC can handle it), you will end up with some loss of sound quality from that, though maybe not too noticeable at higher volumes.

But to answer your question, the AMB gamma1 (γ1) in full or SPDIF-only configuration meets your requirements and budget. With proper choice of parts (the op-amp chip and output capacitors, if I recall) you will be able to plug in headphones directly with minimal problems. It's a DIY design, but you can commission MisterX to build you one.

No, you still don't get the issue. Without an amp of some kind, no DAC at any price point is going to be able to drive any kind of IEM's. The headphone jack of any DAC/AMP combo uses the internal amp to amplify the analog signal. A standalone DAC however, outputs a line-level signal through the RCA jacks, and you NEED to connect an amp, to amplify the signal.

At your budget, i suggest you look at the Yulong D100. It has been reviewed by project86 to have a DAC comparable to the Benchmark DAC1, and an excellent amplifier to boot.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by songdawg 

Because an amp would add coloration to the output if it's not good enough?  For example, many people commented that the Nuforce Icon HDP has an excellent DAC but the amp is a couple of notches below. 

Actually all digital audio is amped in some way. Most soundcards have separate jacks for headphones and for line out. The line output is amped in a way that is suitable for transferring the audio signal to another device. This is similar to the output of a standalone DAC.

On the other hand the soundcard's headphone output is amped in a way for powering headphones (but whether they are powered well enough is yet a different question). Most anything with a working headphone jack has to have a built in amplifier. But usually soundcard makers will not bother to emphasize this unless they it is something better than the a basic CMoy type of amp. As you have said, this amping usually colors the sound in some way. But it is necessary in order to drive headphones properly. That's one reason why amps can get quite complicated and costly. It is not easy to design a transparent amp that powers headphones well.

ps X2 on the Yulong D100. I'm looking at that one myself too.

Oh yeah, i forgot that obtaining a line output also requires amplification.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yoga Flame 

Actually all digital audio is amped in some way. Most soundcards have separate jacks for headphones and for line out. The line output is amped in a way that is suitable for transferring the audio signal to another device. This is similar to the output of a standalone DAC.

 

On the other hand the soundcard's headphone output is amped in a way for powering headphones (but whether they are powered well enough is yet a different question). Most anything with a working headphone jack has to have a built in amplifier. But usually soundcard makers will not bother to emphasize this unless they it is something better than the a basic CMoy type of amp. As you have said, this amping usually colors the sound in some way. But it is necessary in order to drive headphones properly. That's one reason why amps can get quite complicated and costly. It is not easy to design a transparent amp that powers headphones well.

 

ps X2 on the Yulong D100. I'm looking at that one myself too.