[miT]

Hi all,

After reading the relevant threads I could find in this section of the forum, I find the need to call on the collective experience of Head-Fi to help me find the right solution for my requirements.

I have had a few years away from gaming, but I am now trying to get myself back into it and have started blowing the dust off of my XBOX One X. Apart from returning to some XBOX 360 classics when the mood takes me, I have found that strategy games like Cities Skylines are most suited to the rare downtime I have from a demanding job.

I have been looking for suitable "game DACs" so that I can experiment with some of my better headphones (K701, DT880, HD560, HD800S) and IEMs (Etymotic ER4P and Letshuoer EJ09), and then learned that some (e.g. Astro MixAmp Pro TR) allow you to mix in audio from another device. Depending on the game I am playing, I generally prefer listening to my music collection rather than the game audio, but the option of mixing the two appeals as I am about to treat myself to some "new" games (e.g. Rail Empire) and have no idea if game audio would be particularly beneficial...

Being a relatively experienced audiophile, if I am listening to music I favour high sound quality, so need some options please.

I already have a Smyth Realiser A16 but that is for film usage with my TV; I use the XBOX at my desk so ideally need a separate set up. I have seen lots of positive feedback on the Schiit stacks, but the mixed audio source feature is particularly appealing, if possible.

Are there any options that would give reasonably good music playback?

For reference I have no use for a microphone as I do not game online, and I live in the UK so options are probably more limited...

Thanks in advance,


Tim

 

[dunring]

I just got a JDS Atom+ amp DAC stack and it sounds amazing and has the optical in if your console needs it. They're pretty compact except for the wall warts they use. It's a real improvement over the original.
The Schiit magni heresy modi stack is a solid choice if you get the new modi with the added connectivity. I just am so impressed by the Atom+ I'd recommend it first.

 

[miT]

I just got a JDS Atom+ amp DAC stack and it sounds amazing and has the optical in if your console needs it. They're pretty compact except for the wall warts they use. It's a real improvement over the original.
The Schiit magni heresy modi stack is a solid choice if you get the new modi with the added connectivity. I just am so impressed by the Atom+ I'd recommend it first.

JDS is a name that I keep seeing, which is clearly a good thing...

If we open this up to any DAC that has optical ports though then that changes the criteria completely and puts me back in known territory, which TBF is my plan B should the mixing audio option be impossible to achieve... As is building a gaming PC if I can create enough interest for it to be a worthwhile "investment", but that is another story (which of course opens up the audio options massively).

Does anyone have much experience with this, or is it just the Mixamp that can mix audio sources?

My enjoyment of high-end equipment has always been down traditional routes and generally included the use of speakers, but I can only use headphones in my current living arrangements so this is unknown territory for me.

Thanks

 

[miT]

I just got a JDS Atom+ amp DAC stack and it sounds amazing and has the optical in if your console needs it. They're pretty compact except for the wall warts they use. It's a real improvement over the original.
The Schiit magni heresy modi stack is a solid choice if you get the new modi with the added connectivity. I just am so impressed by the Atom+ I'd recommend it first.

Hi dunring,
Which interconnects do you use on your stack, and do they come in short lengths?

 

[BBuzecky]

iFi Zen Can and DAC Signature here and it's amazing for my gaming. The bass boost can be very nice for games as well.

 

[miT]

iFi Zen Can and DAC Signature here and it's amazing for my gaming. The bass boost can be very nice for games as well.

Nice. What headphones / IEMs do you use?

I ended up getting a Topping E30ii / L30ii stack, just in time for my holiday.

 

[enz0pt]

I've been using the DX3 Pro+ connected via optical to the TV.
Been working fine, at least I got more clearity gaming with the PS5.

 

[coding101]

You can use any DAC/AMP that has a optical input.

 

[DarknessEclipse]

I use an RME ADI-2 DAC FS connected via optical to the TV. This way I can use all my consoles and docked portables (Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck).
It's ideal for me as I can use headphones, IEMs and speakers. Can also tailor EQ and adjust treble/bass when I want.

ADI 2 can change the source if you use different inputs but cannot use two sources together at the same time.
You can listen only to the music source (in my case via USB input) or to the game audio (optical input), but can quickly swap with a button press on the remote.