[jjacq]

Hello, I'm currently looking for options to power these babies. I'd like to use balanced connections so TRS or XLR with a budget of $200. The following are my options:

1) Tascam us-366 = USB or Optical in to TRS
2) Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 = USB to TRS
3) Get a RCA to TRS or XLR cable and get a DAC that supports USB and RCA out (examples, Schiit modi)
 
Would #3 make me lose sound quality? Also, how useful is 24/192k, I've noticed that mostly it's 24/96 but Tascam has optical in which offers that high kHz which I'm not even sure if I need. Does choosing that make my purchase slightly "futureproof"?

Thanks a lot guys, I'm looking forward to the replies.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  3) Get a RCA to TRS or XLR cable and get a DAC that supports USB and RCA out (examples, Schiit modi)

 
Doesn't the Rokit 6 have an RCA unbalanced input?
 

 
 

  Would #3 make me lose sound quality? Also, how useful is 24/192k, I've noticed that mostly it's 24/96 but Tascam has optical in which offers that high kHz which I'm not even sure if I need. Does choosing that make my purchase slightly "futureproof"?

 
Unless you really plan on going 24/96 on your music, then you can skip this. Look at high-res online music stores now and see how much of your current music is already in there. In my case some of my favorite bands are in there but not my favorite albums, so I'm not yet rushing that one. In any case, you can get a USB DAC that does 24/96 or even 24/192, but take note that some downloads are 24/88 and DACs do not automatically have capability to decode that just because they do 96 and 192.

 

[jjacq]

   
Doesn't the Rokit 6 have an RCA unbalanced input?
 

 
 
 
Unless you really plan on going 24/96 on your music, then you can skip this. Look at high-res online music stores now and see how much of your current music is already in there. In my case some of my favorite bands are in there but not my favorite albums, so I'm not yet rushing that one. In any case, you can get a USB DAC that does 24/96 or even 24/192, but take note that some downloads are 24/88 and DACs do not automatically have capability to decode that just because they do 96 and 192.

 
Yes it does but I was using RCA in the past 2 days since I got it and I was getting static. I'm using TRS right now and it works good now. Thanks for your advice, I might do #3. 

 

[ProtegeManiac]

   
Yes it does but I was using RCA in the past 2 days since I got it and I was getting static. I'm using TRS right now and it works good now. Thanks for your advice, I might do #3. 

 
Wait, how exactly are you doing this? Are you using the same output source to feed the Rokit's RCA (static) and TRS (cleaner) input? Your #3 means you're using an unbalanced output to connect to a balanced output, so theoretically, that shouldn't clean it up if the problem was the source (if not add to it), so there's a possiblity that your Rokit's RCA inputs are faulty. You might want to try getting a new pair if they're under  warranty.

 

[Mojo777]

Get the Scarlett - I have the Saffire married to the R8's and its a sweet home studio combo

 

[Mojo777]

Forgot - you will always get a little noise with the Rokits but it should not be audible from two feet away. I bought a Furman conditioner and Mogami TRS cables and that quieted it down a lot. I now have to get within a foot to hear them being "on" if you will.

 

[jjacq]

  Forgot - you will always get a little noise with the Rokits but it should not be audible from two feet away. I bought a Furman conditioner and Mogami TRS cables and that quieted it down a lot. I now have to get within a foot to hear them being "on" if you will.

Thanks, I'll most likely get that setup as well for my 6.
 

   
Wait, how exactly are you doing this? Are you using the same output source to feed the Rokit's RCA (static) and TRS (cleaner) input? Your #3 means you're using an unbalanced output to connect to a balanced output, so theoretically, that shouldn't clean it up if the problem was the source (if not add to it), so there's a possiblity that your Rokit's RCA inputs are faulty. You might want to try getting a new pair if they're under  warranty.

It was KRK's -> RCA -> Lexicon Alpha DAC USB to computer.
 
I tried turning off my monitor, which is a PLS panel from Korea and the static is gone, also the RCA is kind of recycled from an old DVD player so it might be that.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 

It was KRK's -> RCA -> Lexicon Alpha DAC USB to computer.
 
I tried turning off my monitor, which is a PLS panel from Korea and the static is gone, also the RCA is kind of recycled from an old DVD player so it might be that.

 
That's weird; normally speakers are shielded to protect the TVs, especially CRT TV's from speaker magnets, but there could be some kind of wear on the old cable that exposes the conductors a lot more to interference. In any case, why still use the RCA cables? The Lexicon has balanced TRS outputs, you just need three conductors in each cable. Most pro audio stores have this - just check if the TRS plugs look like the one on a headphone with two black markings near the tip (on a headphone that means stereo, on a pair of interconnect cables, that means three conductors each on L and R). Just make sure you get two runs (some stores might sell it as one cable for a microphone).
 

 

[jjacq]

   
That's weird; normally speakers are shielded to protect the TVs, especially CRT TV's from speaker magnets, but there could be some kind of wear on the old cable that exposes the conductors a lot more to interference. In any case, why still use the RCA cables? The Lexicon has balanced TRS outputs, you just need three conductors in each cable. Most pro audio stores have this - just check if the TRS plugs look like the one on a headphone with two black markings near the tip (on a headphone that means stereo, on a pair of interconnect cables, that means three conductors each on L and R). Just make sure you get two runs (some stores might sell it as one cable for a microphone).
 

 
Yep as I've said that's what I'm using now, TRS. I did RCA and since I got static I bought TRS cables but I do want to upgrade this mixer, thus this thread.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

   
Yep as I've said that's what I'm using now, TRS. I did RCA and since I got static I bought TRS cables but I do want to upgrade this mixer, thus this thread.

 
Oh yeah, got it