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What would be the benefits of a balanced output on a DAC compared to an unbalanced output in short?
I have bought the Neumann KH120 active speakers and need a DAC, so I'm searching for a good portable USB-powered DAC and don't know should I take balance or unbalanced...
Thank you!
I am actually about to buy a pair of the kh120's and would love to hear your impression of them.
Regarding the dac - I personally believe balanced is noticeably better, from personal experience. As a result all my gear is balanced. If you want something portable that has a balanced line out and a headphone out, it doesn't exist as far as I'm aware unfortunately.
You can get the balanced dac ie Ibasso DB2 & the HRT but you will need to buy a headphone amp also if you want that feature. If you went all the way and bought a balanced HP amp like PB2, RSA SR71b or the upcoming Alo Rx3, that would be a killer portable system but maybe more than you need or want to spend.
If you want an all in one portable system, then a single ended usb dac/amp with a line out is the go and there are many to choose from. My recommendation would be something like the Practical Devices XM6. Go the Hi-end Wolfson Dac chip option and you have a sweet little unit. I really enjoyed mine. The amp is awesome with heaps of features/options. Bass boost, treble, boost, cross-feed, gain, Impedance, op-amp rolling & heaps of power to boot. Will drive anything from sensitive iem's to 600ohm T1's. One of, if not the most versatile portable dac/amps around. All depends on what your needs are. The XM5 is a cheaper version. (less DAC performance).
A cheaper way to go than full balanced (& imo the best bang for buck option) would be to get the HRT Streamer pro (then the KH120's get an awesome balanced signal) & get the Objective 2 for $150 for headphone use. The O2 is one of the best value headphone amps around and there is plenty of info on them.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best of luck mate & sorry about your wallet!