[Czepa]

Do decent desktop DAC stereo amplifiers even exist? outside of things like the denon PMA-60 https://www.denon.com/shop/amplifier/pma60
Marants HD-AMP1 https://www.marantz.com/en-gb/shop/amplifier/hdamp1
Key Problems:
-Stereo amps do not have a headphone switch, you must unplug every time, plugging in headphones disables the speakers
-Combined stereo amp/DAC will usually cost alot more than a separate DAC and amplifier
-Lots of stereo amps sound terrible through their headphone jack
-Amp must be able to drive large floor speakers (10"-4"-3")

Ok so ive always had a taste for clear and precise audio reproduction but i dont think i should have to break the bank to do it. my aim is to be able to listen to good music no matter if im sitting at my computer or doing stuff about the house. my equipment goes: laptop - mk1 FiiO X3 DAP/DAC - cheap A/B audio splitter - class D TPA3116 chip stereo amp.

now the amp only cost me 43 dollars which i think is a steal, but i had to research chips extensively and make sure it had good caps. it drives my floor standing speakers to probably 80% of their capability with only a little bit of distortion but i think its just a class D thing where between 50-80% volume on the knob there is a very fatiguing hiss, even with nothing plugged in. so ive been trying to replace the amp with an all in one solution but i dont think one exists. am i wrong?

maybe im just getting fussy. maybe im better off just getting a higher voltage power supply (18v from 12v) for this 'ebay special' amp, buying a high quality switcher and a silver aux cable or something... Thoughts? if your computer desk functions in a similar way what is your dac/amp setup, how do you switch seamlessly from speakers to headphones and back?

id even consider a large hifi type amp if it has usb DAC input and the speakers dont turn off when headphones are inserted. (and are able to independantly turn off speakers or switch to B speakers which will be empty or something)

 

[Czepa]

well just an update. i think im going to dive in and go for quality rather than having price as a hard limit, if it has to be 2 separate devices, then it should be balanced! (XLR) getting a scarlet 2i2 as a dac and this awesome looking class AB amp by nobsound https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/HiFi-Bl...p-Stereo-Audio-Power-Amp-APTX-HD/274430240468

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Do decent desktop DAC stereo amplifiers even exist? outside of things like the denon PMA-60 https://www.denon.com/shop/amplifier/pma60
Marants HD-AMP1 https://www.marantz.com/en-gb/shop/amplifier/hdamp1
Key Problems:
-Stereo amps do not have a headphone switch, you must unplug every time, plugging in headphones disables the speakers
-Combined stereo amp/DAC will usually cost alot more than a separate DAC and amplifier
-Lots of stereo amps sound terrible through their headphone jack
-Amp must be able to drive large floor speakers (10"-4"-3")

Ok so ive always had a taste for clear and precise audio reproduction but i dont think i should have to break the bank to do it. my aim is to be able to listen to good music no matter if im sitting at my computer or doing stuff about the house. my equipment goes: laptop - mk1 FiiO X3 DAP/DAC - cheap A/B audio splitter - class D TPA3116 chip stereo amp.

now the amp only cost me 43 dollars which i think is a steal, but i had to research chips extensively and make sure it had good caps. it drives my floor standing speakers to probably 80% of their capability with only a little bit of distortion but i think its just a class D thing where between 50-80% volume on the knob there is a very fatiguing hiss, even with nothing plugged in. so ive been trying to replace the amp with an all in one solution but i dont think one exists. am i wrong?

maybe im just getting fussy. maybe im better off just getting a higher voltage power supply (18v from 12v) for this 'ebay special' amp, buying a high quality switcher and a silver aux cable or something... Thoughts? if your computer desk functions in a similar way what is your dac/amp setup, how do you switch seamlessly from speakers to headphones and back?

id even consider a large hifi type amp if it has usb DAC input and the speakers dont turn off when headphones are inserted. (and are able to independantly turn off speakers or switch to B speakers which will be empty or something)

I'd just get a DAC-HPamp with a preamp output and then hook up a power amp (ie just a pure power amp, no preamp circuit) to that to drive the speakers.

AudioGD's DAC-HPamp-Preamp units have a switch to select headphone output out front or the preamp output in the rear. Just check the manual because some need to have some jumpers put in or removed so the output runs through the preamp instead of direct from the DAC stage.

 

[Czepa]

Audio-GD looks like very nice stuff its just so damn expensive. i would have instantly been set on the precision 3 though if it had XLR inputs rather than ACSS. my mind is still all over the place with this purchase choice. ive decided on behringer a800 referance amp for the speakers.. way more than i need which is awesome and comes in very cheap. for the DAC/headphone/preamp.... i suppose its easier to just say "audio interface" i was set on the Behringer UMC204HD because unlike the scarlett it also amplifies the output from my understanding (theres my volume knob) but then i look around and there are other options. a very notable one is the Roland Quadcapture or the Zoom UAC-2.

What am i looking for in particular as a spec in their data sheet to make sure it can power my 250ohm BD DT990 headphones to an acceptable level? i mean, i can just plug them into my laptop or DAC and generally cant put windows volume over 50% otherwise i get listening fatigue within a few hours without realising. so i dont need to BLAST them but it would be good if they were atleast capable of being driven close to max so that i could run them lower which is apparently how you want to monitor for instruments so you dont mix too loud without realising.

 

[Czepa]

so, to answer my own question. on the output for headphones jack you want the impedance rating to be your headphone ohms/8. So the zoom UAC-2 with 34ohm impedance fit the bill perfectly (DT990 PRO is 267ohm). i have it here right now and its a thing of beauty it works well as a dac, i think its definitely different than the fiio but the soundstage seems full enough and the bass is good. i also purchased a marantz MPM-1000 and couldnt be happier with both. the only thing left is for the behringer a800 to arrive along with the TRS-XLR cables and i will report back how it sounds as a pre-amp. didnt want to risk the chinesium amps but am very fond of them both. the black one uses DASH (class D chips powering class AB chips) and the dual mono is just sexy and quite powerfull (but not quite as powerfull as the berrie) anyhow, i hope this is helpful to someone. i dont know why people dont use audio-interfaces more often, they seem like a great all in one solution and live performers use them to power huge sound systems, so there is generally no question of quality.