[Renato Fury]

I would like to use an amplifier and a dac for both as well, but how do I switch the sound from the speakers between the pc and the tv?

 

[theveterans]

Use a preamp

 

[Renato Fury]

Use a preamp

Your explanation is very vague, I want to switch the sound between the pc and the tv, but where does the preamp go into it?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I would like to use an amplifier and a dac for both as well, but how do I switch the sound from the speakers between the pc and the tv?

HDTV into SPDIF optical input on DAC (assuming your HDTV has this), PC into USB input on DAC. Should be either a DAC feeding a headphone amp+preamp, or a DAC-HPamp-Preamp in one box.

When you want to switch sources, just switch the DAC to use USB or SPDIF optical.

When you want to switch between headphones and speakers, just unplug the headphone or, in the case of AudioGD, flick the front panel output selector switch to the proper position.

 

[Renato Fury]

HDTV into SPDIF optical input on DAC (assuming your HDTV has this), PC into USB input on DAC. Should be either a DAC feeding a headphone amp+preamp, or a DAC-HPamp-Preamp in one box.

When you want to switch sources, just switch the DAC to use USB or SPDIF optical.

When you want to switch between headphones and speakers, just unplug the headphone or, in the case of AudioGD, flick the front panel output selector switch to the proper position.

What if I want to use pc and tv at the same time? Headphone on pc and loudspeakers on tv, is it possible?

 

[MindsMirror]

What if I want to use pc and tv at the same time? Headphone on pc and loudspeakers on tv, is it possible?

Headphones playing audio from PC while at the same time speakers are playing different audio from the TV? You'd need two DACs for that, one for the headphones and one for the speakers, plus a 2x2 matrix like this one if you want to select between the TV and PC as input for each.

Do you also want to be able to mix, i.e. listen to both PC and TV through headphones at the same time?

 

[Renato Fury]

Headphones playing audio from PC while at the same time speakers are playing different audio from the TV? You'd need two DACs for that, one for the headphones and one for the speakers, plus a 2x2 matrix like this one if you want to select between the TV and PC as input for each.

Do you also want to be able to mix, i.e. listen to both PC and TV through headphones at the same time?

At the same time no, I asked this because sometimes while I move on the pc there is someone watching tv, but okay I have one more question, let's suppose that the tv is connected to the dac by the coaxial input that is connected to the amplifier that is connected to the speakers, then I alternate to the usb input of the dac, or so that the sound comes from the pc, will the TV sound come out through the speakers even without the dac signal or the tv sound is canceled ?

 

[theveterans]

It shouldn't unless the relay in the input switch is broken so even if your TV is playing via coax, it sound won't pass through when the DAC is in USB mode playing your favorite tunes.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

What if I want to use pc and tv at the same time? Headphone on pc and loudspeakers on tv, is it possible?

What? Why? What's the point in investing on a hi fi system only to add to "ambient" (that is technically no longer ambient) getting in the way of listening through either headphones or speakers? There's a reason why people do acoustic treatments on a room with the speakers in them, listen later at night on either headphones or speakers, or use closed back headphones or IEMs. You'll just muddy up details and positional cues that way.

Not to mention that for the most part, you can't, not off a single unit. Most of them will only run one signal at a time and at worst, run the preamp and headphone outputs at the same time (which is rare, because these tend to have a relay switch that cuts preamp output when a headphone is plugged in).

If you really like having ambient noise getting in the way of details and positional cues you'll have to buy a separate amp and DAC for both sources.

 

[Renato Fury]

What? Why? What's the point in investing on a hi fi system only to add to "ambient" (that is technically no longer ambient) getting in the way of listening through either headphones or speakers? There's a reason why people do acoustic treatments on a room with the speakers in them, listen later at night on either headphones or speakers, or use closed back headphones or IEMs. You'll just muddy up details and positional cues that way.

Not to mention that for the most part, you can't, not off a single unit. Most of them will only run one signal at a time and at worst, run the preamp and headphone outputs at the same time (which is rare, because these tend to have a relay switch that cuts preamp output when a headphone is plugged in).

If you really like having ambient noise getting in the way of details and positional cues you'll have to buy a separate amp and DAC for both sources.

You're a very perfectionist, but I'm not that much of a fan of it, it's a pretty extravagant environment, you know the vast majority of the members here do not have it, but I'd like to have a room with soundproofing and such but I do not have the money for that, I just want a decent sound system that allows me to listen to music and watch movies.

Another question, some speakers need a receiver, did you even tell me this once, do you think the Lepy LP-2024A-HA LP-2024A+ connected to the schiit stack can handle the message with an ELAC B6 Debut for example?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

You're a very perfectionist, but I'm not that much of a fan of it, it's a pretty extravagant environment

Spending a fair bit of money on both speakers and headphones is extravagant also.

And even then you don't need to make for an acoustically perfect room. At minimum, you're just not supposed to have severe problems as in my room (see below), and at the same time, not cause severe problems like playing both speakers and headphones at the same time and have the sound of both get in each other's way.

...you know the vast majority of the members here do not have it, but I'd like to have a room with soundproofing and such but I do not have the money for that, I just want a decent sound system that allows me to listen to music and watch movies.

Uhhh....why do you think I'm on this forum, a headphone forum, instead of over in a primarily speaker audio forum like Audioholics? I'm on headphones, IEMs, and nearfield desktop speakers because my room has severe imaging issues having a concrete exterior wall (with large windows I can't cover up) and a wood interior divider wall.

Despite having both, I don't run them at the same time for the (dis)pleasure of adding ambient noise that will make the bass - which no longer has a roomfull of air to move and hit me in the chest, adding to the auditory perception - even harder to hear on headphones, on top of the entire range of the sound output beign marred by the sound coming off the speakers? Just having the speakers running even off my head adds enough noise against the speakers' output. Hell, even running my A/C on full tilt gets in the way of the bass from the headphones, which is why during the dry season I'm more likely to use the IEMs even at home.

Another question, some speakers need a receiver, did you even tell me this once, do you think the Lepy LP-2024A-HA LP-2024A+ connected to the schiit stack can handle the message with an ELAC B6 Debut for example?

If the speakers are passive design then they need an amp. If you need digital inputs into the amp, ie, it has a DAC built in, that's referred to as a receiver in speaker equipment, unlike "DAC-(HP)Amp" in headphone circles.

if the speakers are powered speakers or active monitors then they have amplifiers built into the speaker/s and only need a preamp for volume control.

 

[Renato Fury]

Spending a fair bit of money on both speakers and headphones is extravagant also.

And even then you don't need to make for an acoustically perfect room. At minimum, you're just not supposed to have severe problems as in my room (see below), and at the same time, not cause severe problems like playing both speakers and headphones at the same time and have the sound of both get in each other's way.




Uhhh....why do you think I'm on this forum, a headphone forum, instead of over in a primarily speaker audio forum like Audioholics? I'm on headphones, IEMs, and nearfield desktop speakers because my room has severe imaging issues having a concrete exterior wall (with large windows I can't cover up) and a wood interior divider wall.

Despite having both, I don't run them at the same time for the (dis)pleasure of adding ambient noise that will make the bass - which no longer has a roomfull of air to move and hit me in the chest, adding to the auditory perception - even harder to hear on headphones, on top of the entire range of the sound output beign marred by the sound coming off the speakers? Just having the speakers running even off my head adds enough noise against the speakers' output. Hell, even running my A/C on full tilt gets in the way of the bass from the headphones, which is why during the dry season I'm more likely to use the IEMs even at home.




If the speakers are passive design then they need an amp. If you need digital inputs into the amp, ie, it has a DAC built in, that's referred to as a receiver in speaker equipment, unlike "DAC-(HP)Amp" in headphone circles.

if the speakers are powered speakers or active monitors then they have amplifiers built into the speaker/s and only need a preamp for volume control.

And the Elac B6 has an integrated amplifier? If you do not have it, do you think the Magni 3 would provide the necessary power?

 

[onevstheworld]

And the Elac B6 has an integrated amplifier? If you do not have it, do you think the Magni 3 would provide the necessary power?

The B6 is a passive speaker, so you need an amp to drive them.

I don't think you can use a headphone amp like a M3... it's designed for a very different purpose. Best to use a speaker amp (if staying with Schiit, you'd be looking at Vidar or Ragnarok). You can use M3 as a preamp to your speaker amp though.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

And the Elac B6 has an integrated amplifier? If you do not have it, do you think the Magni 3 would provide the necessary power?

No, what I said was if the speaker has no amp built in then you need an integrated amp. This does not mean "built in amp" - an integrated amp integrates the preamp stage and output amp stage into one chassis.

Magni3 will not be able to drive it since its max output out of the headphone amp output is 3watts at 16ohms. You have no idea if the power is lower or if the amp will be stable at the 8ohm nominal impedance of the B6. Even if power increases you can potentially cook that amp - 8ohm or 12ohm IEMs don't because at least they aren't going to get cranked up to 3watts output.