[miwo76]

I have a Sansa Clip and an Audioengine D1 and thinking how to use them together.
 
The Audioengine D1 is a USB DAC/Amp that has as inputs a USB and an optical input.  The Sansa Clip is a small portable player with only a 3.5mm output jack.  The USB input is needed to power the Audioengine D1 (from a computer or from an AC Adapter).
 
Is there such a cable where one could theoretically attach any source player with a 3.5mm headphone jack to an DAC/amp with an optical input?
 
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Is there such a cable where one could theoretically attach any source player with a 3.5mm headphone jack to an DAC/amp with an optical input?
 

 
Not just any source player, it needs to have a combo jack - for example, some laptops have SPDIF optical output wired into the 3.5mm earphone jack to save space on the chassis. Your Sansa Clip does not have such a feature.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  I have a Sansa Clip and an Audioengine D1 and thinking how to use them together.
 
The Audioengine D1 is a USB DAC/Amp that has as inputs a USB and an optical input.  The Sansa Clip is a small portable player with only a 3.5mm output jack.  The USB input is needed to power the Audioengine D1 (from a computer or from an AC Adapter).
 
Is there such a cable where one could theoretically attach any source player with a 3.5mm headphone jack to an DAC/amp with an optical input?

What you would be looking for is an ADC (Analog to Digital Converter), that would take in the Clips analog headphone output and convert it into a optical digital audio signal, which I think most would agree is not a great way of dealing with music audio and not very practical.
Better to just hook an external headphone amplifier (Fiio E11) to the headphone jack of the Sansa Clip.
Or with the Audioengine D1, hook it to a digital source (using optical), like a computer or a CD player or a cable box or TV.

 

[miwo76]

Thanks for the help - I think I may give up on connectin the Sansa Clip to the Audioengine DAC.  I do have a Fiio E11 I use for the Sansa Clip.  Just trying to map out different options and a scenario where I would only have the Sansa Clip and the Audioengine DAC to connect.
 
It's too bad the Audioengine D1 only has an optical input and USB input so I don't have an analog option to use the D1 as an amp only.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Replace your Sansa clip with a Fiio X3, plug headphones straight into Fiio X3 (no need for D1).

 

[miwo76]

Haha...coming from photography as a hobby and I can see that G.A.S. (Gear Acquistion Syndrome) exists everywhere!

I do lust after the X3...maybe a little further down the road...hmmm...I wonder how much I could sell my E11, PA2V2 and Sansa Clip for to fund the X3?