[vaduz488]

Hi, I just joined today and was needing a bit of help. I have always loved audio since I was a kid but am just now getting into the headphone game. I have been doing alot of research and I bought my first setup. HiFi Man Aryas and Monoprice Monolith DAC/Amp. I am currently only streaming via Qobuz from my PC. Is the USB 1 to USB 2 my only option as far as connecting my DAC/Amp to my PC? The volume on my PC still is functional. Is this normal? I assumed the volume on my PC would not work when hooked up to my amp. Also if you have about $5,000 to spend on a setup, I would like to get some feedback on what you all would recommend. I prefer tubes and a balanced connection. I'm just ignorant about this and the possibilities seem endless. I need educated. I don't even know what all the connections on the back of the amp are for. (XLR, optical, SP DIF. Thanks so much for your feedback!

 

[BananaOoyoo]

$5000? Audition the hell out of everything and figure out what you really want unless you want buyer’s remorse.

 

[vaduz488]

$5000? Audition the hell out of everything and figure out what you really want unless you want buyer’s remorse.

It's difficult to audition anything in this endeavor.

 

[BananaOoyoo]

It's difficult to audition anything in this endeavor.

It doesn’t mean you can’t still try out different gear. If you’re in the US for example, you can reach out to headphones.com where they have a year-long return policy and let them know about your situation (or other distributors that’ll let you borrow gear for a fee/deposit).

Personal preference should take precedence over literally everything else in this hobby. You can’t exactly take a look at technical specifications, measurements, or reviews to make an objectively optimal decision (because there isn’t one).

 

[vaduz488]

It doesn’t mean you can’t still try out different gear. If you’re in the US for example, you can reach out to headphones.com where they have a year-long return policy and let them know about your situation (or other distributors that’ll let you borrow gear for a fee/deposit).

Personal preference should take precedence over literally everything else in this hobby. You can’t exactly take a look at technical specifications, measurements, or reviews to make an objectively optimal decision (because there isn’t one).

Thanks for that information.