[Tedphones]

I'm currently using a pair of HD555s, plugged into an Airport Express, playing lossless though itunes. when I'm not using itunes I plug the headphones straight into the computer.
 
Planing on upgrading to a Nuforce HDP, a pair of HD600s w/ 650 cable, and a pair of monitors, probably the JBL lsr2325p. HDP will receive optical from the Airport Express, digital from USB, and probably analog from a record player down the line.
 
The idea is to add a Little Dot MK VI+ one day, and buy/make a balanced cable for the 600s. Heres what I want to know: 
 
1. if the MK VI+ is receiving unbalanced audio from the HDP does that ruin the "balanced" effect (do i need a balanced DAC)?
 
2. will the HDP act as a pre-preamp to the MK VI+ or will it only function as a DAC (and are two pre-amps better than one)? 
 
Assume that my budget is exactly the price of all that stuff, and that i wont be able to test very much in person.
 
Thanks

 

[lazysleepyboi]

well to answer your first question, i believe that it ruins the balanced effect if your computer is receiving a unbalanced signal. But then again, i don't much about what contributes to a balanced effect. From what i've been reading around the forums, it ruins the balanced effect. Most people get a balanced effect by running a coaxial plug from their soundcard to the dac, and from there, hopefully your dac has XLR or TRS outs because you then plug that into your amp. Even with the use of balanced cable, it depends a lot on your DAC and whether the signal its outputting is balanced or not. I can't answer your second question, but unless there's a way to turn off the headphone amp on your HDP, then the sound is going to be amped by the HDP, then by the MK VI+