[Cotnijoe]

Hey guys! Looking for a portable balanced DAC but it seems the market is currently pretty small. Asides from cypherlabs and alo audio, are there anyone else that offers a portable balanced DAC that i might not be aware of?

 

[billybob_jcv]

http://www.raysamuelsaudio.com/products/intruder
http://www.ibasso.com/en/products/show.asp?ID=71

 

[Cotnijoe]

Right i know of the two. Problem with intruder is its a usb dac though right?

 

[billybob_jcv]

I don't really know any of these products - other than that they exist. Maybe I misunderstood - I thought you wanted a USB DAC. But now that I think about it, I'm guessing you want a DAC for an IOS device? Sorry - I know even less about bypassing the DAC in an idevice.

 

[Cotnijoe]

Its exactly the opposite. I finally got past idevices as my portable players but i dont see any portable balanced DACs other than the DB2 and the CL Solos. Doesnt seem like there are any products asides from those two right now.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Right i know of the two. Problem with intruder is its a usb dac though right?

 
Why is that a problem? It has both analog and digital inputs, so you can use it as an amp or as a DAC-HPamp.

 

[billybob_jcv]

Its exactly the opposite. I finally got past idevices as my portable players but i dont see any portable balanced DACs other than the DB2 and the CL Solos. Doesnt seem like there are any products asides from those two right now.

I'm not understanding. What are you using as your source?

 

[DrSheep]

CEntrance HiFi-M8.

 

[Cotnijoe]

 

Right i know of the two. Problem with intruder is its a usb dac though right?

 
Why is that a problem? It has both analog and digital inputs, so you can use it as an amp or as a DAC-HPamp.

 
Im using ibasso DX50. I dont think there's a way to run a digital signal to the micro USB though is there? 

 

[ProtegeManiac]

   
Im using ibasso DX50. I dont think there's a way to run a digital signal to the micro USB though is there? 

 
Ah there. Nope, DX50's OTG function is only for storage devices. That said, read the blurb on the RSA Predator - it says there it still puts out a proper (enough) balanced signal to the headphones even if you use the SE input.
 
Still, what headphones are you using that you'd need a balanced amp and DAC with the DX50? Part of the design was precisely to have a good DAC in it mated to a reasonably powerful amplifier circuit so you don't really need to have a stack strapped together anymore on the go. If you're going to use it with a transportable or desktop rig, then the PB2 has a coaxial digital input that is compatible with the DX50's if you want a fully-balanced analog signal chain.

 

[Cotnijoe]

Im aware of the signal splitter behind the intruder pradator and PB2. Im currently only using iems but the plan is an audeze in the future. Just planning ahead.

Im wondering if there specifically is a balanced DAC on the market. Something like the DB2 or clas solos

 

[billybob_jcv]

Well, I think the entire point of a CLAS rig is that the idevice is being treated only as media storage. All the actual audio parts are then being done by the CLAS. What you want is something that can treat the DX50 as a storage device and then provide your balanced signals. OK - that's where the confusion ensued - I think I get it now.

I think if I was going to do this, I would probably just stick to an ios device instead of the DX50 - that provides the most choices (like the CEntrance that DrSheep mentioned), and since the idevice is just storage, it doesn't really matter - just like the specific laptop doesn't really matter to the audio chain once you have decided to use a USB DAC with the laptop.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Well, I think the entire point of a CLAS rig is that the idevice is being treated only as media storage. All the actual audio parts are then being done by the CLAS. What you want is something that can treat the DX50 as a storage device and then provide your balanced signals. OK - that's where the confusion ensued - I think I get it now.

I think if I was going to do this, I would probably just stick to an ios device instead of the DX50 - that provides the most choices (like the CEntrance that DrSheep mentioned), and since the idevice is just storage, it doesn't really matter - just like the specific laptop doesn't really matter to the audio chain once you have decided to use a USB DAC with the laptop.

 
Yep. If you want a one-box DAP that is great for audio on its own, DX50. If you're fine with a stack of several components like you're duplicating an audio rack at home, try an iDevice.

 

[Cotnijoe]

Ya haha sorry for not being articulate. I know the clas solo db has coaxial that could work with the dx50 but then im not rly utilizing the main features of the db either, so i was a bit iffy on it considering the pricetag. But ya guess in time maybe there will be more options on the market.

 

[billybob_jcv]

What you could have done is get the Astell & Kern AK100. It has an optical out. Then you would just be looking for a portable DAC/AMP with optical in and balanced out - like the iBasso DB2. It does seem a bit odd that the DX50 doesn't have a digital out for the DB2 so you can go from Digital to Balanced. But, then again, iBasso has had enough trouble just getting the DX50 to actually work...

I actually don't think you would be giving up that much to just use the analog line-out on the DX50 into a PB2 or some other amp with a single-ended in and a balanced out. Sure, it's not the ideal end-to-end balanced, but people have been doing similar things LONG before there ever was such a thing as digital audio. I think it would accomplish 99% of what you actually need - which is to make sure the amp can most efficiently drive the Audeze using the balanced connections.