[briluster]

I’m researching different options for a home/desktop rig for use both with headphones and speaker/studio monitors. This is strictly for personal enjoyment (i.e., not recording or mixing), and I’m not an audiophile, but just enjoy music. Additionally, I play guitar and may someday use the studio monitors with an amp simulator/modeler such as a BOSS GT-1. I don’t want/need to go overboard for my needs, but wouldn’t mind spending a little extra to get more use/versatility out of the setup. I’ve read about great budget rigs such as the Lepai LP-2020A+ amplifier with Dayton Audio B652 and B652 Air speakers, but I know that this amplifier doesn’t have a headphone out, so I’d need something extra (like the FiiO E10K DAC/amplifier?) to add that capability. (I currently use a FiiO A3 portable headphone amplifier, but I don’t know that would change anything.) Furthermore, I don’t think that I’d be able to plug a guitar modeler in with this setup either, so it’d limit this strictly to a nearfield speaker application, albeit for a total cost of less than $100.

From my limited knowledge and my online research, I believe that if I were to instead go with a setup such as a E10K with studio monitors like (a pair of) JBL LSR305s, this would be a decent setup for listening through both the speakers and headphones without adding any additional gear other than cables. (Please advise if that’s not correct.) A big plus in going this route is that the LSR305s also get good reviews by guitarists using modelers, so it would be an additional capability of this setup—headphone & speaker listening as well as playing guitar. I wouldn’t mind increasing my budget to over $300 to have the extra versatility of this all-in-one setup.

My question is if the above assertions are accurate and if anyone has any other options or input I should consider.

 

[briluster]

Bump

Removing the requirement for guitar and focusing solely on a budget desktop/laptop solution for playing music through speakers and headphones, would you recommend something like:

Amplifier with bookshelf speakers and a separate USB DAC for headphones, or

All-in-one USB DAC/amplifier with powered speakers?

Using the gear I listed in my original post should give the latter a much better sound, but at a much greater cost ($130 vs $335).

 

[theveterans]

Separate components for me ideally, but since you're just starting with your journey (aka budget), I'd start with Modi 2 as your DAC then Magni 3 as your headphone amp and preamp to your JBL LSR305

That should give you very nice sound for your budget.

 

[briluster]

Separate components for me ideally, but since you're just starting with your journey (aka budget), I'd start with Modi 2 as your DAC then Magni 3 as your headphone amp and preamp to your JBL LSR305

That should give you very nice sound for your budget.

Thanks for the recommendation. I had heard good things about the above combination, but I didn’t know if it’d work and be all that’s needed to power studio monitors.

 

[theveterans]

Yup. That’s all you need for a headphone and powered studio monitor speaker setup

 

[briluster]

Yup. That’s all you need for a headphone and powered studio monitor speaker setup

And that’d give independent controls for headphones (Magni) and speakers (Modi)?

 

[theveterans]

Many studio monitors don't have volume controls on the front so your Magni will serve as your volume control for both. That setup doesn't let you listen to both speakers and headphone at the same time since the pre outs are muted when a headphone is inserted

If you want independent volume control and need both speakers and headphones playing music at the same time, you need a USB mixer instead of a headphone amp and preamp.

 

[briluster]

Ok, easy enough. So the same device changes volume on either one, but not simultaneously. Thanks!

 

[theveterans]

Yep. For example, if you find that the headphones need more cranking to your preferred volume, when you unplug it, just lower the volume on the knob so that the speakers won't play really loud.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Bump
Removing the requirement for guitar and focusing solely on a budget desktop/laptop solution for playing music through speakers and headphones, would you recommend something like:
Amplifier with bookshelf speakers and a separate USB DAC for headphones, or
All-in-one USB DAC/amplifier with powered speakers?
Using the gear I listed in my original post should give the latter a much better sound, but at a much greater cost ($130 vs $335).

\

Monoprice 5" studio monitors, $199.
https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=115&cp_id=11504&cs_id=1150401&p_id=605800&seq=1&format=2

FiiO Q1 Mark II, USB-DAC/amp, $100.
https://www.amazon.com/Q1-Mark-II-Native-iPhone/dp/B0757MH46M