Nope, if you use the headphones amp the RCA and XLR will be variable. Volume control is the internal one of the DAC chip. It affects all outputs. The only way to get these outputs with fixed signal is switching to pure DAC mode without HP amp.
Thanks. That's pretty much what I figured but I didn't know for sure.
This. Though I'll add that I'm not quite sure why you'd even need both at the same time. When I use the DA8 in a speaker rig, I disable the pre feature and run full scale to a Parasound Halo amp. Then if I want some headphone action, I plug in, press the volume knob to activate volume control, and I'm all set. I really can't think of a situation where I'd need both at the same time.
So my thinking was that considering the DA8 seems to have a pretty good built-in amp, it might be handy to listen to other cans plugged into my other amps (also connected to the DA8) while at the same time using the built-in amp. I wouldn't need to do that all that often but it might be handy to be able to A/B quickly in that way or for when multiple people are listening. I plan on running my G109 and the Crack simultaneously and just using whichever one works best for the can(s) I'm using. I know you could use all 3 outputs of the DA8 at the same time in variable volume mode but I don't like the idea of having to adjust the other amps for whatever volume level I might need on the DA8. Being able to A/B easily between 3 amps would just be a small plus but the real issue is when I'm listening with a friend or friends. Unless you have multiple identical headphone models, you're going to need a different volume level, and maybe even a different amplifier, for each headphone. The G109 has 2 outputs but I've found that even small differences in impedance and sensitivity, say between the 250 ohm DT880 and the 300 ohm HD 600, are enough to really be a bother when using 2 headphones at once. It would be much nicer to have separate volume control for each person listening and would be even better if you could connect to whichever amplifier might work best with those headphones and be able to listen simultaneously that way. That would still be possible with up to 2 amps, connected to the DA8's 2 outputs, right? Do the RCA and XLR outs work simultaneously at all times or is there a selector for what output(s) are active?
Thanks