[johnman1116]

Wasn't sure what to call it but:
 
I am sure many of us have desktop speakers as well as headphones so how do you switch between the two? 
For example, with the Schiit Modi, I have to manually switch out the RCA cables. Any way or thing that makes this process easier? Obviously it has to be audiophile approved  
 
I wish audiophile dacs had 2 outputs.. but most have many inputs with one output. 

Thanks,
John

 

[PleasantSounds]

Looks like you may want to go for a DAC with a built-in headphone amp or a headphone amp with a pre-amp function. Plenty of choices actually. I'd recommend audio-gd NFB-11.32 or NFB-15.32.

 

[fbarberis]

I use the Headamp4 from ART. Is an amp with 1 in 4 outs and a volume knob for each out.
http://artproaudio.com/artcessories/headphone_amps/product/headamp_4/

I think that it May not work with some speakers set-up but works greath with my Edifier R2600 (studio 6).
I hope it helps.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
I wish audiophile dacs had 2 outputs.. but most have many inputs with one output. 

 
Get a DAC that has a preamp, and make sure it has both preamped and fixed output direct from the DAC's analogue output. You can hook up the latter to your headphone amp and the preamp goes into a power amp for speakers, or into powered speakers and you set the gain on them while using the DAC-pre-HPamp's knob as a master volume control.
 
Heck, get the right DAC-pre-HPamp unit, and you might not even need the separate headphone amp for anything that isn't electrostat or orthodynamic. Like the AudioGD NFB10.

 

[soccerdude84]

http://www.amazon.com/Rolls-SS32-Way-Stereo-Switch/dp/B001KVSC6W/ref=sr_1_59?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1395604296&sr=1-59
 
You can read my review in the link, it's a really handy device

 

[ferday]

Well you never mentioned source...

If you are using a computer (assuming so based on the forum) then you could hook the speakers to the sound card and headphones to the amp/DAC. I run a xonar STX, runs my nearfield over RCA and my hi-fi over spdif, and use the modi/magni for headphones, all controlled through zones with jriver...

I assumed a sound card would have been mentioned already since this is the computer forum, but I guess maybe many don't have an external DAC and a decent card, which makes sense. For me however it's by far the best setup

 

[cel4145]

Get a Schiit Asgard 2 headphone amp to pair with your Modi. It has pre-outs for hooking up speakers.

 

[RonaldDumsfeld]

 I wish audiophile dacs had 2 outputs.. but most have many inputs with one output. 
 

 
Yes. This is a significant defect with cheap(ish) 'audiophile' grade products. Limited functionality.
 
What you want is something called an audio interface. These are in effect multi-channel DACs designed specifically to work with hybrid systems including monitors.
 
You don't mention a budget but here are a few examples at various price points.
 
http://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/traktor/dj-audio-interfaces/traktor-audio-2-mk2/specifications/
 
http://www.creative.com/emu/products/product.aspx?pid=20347
 
http://uk.focusrite.com/usb-audio-interfaces/scarlett-2i4
 
http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/audio-express/body.html/
 
http://spl.info/index.php?id=2957&L=1
 
http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_babyface.php

 

[Shaffer]

Wasn't sure what to call it but:

I am sure many of us have desktop speakers as well as headphones so how do you switch between the two? 
For example, with the Schiit Modi, I have to manually switch out the RCA cables. Any way or thing that makes this process easier? Obviously it has to be audiophile approved  

I wish audiophile dacs had 2 outputs.. but most have many inputs with one output. 


Thanks,

John

I have a Modi, as well, in my office system. I use a Y-connector out of the Modi - one end going to the HP amp and the other to A5+ speakers. When I want to use the cans, I turn off the speakers. One push of a button. Good luck.

 

[cel4145]

Yes. This is a significant defect with cheap(ish) 'audiophile' grade products. Limited functionality.

What you want is something called an audio interface. These are in effect multi-channel DACs designed specifically to work with hybrid systems including monitors.

That's just so wrong and misleading. He bought a Schiit Modi, which is a standalone DAC. It's meant to be combined with separate components instead of being an all in one. It's not a defect. The units you are describing are DAC/pre-amp/headphone amp. Just because those units combine more features into one doesn't automatically make them higher quality, any more than a HTIB receiver with built in DVD player is automatically higher quality than an integrated amp because it has more features (and in fact the HTIB receivers are generally poorer quality), nor does it make the integrated amp a "cheap" product.