[dag655321]

I am sorry if this has been posted several times before, but I am looking for something very specific. My current rig consists of an iPod (60 GB) with all of my music stored as "apple lossless" files. This is fed through the line (dock) output into my SinglePower PPX3 6SN7. I am beginning to wonder if the DAC in the iPod is really what I should be using. This system is used exclusively at work, while I am working on my (company owned) laptop.

So, what I am looking for is a USB DAC that does not have a headphone amp in it, or at least a line output that bypasses the amplifier. I do not want two stages of amplification in my signal chain. I would like to keep the price below $100, but I might be willing to spend a little more for something really good. Thing I have looked at so far are:

M-Audio Transit (I think this one has an amp in it)
SoundBlaster Audigy 2 USB (I think this has line out and an amp)
SoundBlaster Audigy 2 PCMCIA (I think this one has an amp)
Echo Indigo DJ (line output, but a little out of my price range)
Fireston Audio Fubar II (line output, but again a little out of my price range).

So as you can see I have yet to really find what I am looking for. The Fubar II is probably the closest, but runs $146.30 shipped to the US. Is there anything else I should be considering (or removing from my list)? Will any of these offer an improvement over what my iPod offers?

Any advice is appreciated.

edit: Sorry for the confusion. What I meant to say was that I would stop using the iPod, or simply use it as a storage device attached to the computer. You can play music stored on your iPod through a computer using iTunes and a sound card or external DAC. That is what I planned to do, if I could get a increase in performance for a resonable sum of money.

 

[labrat]

Deleted.

 

[Chef Medeski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by labrat What would you use the DAC for? There is no way of getting the signal taken out from before the iPod's built-in DAC, and fed to an external DAC. Only way to use a DAC here, would be to use it between the computer and your amp, but the iPod would not serve any other purpose than as a storage-media for your files, an external hard-disc, to be connected to your computer.

I think he is saying that he is willing to sacrifice his office use of iPod (doesn't mean total use) for a slice of qualitee. So, Computer -> ?DAC? -> Amp -> Headphones - > Ears - > Brain -> Enjoyment! So help him make his Final Enjoyment > Current Enjoyment!

 

[labrat]

Deleted.

 

[Trogdor]

I really believe in the 100 dollar price range, your not going to hear a different at all. Your best bet in that list is probably the Indigo.

Btw, I've extensively tested the M-Audio transit against my Thinkpad's DAC and its pretty much a tie (I *think* I perhaps get a little bit more bass out of the M-Audio than the DAC but I wouldn't sweart to it).

Trogdor

 

[dag655321]

Original post edited for clarification. See above.

 

[dwbeeker14]

Doesn't seem to exist. I looked high and low also for the same thing.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

So, what I am looking for is a USB DAC that does not have a headphone amp in it, or at least a line output that bypasses the amplifier. I do not want two stages of amplification in my signal chain. I would like to keep the price below $100, but I might be willing to spend a little more for something really good. Thing I have looked at so far are:

edit: Sorry for the confusion. What I meant to say was that I would stop using the iPod, or simply use it as a storage device attached to the computer. You can play music stored on your iPod through a computer using iTunes and a sound card or external DAC. That is what I planned to do, if I could get a increase in performance for a resonable sum of money.

 
Ibasso DAC-HPamps have a line out port that bypasses the amp section. Cheapest is the D-Zero MkII. I have the MkI and I use it with my desktop amp driving the HD600. Still, with the kind of output on the MkII, you likely won't need the other amp, especially if you're at work with your brain not 100% on the music, and around 75% of your brain working along the lines of "let's try not to get fired today."