Posted October 27, 2014 Hey! I m looking for a dac/amp combo to drive both my headphones -hd650- and my active speakers -without further amping them-. A volume knob for both is essential. Basically i m looking for an alternative to something like the asus essence one/ STU, matrix mini-i . Is there anything else that can do the job for less money? Also, EU seller would be great so that i can avoid customs etc... Thanks a lot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 27, 2014 Not really much option here in the UK/EU. I can personally recommend the FiiO E17 as I have had the chance to thoroughly use one in the past. However, it's only for headphones. Spoiler Spoiler Project Depravity: £850 / ????? (03/12/2015) Case: Phanteks Enthoo Primo SE Red Keyboard: Corsair K95 RGB MX Red Monitors: 3* Asus PG279Q Stand: Ergotech Triple Desk Stand Webcam: Logitch C920 Spoiler RIP in kill: CPU: Single core Celeron M @1.73GHz RAM: 1GB (512MB x2) DDR2 SO-DIMM Motherboard: Asus MOCA-AR HDD: 160GB SATA2 5400rpm Spoiler Current System: CPU: Intel i5-4690K Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO Motherboard: MSI Z97 Gaming 5 RAM: Kingston HyperX Fury 8GB 1866MHz GPU: Gigabyte Windforce 960 4GB SSD: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB HDD: WD Caviar Blue 1TB PSU: Corsair CX500M Case: Corsair 200R Windowed Monitor: LG 22MP55HQ 22" IPS + HP w19 Mouse: Roccat Savu Keyboard: Corsair Raptor K30 Mouse Pad: Perixx DX-1000XXL Headset: Kingston HyperX Cloud OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 27, 2014 Active speakers don't care what amp is before them and HD650's would run off a E07k just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 27, 2014 @komm13 Look into stuff from schiit since fiio is just mass produced mainstream crap. Speaking from experience, that's not a recipe for quality. i7 7700k @ 4.9ghz | Asus Maximus IX Hero | G.skill 32gb @ 3200 | Gtx 1080 classified | In win 909 | Samsung 960 pro 1tb | WD caviar blue 1tb x3 | Dell u3417w | Corsair H115i | Ducky premier dk9008p (mx reds) | Logitech g900 | Sennheiser hd 800s w/ hdvd 800 | Audioengine a5+ w/ s8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 27, 2014 Author Thanks for the suggestions ! I ve checked out fiio, but i m not looking for something portable/running on batteries. About the schiit stack, how am i going to control the volume of my speakers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 27, 2014 E07k may be portable, but its cheap and it works, no need to pointlessly overspend on stuff you don't need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 Audioengine D1?? I know from anecdotes that you can control the volume of their A2+/A5+ with the knob of the D1. It automatically switches when you plug headphones in as well. AD2000x Review Fitear To Go! 334 Review Speakers - KEF LSX Headphones - Sennheiser HD650, Kumitate Labs KL-Lakh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 I really like the Schiit Bifrost uber with the Asgard 2 amp, they sound absolutely amazing with the HD650s. There is also an output for speakers as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 Get whichever DAC/amp combo you'd like, but for your setup (split it to an active speaker), find one that have 'line out' jack(s). 3,5mm stereo or RCA jacks, both will work. HE-400 personal review , ATH-AD700 personal review, Aune T1 MK2 personal review, Lepai A2020+ personal review, Field report of Jakarta USF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 Author Audioengine D1?? I know from anecdotes that you can control the volume of their A2+/A5+ with the knob of the D1. It automatically switches when you plug headphones in as well. I ve considered the D1 but I ve read various small issues and i dont know if it will be "enough" for the 650's! Obviously having never used it i cant really know I really like the Schiit Bifrost uber with the Asgard 2 amp, they sound absolutely amazing with the HD650s. There is also an output for speakers as well. Thanks for the input, but its a biiit above my budget Get whichever DAC/amp combo you'd like, but for your setup (split it to an active speaker), find one that have 'line out' jack(s). 3,5mm stereo or RCA jacks, both will work. I know i need to find a combo with a line out, i also need to be able to control the volume on the line out so something like o2odac wont work for me -unfortunately -. Also trs/xlr would be great since i already have the cables anyone got any experience with matrix mini-i ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 Why do you need the headphone amp to control the speakers? Just plug them into your motherboard. Headphone amps and DACs have no SQ increase on active speakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 Author Both the onboard and discrete sound cards had terrible static/interference. Otherwise i d be just fine with an STX/ZXR. I m using a scarlett 2i2 at the moment and while it does everything i need -mic/speakers/headphones- it doesnt have the power for the 650's, i almost max her out with my 555 and I generally listen at a low volume . Moreover if i plugged them into my motherboard or a sound card, i d need something to control the volume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 Looks like you have no problem spending a little bit of money. What's wrong with an O2/Odac combo for your use case? Imagine: An A/B switch with two 3.5mm connections. You can have a headphone plugged into the switch and your speakers plugged into the other 3.5mm port. And then, 3.5mm to 3.5mm connection to your O2/Odac. Now you have an external device with a switch that can switch between speakers or headphones with a flick of a switch, and the great performance of O2 and Odac that is more than enough for HD650s. In Placebo We Trust - Resident Obnoxious Objective Fangirl (R.O.O.F) - Your Eyes Cannot Hear Haswell Overclocking Guide | Skylake Overclocking Guide | Can my amp power my headphones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 This may be an option: http://www.headnhifi.com/amplifiers/desktop-headphone-amplifiers/O2-ODAC-fully-modded I know MayflowerElectronics makes nearly identical ones and are available worldwide, but as you didn't want to buy from outside of the EU this seems like it isn't an option. Reviews: JBL J33i M50s SRH440 Soundmagic PL50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 There are EU sellers like Epiphany Acoustics. In Placebo We Trust - Resident Obnoxious Objective Fangirl (R.O.O.F) - Your Eyes Cannot Hear Haswell Overclocking Guide | Skylake Overclocking Guide | Can my amp power my headphones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 There are EU sellers like Epiphany Acoustics. I believe they are based in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 A monoprice dac /amp is a good option as well. Not sure if you're able to get them from a EU seller though. My personal rig - 4790k 4.8Ghz, Asus Z97 Pro (wi-fi ac), Corsair Dominator Plat 4x8GB, SLI GTX 1080 TI FE, Samsung 850 Evo 1TB, Crucial MX100 512GB, EVGA G3 1000W, and cooled by a hardline liquid cooling loop. Safe Practices and Complete Guide to Buying/Selling on the Classifieds and other forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 Author This may be an option: http://www.headnhifi.com/amplifiers/desktop-headphone-amplifiers/O2-ODAC-fully-modded I know MayflowerElectronics makes nearly identical ones and are available worldwide, but as you didn't want to buy from outside of the EU this seems like it isn't an option. yea i ve checked them out, but Switzerland=customs Looks like you have no problem spending a little bit of money. What's wrong with an O2/Odac combo for your use case? Imagine: An A/B switch with two 3.5mm connections. You can have a headphone plugged into the switch and your speakers plugged into the other 3.5mm port. And then, 3.5mm to 3.5mm connection to your O2/Odac. Now you have an external device with a switch that can switch between speakers or headphones with a flick of a switch, and the great performance of O2 and Odac that is more than enough for HD650s. Hmm, could I do the exact same thing with the 2i2? plug an amp to its headphone output ? Either way, i would strongly prefer an all-in-one solution for practicality and aesthetics as well, but all suggestions are welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 Hey! I m looking for a dac/amp combo to drive both my headphones -hd650- and my active speakers -without further amping them-. A volume knob for both is essential. Basically i m looking for an alternative to something like the asus essence one/ STU, matrix mini-i . Is there anything else that can do the job for less money? Also, EU seller would be great so that i can avoid customs etc... Thanks a lot! Check out the Fiio E09k paired with either the E07K or the E17K. The E09K is a powerful desktop amp that has dock-in for the portable AMP/DAC E07K/E17K, so you use the amp in the E09K and the DAC in the E07/17K. The E09K has a unamplified passthrough option for active speakers that still utilizes the DAC. also you get a portable DAC. If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life thinking it's stupid. - Albert Einstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 yea i ve checked them out, but Switzerland=customs Hmm, could I do the exact same thing with the 2i2? plug an amp to its headphone output ? Either way, i would strongly prefer an all-in-one solution for practicality and aesthetics as well, but all suggestions are welcome There is also a UK based one. http://epiphany-acoustics.co.uk/products-page/ Reviews: JBL J33i M50s SRH440 Soundmagic PL50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 If you got the cash to throw away at an STU for just the independant volume controls I'd say, "why not?" As long as you're aware there's cheaper (though possibly less elegant) solutions, it's your choice in how you spend the money. PC Build in LTT Gallery - JBL J88 - Fostex T50RP (Modded) - Pioneer SE-A1000 vs audio-technica ATH-AD500X - Skullcandy Aviator audio-technica ATH-T400 - CHC Silverado and Laredo - Clip-On Headphone Roundup - Sony LinkBuds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 If you got the cash to throw away at an STU for just the independant volume controls I'd say, "why not?" As long as you're aware there's cheaper (though possibly less elegant) solutions, it's your choice in how you spend the money. OP says: Is there anything else that can do the job for less money? In Placebo We Trust - Resident Obnoxious Objective Fangirl (R.O.O.F) - Your Eyes Cannot Hear Haswell Overclocking Guide | Skylake Overclocking Guide | Can my amp power my headphones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 OP says: And we've already come to the conclusion that there isn't a cheaper solution that's as elegant. I'm just saying there's nothing wrong with paying for that elegance. PC Build in LTT Gallery - JBL J88 - Fostex T50RP (Modded) - Pioneer SE-A1000 vs audio-technica ATH-AD500X - Skullcandy Aviator audio-technica ATH-T400 - CHC Silverado and Laredo - Clip-On Headphone Roundup - Sony LinkBuds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 And we've already come to the conclusion that there isn't a cheaper solution that's as elegant. I'm just saying there's nothing wrong with paying for that elegance. Ok, don't hurt me! I would've figured there would be a cheaper option that does it in an all-in-one-package considering the price. In Placebo We Trust - Resident Obnoxious Objective Fangirl (R.O.O.F) - Your Eyes Cannot Hear Haswell Overclocking Guide | Skylake Overclocking Guide | Can my amp power my headphones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted October 28, 2014 Author I thought the same thing since the stu is just a usb stx I ll check again some fiio stuff since so many suggested them, but i am curious about the matrix mini since nobody has any feedback about it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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