About coax out quality.

[Budgeter]

Now I'm using e10k simultaneously for both my speaker and headphone setup. I know that if I use/plug both head/line out at the same time, audio quality can be degraded duo to some factors (not enough energy from usb port, etc).

However, what if I use only one of them but with coaxial out instead at the same time (line or head out + coax out), will there be any side effect on audio quality via coaxial out?

To be more clear, this is my current setup.
laptop -> e10k -> AD700x (head out)
________________ -> micca A250 (speaker amp via line out) -> sony sscs5 (stereo speakers)

And my intended setup
1) laptop -> e10k -> AD700x (head out)
__________________ -> new DAC (via coax out) -> micca A250 -> sony sscs5

Or

2) laptop -> e10k -> new headphones amp (via lineout) -> AD700x
__________________ -> new DAC (via coax out) -> micca A250 -> sony sscs5

All ports are used/plug at the same time for these cases.

Will there be any degradation of audio quality which "new DAC" received via e10k coaxial out?

 

[RayDunzl]

If power is the limitation:

A coaxial output would flow maybe 4 milliamps of current on average, based on a .6V signal, 75 ohm termination, and a 50% duty cycle.

Line outputs would flow less, due to the high impedance ( k ohms) of the typical line input.

 

[DonH56]

What is an "e10k"?

What makes you think the sound is degraded if line and headphone outputs are used? Is that a known issue, something you read, something you heard, something in the manual, ??? The headphone and line outputs are usually driven by separate independent buffers since the line-level output is not normally enough to drive a pair of headphones with sufficient volume.

If it is a USB-powered DAC then using a coax instead of a line output is unlikely to have a significant impact on the overall power draw but if there is interaction between line and headphone buffers you'd be taking that away. But if it is a DAC then you would not be using the analog output so might as well grab the digital signal directly from the laptop instead.

I'm a little confused, sorry, working today (again, blah) so maybe reading too quickly - Don

 

[RayDunzl]

What is an "e10k"?

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

 

[Budgeter]

Thanks for you guys response, and yes, that is FiiO e10k.

What is an "e10k"?

What makes you think the sound is degraded if line and headphone outputs are used?

Just what I've read before. I'm no expert in this field but from what I understand, the main reason is power limitation as @RayDunzl said, maybe the term "audio quality" I used here is too general.
So that means if I use two or more port at the same time, theoretically, sound degradation will always happen duo to power limitation?

 

[RayDunzl]

Just what I've read before. I'm no expert in this field but from what I understand, the main reason is power limitation as @RayDunzl said

I didn't say that. I said "IF power is the limitation", and listed the approximate requirements (small) of using an interface vs leaving it unplugged (assuming the circuitry would be active in either case).

I would be surprised if available power were the limitation, given the low incremental change between using/not using the coax and line outputs.