So let me start off by explaining my current setup:
Hifiman Sundara
CA Solaris 2020
KEF LSX Speakers
Ifi Micro iDSD Signature(for when I'm at a desk - hoping to use this once WFH is over and I have to be in the office) + L&P W2(for mobile)
I'm looking for a home desktop set up (DAC + Headphone amp + Preamp) as an endgame solution with certain needs:
- 70% of the time I will be listening with headphones so would need a pretty good headphone amp built in (future headphone upgrades expected)
- Needs wired connection to KEF LSX (Computer -> DAC -> KEF)
- Need to connect a turntable (already have a phono preamp) to output to headphones and the speakers - seems like a lot of all in one DAC units doesn't have RCA inputs only digital (this is the one I'm having trouble with)
- Roon ready for future expandability - would like it to be a Streamer, thus Roon.
- Will be living on my desktop but may one day use it for a home stereo set up - expandability
- Ideally $5k or less budget (if it's an all in one solution that can meet all my needs I don't mind spending on it)
- I mostly use TIDAL and don't have a personal library of music so will be using this for TIDAL and vinyl records
From my research here on the website I started my search at the Schiit Magnius Modius stack and then moved up to the Topping A90+D90 but both of these would rely on my computer to play music. So I started looking at more all in one units with a streamer built in but most of them seem overkill for a desktop solution although they would let me expand in the future. I started looking at the NAIM Uniti Atom but it doesn't have balanced headphone outputs and only 1 simple headphone port so I'm not sure if that would be ideal or if the headphone output is any good. I also looked at the Matrix Audio Element X but doesn't seem like that would accommodate my turntable. Cambridge EVO looks interesting as well. The reason I really like the NAIM is I gravitate towards it's design as I'm a designer myself so appreciate those things and they're important to me - I wouldn't spend several thousand dollars on something that doesn't look good in my space.
Any solutions here you guys could recommend for something for my "endgame" needs - I'm spending way too much time browsing the internet for reviews and would like to get something and not have to worry about it and actually enjoy the music lol
Thank for your help!
Hifiman Sundara
CA Solaris 2020
KEF LSX Speakers
Ifi Micro iDSD Signature(for when I'm at a desk - hoping to use this once WFH is over and I have to be in the office) + L&P W2(for mobile)
I'm looking for a home desktop set up (DAC + Headphone amp + Preamp) as an endgame solution with certain needs:
- 70% of the time I will be listening with headphones so would need a pretty good headphone amp built in (future headphone upgrades expected)
- Needs wired connection to KEF LSX (Computer -> DAC -> KEF)
- Need to connect a turntable (already have a phono preamp) to output to headphones and the speakers - seems like a lot of all in one DAC units doesn't have RCA inputs only digital (this is the one I'm having trouble with)
- Roon ready for future expandability - would like it to be a Streamer, thus Roon.
- Will be living on my desktop but may one day use it for a home stereo set up - expandability
- Ideally $5k or less budget (if it's an all in one solution that can meet all my needs I don't mind spending on it)
- I mostly use TIDAL and don't have a personal library of music so will be using this for TIDAL and vinyl records
From my research here on the website I started my search at the Schiit Magnius Modius stack and then moved up to the Topping A90+D90 but both of these would rely on my computer to play music. So I started looking at more all in one units with a streamer built in but most of them seem overkill for a desktop solution although they would let me expand in the future. I started looking at the NAIM Uniti Atom but it doesn't have balanced headphone outputs and only 1 simple headphone port so I'm not sure if that would be ideal or if the headphone output is any good. I also looked at the Matrix Audio Element X but doesn't seem like that would accommodate my turntable. Cambridge EVO looks interesting as well. The reason I really like the NAIM is I gravitate towards it's design as I'm a designer myself so appreciate those things and they're important to me - I wouldn't spend several thousand dollars on something that doesn't look good in my space.
Any solutions here you guys could recommend for something for my "endgame" needs - I'm spending way too much time browsing the internet for reviews and would like to get something and not have to worry about it and actually enjoy the music lol
Thank for your help!
