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Bass head looking for a desktop USB DAC + amp that can drive a 600Ω headphone for 500€ or less

Roen

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Why not use the 789 in balanced mode and do a cable swap on the headphones?
 

Rockfella

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Yea, like the Topping DX7s.
I have Fiio E10 (not K), Asus Xonar DX, Audio Technica ATHM40x and KaliAudio LP6.
Do you think getting the Toppin DX7s will be a very good upgrade for me? Its gonna cost me more than the LP6s.I don't want to spend so much. Any other alternatives? Toppings MX3? I was looking to get balanced out TRS for the monitors.
 
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twsecrest

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I do like my Topping DX7s......but.
You might consider to keep using the Asus Xonar DX as a DAC and connect an external headphone amplifier to it.
A head amp that also comes with a separate line-output, for the studio monitors.
JDS Atom or Schiit Magni headphone amplifier can both be connected to the front speaker/headphone jack of the Xonar DX
and come with a line-output.
 

Rockfella

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I do like my Topping DX7s......but.
You might consider to keep using the Asus Xonar DX as a DAC and connect an external headphone amplifier to it.
A head amp that also comes with a separate line-output, for the studio monitors.
JDS Atom or Schiit Magni headphone amplifier can both be connected to the front speaker/headphone jack of the Xonar DX
and come with a line-output.
I thought about it. Only thing I fear is using the DAC of Xonar might have an impact on the SQ. I don't really need power/amplification just a much better SQ as compared to FiiO E10.
 
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twsecrest

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I thought about it. Only thing I fear is using the DAC of Xonar might/I don't know have an impact on the SQ.
The Xonar DX comes with a very decent CS4398 DAC chip, you really should be spending money to upgrade from the ATH-A40X headphones.
You can use the Xonar DX as a DAC, for now and always upgrade at a later date
 

Rockfella

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The Xonar DX comes with a very decent CS4398 DAC chip, you really should be spending money to upgrade from the ATH-A40X headphones.
You can use the Xonar DX as a DAC, for now and always upgrade at a later date
For the price M40x is very very neutral and I like it :)
 

zermak

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I've moved my Xonar DX on my HTPC for 5.1 DAC duties (I was looking for a better DAC under 500 euros but it's utopia... and well the DX had better specs and measured performance than many other AVR measured around here which costs way more...) and got a Khadas Tone Board for my PC which I use mainly with headphones and a pair of DIY fullranger.

I had no problems with the Asus with the UNi Xonar drivers. To be honest sometime I had a unbalance problem between L and R but it was probably related to something else considering all I use at once with crappy software and games LOL

@StrikeK
Updates on your choice?
 
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