DAC with 4.4 balanced line out

[SPDTDL]

Hello all,

Does anyone know of a desktop DAC, below $400, that has a 4.4 balanced line out.

The ifi ZEN DAC has this, but that's also a headphone amp, and I'm looking for DAC only.

I could use XLR / TRS to 4.4 cables, but was hoping something would have it natively?

Thanks!

 

[staticV3]

Hi @SPDTDL! Welcome to ASR.

For what purpose do you need 4.4 Line out? Maybe there's a better alternative.

 

[Roland68]

Hello all,

Does anyone know of a desktop DAC, below $400, that has a 4.4 balanced line out.

The ifi ZEN DAC has this, but that's also a headphone amp, and I'm looking for DAC only.

I could use XLR / TRS to 4.4 cables, but was hoping something would have it natively?

Thanks!

A 4.4 balanced line out is not standard, but an option of the normal 4.4 headphone output on mobile DAPs.
In this respect, it is unlikely that someone would install it in a DAC without HPA.

 

[AnalogSteph]

I don't think you're going to find this. If there is a a 4.4 mm Pentacoon it'll be for a headphone out, while line-outs will be using XLR or - if more space-contrained - TRS. No desktop unit is going to be so space-constrained that it has to resort to a single jack output. I could see that happening for, I dunno, onboard audio or something.

 

[staticV3]

iFi Audio have multiple DACs and Amps with 4.4mm Line in/out.

Though I can think of another brand that has adopted this.

 

[SPDTDL]

Thanks for the replies, I've attached a photo of my basic setup. All my listening is done at the desk.

Looking for an upgrade path for the DAC...

 

[staticV3]

Thanks for the replies, I've attached a photo of my basic setup. All my listening is done at the desk.

Looking for an upgrade path for the DAC...

View attachment 401804

View attachment 401805

To be frank, your money is better spent elsewhere (speakers, room treatment, room correction).

Also, for optimal signal fidelity, make sure you connect the Kali via USB.

Since it uses a DSP crossover, connecting it via Line just means adding an unnecessary D->A and A->D conversion to the chain.

Using USB removes these, reducing noise and distortion.

 

[SPDTDL]

Problem is the Kali's sound so much better with the xbass from the can. For my tastes anyway. Even with the dip switches set to boost the bass on the kalis. A sub would solve this, but the xbass button also solves it and saves me 400 bucks for a sub

 

[staticV3]

Problem is the Kali's sound so much better with the xbass from the can. For my tastes anyway. Even with the dip switches set to boost the bass on the kalis.

If you want, you can quite simply replicate xbass using eqMac or SoundSource.

 

[SPDTDL]

Ah, that's a rabbit hole I have yet to go down. Good point, looks like I'm re-arranging my desk now

 

[staticV3]

Ah, that's a rabbit hole I have yet to go down. Good point, looks like I'm re-arranging my desk now

Xbass is slightly different depending on the device.

Which iFi device are you using currently to apply xbass?

 

[Vincent Kars]

I'm looking for DAC only

Wonder why you want a 4.4 output if it is about a line output.
Headphone amps can have a "balanced" output. This means they use 2 amps per channel, one pulling and one pushing. This requires a 2x2 wired connection with the headphone as you can't have a common ground anymore. This can be done with a 4 pin XLR, a TRRS jack or a Pentaconn.

If we connect boxes at line level we can do so balanced. This means a 3 wire connection, a hot, the cold (the inverse) and a signal ground. At the receiver the hot and the cold are compared and all difference picked up during signal transmission are removed (common noise rejection). Most of the time it is 3 pin XLR or TRS jack per channel.

What iFi does is a bit uncommon. Their balanced headphone out is Pentagonn so 2x2 wiring to the headphone. Their line out is also a pentagon 2x2 and a common ground.

If you are looking for a balanced connection between DAC and speakers, look for a DAC with a balanced out, be it XLR or TRS.

 

[SPDTDL]

Xbass is slightly different depending on the device.

Which iFi device are you using currently to apply xbass?

I have the Zen Dac II in fixed output to a Zen Can, on that I press the Xbass button. It makes the Kalis come alive.

 

[SPDTDL]

Wonder why you want a 4.4 output if it is about a line output.
Headphone amps can have a "balanced" output. This means they use 2 amps per channel, one pulling and one pushing. This requires a 2x2 wired connection with the headphone as you can't have a common ground anymore. This can be done with a 4 pin XLR, a TRRS jack or a Pentaconn.

If we connect boxes at line level we can do so balanced. This means a 3 wire connection, a hot, the cold (the inverse) and a signal ground. At the receiver the hot and the cold are compared and all difference picked up during signal transmission are removed (common noise rejection). Most of the time it is 3 pin XLR or TRS jack per channel.

What iFi does is a bit uncommon. Their balanced headphone out is Pentagonn so 2x2 wiring to the headphone. Their line out is also a pentagon 2x2 and a common ground.

If you are looking for a balanced connection between DAC and speakers, look for a DAC with a balanced out, be it XLR or TRS.

I’m coming from the IfI world so just thought that was a standard thing.

 

[Vincent Kars]

I see, iFi are the only one known to me using a Pentaconn this way.
Normally it is XLR, just an example: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...msl-dl100-dac-and-headphone-amp-review.56507/

 

[staticV3]

I have the Zen Dac II in fixed output to a Zen Can, on that I press the Xbass button. It makes the Kalis come alive.

20Hz, +8dB, Q 0.4 is an almost perfect match:


I've attached it below as a .txt file, which you can import into SoundSource like so.

If I were you, I'd downsize the headphone stack to a Topping DX1, then buy a UMIK-1 for room correction and pocket the rest.

Then use SoundSource to correct both speakers and headphones.

 

[SPDTDL]

wow thank you, much appreciated