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Desktop dac with 2 bal out

ningenjanai

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Hi all, I'm new around here, and newish(still don't understand some stuff) to audio.
Nice to meet you guys, doing an awesome job here keeping it rational and objective:)

I need help finding a dac unit with
  • 2 xlr outputs, at least one of them need to be variable
  • 1 RCA output, fixed
  • Compatible with Windows 7 and Macos 10
  • Remote, kinda on fence on this, but I would prefer having it.
Just trying to drive my studio monitors and headphone amp from one unit. It would be nice to upgrade from my schiit jotunheim. My budget is $5-600 but cheaper the better!

Thank you.
 

maxxevv

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You will probably have better luck finding a XLR switch box instead.
 

Gabs

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Schiit Jutonheim (less good than the Topping ?)
 

Gabs

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Armature Oberon (french !)
and that's all for me.
I personally would opt for the Topping one, but digg for the Armature.
 

Krunok

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Armature Oberon (french !)
and that's all for me.
I personally would opt for the Topping one, but digg for the Armature.

Are you sure you don't have some more suggestions?
 

maxxevv

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@Gabs

You didn't read the requirements. Its 2 sets of XLR outputs.

None of your suggestions have that. Nor do all of them fall within the budget.
 
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ningenjanai

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Merry Christmas season everyone!

@Gabs
Good choices but they dont have dual xlr outs, thanks anyway.

@Krunok
@maxxevv
@Dana reed
Thanks for the inputs everyone, appreciate them.

I've spent few hours digging around, and as maxxevv said, none were within my budget.
Instead, I found pro-gears have something to offer, but with a catch. A lot of the gears come with too many studio features like the mic preamp, and billion outputs and the rackmount faceplate... I could live with them so I will continue to dig further!

I forgot to mention I could live with TRS outs since they are bascially the same as XLRs, a balanced output.
 

maxxevv

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Get a XLR swtchbox. It opens up all the various possibilities of DACs out there.
Dummy analogue ones are under US$100/- each.
 
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ningenjanai

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Get a XLR swtchbox. It opens up all the various possibilities of DACs out there.
Dummy analogue ones are under US$100/- each.
Yea, that's also on my list of things to consider but I'm running out of desk space at this point. I have 2 headphone amps(excluding the jotunheim) and the dac/amp unit (also have a benchmark dac1) If you add another unit to the desk, its really starting to pile up and I want to keep my desk as simple as possible.

I absolutely need the stax amp, so I will most likely sell my headphone amp and the 2 dac units for a simple 2 unit desk-setup. Seeing how the well new dacs like SMSL su-8 and the topping DX7s already outdo my dac1 and jot, I'm eager to upgrade. If i can sell all 3 I can definitely up my budget to $1600 which will open up new doors for me.
 

maxxevv

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You could always stack the items. And maybe use a suitable sized desktop stacker / shelf.
 
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