Hello!
New member here. I've been browsing these forums for the past month - great source of information! The review posts from @amirm are really helpful. I recently bought some new gear and have some questions about the best way to hook everything up.
My gear
My goal
Current Setup
Challenges
Options
New member here. I've been browsing these forums for the past month - great source of information! The review posts from @amirm are really helpful. I recently bought some new gear and have some questions about the best way to hook everything up.
My gear
- Audio Interface: Motu M4
- Headphone Amp: Schiit Heretic
- Speakers: iLoud MTM
- Headphones: Sennheiser HD600
- Home Computer: PC (self-built)
- Work Computer: Macbook Pro
My goal
- Switch between home and work computer and speakers and headphones with best sound quality and least fuss
Current Setup
- USB-C connected from PC to M4
- 1/8" out from work laptop to dual 1/4" input on lines 3-4 of M4
- dual 1/4" out from lines 1-2 (monitor) of M4 to iLoud MTM speakers
- dual RCA out from lines 3-4 (line out) of M4 to dual RCA inputs on headphone amp
Challenges
- Because lines 3-4 of M4 are line outs, they only output the USB-C (PC) audio. The 3-4 monitor mix button on the front of the M4 doesn't affect the line outs, so I can't route work laptop audio to the headphones. I can only do so for the speakers.
- Alternatively: If I hook the headphones up to the RCA 1-2 line outs (monitors), then they can monitor inputs 3-4 (work laptop) by pushing the 3-4 button- the problem with this setup is the speakers and headphones mirror each other exactly. This would be fine if the speakers were easy to turn off but they're not - I have to switch them off individually from the back.
- The USB-C output on my computer may not provide enough power for the M4 when it's asleep (haven't tested this yet). If it doesn't I'll need to leave my PC on.
Options
- Use the front headphone jack of the M4 to connect to the headphone amp - 1/4" to dual RCA. Would this affect the sound quality?
- Use a USB-C hub/switch to switch M4 USB-C connection from work laptop to home pc. Keep the rest of the current setup the same. This would allow me to use M4 volume for speakers and headphone amp volume for headphones, while changing the source via the USB-C connection rather than the M4.
- Get a Motu M6 which has A/B speaker switching
- Any others?