Hello again
@mccarty350,
Thank you for your descriptions on your two (actually three?) audio systems! Now I fully understand your office audio system for which you would use Sherbourn PT-7010a.
In my office upstairs, I (just like you do!) have desktop PC-based audio system in which I use EKIO too feeding XO/Time-Align/EQ-ed 8 channels into one (single!) DAC, OPPO Sonica DAC, driving Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Certified Computer Speaker having fairly nice sub-woofer;
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Klipsch+ProMedia+2.1+THX&ref=nb_sb_noss
Still really good and very nice sound quality in desktop PC audio category. I fully agree with this review;
https://www.audioreputation.com/klipsch-promedia-2-1/
You would please understand that
my above post #11 is intending to provide general approach for rather large-scale, in main listening room, full multichannel multi-amplifier audio system.
In any way, I do hope and believe you would fully enjoy and establish wonderful active multichannel multi-amplifier audio systems in your main music listening room and also in your office!
P.S. Just one point, for your reference and consideration,,,
Before starting my current multichannel project, I intensively searched and learned so many "volume/gain control" technologies in analog line-level audio signals, and I too was very much interested in (fascinated about) the "resistive step ladder volume control" approach with high-quality fixed resistors and gold-plated (on silver plate) precision multiple terminal SOTA(!) rotary ladder switches just like
http://www.tachyon.co.jp/~sichoya/bpkit/att/att.html as typical examples.
Then, later-on, one of my audio enthu semi-professional friends/engineers pointed, however, we may have possible non-uniform "burn-in" (or "aging" we say in Japan) over the so may multiple fixed resistors which is inevitable minor cons with these "resistive step ladder" volume/gain controllers. Of course, I well understand that each of the "volume/gain controller" technologies have pros and cons.
Edit to add:
Furthermore, if we would like to apply it in full-balanced line-level signals, we always need to have dual (double layer) "resistive step ladder" switches in each channel line, and this would double the possibilities of mis-matching of the fixed resistors, and would double the cost. L-to-R gain balance is always depending on the selection and precisions of the fixed resistors on the rotary switch, and the L-to-R balance continuity (as well as SQ continuity) over minimum to max gains would be the major concern in these "resistive step ladder" controllers.
Yes, we should select "volume/gain" controllers based on total combination (pros and cons) of various factors/features not only in terms of sound quality but also in terms of usabilities and functionalities, and budget (of course), of our individual audio system; there should be no single best choice at all. So many choices and selections, it is really one of the wonderful aspects of audio system building!
At least, just in my case, my choice and selection were resulted in the utilization of HiFi "integrated amplifiers" in my multichannel multi-driver multi-amplifier full-scale audio system.
