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Please help me understand: active monitors with / without DAC?

coccosoids

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Hello,

I am having some trouble finding a good answer to the question in the title. If you have active monitors (I am looking at Adams A5Xs, had Tannoy Reveals 802) do you still still need a DAC to listen to music from a computer?

Yes, no? Or it isn't that simple?

Thanks!
 

HiFidFan

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Yes
 

aedagnino

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If they have a digital in, you don't. If they only have analog in (that will be most), you do.

That would be true only if: a) Active monitors have usb input; or b) Computer has audio digital out (coaxial, optical) that matches the digital input of monitor.
 

antcollinet

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You always need a dac somewhere to listen to digital music.

There might be a dac in the speakers - in which case it will have a digital optical or coax connection, or possibly bluetooth. (I"m not aware of any speakers with USB in). If your computer has a digital ouput, with a compatible connection, you can then use that.

You may choose to use the dac in your computer, and take an analogue line out from the computer to the speakers.(Normally the green colored 3.5mm jack)

Alternatively you can use an external USB Dac.
 
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coccosoids

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Thank you everyone.
So, the Tannoys have a 3.5mm jack connection (and something they call a stereo link I think). That makes it easy to just plug and play them into anything that has a 3.5mm out, like a phone or computer. I assume any monitors that offers this type of connectivity will work the same.
But... will a DAC make a difference? Will any old DAC work or should I look at something more sophisticated with balanced outputs maybe?
 

Spkrdctr

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Thank you everyone.
So, the Tannoys have a 3.5mm jack connection (and something they call a stereo link I think). That makes it easy to just plug and play them into anything that has a 3.5mm out, like a phone or computer. I assume any monitors that offers this type of connectivity will work the same.
But... will a DAC make a difference? Will any old DAC work or should I look at something more sophisticated with balanced outputs maybe?

Your computer DAC will work fine. Many on here will want you spend a lot of money on DACs that will not make a difference. Good audio is becoming more and more a commodity. Amir does help everyone single out the junk. A GREAT service by the way!
 

antcollinet

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Yes - I think all monitors will offer an analogue line level input - either RCA or 3.5mm jack, and will work with any analogue line level source whether that is a PC, phone or dac

Regarding DAC, some computer analogue outputs can be quite horrible. Or at least are susceptible to noise issues such as ground loops. However issues tend to be major if they exist and easy to hear you have a problem.

On the other hand an external dac - even one of the low cost ones measured here such as the Schiit Mod3+ or the Topping E30 are likely to do a much better job. Whether you can hear that much better job depends on how good the analogue output is from your PC. Most likely your PC output will be fine.
 

Katji

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So the answer is [it depends] "active speakers" sometimes have integrated DAC but most do not. (So far, most do not, but it will become more usual.)

[ What is the difference between "active speakers", "powered monitors"... ]


There might be a dac in the speakers - in which case it will have a digital optical or coax connection, or possibly bluetooth. (I"m not aware of any speakers with USB in).
Edifier S3000 Pro, Airpulse 300...and one or two others. (Other Edifiers.)
// It seems to depend on the market orientation.
 

Jim Matthews

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That would be true only if: a) Active monitors have usb input; or b) Computer has audio digital out (coaxial, optical) that matches the digital input of monitor.
My JBL 708p accept AES input - an industry standard transmission protocol.
 

HiFidFan

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Sometimes the speaker RCA inputs are rated -6 -10db so check that. A balanced DAC is not expensive. Schiit Modius comes to mind, or something like a Motu M2 audio interface.
 

Victoria

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(I"m not aware of any speakers with USB in)

Yamaha NX-N500; admittedly however they're quiet the outlier in this respect. Having said that I've been using my pair for half a decade now as part of my desktop PC setup; they're decent enough speakers and given that my number one priority was minimum clutter they absolutely deliver. I have them directly connected to my PC via USB and they'll also happily play over Bluetooth and a ton of other inputs.

NX-N500.jpg
 

ziddy76

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Both powered monitors I got are recommended to use either Balanced 1/4" or XLR input, not RCA. Just throwing that out there. Only reason why I got two balanced DAC, to feed the monitors.
 
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