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RCA input, Bluetooth, USB DAC, XLR out with volume control?

Ilkless

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The S/O is getting into audio of late, particularly vinyl. She fell in love with a pair of Focal Shape 40s. Not my personal choice but she really likes the amount of treble, wide dispersion and classy veneer over monochrome Genelec/Neumann/Kali. No amount of me pontificating about directivity matching, diffraction, smoothness and distortion will change that.

She also bought a Pro-ject Primary E with built-in phono preamp so it has a line output. But the Focal has no gain/volume control. The simplest solution is a RCA to RCA passive preamp. But an unused XLR input on the speaker grates on me a little. Plus, I convinced her that it makes very little sense to get nice speakers only for vinyl (she also listens to Spotify). I suggested an XLR-out DAC with volume control, USB input and Bluetooth so she can stream Spotify from either phone or laptop.

Are there any such DAC/preamps that also have an RCA line input so I can integrate the turntable? Alternatively, are there XLR output DAC/preamps with XLR analog pre input, Bluetooth and USB, so I can use an RCA-XLR cable for the turntable? And can I just confirm that RCA line output to XLR line input with an adaptor cable is unlikely to cause any hum or buzz?

Budget is, say, well-engineered Chinese DAC money - so in the range of something you'd find from Topping/SMSL. I can readily access most Chinese brands, as well as anything from Thomann.

I thought about pro audio interfaces as well, but I'm not sure any from Focusrite/MOTU and their ilk will have Bluetooth input.

Thanks!
 
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Ilkless

Ilkless

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So after some research I've expanded my options to stacks:

Topping BC3 optical out
Modius
Magnius

Or

Topping BC3 optical out
Topping E50
Topping L50.

My S/O loves Geshelli wood cases though. @Geshelli is it possible for you guys to do a line preamp with XLR and RCA inputs, and XLR output, without headphone out? She'd be thrilled to have a wooden case Geshelli stack with the J2 plus a preamp.

Otherwise, the closest one-box option I have seen is the Matrix Mini-i 3, but it's way too overkill because I don't need Ethernet or Roon, SPDIF or optical. And I'd like to keep it around 500, tops.
 

MCH

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I am only aware of the matrix audio mini i pro 3 and minidsp flex, unless you go even more expensive options. What about a cheap adc and a regular dac?
 
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Ilkless

Ilkless

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I am only aware of the matrix audio mini i pro 3 and minidsp flex, unless you go even more expensive options. What about a cheap adc and a regular dac?

I am seriously considering the Flex, especially since I can add Dirac and the UMIK later. But we don't really need full-fledged streaming capability. Plus, I'd still need to go RCA to balanced TRS - which means using an adaptor cable.
 
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MCH

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I am seriously considering the Flex, especially since I can add Dirac and the UMIK later. But we don't really need full-fledged streaming capability. Plus, I'd still need to go RCA to balanced TRS - which means using an adaptor cable.
I believe the flex unbalanced has unbalanced analog input, but well, you loose the balanced outputs.
What flex does not have is streaming capabilities.
 
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