I have been chasing down a ground loop and decided I just to go balanced.
My current setup is PC (APO Equalizer) --> USB --> E30 DAC --> RCA --> L30 headphone amp --> RCA --> Sabaj A20a.
I have a "work from home" setup and like listening to the speakers instead of headphones. What I like about the setup is that when I get a call from work on my Polycom VOIP phone I just flick a switch on the L30 to cut off the music and take my call. I have a different line via Teams through my PC/L30, so that does take some some quick reflexes to turn off the music at the PC level and pick up the headphones.
Some thoughts are:
1) Put a Topping D10 balanced on the USB and run TRS to RCA to the amp. For headphones I could use optical to the E30, RCA to the L30. It would be two separate paths. I sadly lose the physical switch to shut down quickly (and no remote with the D10). I also suspect that I will be forever switching the playback devices in Windows.
2) Preamp? PC --> E30 --> active preamp to convert unbalanced to balanced. RCA into the preamp, RCA to the L30, balanced XLR to the A20a. Any suggestions on an inexpensive preamp like this?
3) D30 Pro. Pricey ($400) just to get XLR and about the same level of performance I already have with the E30
4) ifi USB isolator and power supply to break the hum my setup alone.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
My current setup is PC (APO Equalizer) --> USB --> E30 DAC --> RCA --> L30 headphone amp --> RCA --> Sabaj A20a.
I have a "work from home" setup and like listening to the speakers instead of headphones. What I like about the setup is that when I get a call from work on my Polycom VOIP phone I just flick a switch on the L30 to cut off the music and take my call. I have a different line via Teams through my PC/L30, so that does take some some quick reflexes to turn off the music at the PC level and pick up the headphones.
Some thoughts are:
1) Put a Topping D10 balanced on the USB and run TRS to RCA to the amp. For headphones I could use optical to the E30, RCA to the L30. It would be two separate paths. I sadly lose the physical switch to shut down quickly (and no remote with the D10). I also suspect that I will be forever switching the playback devices in Windows.
2) Preamp? PC --> E30 --> active preamp to convert unbalanced to balanced. RCA into the preamp, RCA to the L30, balanced XLR to the A20a. Any suggestions on an inexpensive preamp like this?
3) D30 Pro. Pricey ($400) just to get XLR and about the same level of performance I already have with the E30
4) ifi USB isolator and power supply to break the hum my setup alone.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!