Two Macs, 1 pair of speakers = DAC/Mixer/Amp – what do I need?

[DarwinDMG]

Hi all,

I'm looking for a good solution to my audio dilemma: I have two Macs on my desk – an older Mac Mini and 16" MacBook Pro (which replaced a 2014 MBP) – and I need to share peripherals to save space. Previously I had an IOGEAR Thunderbolt KVM switch, but it was getting unreliable and I needed more ports. I switched to a CalDigit TS3 dock for my MBP and a small USB KVM switch to share the keyboard and mouse; my 4K monitor had dual inputs so that's fine. It's not one button for switching between them but everything is accounted for -- except the AUDIO.

I have an older pair of powered bookshelf speakers – M-Audio DX-4s – with analog inputs. My main issue is the the CalDigit dock has it's analog audio jack on the FRONT, which is not only an ugly mess but the cords get in the way of one of the USB-A ports. It has an audio port on the back but it's OPTICAL. I tried a cheap DAC/Switcher from Amazon that could switch between two optical inputs and ran a mini toslink cable from the Mini, but not only did it have issues (loud pops when audio stops playing) but I had NO volume control with the optical connections; the physical buttons on the keyboard don't function and the only controller is the volume knob on the speakers -- which thanks to my current desk setup is not easy to reach.

(Sorry, trying to keep this brief!)

Since then I've gone down a rabbit hole of DACs, passive volume controls, USB options, mixers, passive speakers, mixers, etc. And I still have no idea what I need to make this work. I have a bad feeling that I'm hunting for a piece of gear that doesn't exist, but I'm hoping someone has some ideas.

TL;DR? Here's what I'd like to find: a device with at least one digital input (USB or optical), a second input (could be analog), stereo analog outputs AND volume control. I assume it has to be passive because my speakers are powered? I haven't found a small mixer that fits the bill, nor do I want to spend $$$ on multiple shiny boxes daisy-chained together on an already-cramped desk. Maybe a set of passive speakers would give me more options – or even an amp?

Suggestions much appreciated!

D

 

[Berwhale]

The JDS Labs Atom headphone amplifier will function as an analogue pre-amplifier and has two inputs. I use it in just the way you describe with a PC and Thinkpad...

PC -> USB DAC -> Atom input 1 (RCA) -> Powered Monitors
ThinkPad -> Atom input 2 (3.5mm) -> Power Monitors

You don't need a fancy or expensive DAC to make this work, an Apple USB-C headphone adapter should be fine - you can always add a more expensive DAC later if you want extra features like Bluetooth.

You'll also have a state of the art headphone amplifier should you decide to get into that habbit.

 

[DarwinDMG]

The JDS Labs Atom headphone amplifier will function as an analogue pre-amplifier and has two inputs. I use it in just the way you describe with a PC and Thinkpad...

PC -> USB DAC -> Atom input 1 (RCA) -> Powered Monitors
ThinkPad -> Atom input 2 (3.5mm) -> Power Monitors

You don't need a fancy or expensive DAC to make this work, an Apple USB-C headphone adapter should be fine - you can always add a more expensive DAC later if you want extra features like Bluetooth.

You'll also have a state of the art headphone amplifier should you decide to get into that habbit.

Thank you for this! Question: does the volume knob actually control the audio outputs? A lot of the headphone Amps I've found have a volume knob that only affects the headphone volume and not the line outs.

 

[Berwhale]

Yes, with the Atom, the RCA outputs are sourced from the headphone output, so the volume control affects the RCA outputs as well.

 

[Berwhale]

If you're not bothered about the headphone amplifier, you could achieve the same result with the Apple USB-C adapter and a cheap analogue switch and volume control like this one...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nobsound-Switcher-Passive-Selector-Splitter-Black/dp/B0787X4J4V