USB DAC with optical output and RCA output

[audiojack]

Hello, do you guys have any suggestions for an USB DAC that has an optical output and RCA output which output audio simultaneously?
The idea is to play audio via USB (from laptop or Sony TV) to active speakers via optical output and the 2x RCA for a stereo subwoofer setup. 2-XLR outputs would be a bonus (though not required) as I might upgrade my active speakers in the future. A plug and play device would be welcome as it's then also likely working on my Sony TV.

Or should I go for another setup, USB to optical > optical splitter > 1 output to active speakers, 1 output to optical to RCA DAC to subwoofers, or will this give delay? Would prefer an all in one device for simplicity.

Currently I'm using an usb M-Audio Micro DAC 24/192 which is actually a great little device. It has a mini optical output and jack output with volume control, I connected small active speakers to the mini optical output and on the jack output a RCA splitter which feeds a pair of stereo subwoofers. It outputs audio to both the optical and jack simultaneously and the volume of the woofers can be controlled with the jack volume control. I works really well and the audio quality is good to my ears, the only thing is that when I'm streaming from Qobuz or Sony TV I sometimes get a short snap sound in the tweeter (mainly left tweeter for whatever reason) when pressing play pauze or forwarding within a track. I don't think this is caused by the optical cable (since it's new) but likely it's caused by the usb M-Audio Micro DAC, or could it be something else? I tested other active speakers with this setup and that gave the same tweeter snap sound occasionally.
Looking for a device that wont have this issue as I'm kinda scared it might damage my active speakers.
Thanks a lot.

Amazon.com

 

[Dunring]

I use a Syba Sonic for testing DAC inputs, the amplifier is useless (weak, high noise floor) but it will output to RCA and optical and performance is pretty normal as a DAC only. Used for $24 it's got RCA, Optical, and Coax out.

Amazon.com

 

[V.b.]

Topping D10s USB DAC and Bridge Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Topping D10s USB DAC and S/PDIF plus Toslink bridge. It was kindly sent to me by the company for testing. The D10s has a retail cost of US $99. Let me start by confessing that the original D10 was one of my favorites with its cute orange...

www.audiosciencereview.com

There is also a balanced version. No volume control.

 

[staticV3]

Hello, do you guys have any suggestions for an USB DAC that has an optical output and RCA output which output audio simultaneously?

Topping D10s, D10 Balanced, or SMSL PO100AK.

 

[audiojack]

I use a Syba Sonic for testing DAC inputs, the amplifier is useless (weak, high noise floor) but it will output to RCA and optical and performance is pretty normal as a DAC only. Used for $24 it's got RCA, Optical, and Coax out.

Amazon.com

Thank you for the suggestion.

 

[audiojack]

Topping D10s, D10 Balanced, or SMSL PO100AK.

Thanks. Maybe a noob question but will the optical output signal volume and rca/balanced output volume change simultaneously?

 

[Jimbob54]

Thanks. Maybe a noob question but will the optical output signal volume and rca/balanced output volume change simultaneously?

Optical out will likely be a pass through of the input so no.

Edit actually I'm not sure quite what you're asking. If you take the d10 as an example, it has no volume setting to alter (many other dacs do). If there was a volume control on the dac then the rca output would be affected by it but not the optical output. But in the d10 you would either change volume at source (Eg on the pc etc) which would reduce optical and rca out levels together OR in whatever components are downstream.

 

[staticV3]

Thanks. Maybe a noob question but will the optical output signal volume and rca/balanced output volume change simultaneously?

I'm not sure.

@VintageFlanker can probably tell you how the SMSL behaves WRT volume.

For the two Topping models, try asking in their respective review threads:

Topping D10s USB DAC and Bridge Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Topping D10s USB DAC and S/PDIF plus Toslink bridge. It was kindly sent to me by the company for testing. The D10s has a retail cost of US $99. Let me start by confessing that the original D10 was one of my favorites with its cute orange...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Topping D10 Balanced Review (USB DAC)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the new Topping D10 Balanced. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $139. The D10 Balanced as the name implies, comes in my favorite USB DAC package with the same cute orange display: Back panel is where the difference is: Balanced...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Although none of them have physical volume controls, they very likely still have hardware volume control via UAC2 commands sent from your USB Host.

If you use software volume control, so the volume sliders built into Spotify, YouTube, VLC, foobar200, etc, then optical and analog output volume will always be affected in sync.

 

[Farva0066]

The FIIO BR15 has the following outputs: XLR, 2 sets RCA, COAX, and Optical. So, alot of options. I've seen some people say running XLR/RCA at the same time reduces voltage and is bad; XLR and optical works well.

 

[Fabio Sampan]

Hello everybody !
I have this Fiio Br15 Dac and is great! I want to add a subwoofer so it is possible to use all the 3 analog outputs at the same time ? Ex: rca 1 to tube preamp headphone, rca 2 to subwoofer and xlr to an stereo amplifier?
Any drawbacks with this configuration?
Thanks a lot!

 

[Farva0066]

Hello everybody !
I have this Fiio Br15 Dac and is great! I want to add a subwoofer so it is possible to use all the 3 analog outputs at the same time ? Ex: rca 1 to tube preamp headphone, rca 2 to subwoofer and xlr to an stereo amplifier?
Any drawbacks with this configuration?
Thanks a lot!

You can, but from reading comments here using them at the same time reduces voltage output and is undesiredable. So I haven't done it personally.

It's interesting that the unit has a digital out... so I got a cheap DAC and am using that for subwoofers (digital out to $25 DAC, RCA to subs).

I'm sure someone will comment about the timing being off in this config... well it sounds good to me. I've got a Y splitter to 2 subs, and use the other RCA out (on the cheap DAC) for a transducer.

Um, this doesn't work for DSD (because the cheap DAC cannot process), but I intend to swap a Topping E30 in in "Direct DSD" mode... that should work.

(Or you could just try using RCA+XLR at same time and seeing how that works for you). It's an amazing the BR15 is amazing imo, and I'm thrilled with this setup. Good luck!

 

[Fabio Sampan]

Thank you Farva for this option and your explanation!
The voltage drop happens when you connect rca 1+xlr output? Both rca only? Or both rca+ xlr I want to make sure before buying nice cables. Thanks again

 

[Fabio Sampan]

If it happens only with xlr+rca so maybe i can use rca 1 output to tube amp headphones, rca 2 to stereo amplifier and the sub via the optical output with a cheap dac as you mentioned !

 

[Fabio Sampan]

But in that way, does it defeat the br15 r2r sound circuit on optical output only meaning every analog outputs are still processed via r2r circuit ?

 

[Farva0066]

Thank you Farva for this option and your explanation!
The voltage drop happens when you connect rca 1+xlr output? Both rca only? Or both rca+ xlr I want to make sure before buying nice cables. Thanks again

The theory as I understand it is that all the analog outputs are sharing a "power source" - but that isn't the correct term. They share X amount of voltage, and will have to share that when any are used at the same time. But, maybe the X is 5 volts -- enough to power the 2 RCA's at the same time, but not enough to fully supply XLR + RCA at the same time. More importantly - this may not be a problem for you. Maybe your amplifier is fine with slightly less voltage, and you can compensate by turning the volume up a bit.

I really think you should test it with whatever RCA cables you have on hand, it won't hurt anything: if you don't hear any difference (the volume overall didn't drop too much, the bass doesn't sound weak, etc.) then don't worry about it.

Also - I don't expect you plan on running the headphones and the speakers/sub at the same time - so maybe there wouldn't even be an impact if one of the devices on the RCAs or XLR is powered off (I'm not sure how that works).

As far as the digital outputs - they should all operate independently of the the analog outs. What ever you do with the RCAs and XLR shouldn't have any impact on any of the digital outs.

Let us know how it works out! It's a great product, and one of the selling points is the multiple outputs -someone will surely have the same question in the future.

 

[Fabio Sampan]

Hello,
After testing, the xlr power drops to rca power when both are connected but the sound caracter is not really impacted. Just need a bit more juice from the amplifier.