2. headphones
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Headphone amp + DAC + Volume + ROON READY

I am loving my newly purchased headphones so much now that I am thinking of getting a second amp to use in my bedroom.

I am currently using a Benchmark HPA4 + Benchmark DAC3B + Sonore microRendu + Meze Empy.

I was thinking a Benchmark DAC2 DX would sound good, but already have a DAC3B and the Benchmarks are not ROOD READY. So I am curious if there is any other small box solutions that has a headphone amp with XLR headphone output, a DAC with volume control that is also ROON READY. It does not have to sound good as the HPA4, I want convenience and small form factor as the most important requirements.

This does not require analog inputs. I am thinking all digital for the bedroom. I guess the ROON READY has to be accomplished my RJ45 Ethernet or WIFI.
yyzsantabarbara

Showing 5 responses by arafiq

arafiq's avatar
arafiq
1,598 posts
 
Did you take a look at Mytek Brooklyn Bridge?
arafiq's avatar
arafiq
1,598 posts
 
@yyzsantabarbara  Since you were looking at the Chord Mojo, I was going to suggest that you also checkout iF Micro DSD Black Label. But to be honest, anything less than a thousand will not do proper justice to the Empyreans. 

The Mytek definitely ticks a lot of boxes, but you should also checkout the iFi Pro DSD. I was seriously considering it for my headphone listening, but ended up buying the Quicksilver Headphone amps -- by far one of my most satisfying audio purchases to date.

BTW, I am looking for a streamer+DAC for my 2 channel rig. I have narrowed my choices down to either Brooklyn Bridge, or Innuos Zen Mini (with a future DAC update). Just need to make up my mind and pull the trigger in a week or two.
arafiq's avatar
arafiq
1,598 posts
 
Thanks, @yyzsantabarbara . I'm actually leaning heavily towards the Mytek Brooklyn Bridge. It offers a lot at a reasonable price. Lumin T2 is a bit outside my comfort zone price-wise. I was not aware of Sonore xxxRendu. Need to do some research before making the final call. Thanks for the suggestion.
arafiq's avatar
arafiq
1,598 posts
 
@yyzsantabarbara  Considering that this is a headphones thread, I don't want to derail your discussion. But I definitely want to pick your brain in helping me find a good streaming solution. If you don't mind I will message you directly later tonight. I've narrowed down my choices and would definitely welcome your opinion.
arafiq's avatar
arafiq
1,598 posts
 
Congrats! I had a feeling you won't settle for a sub 1000 DAC ;)

I received the opticalRendu on Saturday and it's no doubt a step up from the Node in every possible manner.
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