DAC/AMP for AKG K712 Pro

[tom_taylor97]

Hello,

I am finally trying to sort out the audio solution for my room but I'm not sure where to begin.
I think if I list all of the devices I use and what I am hoping to achieve then hopefully one of you guys will be able to help me.

Currently I am using a PC, PS4 & TV. I know I can route the audio from the PS4 through the TV. This just leaves me with 2 inputs for the moment (PC & TV).

My headphones at the moment are AKG K712 Pro & I have a modmic attached to them.
At the moment I have an Asus Xonar U7 for them because it seemed like the best option for me at the time thanks to the line in/mic port. The line in/mic port isn't really an issue for my new options because I know its rare with DAC's and I can always get a cheap sound card specifically for the mic.

So what am I trying to achieve? I was hoping to find a solution that would allow me to listen to my TV & PC simultaneously through my headphones. My TV only has an optical output and I would prefer my PC to be output through USB. From my understanding there isn't a DAC that would accept the input of optical and USB simultaneously so I will need an audio mixer.

After looking around I have seen the Schiit Stack 2 Uber which seems to meet most of my needs. I am still unsure of an audio mixer as I don't think the Schiit Modi 2 will accept the USB & optical inputs simultaneously although it will accept them separately. One thing I was wondering is whether there is a mixer than can be used before the DAC or will I need to get a DAC for the TV & another DAC for the PC with a mixer after them both.

Any help is greatly appreciated as I don't really know a lot about audio equipment.

Many Thanks,
Tom

 

[ssddx]

perhaps the easiest way is to bring audio input into the pc first. this can be done with any soundcard that has optical input. i know the soundblaster z should but you can likely find another one that may was well. from here you should be able to use your modi and magni connected to the pc

headphone dac units do not have microphone jacks. i've seen some special dac+amp boxes for mixing that do have it included but yes they are a rarity. normally mic input is left to mixer type units.

digital mixers exist, but are very expensive which is why i will not list them as an option here. i'm also not well versed in high end mixers.

you are correct that technically using two dac units with a mixer followed by an amp would work as well. expensive, but it would work.

you are correct that the modi can only do one source at a time. if not, it would be a perfect product but this is common practice as the audioengine d1 and other said dac units do the same thing. its still a damn good dac for the money though.

if you did not care about audio quality as much on one of the sources (such as tv) its easy enough to just use an analog mixer prior to the amp to do all your mixing needs.

technically its also possible to use the controller 3.5mm output to an audio interface, tv to interface via an optical to analog converter and get audio from the pc via the mixer/interface usb connection then output to an amp. this would replace the dac portion and also it should allow for mic input as well. while it again isnt a perfect solution, its another option

 

[tom_taylor97]

perhaps the easiest way is to bring audio input into the pc first. this can be done with any soundcard that has optical input. i know the soundblaster z should but you can likely find another one that may was well. from here you should be able to use your modi and magni connected to the pc

headphone dac units do not have microphone jacks. i've seen some special dac+amp boxes for mixing that do have it included but yes they are a rarity. normally mic input is left to mixer type units.

digital mixers exist, but are very expensive which is why i will not list them as an option here. i'm also not well versed in high end mixers.

you are correct that technically using two dac units with a mixer followed by an amp would work as well. expensive, but it would work.

you are correct that the modi can only do one source at a time. if not, it would be a perfect product but this is common practice as the audioengine d1 and other said dac units do the same thing. its still a damn good dac for the money though.

if you did not care about audio quality as much on one of the sources (such as tv) its easy enough to just use an analog mixer prior to the amp to do all your mixing needs.

technically its also possible to use the controller 3.5mm output to an audio interface, tv to interface via an optical to analog converter and get audio from the pc via the mixer/interface usb connection then output to an amp. this would replace the dac portion and also it should allow for mic input as well. while it again isnt a perfect solution, its another option

Great. Thanks for the help.
I know it will be the most expensive option but I feel it will be the best option for me to get 2 DACs, 1 AMP & 1 Mixer.
Ill probably just get 2 x Modi 2 Uber, 1 x Magni 2 Uber. I could also possibly keep my Xonar U7 for the mic or sell it and downgrade to a U3 for the mic. For a mixer/preamp I had been looking at the Behringer MX400/ Schiit SYS. Do you think this will be good enough or could you recommend something better?

I know this is likely to cost a lot but if I do make the change I would rather do it right instead of cutting costs and regretting it later.

Do you think I am likely to see a much of a difference with audio quality compared to my Xonar U7?
Is there much of a difference between the Vali 2 and the Magni 2 Uber? There is only £15 difference

 

[ssddx]

can you hear the difference? it depends on how much of an audiophile you are, the quality of the source files and source and how good your ears are. to some people it might be night and day, to others it may sound almost the same. some people cant pick $15 earbuds from $200 headphones while some people can differentiate between different models in a headphones lineup. its hard to say for sure.

my honest opinion is that the whole multi-dac route is impractical and too expensive though. i'm more favorable towards using your pc as the mixer with optical input. to each their own though as there arent any real perfect options for what you want to achieve on a budget.

vali vs magni? from what i've heard the vali might be a little bit warmer as the magni is pretty neutral. its not going to give that tubey sound most tube amps have though.

 

[tom_taylor97]

can you hear the difference? it depends on how much of an audiophile you are, the quality of the source files and source and how good your ears are. to some people it might be night and day, to others it may sound almost the same. some people cant pick $15 earbuds from $200 headphones while some people can differentiate between different models in a headphones lineup. its hard to say for sure.

my honest opinion is that the whole multi-dac route is impractical and too expensive though. i'm more favorable towards using your pc as the mixer with optical input. to each their own though as there arent any real perfect options for what you want to achieve on a budget.

vali vs magni? from what i've heard the vali might be a little bit warmer as the magni is pretty neutral. its not going to give that tubey sound most tube amps have though.

Which would you recommend out of the 2 amps?

Now I am unsure. I don't want to be reliant on my computer to do the mixing which is why I was looking to get 2 DACs but if I may not hear a difference then I'm not sure its worth it. I have been using my computer as a temporary mixer with 3.5mm but I can hear interference which may not happen with what you have suggested but it has put me off. I also don't want to have my computer on all of the time. I personally think that I will be able to tell the difference but I'm new to all of this type of hardware so I haven't had the chance to try different DACs/AMPs. Theoretically if I were able to differentiate all hardware would there much of a difference between the xonar u7 & modi 2? I don't understand a lot of the specs so i cant tell if there is much of a difference.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[ssddx]

i'm more familiar with the magni and have recommended it more with good feedback received. its a known good choice with clear neutral sound. if you want a neutral amp which does not color the audio its a good choice. if you would rather have something that colors the sound a bit, then a warm amp might be what you want.

the interference is likely due to using analog.

well, akg cans tend to be rather picky about source and generally highlight each and every bad step along the way. they will make bad recordings or sources sound like crap while making good recordings and sources sound excellent. while this can be a good thing (very detailed cans) its also a bad thing if trying to cheap out as well.

is there a difference between using a quality dac like the modi or similar and a cheapo audio extractor? sure, however trying to quantify that value and know if you will hear the difference is a very hard call which is why i can only be vague. often you would know how good your ears are. try listening to lower quality audio files. if you cant go lower than 128kbps or can tell the difference between 128, 192 and 256 then i'd say you most likely can.

ideally a mixer with a built in dac included with multiple optical inputs and analog output s what you need however mixing normally does not require optical (as optical is more of a home theater format) so such a device i am not aware of. this leaves people in your situation in a bit of a bind.

to most people would there be a huge difference between a modi 2 and u7? probably not (outside of the analog input noise) as long as you arent getting a bunch of self noise or other issues. both are decent products. the modi i would say is superior but not everyone might have the ears to notice and not everyone would care someone with good ears might like one or the other better though. the real difference is that the u7 doesnt do what you want it to do.