Quiet but good balanced sources with usb and toslink ?

[Spiug31]

What good/excellent sources are there with usb and toslink inputs that have an inbuilt preamp or have consumer (-10dBu) rather than line-level (+4dBu) analog XLR outputs ? It`d need to have usb and toslink inputs at a bare minimum, i2s would help future proof it .

I am looking for a quieter source than my line-level mini-dac so that I can remove the voltage divider I`m having to use to reduce its volume. A source with as good or better performance than the mini-dac is preffered.

my current solution http://www.head-case.org/forums/do-yourself/5997-resistor-type-make-volume-attenuation.html#post218512

[penger]

Haven't heard it, but the Bel Canto DAC might fit the bill?

[n_maher]

It is highly unlikely that you'll find what you're after. Balanced DAC's, by default, tend to have a hot output. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the voltage divider approach.

[Dreadhead]

Haven't heard it, but the Bel Canto DAC might fit the bill?

The Bel Canto DAC3 is an excellent DAC but it is rather "hot". It's actually hotter than my +12 dBu DEQ2496. I'm doing a voltmeter matched comparison right now and the DAC3 sits at a volume of 96 which means it's probably +16 dBu at full scale.

Voltage divider is perfectly fine as long as it's done well.

[luvdunhill]

I know most of the Muse Electronics devices have 1.99 Vrms output on the balanced outs. I was on a similar quest and settled on one of their players and am very happy with it.

[penger]

The Bel Canto DAC3 is an excellent DAC but it is rather "hot". It's actually hotter than my +12 dBu DEQ2496. I'm doing a voltmeter matched comparison right now and the DAC3 sits at a volume of 96 which means it's probably +16 dBu at full scale.

Voltage divider is perfectly fine as long as it's done well.

I stand corrected. Thanks.

[Dusty Chalk]

Didn't the Benchmark DAC1 have some internal jumpers to alter gain? Or am I thinking of something else?

[Dreadhead]

Didn't the Benchmark DAC1 have some internal jumpers to alter gain? Or am I thinking of something else?

Oh yeah it does..... I don't remember the details but it's in the manual:

http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/system1/files/documents/DAC1_-_Manual_-_Rev_L.pdf

[Torpedo]

Also Lavry DA-11 has USB, Toslink, AES/EBU and SPDIF coaxial inputs, with regulated balanced output, but it's not a preamp itself. No analogue inputs. It sounds quite well. I got mine a week ago and it's better than I expected.

[Spiug31]

Oh yeah it does..... I don't remember the details but it's in the manual:

http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/system1/files/documents/DAC1_-_Manual_-_Rev_L.pdf

page 17 of the 40 page pdf, xlr volume attenuation with 4 positions for jumpers 0 dB, -10dB, -20dB, -30dB.

Also Lavry DA-11 has USB, Toslink, AES/EBU and SPDIF coaxial inputs, with regulated balanced output, but it's not a preamp itself. No analogue inputs. It sounds quite well. I got mine a week ago and it's better than I expected.

page 18 of the 21 page pdf, impressive range (-31 dBu to +24 dBu, balanced) and lots of steps (56).

certainly food for thought

[Torpedo]

page 17 of the 40 page pdf, xlr volume attenuation with 4 positions for jumpers 0 dB, -10dB, -20dB, -30dB.

page 18 of the 21 page pdf, impressive range (-31 dBu to +24 dBu, balanced) and lots of steps (56).

certainly food for thought

Yep, it includes a plot where you can estimate the dBu or Volts (RMS and p-p) the DAC outputs at every step on balanced and SE operation. This allows setting it up to match any other source you're using.