How to hook up your DAC and Amp - A Beginners' Guide

[@Currawong]

Share this with anyone who needs to know how to hook up their headphone or audio stack. I re-uploaded this after I found that the audio settings were messed up between clips. Thanks to everyone who alerted me.

[@ThinkingBetter]

RCA cables might actually be better than balanced for such short cables as the electronics is simpler without balanced circuit. If this was an integrated product, you wouldn’t have added those extra components not only due to the added BOM cost but also due to the added loss of signal integrity. Balanced makes sense for much longer cables but for some reason got a reputation for being better also for very short cables, which is generally false.

[@LangleyNA]

I say " thank you" for making the video. There is always a place for elementary education, because we all start at the beginning at some point in time. Folks' need to learn is not to be given disregard. Things perceived as simple, "common sense," mundane and everyday are not necessarily this way for another. We want to be able to learn! Thank you for helping people learn, Currawong.

[@WillieBloom]

Kudos for making this beginners guide. Many of seasoned audiophiles take things like this for granted. As with anything in which we have become proficient it is easy to forget that we were all noobs at one point in time. Even if one is self-taught through intuition and trial and error not everyone is like that. I admit that I need "_____ for dummies" guidance in other areas which other people may deem unnecessary because it's "so easy". For you maybe, but not for me. Kudos also to the person the person who asked the question. It took me many years in my professional career to not be afraid to ask the "stupid questions" and to admit that one either does not know or does not understand. What I usually say to my colleagues is "I ask the stupid questions so that you don't have to". I say "stupid questions" as it is colloquially understood but I do not believe in stupid questions. If you don't know, you don't know. You would probably be surprised to find out how many people have similar questions but are afraid to ask. Never let fear guide any aspect of your life and you certainly do not need to give a flying fk what other people think. Ask questions. About everything. Always. Stay curious. It's the only way to get smarter every day. Well done.

[@Jefafa73]

Also, make sure the sound output on your device (computer, tv, etc.) is set to the component that's connected to it. Computers often have a few sound output options. Windows can be done by clicking the speaker icon in the bottom right of your screen and selecting the desired output.

[@StructureMastery]

Your video is life saving !! Just bought a Schiit stack for my headphones, and I was totally lost, coming from iems

[@martinfox2244]

I will try running my DAP through my amp via 3.5mm/RCA connection. Thanks for the idea.

[@spamcan9208]

In the past I've hooked up my Bluetooth dongle to my old home theater receiver using that same cable.

[@chronometa]

I've done this. With my walkman, using the DAC of the dap. Works fine.

[@Reeeepicheep]

You can also do RCA to XLR or XLR to RCA in cases where only your DAC is balanced but your amp isn't and vice versa.

[@Currawong]

You can, but it's almost always unnecessary, and can cause issues with some equipment, as RCA/XLR adaptor cables short part of the electronics to ground.

[@JesusGonzalez-ky8im]

Fantastic, clear and simple. Thanks

[@PedroLopez-yo7nr]

Thank you great video.

[@JohnDoe-vt6zm]

thank you

[@asan1050]

Thanks for posting this video.

[@Reubenhater]

So if i am understanding the video correctly, The computer or dap connects to the dac. The dac output connects to the amp input. The headphones or speakers connects to the amp. Is this correct?

[@Currawong]

That's correct.

[@ActuallySparky]

RU-6 as a source hyyyype!

[@AlwaysLoudAA]

Hell, noob question as I am new to the hobby. What if I have a all-in-one system - meaning DAC/AMP in 1 device. Do I just plug in my pc to the dac/amp and i'm good to go?

[@Currawong]

Yes, that's right.

[@Tantik666]

Thank you for the video - really helpful! Just interesting - what will be if I connect my FiiO Q7 using 6,3 to 2 rca cable to my standalone amplifier. And then will plug in my headphones to the standalone amplifier via balance input - XLR or 4.4 pentacon. Is it going to be just unbalance or are there any nuances,

[@Currawong]

XLR and 4.4mm outputs of a balanced amp will always be balanced, so no problem with what you're doing.

[@upltsk00]

Thanks for the straightforward video! One question: Do you normally switch the power off on the back of your Jot2 + Bifrost stack when your PC is turned off/when not in use or do you usually just leave the stack powered on even when your PC is turned off? As a Jot2 + Bifrost stack user this simple but dumb question has kept me up a couple times haha

[@Currawong]

I'd leave the Bifrost on, and the Jotunheim off. R2R DACs like the Bifrost are affected by temperature. Leaving them on allows them to stay stable.

[@jerryodom4542]

I've heard people say optical is better than usb for connecting a dac but I've never really looked into that too much. Is there a way to use optical with a computer (particularly Apple) and do you think there's any advantage?

[@masterazlan6999]

U r like the guys of AI doin 101...Ha5..Peace!

[@chronometa]

Hmmmm. This is an important video. Its even hard to get some good info in forums for this basic concept. I am actually using my dap as my computer/streamer. I was curious if the dac in the DAP spits out enough volts when i plug it into an amp. I wanted to use my dap as a second (oversampling DAC).

[@Currawong]

Standard outputs for SE (RCA) and balanced (XLR or 4.4mm) are 2V and 4V. If the DAP has a line out mode, it should be sufficient. It's rare that it's not.

[@chronometa]

@@Currawong ahhh cool. I'm a huge fan of the sony walkmans.

[@bayuseptian6264]

I use an analog to digital converter for a soundbar and an amplifier connect to my pc over aux splitter 3,5 mm...I wonder if i can connect my analog digital converter to amplifier directly and how about the sound

[@Currawong]

Don't you mean digital to analog converter?

[@bayuseptian6264]

@@Currawong no there is analog to digital converter on online market i bought it and it works fine to connect my toslink soundbar from my pc

[@Currawong]

Why not get a USB to Toslink adaptor for your PC?

[@bayuseptian6264]

@@Currawong it hard to find in my country

[@husamalden2897]

I want to use my audio interface as a DAC and connect it to an AMP, my Audient id 14 mkii doesn't have RCA output, only quarter inch output, what is the best way to use it as a DAC??

[@Currawong]

You can get adaptors. amzn.to/49wHu9i

[@husamalden2897]

@@Currawong Does it matter if it's TS or TRS adapter?

[@Currawong]

Check the manual of your amp. Usually both TRS-to-XLR or TS-to-RCA will work.

[@milkmn4609]

What if you have multiple amps but one DAC? My current setup consists of a schitt Valhalla 2 & magnius connected to a geshilli labs jnog 2 dac. I connected the Valhalla to the system using the rca outputs, it works but the Valhalla obliviously relies on magnius to function. What is the alternative?

[@portalhead95]

you can connect both of your amps independently to Jnog 2 since it has 2 different outputs. Connecting Magnius through XLR output of Jnog2, and feed Valhalla 2 by RCA outs of the DAC. I assume right know you are feeding Valhalla 2 using RCA pre-out on Magnius. But you don't have to. all you need is a pair of XLR connectors so that you can connect your Magnius directly to the DAC. and use RCA out for Valhalla 2. in fact if you connect your Valhalla 2 directly to Jnog 2, you probably are going to get better sound since Single Ended output of Magnius isn't as good as Balanced out.

[@acheresh]

aune s17 pro soon? :)

[@connorhall69]

If I have a logitech z906 surround sound system and it has a dac built in can I use an external dac and plug my headphone into the logitech so it amplifies the headphones more than the amp built into my Cambridge 200 magic

[@Currawong]

Only if the Logitech has digital passthrough.

[@connorhall69]

@@Currawong yes it has optical output but if I use the analog. Will it still use the dac from the logitech or the dac magic? I have a marantz pm6007 aswell but that also has a dac I don't know what to do

[@connorhall69]

Have I brought a dac for no reason

[@connorhall69]

​@@Currawong if i dont use the digital passthrough will it still use the logitech dac?

[@Currawong]

If you connect the analog outputs of the Logitec, you'll be using the Logitech's DAC. If you connect to the analog outputs of the external DAC, you'll use the external DAC.