Mr_Gimlet Posted August 3, 2020 Share Posted August 3, 2020 As I am stuck at home for another six weeks, I would like to move my balanced Schiit headphone amp and my headphones into my temporary study. What I'm missing is a Roon endpoint and a DAC - what are reasonably cost effective solutions (one or two box solution) that will give me a balanced analogue output. I don't want to use my work laptop as the endpoint - it's very restricted in what I can install, and I can't use the output easily because of headsets etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mightygrey Posted August 3, 2020 Share Posted August 3, 2020 Google Chromecast Audio hooked-up to a Schiit Modius via Optical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markm1111 Posted August 3, 2020 Share Posted August 3, 2020 Squeeezebox Touch as endpoint, USB out via EDO app into dac of choice with balanced output. Something like this? The SB Touch also has digital coax out, or another option is the Google Chromecast Audio optical out, just to a different dac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Gimlet Posted August 3, 2020 Author Share Posted August 3, 2020 5 minutes ago, Mightygrey said: Google Chromecast Audio hooked-up to a Schiit Modius via Optical. Where can I get the Modius in Australia? A2A (where I got my Mjolnir from) not showing it. Is it still arriving? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mightygrey Posted August 3, 2020 Share Posted August 3, 2020 6 minutes ago, Mr_Gimlet said: Where can I get the Modius in Australia? A2A (where I got my Mjolnir from) not showing it. Is it still arriving? It appears to be back-ordered until August 7 according to the Schiit website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munce31 Posted August 3, 2020 Share Posted August 3, 2020 Raspberry Pi 4 with a nice case like the Argon 40 below. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydrology Posted August 3, 2020 Share Posted August 3, 2020 Have a look at the Matrix Audio range - Kelvin at A1 FutureShop will look after you. https://www.matrix-digi.com/en/products/417.html# Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Gimlet Posted August 3, 2020 Author Share Posted August 3, 2020 14 minutes ago, Mightygrey said: It appears to be back-ordered until August 7 according to the Schiit website. Should I buy from the US then, or will there be an Australian reseller? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjs Posted August 3, 2020 Share Posted August 3, 2020 Cambridge DacMagic Plus is about the cheapest good DAC with balanced out. You could use Chromecast Audio as the endpoint with optical out into the DAC. Apparently the Chromecast has much better audio performance as a Roon endpoint than just normal "casting" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Gimlet Posted August 3, 2020 Author Share Posted August 3, 2020 1 minute ago, mjs said: Chromecast Audio Are they still available? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BugPowderDust Posted August 3, 2020 Share Posted August 3, 2020 Raspberry Pi 4 with a DAC HAT like Hifiberry, Allo or otherwise is the best low cost option. https://www.hifiberry.com/shop/boards/hifiberry-dac2-hd/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ittaku Posted August 3, 2020 Share Posted August 3, 2020 2 minutes ago, recur said: Raspberry Pi 4 with a DAC HAT like Hifiberry, Allo or otherwise is the best low cost option. https://www.hifiberry.com/shop/boards/hifiberry-dac2-hd/ Good value, but not balanced, which the OP requested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BugPowderDust Posted August 3, 2020 Share Posted August 3, 2020 Just now, Ittaku said: Good value, but not balanced, which the OP requested. Touché. https://www.hifiberry.com/shop/boards/hifiberry-dac-pro-xlr/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ittaku Posted August 3, 2020 Share Posted August 3, 2020 3 minutes ago, recur said: Touché. https://www.hifiberry.com/shop/boards/hifiberry-dac-pro-xlr/ Nice, plonk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbz127 Posted August 3, 2020 Share Posted August 3, 2020 Balanced DAC with a raspberry pi is a good bet, install ropiee or similar. What budget are you working with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjs Posted August 3, 2020 Share Posted August 3, 2020 18 minutes ago, Mr_Gimlet said: Are they still available? Plenty on evilbay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbz127 Posted August 3, 2020 Share Posted August 3, 2020 I bought one from here last week.. now out of stock but worth checking regularly. https://au.webuy.com/product-detail/?id=811571016594&categoryName=tv-media-players&superCatName=electronics&title=google-chromecast-audio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Gimlet Posted August 3, 2020 Author Share Posted August 3, 2020 (edited) 7 minutes ago, barbz127 said: Balanced DAC with a raspberry pi is a good bet, install ropiee or similar. What budget are you working with? Probably in the hundreds rather than over a grand, but I genuinely didn't know until people started posting. The chromecast/mobius is probably my preferred option at this stage, RPi considered if I can find an essentially pre-assembled solution I'd quite like to use the balanced amp/ headphones I currently have in the hifi room Edited August 3, 2020 by Mr_Gimlet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BugPowderDust Posted August 3, 2020 Share Posted August 3, 2020 A raspberry pi with basic assembly skills (can you fold a cardboard box? It’s that easy) is likely to be about $250 aud delivered Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lenticularis Posted August 3, 2020 Share Posted August 3, 2020 (edited) I have a Gieseler Klein III (late model, built Aug 2019) and the top of the range Enhanced Gold Tune Kraftwerk linear PS. The Klein III is exceptional for the price and has balanced and unbalanced outputs. I need to advertise these in the very near future, because it's USB input only and I need a coax/optical option since I have recently moved to using a miniDSP SHD Studio streamer/DSP engine that has coax and optical OPs only. The Klein is great even with the SMPS it comes with, but the Kraftwerk also elevates it significantly again. Edited August 3, 2020 by lenticularis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaddy Posted August 3, 2020 Share Posted August 3, 2020 I’ve just put together a Raspberry Pi 4 in a Flirc case running Ropieee as a Roon endpoint. Feeding a Schiit Modius via USB then balanced out to a MF balanced headamp. Darko has an excellent video on Youtube on how to do the Ropiee setup. Very pleased with the result. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Gimlet Posted August 3, 2020 Author Share Posted August 3, 2020 Thanks for all the advice. Decided to go down the Raspberry pi route, mainly as something to do during curfew. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Gimlet Posted August 28, 2020 Author Share Posted August 28, 2020 Well, despite the best efforts of the international postal system, I am up and running. Running hifiberry OS as a Roon endpoint on a Raspberry Pi 4 with a HiFiBerry DAC+ XLR into my Schiit Mjonir and then HD800s. Pretty easy to assemble and set up. Thanks to @recur for a bit of technical support when it wasn't powering up properly. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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