DACs with AES/EBU out

Tdogzthmn

Active Member
My music setup has been moving away from Hifi components to using more Pro audio gear. My next pair of monitor speakers will likely have AES/EBU inputs but im not very familiar with DACs which have this type of digital output. I'm hoping to hear some someone that is currently using a DAC with this type of digital output.

Thanks!
 
I want something that can take Optical, USB, and RCA and output Balanced XLR and AES/EBU to my monitor speakers.
 
I want something that can take Optical, USB, and RCA and output Balanced XLR and AES/EBU to my monitor speakers.

Sure, but why send both XLR and AES/EBU to the speakers and why do you need a DAC for the latter ?
 
Sure, but why send both XLR and AES/EBU to the speakers and why do you need a DAC for the latter ?

I would be only using one connection at a time but I'd like both output options to cover a range of suitable monitor speakers.
 
I would be only using one connection at a time but I'd like both output options to cover a range of suitable monitor speakers.

You can find a DAC with a SPDIF output (they do exist) and use a SPDIF to AES/EBU converter, even a fancy one with re-clocker like the Mutec MC-3+ if your budget permits, although I don't know why the signal has to be passed through the DAC in this case. Another option is to look into pro studio gear. If you want to control the volume too through the DAC with monitors connected digitally it may be more difficult to do with home use gear but there should be something in the pro-audio world.
 
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Plenty of DAC's have balanced XLR out, though not AES/EBU out . If the speakers have that it would indicate that they already have an integrated DAC iin which case you can probably use something like a Gustard U12 interface for USB input. You're really looking for an interface rather than a DAC.

I suspect they more likely just have balanced XLR inputs. If that's the case you could take a look at any number of DAC's on the market.... Pretty much every Gustard DAC has balanced XLR outputs. Make no mistake though, these are analog outputs. The very job of a DAC is to convert digital signals to analog.
 
Agreed, the speakers probably have analog input on XLR, typical for pro powered monitors, and lots of DACs have XLR outputs. Benchmark comes to mind, but there are many others.
 
Personally I'd be more inclined to look at a Crown XLS1502 amp and run that to unpowered speakers. I've been considering a blend of pro audio and Hi-Fi gear a while myself. I'm curious about a high wattage setup rather than the lowish wattage tube amps I currently run..... I don't expect better, just different.
 
Agreed, the speakers probably have analog input on XLR, typical for pro powered monitors, and lots of DACs have XLR outputs. Benchmark comes to mind, but there are many others.

However, I think there is something wrong with the idea of using an expensive audiophile/studio grade DAC as a cable coupler.

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The OP needs to clarify whether the monitor inputs are digital or analog. You can buy devices that will take an optical, RCA, or AES/EBU digital input and put out an AES/EBU signal. But I've never seen one that will do that with a USB signal, which is fundamentally different.
 
The OP needs to clarify whether the monitor inputs are digital or analog. You can buy devices that will take an optical, RCA, or AES/EBU digital input and put out an AES/EBU signal. But I've never seen one that will do that with a USB signal, which is fundamentally different.

Plenty of USB to SPDIF connectors out there, many have the all Toslink, Coax, and AES outputs. Going from to SPDIF to USB is not as common, but Mutec 1.2 can do.
 
With a bit of looking you can get a nice used Behringer SR2496 that has everything but USB and RCA (easy to make or buy adapters for the XLR's) in the $100 price range (I've bought three of them for under $100 including shipping). How well do they work? Amazingly well. We used them in radio broadcasting and I have one in my studio. There's even a cult that does mods on them from mild to wild. They punch far above their price range. http://silentsky.net/wordpress/archives/404
 
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