A simple DAC question I just can't wrap my small brain around. Help, please?

[ferninando]

OK thanks

one usb source with several usb outputs

 

[orsen]

Unless somebody on here knows something I don't (totally possible), Windows won't let you use the two simultaneously. You can certainly have them both hooked up, but you'll have to switch the outputs back and forth in the sound settings. For example, I've got a computer in my living room that's connected to the TV over HDMI... and we usually just use that (the TV is connected to a soundbar that sounds better than you'd imagine)... but it's also connected to a little Aune DAC over USB, which is connected to the stereo. I can go into the sound settings and switch to the Aune when I want to play something from the computer on the stereo instead of through the TV and soundbar. I think I've done that exactly once, but knowing that I CAN is fun.

yes you can use dac and hdmi at the same time

i have had similar set up and switching issues as you mention
but i do use usb and hdmi at the same time to 2 different systems and they will play at the same time
hdmi audio from gfx card to AVR [windows default]

usb dac goes to 2 channel system using foobar
foobar sees it as default, but you have to configure foobar to do that [preference\output\device\dac ]

this way all video and audio go to the AVR via hdmi
unless
i drag and drop my flac files/ folder sacd ect into foobar and they automatically go to the 2 channel system

you can eliminate the drag drop by setting foobar as the default flac player


i can have my 2 chan playing flac and browse the web, if i go to youtube, both systems will play at ounce
but i leave it as is so my gf always has all the tunes sent to the AVR

i have had both systems playing the same file at the same time, but syncing becomes an issue