I’ll check that out.
Right, I cant run the actives off the ad18. The basic driver for all this is the idea that I’d replace the ad18 so as to have a better amp/Dac for my headphones. I listen to the cans 90% of the time, making that the priority for my investments.
I have 3 different dacs hooked up to my PC, no issues. If you have 2 USB slots, just hook the vanatoos up directly along with w/e dac you use for the ssguard 3.
Trying not to use a PC. Phone. I can’t stream tidal on my PC or store music on it. The laptop is work-issued.
i got ya. just use 2 cords. whatever source you want, plug into your phone. have a cord attached to both sources.
Clearly the simplest option.
I pulled the trigger on the speakers; too many positive reviews made me think it would be the best bang I could possibly get for the money, esp. considering my need for small speakers. Also, I wrote to Schiit, which reassured me that if I ran the speakers via the A3’s line out I’d absolutely be able to control the volume through the A3’s knob.
That’s what I want: good sound and simplicity. Once I get the A3 and the speakers, the AD18 will go away and I’ll only have that one piece of Schiit 
on the desk.
Maybe I’m a fool and there’s no real sound diff between the AD18 and the A3. Maybe it’s like that experiment wherein people like cheap wine better when the think it’s more expensive. I do suspect that i’ll like the Vanatoos better than the Miccas. Hearing even just the RB42 convinced me that the MB42x, though respectable, were limited.
I wanted to check.
This is a Yes, “incoming analog signals go thru a ADC to convert them to digital before being fed to the amp.” On the Vanatoos.
Unorthodox. Apparently it works.
I have the speakers on my desk now, though I still don’t have them in my chain as I need to get a new dac/amp with an aux out for that. But running them off my phone or macbook via USB…glorious.