Looking for a dac/amp combo to use with both speakers and headphones (k712 pro). Currently looking at the schiit magnius/modius and jds labs element 3. Any suggestions?
For those headphones, I’d personally go for a allo revolution dac (with their nirvana smps) + a lake people g103s, that’s a combo with great synergy with the AKG as long as you don’t mind something neutral (focuses on control, width, resolution, and very dynamic, all with a bit extra smoothness in the treble to prevent things from getting harsh). Although this does not have a preamp out so if you wanted to use powered speakers you would need to split and also find a way to control volume if the speakers don’t have it. You could also swap out the 103s for an Asgard 3 if you wanted something warmer and richer without overdoing it (focuses more on density, impact, timbre, and overall warmth), that also has a good pre out for the speakers as well
I haven’t heard the new element, but as an all in one the older element was solid, I bet the new one would be a great choice for an AIO
Regarding the modius and magnius, the modius is a solid pick imo, but the magnius wasn’t really that great from my experience, I’d much rather suggest their Asgard instead as I thought that was an overall superior amp for not much more (different signature though)
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Great response by M0N. I just wanted to confirm that you’re only looking for a preamp for your speakers. Like, you have a separate power amplifier or they are powered speakers, correct?
Yeah if you have speakers that are either run off an integrated amp or already have a preamp then you don’t have to worry about a preamp output on a headphone amp and you can just split the output of the dac. But if you need volume control for powered speakers or a power amp + passive speakers, then you might want a headphone amp with preamp outs or you will need to buy another form of volume control for the speakers
I have passive speakers, Andrew Jones Pioneer bookshelf. Will probably upgrade those in the near future. Would be ideal to get something that is a good headphone amp and a decent speaker amp. I used to use a crappy lepai amp for those
Ah so you are looking for something to power both the headphones and speakers? You can do that, but you will end up focusing on one side over the other more since most speaker and headphone combo units in this price range will either heavily focus on the speaker or headphone side, not evenly. What I would personally do is just get a nice headphone setup now, and then down the line get a nicer integrated amp and split off the dac. That way you are getting the best of both, and it gives you more options as an upgrade path. It is more expensive over time, but you are just getting better gear and having more flexibility in the future that way imo. I just think the combo speaker + headphone units around this price point make too many compromises/sacrifices
everyone forgot an important thing… 
welcome to HFG, chestera! 
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I definitely want a dac/amp that is better at headphones but can still drive speakers. I guess I’m not super familiar with preamps. Like i said I had a lepai amp before for my small-ish bookshelf speakers. Would any of the schiit/jds labs options work for speakers too?
the new HFM EF400?
This poster is looking for a complete package to power a pair of passive speakers, function as a dac and accomodate AKG K712 Pro at $450. The headphone load they’re looking to push isn’t particularly demanding, nor is the speaker.
Personally, I find solid used stereo amplifiers so easy to purchase for relatively cheap amounts that I (did) and wouldn’t do it any other way. Something like a Schiit Asgard 3 offers loads of headroom power for future headphone advancements and is a lovely unit to use as the control as your preamplifier device. If all you need is USB input, the available ESS DAC card is sufficient and makes it an all-in-one. Shove the power amplifier out of sight and control through your Asgard. Many stereo amplifiers available, all you need to do is connect it to the RCA outputs of the Asgard 3.
There ARE all in-ones, as has been mentioned they’ll typically be limited - but convenient and would probably work for your case. Something like a Loxjie A30 is very affordable. This is really just a miniature version of a classic integrated amplifier with a headphone jack and bevy of input types.
Neither Schiit or JDS Labs is going to offer a true all-in-one to also power your speakers. But hopefully I’ve laid out more pathways here for you. Tell us more about your use-case and goals.
A bit more than you want to spend but PS Audio’s Sprout 100 would do it all 