Headphone DAC/Amp with Preamp

Equipment / Electronics / Gear / Accessories Headphone Amps
1

I’m looking for recommendations for a desktop setup to power headphones and use as a DAC/preamp for powered monitors, and I’d like to be able to control the volume of both from one knob.

I’ve searched for some solutions on my own and found the ifi Zen DAC V2 and the JDS Labs Element II which seem to do what I’m looking for. These are both all-in-one units, but I wouldn’t be opposed to multiple units as long as all the volume control is still on the same knob. My budget is $400 USD, but I’d be willing to push it a bit if there’s a notable benefit to be had.

Thanks in advance!

2

I’d enjoy the Element II form for these purposes quite a bit.
It does cost about twice as much as the ifi though.

I’d boil it down between a few things…
What headphones are you running or plan to run? The ZenDAC has some limitations on output power.
The Element II offers much more power.
The ifi also favors you to use “balanced” headphones/cables - again what you are running/plan to run should direct your choice.

3

Schiit Jot 2 ?