Hello @Picdelag, welcome to HiFiGuides! Sorry for the wait for the reply.
Sounds like a solid plan.
There are some ways to get the magic button that most Ifi devices have. One of which is to buy the Ifi Zen DAC and use it as a DAC. That Zen DAC can be used as a DAC and a stand alone amp/DAC, but IMO it performs best as a DAC. So how do we get the magic button to other amp? We can do this by setting the Zen DAC in a variable mode which then will pass through the magic button to the RCA/4.4mm line output.
I think it will do just fine. I have something else in mind, but I’ll talk about it later.
Yes it will do just fine, but you must be careful with the Scarlett’s output since it’s a balanced one.
Sooo I think this one is kinda tricky. In my opinion, the way that was suggested by JDS Labs is not the best way to connect the Scarlett to the amp. It will do just fine but I think it can be done in a better way, but feel free to ignore this method if you are tight in budget because it’s kinda tricky to buy the tools needed.
Method 1 (balanced to balanced)
So since the amp that you want to buy is the Zen Can, why not just connect everything in balanced? So maybe you can have a 6.35mm to 4.4mm interconnect cable. But here comes the problem. That interconnect problem is not common. So I think you need to custom order this cable. I would recommend to order from Hart Audio Cable, but then in this way you would need to spend more time and wait for the cable to come.
Method 2 (a more proper way to convert balanced to single ended
There are several ways to do this. You can choose to buy:
But I realise that you have to buy 6.35 to 3 pin XLR cable first. So, yea not so straight forward.
Looks okay to me, but of course you can always consider to buy cable from Hart Audio Cable or Viking Weave Cable and such.
Personally, I’m not a big fan of the Zen Can. It will do just fine, but for its price, I think it can do even more. So what I was thinking is for you to buy the Zen DAC (to get that magic button) and then buy a Schiit Asgard. But I think you are located in Europe (unless I’m mistaken. I just see it from the amazon link), so the Schiit stuff is kinda hard to get and also it will go over your budget. So in that sense, I think the Can is a pretty good one.
I’ll give you under $200 amp showdown done by WaveTheory.
The magic button consist of the bass boost and the 3D thing (sorry forgot what it’s called). The bass boost is a nice one IMO. It can help many headphones which are a little bit shy in the bass region or if you are a basshead, it can satisfy your need. I think the bass boost is kinda addicting. It’s not the cleanest one (bleed a little bit to the lower mid), but it’s addictive for sure. The 3D thing is a hit or miss IMO. It’s more of a gimmick than a feature, although someone in this forum has said that they find it useful for some music.
I don’t really have any experience with the AE-7, but from your description, the Zen Can will deliver you a louder volume and a more controlled sound, especially from the balanced output. Other than that, I think you will find a difference in sound signature. Might be a subtle one or a big one, can’t say for sure since I never tried the AE-7.
Hmmm… What if you buy a new audio interface (for your guitar) and buy a JDS labs atom? The atom has enough power for your Sundara and you get a better interface for your guitar. I think this is a viable option if you want to prioritise your guitar setup.
Yea you can do that, although you might hear some noise, but I’m not too sure because I don’t have any experience with the AE-7.
Hmmm I’ve been thinking, maybe you can consider this. Selling the Scarlett and then buy a new interface for your guitar, and from the money that’s left buy the amp of your choice since now you have that extra money.