So forum friends, which would be the better desktop system for mainly headphone listening;
1. A DAC-V1 fed through USB from a Mac Mini Server, using iTunes or Fidelia to manage the music
or
2. A UnitiQute 2 streaming from a Synology NAS using MinimServer or Synology Media Player?
Assume the headphones will be medium to high end.
Look forward to your thoughts.
KR, J
Posted on: 08 October 2016 by feeling_zen
I have a UQ2 as a desktop office system.
The headphone amp is a bit naff. It only accepts the 3.5mm jack and has trouble making hedphones with 300milliOhm loads sound convincing (I use it with HD600 and a 6.25 - 3.5mm adapter). Since I listen to speakers mainly and don't always have the computer on, the UQ2 is a no brainer for me for the streaming capabilities it has and the very fine integrated amp. But in your case, the V1 (if going down a Naim route) would be the absolute no brainer. Unless of course your headphones are easier to drive in which case the UQ2 might still be appropriate. It will not get the best for anything over 150milliOhms - you'll get volume but the sound will be somehow forced.
From a usability perspective, it totally depends on whether you are comfortable controlling your music via a computer and needing it to be on all the time you want to listen to music. And whether you never intend on using speakers (you said "mainly" which is not the same as never. You'll need a NAP100 with the V1 to drive speakers - or active speakers).
Posted on: 08 October 2016 by Emre
A mojo/hugo for headphones will be just fine if you are not going to use speakers, there are many amp/dac options which offer a good SQ
Naim is not the best choice here, but I am waiting for a topossible class dac/amp from naim pretty soon to go with new focals
