Budget DAC's

I can help you out with this. I am connecting a pair of Focal monitors (XLR in) to my PC via optical out.

Unfortunately there is no cheap way to do this. The Benchmark DAC-1, Mytek 2496 and Lavry DA10 all do exactly what you want. They are also all around $1K.

There is a Lucid DA 9624 unit that is about $600 and would work. From what I have read it is not in the same class as the $1K units.

So I decided on a hybrid approach. I am going to use a NHT Passive Volume Control in line with a DAC that has XLR outputs.

The DAC I chose was a Lite Audio DAC 38 (which I am waiting for so I cannot give you a full review yet)

Pacific Valve has cheaper DACs with XLR out so you could set something up for around $500 new, or cheaper used.

How about just using the rca inputs on the speakers?

Havne't heard this one, but some say it sounds good

http://www.headphone.com/products/he...-micro-dac.php

There are probably other cheap options for going from optical to RCA

It does some crossover between L&R to create some phantom center channel for headphones. That will be very bad for real speakers.

No it doesn't. Most of their amps do, but the dacs just do DtoA.

Their DAC does offer a crossfeed (from manuel), which could be turn off on the front panel.

But ya, if crossfeed is turned off, you are right.

I hate to pick nits, put the micro DAC does not have a crossfeed option.

The micro AMP does have this feature, but he does not need the amp.

How about this one

Citypulse Digital Audio Converter 7.2x

http://www.audiomagus.com/component/...art/Itemid,27/

$349 balanced outputs, remote volume control (so you don't have to go to your speakers to change volume). I've read good things about it, but never listened to it. Seems like it might meet your needs though.

I have looked at that unit. The balanced outs are fixed only and the RCAs can be variable.

You may want to check out the audio options on your STB.

If you have digital channels that are delivered in DD format, I don't believe a plain DAC will give you any sound on those. The STB would need a setting to deliver the audio from those channels in PCM/stereo format. Also, not all STBs deliver audio from the digital output on all channels. Some Motorolas (and perhaps others), only give digital output on digital channels. The analog channel audio is only from the L/R outputs.

Actually, with regard to the PCM/stereo vs. DD thing, the same goes for all your devices. If they can be set to deliver a PCM/stereo signal via the optical out, fine. If not, the DAC no worky to get audio from Dolby Digital (or DTS) bitstreams.

You are correct. I ass-u-me (d) the OP was interested in only stereo input and ouput.

Perhaps a low end receiver that had digital inputs and analog preouts (which they'd use for their speakers) would be a more suitable solution. I don't know how many "affordable" receivers have this option, but there might be some. This would also deal with the apparent need to switch between several inputs. . .

I think we're on the same page in assuming the OP seems interested in 2-ch only.

My only point is that a DAC may not be a fully effective solution depending on the source output format and what format options the source gear has in that regard.

DVD player shouldn't be a problem, but I know nothing of the xbox and there are too many STBs to know for sure what each can or can't do. With a STB it's even hard to say for sure with similar models because some CATV providers have different features enabled/disabled.

Actually, the 5.1 setup might be able to run the monitors. It somewhat depends on what part of the 5.1 is the crappy part.

I'm not 100% on this, but I believe there are devices generally intended for the pro audio scene that will take speaker level inputs and convert them to balanced and unbalanced outputs. So, if the receiver part is OK, and it's only the 5.1 speakers that are crappy, perhaps one of these "direct boxes" could work for you.

Not vouching for quality/performance, but here is one example of many similar devices

If your AVR has pre-out, then you could always add a seperate amp (and use the AVR as pre/pro).