Hey guys,
X3300 owner here.
I read a lot about the Zone 2 limitations, but still can't get my head around all the details.
I currently have the following setup:
PC hooked through a HDMI cable to a Denon X3300. Using foobar to play music. Zone 1 works just fine. The HDMI out goes to a Samsung KS7500 TV and video is also fine, but this is a detail which doesn't matter at the moment I guess.
From the Zone 2 RCA out of the X3300 I have hooked up a Schiit Magni 3 headphone amp. No sound plays at all.
Zone 2 is turned on, volume is up, same source is selected.
In the general Zone 2 setup I have setup the HDMI Audio to PCM, though I guess this doesn't matter (it is concerning only the Zone 2 HDMI out, right?).
I read that a lot of the AVRs are not capable of being fed a digital signal (HDMI / optical) and outputting an analog signal through the Zone 2 RCA out, but I got the impression the X3300 can actually do it.
I wanted to try the same setup with my PS4. Basically I want to have all my media connected to the AVR with HDMI cables, use the Zone 1 with speakers, but when it gets late at night switch to headphones, without handicapping them through the crappy headphone amp of the Denon.
If what I am trying is not possible at all, do I have any other options?
What if I buy a separate DAC, still have the video running through the AVR and to the TV (let's say the signal is a PS4), but use the optical out of the AVR and hook it up to the external DAC and then the headphone amp? Would this work? The audio this way would be digital input in the AVR and digital output. But will I be able to have my video signal on my TV and still use only the optical out for the audio?
I would greatly appreciate some help on this topic.
@
jdsmoothie
, I was told you might be able to help on this topic.

I thought I had it figured out, but apparently not. Denon's documentation and information regarding the Zone 2 capabilities of their AVRs is almost non-existent.