Streaming pre-amp, usb digital out, analog in. Does it exist?

[cordobaman]

My Goal: A pre-amp with built-in streamer, hardware volume control, and iPad app interface for streaming from a music library as well as Tidal. The usb digital output would be bit-perfect, DSD compatible, and sent to an external DAC. Analog inputs would allow the analog out from the external DAC to feed back to the pre-amp for hardware volume control. Then I can change out the DAC any time I want, and always have just the one (iPad) interface for song selection and volume control. Use with Roon...that may be ok.  Dream budget $2500 USD.  But does this exist any any price?  I cannot find one!

 

 

[cordobaman]

Great replies so far, thank you!

 

Here's what led me to the search. Threads on Denafrips DACs intrigued me to the point of purchasing an ARES II. Old school analog sound via PCM and DSD to boot...perfect! Connected it to the usb output of my Auralic streamer, only to discover that in order to use the usb out from the Aualic, I had to set its volume control to 100% in order to play DSD.  Ok, if the R2R DAC sounds as analog as they say, will I need DSD?  Changed over to Auralic's software volume control to play PCM.. The overall sound quality was drastically reduced.  Not the DACs fault, I could still detect the expanded stage and depth from the ARES II, it was just obvious that the same songs in PCM (software) vs DSD (hardware back with the Auralic DAC), the DSD was better.

 

OK, so how about using a "Sonore Rendu type thing" and let ROON handle the volume control for the new DAC.  Nope, I found a thread on the ROON forum where somebody attempted this very thing...the output of the Rendu needs to be set at 100%, just like my Auralic streamer.

 

I've even gone as far as trying to find a streaming DAC that utilizes R2R and also plays DSD, not having luck there either.

 

Hope I am making sense.  Please keep the ideas coming!

[cordobaman]

Thanks for your message, Duck!  I'll clarify some...

 

My Auralic Altair is currently acting as pre-amp, server/streamer, and DAC. There is an internal SSD with flac and dsf files, the latter I rip from SACD and have a hundred titles. The Altair has no analog input so I was not able to try the "loop back" with the ARES.  I no longer have the ARES, I flipped it in the event I found another all-in-one solution like the Altair...but would re-purchase if I found a pre-amp solution.  I am trying to avoid having a second control for volume, and seek the ability to select music and control volume from my iPad.  I just thought it would be cool to have that complete control and be able to try different DACS.

 

The Altair is 90% perfect. It ticks all my boxes except I believe I could improve on the sound (DAC). Plus there's an annoyance that Auralic has not addressed on this model nor the new G version. 

 

As an audio hobbyist, the hunt is part of the fun!