Desktop DAC/Headphone amp in addition to a DAP Kann Alpha merely for Win 10 Tidal app?

PortableMusic

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Dear All:

i'm at my computer desk from 3 to 8 hours a day. i have my Meze Empyrean headphones with my Astell and Kern Kann Alpha right here at my computer desk, and i merely have to recharge it around once every 3 days approximately. my initial idea was that i may take this portable set up over to my sofa and lay down to relax during the day every so often, but alas, in the 4+ weeks i've had these two items, i've never once done it! only used it at my desktop.

i had intended to, originally, to ALSO buy a desktop DAC/headphone amp in addition to my DAP Kann Alpha, so that i may navigate with the large desktop monitor via Windows 10's Tidal app. fyi: i ONLY use Tidal for my music, no downloaded music files, strictly via Tidal Hifi and MQA when available.

so...i thought about buying the Matrix Audio Mini i-Pro 3. Well, it's complicated...

my Kann Alpha, despite being diminutive, has DUAL ES9068 dac chips inside, and a generous output to power my Meze Empyreans. Quite excellent!

however, i can't navigate via the large generously sized Windows 10 desktop PC's Tidal app, which is pleasant to navigate and browse and organize one's playlists, favorites, etc. It allows for greater discovery, greater exploration of music, etc.

buying the Matrix Mini i-Pro 3 means that i'll get the ES9038Q2M (2 channels) dac chip, which is NOT the ES9038 PRO dac chip (8 channels). Well, this means that i'm going from my Kann Alpha's DUAL ES9068 dac chips to the Matrix Mini i-Pro 3's single ES9038Q2M dac chip.

well, this isn't going to be much of an improvement, if not even a slight downgrade, which may or may not be even noticeable. the 9068 has baked in, ON CHIP full MQA unfolding (via hardware unfolding). the ES9038Q2M uses another chip, the XMOS 216, to do the MQA unfolding.

considering that this is not going to be much of a sonic benefit, if any whatsoever, it becomes an issue of merely being able to buy this Mini i-Pro 3 JUST FOR THE CONVENIENCE and benefit of being able to browse via the Tidal Windows 10 desktop app!

may i ask the good folks here, who are very experienced, if this is a lot of effort for very little actual benefit please? that means the purchase of the Mini i-Pro 3 is JUST for the convenience and pleasure to be able to browse and control via my desktop Windows 10 tower PC's Tidal app.

is it worth doing?

look forward to your comments. thank you in advance.
 

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