Would the potentiometer control the DAC or just the headphone amp/pre-amp? Asking because I’m running MacOS and really don’t wanna give up the on-board volume control on my MacBook.

It's not done, I apologize for the mess. Health issues have put this on hold. It's a small room and I'm likely to sell off my KEF 104.2 loudspeakers and some other gear after surrendering the living room to my wife after her patience of 35 years. She deserved her own little sanctuary.

I made the decision to take advantage of the $600. price on the HiFiMan Arya Stealth, here pictured with the Meze 109 Pro. I think 2025 is going to be a really uneventful year so far as new purchases. I've also upgraded my Fiio BTR7 to the newly released BTR17 and I purchased the Earmen stack which consists of Amplifier, Linear PS, DAC & Streamer.