Setting up VLC to bypass the onboard sound card

[JC13]

Hi, I have a Dell Laptop (Inspiron 3581), running Linux Mint 21.1 (Vera) Cinnamon.
I am trying to set up VLC to bypass the onboard sound card and deliver the sound straight to my 'Swissonic HAD-1 DAC/Amp', which is connected via USB.

I have changed the settings in VLC to:
Audio > Audio Divice > HAD-1, USB Audio IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
Audio > Stereo Mode > Stereo
Preferences > Simple Preferences > Output: Output module: Alsa audio output (Ticked: Use S/PDIF when available)
Preferences > Simple Preferences > Divice: HAD-1, USB Audio IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
Preferences > Advanced Preferences > Audio > Stereo audio output mode: Stereo
Preferences > Advanced Preferences > Audio > Output modules > Audio output module: ALSA audio output
Preferences > Advanced Preferences > Audio > Output modules > Media role: Video

But the volume control of the laptop is still functional, which I assume to be a sign that it is not bypassing the onboard sound-card.
I believe that if the audio was in fact bypassing the sound card, only the DAC/Amp controls should be effective. Correct?

Did I get my setting wrong, or did I miss some additional ones to be changed?

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

It should be obvious, unless you have severe hearing disabilities, if the sound comes from the external amp or the built-in speakers. I don't get the point of your question, TBH.

[JC13]

It should be obvious, unless you have severe hearing disabilities, if the sound comes from the external amp or the built-in speakers. I don't get the point of your question, TBH.

Technology works in mysterious ways. All of a sudden, IT WORKS!

But thank you for your post, anyway. What seemed to be the problem was that the sound wasn't passed through to the DAC/amp, because the sound controls of the laptop were still in control.

For all I know (and TBO, it is not much), the sound can still be routed through the sound card to the DAC/amp, which, as I understand it, passes the analogue signal and not the unprocessed digital signal to the DAC/amp, which is the case when I play a video in a browser.

But know, it works just fine. I guess I might as well delete this thread, if it's possible. It has become pretty useless.