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Better to get first: DAC or amp?

post #1 of 13
3/27/08 at 8:56pm
Thread Starter 
Hey all,

I currently only have easy to drive headphones (er6i and sony v6s) with plans to add a pair of grados (either 80s or 225s) soon.

Should my next step, in terms of perfomance increase/dollar, be a USB DAC with a headphone out (0404 USB) OR an entry level desktop amp connected to my DAP headphone out?

Would your suggestion change if harder to drive cans like hd580s were in the equation?

Thanks.
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post #2 of 13
3/27/08 at 9:34pm
Probably best to get the 0404 if they're easy to drive. If it has a line out you can later upgrade to a better amp...
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post #3 of 13
3/27/08 at 10:16pm
Why not get a PCI DAC, why do I see everyone wanting a USB DAC? like for a $70 solution you can run across creative's x-fi xtreme music, the gamer is nice too, but make sure to stay away from the xtreme audio and the front audio panel. The front audio panels don't have the same amount of quality as you get with plugging in directly to the soundcard. I'm rocking hard with my xtreme music and ATH-A700's

Jacob
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post #4 of 13
3/27/08 at 11:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by j.harris View Post
Why not get a PCI DAC, why do I see everyone wanting a USB DAC?
Because almost everyone wants a solution that works with a notebook, too. Personally, I hope my current desktop is the last desktop that I will ever buy.

Booom.......you do know that the 0404 USB is really only a good option if you are going to use it as a USB DAC, and secondarily as a standalone DAC via S/PDIF input from some other transport, that it must have wall-wart power, and is useless as a headamp for a DAP?
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post #5 of 13
3/28/08 at 12:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by j.harris View Post
Why not get a PCI DAC, why do I see everyone wanting a USB DAC? like for a $70 solution you can run across creative's x-fi xtreme music, the gamer is nice too, but make sure to stay away from the xtreme audio and the front audio panel. The front audio panels don't have the same amount of quality as you get with plugging in directly to the soundcard. I'm rocking hard with my xtreme music and ATH-A700's

Jacob
Sound quality?
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post #6 of 13
3/28/08 at 1:28am
Thread Starter 
yeah, i would prefer a usb dac so i can use it with both my laptop and desktop.

sejarzo, i guess i wasn't clear. the two options i was debating was either getting a dedicated amp (specifically the arietta) to use with my DAP at home/onboard sound headphone out OR a usb dac to use with my desktop/laptop.

either way, i've decided to get a usb dac first and use its headphone out and buy an amp to take advantage of the line out later down the line.

thanks everyone for your help.
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post #7 of 13
3/28/08 at 6:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GordonFreeman View Post
Sound quality?
I would imagine that a PCI DAC would have much better than a USB DAC. I see that many people like lappys here, I guess other people have different tastes. I wouldn't give up my computer for anything, well now that I have aquired my 8800gt that is .
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post #8 of 13
3/28/08 at 6:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by j.harris View Post
I would imagine that a PCI DAC would have much better than a USB DAC. I see that many people like lappys here, I guess other people have different tastes. I wouldn't give up my computer for anything, well now that I have aquired my 8800gt that is .
I think the general consensus is, an external Dac will yield better results then a PCI card.
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post #9 of 13
3/28/08 at 6:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GordonFreeman View Post
I think the general consensus is, an external Dac will yield better results then a PCI card.
A major point for external DAC's is that, being removed from the EMI-heavy PC innards, their analog output state is much less affected by EMI.
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post #10 of 13
3/28/08 at 7:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gautama View Post
A major point for external DAC's is that, being removed from the EMI-heavy PC innards, their analog output state is much less affected by EMI.
That's what I was forgetting about! Yeah they are put in the mess of it being in the computer. The reason I went with a PCI DAC is for games, those little USB DAC's just can't process the sound like a PCI card can. Yayayayayay x-fi!

Jacob
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post #11 of 13
3/28/08 at 8:25pm
Or you can use an x-fi's coax/optical out to an external dac for the best of both worlds =)
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post #12 of 13
3/28/08 at 8:26pm
Furthermore the power supply in a standard pc is full of noise. A lot of these headphone/amp dacs come with a battery which isolate that.
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post #13 of 13
3/28/08 at 9:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by j.harris View Post
I would imagine that a PCI DAC would have much better than a USB DAC. I see that many people like lappys here, I guess other people have different tastes. I wouldn't give up my computer for anything, well now that I have aquired my 8800gt that is .
My 0404 USB sounds MUCH better than my X-Fi ever did.
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