Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Computer Audio › Beginner Audiophile Setup
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Beginner Audiophile Setup

post #1 of 26
8/25/09 at 1:13am
Thread Starter 
How would the connections go?

Computer--> DAC--> Amp--> Headphones?

Is this right?

Also, any experience with these?

iBasso
DAC STRAIGHT [DAC STRAIGHT] - $119.00 : HOTAUDIO.COM, Hand Made Audio Perfection!

Thanks
Reply

Head-Fi's Best Sellers

post #2 of 26
8/25/09 at 1:15am
Yes, to your question. However, a desktop amp will most likely give you more oomph for your money than the ibasso, or really, any portable.
Reply
post #3 of 26
8/25/09 at 1:17am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by logwed View Post
Yes, to your question. However, a desktop amp will most likely give you more oomph for your money than the ibasso, or really, any portable.
What would you recommend for 400 and under?
Reply
post #4 of 26
8/25/09 at 1:23am
yup, your diagram looks right.

Some dacs come with built in amps. so you might get a

Computer > DAC/Amp > Headphones
Reply
post #5 of 26
8/25/09 at 1:38pm
Compass is a good starter dac/amp for your price range.
Reply
post #6 of 26
8/25/09 at 1:43pm
Or the Zero DAC. Then just get whatever headphones you can get with the leftover budget
Reply
post #7 of 26
8/25/09 at 2:58pm
x2 on the Compass
Reply
post #8 of 26
8/25/09 at 3:39pm
You should buy second hand, it'll save you a ton of money.
Reply
post #9 of 26
8/25/09 at 3:57pm
Looks right!

One of these configurations:
* Computer--> DAC--> Amp--> Headphones
* Computer--> DAC/Amp--> Headphones
Reply
post #10 of 26
8/25/09 at 5:21pm
Compass!
Reply
post #11 of 26
8/25/09 at 5:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by revolink24 View Post
Or the Zero DAC. Then just get whatever headphones you can get with the leftover budget
But you're risking getting a DOA Zero. Go with the Compass, man.
Reply
post #12 of 26
8/25/09 at 6:36pm
I'd vote for the compass too, it's a little swiss army knife. you can use only the DAC or only the Amp if you want to upgrade piece by piece later. Don't think you can do that with the zero.
Reply
post #13 of 26
8/26/09 at 9:30pm
Do you travel a lot? Using your DAC/Amp with Laptop or this is home desktop? What phone are you running with it? what music do you listen to? You have to tell us more.

I have an iBasso and I enjoy it quite a bit, I bought this cause sometimes I am on-to-go and it's hard to lug a desktop amp around. Also it's great when I travel with my Ultra portable setup, on a bus, train or airplane. I have never listen to a Compass, so can't really compare for you there.
Reply
post #14 of 26
8/26/09 at 11:48pm
If you do:
computer/sound card -> DAC -> Amp -> headphones

does that make a sound card pointless?
Reply
post #15 of 26
8/27/09 at 12:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hoth17 View Post
If you do:
computer/sound card -> DAC -> Amp -> headphones

does that make a sound card pointless?
In my own setup, SPDIF from my sound card does not have the noise issues that my motherboard have. Also with a X-Fi card, I can use all the exciting features that a X-Fi card provides (so exciting that I don't use any of them).

Using SPDIF, all the processing is done by my DAC, instead of my crappy sound card.

So it acts like a host, that's an important job for good sound and music.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Computer Audio

Head-Fi's Best Sellers

Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Computer Audio › Beginner Audiophile Setup