Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphone Amps (full-size) › I'm lost where do I ask about building a home rig using my laptop as a source?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

I'm lost where do I ask about building a home rig using my laptop as a source?

post #1 of 5
9/19/10 at 11:43am
Thread Starter 

The only headphones I have are the ATH-M50, which I listen to out of my ipod touch 3g or Walkman. And my only "desktop" source is my Dell Inspirion 1525 laptop. I want to ask about how I build a home rig but there isn't a category for that. I've been looking at the Senn HD-580 for my headphones, but I'm confused as to what I need. Do I need a soundcard,a DAC, and an Amp? What about solid state or tube amps, what's the difference?

 

I listen to artists like Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Eagles, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd et cetera and some classical. My budget is $800 for everything. I want the best sound quality for $800 dollars. Please. Also, sorry if I broke the rules and posted a question before I answered one, but I don't know a lot so don't get angry.

   

Reply
post #2 of 5
9/19/10 at 11:59am

Read digital audio primer linked in signature.

Reply
post #3 of 5
9/19/10 at 12:01pm

you need a dac and headphone amp. some dac and amp are one box solution, where mostly are separate components. make sure you look for usb input dac so that you can hookup your dac to your computer through usb. solid state in general are more clinical/neutral whereas tube have more coloration sound in general. as for suggestions, i shall leave it to the rest of the members

Reply
post #4 of 5
9/19/10 at 12:30pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks for the information. I am going to need to read it a few more times, to understand what a clock is, but your examples at the end and your explanation of the cables was most helpful.

Reply
post #5 of 5
9/19/10 at 2:10pm

Did you look around in the Computer Audio section?

 

Your budget will be your major constraint in setting up any type of rig, but ideally, you'd want something like this:

 

Computer ---usb---> DAC (discrete) ---RCA---> Amp (either SS or tube)---> headphones

 

 

Whatever you do, don't use your onboard soundcard as a source. And obviously lossless file formats are better.


Edited by kingtz - 9/19/10 at 2:12pm
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Headphone Amps (full-size)
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphone Amps (full-size) › I'm lost where do I ask about building a home rig using my laptop as a source?