Better Sound Card vs. Portable DAC/amp vs. DAP

So I just bought this for school/audiophile purposes and will be picking it up tomorrow.

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/asus-asus-13-3-intel-i5-430m-u30jc-qhda1-cbil-silver-u30jc-qhda1-cbil/10157074.aspx?path=aef8a4dbd0d4df32038148ba9213623ben02

I plan on using lossless files and playing them through Foobar 2000 or something of equal value. I will be using torrents to download my music and to rip my CD's I will be using whatever program is most appropriate. Currently, I am referring to this thread to determine exactly what I will do for ripping.

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/522111/importing-cd-s-to-digital-formats-what-are-the-best-ripping-programs-the-best-codec-s-and-the-best-settings

So far I have learned that most stock sound cards are not audiophile quality. I am still unclear as to whether the activity occuring inside the computer really affects sound quality because I have been told that it does and doesn't by people who seem fairly knowledgeable. I am not quite sure if I should A) stick with the same soundcard and just plug my Ultrasone Pro 900s into the computer and run with it (hoping the computer would maybe drive my cans) B) get a DAP and run with that (portable amp or no amp at all) C) get a portable dac or portable dac/amp and (again comes the question of how easily my 60 ohm cans can be driven) plug it into my computer and listen on the train (I will be taking the train to Toronto everyday for school) or D) get a new soundcard instead of a DAC and perhaps a portable amp with it if needed.

I am not quite sure what my budget is but I don't think I can be spending more than 100 dollars as of right now. Being that I am a student it was probably already bad enough that I bought the Ultrasone Pro 900s. Do some soundcards have built in amps?

I know I post a lot of threads with lots of questions and I hope that is not an annoyance. I really appreciate being a part of this online community and thoroughly enjoy having discussions with you guys. I really have a passion for being an audiophile. :) I hope to get some responses in here. :) Thanks for taking the time to view my thread.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WMah 

imo the e7+e9 combo is a great way to introduce yourself to the "audiophile" world. It's versatile and economic. At <$200, it's not as big of a leap of faith you would make with the more pricier equipment others may recommend. The e9's got plenty of power to drive even 600ohm cans (according to other head-fier's). The e7 is a pretty good DAC for the money and you can also use it as a portable amp for a DAP as a bonus. While at the combo's price point, you can also get the Audio-GD NFB-12, which should trump the combo as far as sound quality goes, the NFB-12 is a bit limited to desktop use and you don't get the bonus of using it as a portable amp for your DAP.

 

Although I'm quite green at this audiophile stuff, I believe you'd hear the biggest difference between going from straight to headphones and adding a dac/amp in between the source and your output. As you move higher and higher in price range for gear I believe the gains start diminishing... the improvements will still be there and worth it for those who want best of the best. But in my opinion, test the waters with a more budget setup and see how you like it. 

 

 

I appreciate the post, man. :) I don't think I'd go with the E7+E9 combo as my finances are hurtin' pretty bad right now. I'd just use my portable amp at home as well. I know this may be a stupid question but when using my laptop (on the go and running on it's battery) would I be able to use the dac AND the amp at the same time with my headphones? Or would I be stuck to using just one component of the two offered with the E7?

I also have the same question about when I am using it with a DAP.