Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphone Amps (full-size) › DAC+Amp, or just AMP
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

DAC+Amp, or just AMP

post #1 of 7
11/18/11 at 4:32am
Thread Starter 

Hello.

 

I'm currently running a pair of Sennheiser HD555's out of my computer.

I have an external soundcard, Creative Labs Live 24 bit external (pretty old one for the record), and this week I started wondering how could I get better sound out of my pc.

Looked around, and found out about wasapi and foobar.

Installed them, and the quality improved, but I'm lacking some power to drive the headphones I guess.

 

What do you guys think I should do to properly drive my headphones?

Option 1 - Get rid of the soundcard, and get a DAC+Headphone AMP device (fiio e10 for example)

Option 2 - Keep the soundboard (i like the sound it produces, just the power is missing), and get an headphone AMP

 

Do you think the Fiio E10 has a way better DAC circuit than my external soundboard? or are they more or less similar?

 

I don't want to spend more than 80£.

 

Thanks for this forum, I've been learning and learning... great stuff here.

Regards.

Reply
post #2 of 7
11/19/11 at 4:26pm

I think conventional wisdom around here regarding upgrade-itis when starting out, and avoiding spending hundreds of dollars/pounds, etc, (and I realize that there are people who hold exceptions to this rule) is to find a headphone you like (sounds like you have done that), then purchase an amp with which you are content, and then maybe upgrade the DAC.  Unless your source is truly garbage (e.g. some junk "out" on a no-name laptop), then upgrading a DAC from a decent external DAC will probably make the least immediate difference to you out of the choices of Headphone/Amp/DAC upgrade.

 

There are some people who feel differently, though, and perhaps they will chime in here.  (?)

 

Best bet regardless, I think, is to find a "meet", bring your own equipment with you, and try out an amp with your set up to see if it makes the difference you were hoping for. Your ears will tell you what your next upgrade should be.  (Though, your wallet may tell you what it should not be)  basshead.gif

 

Good luck!

Reply
post #3 of 7
11/20/11 at 9:58am
Thread Starter 

Hey there.

 

Thanks for the nice feedback.

I guess maybe I already knew the answer to my question. I feel like I need more power to the sound my external soundcard gives me, and maybe with and external "cheap" DAC+Amp I won't get much more detail to the sound.

I feel like the right choice might be a headphone AMP, and I'll see where to go from there, maybe I won't feel the Upgraditis for some time lololol.

 

If I go for an Headphone Amp, what's good out there (for a budget of max 150$)?

 

regards

Reply
post #4 of 7
11/20/11 at 6:41pm

$150 might be a bit of a tough ceiling to find something new that will provide you with significant difference in the audio production. But, if you are willing to buy used as opposed to new (which at this price-point, I suggest you do), you might want to consider something like the Ray Samuels Audio "Hornet" amp, a little guy that will be able to drive the 555's without much of a problem. 

 

There are hornets sold every few weeks or so on head-fi.  One is being sold currently for $200 shipped (from the US).  You could hold out for a cheaper offer, but you may not be able to count on one that much cheaper. Could you spring for the extra $50?

 

http://www.head-fi.org/t/579798/fs-rsa-hornet-m

 

Oh, we'll make sure you'll get upgrade-itis soon enough.  Ha!

 

 

Reply
post #5 of 7
11/21/11 at 2:29am

i have an audinst HUD mx-1 which costs around that price range.

it is a dac+amp combo. I think it produce better SQ then e7+e9.

Reply
post #6 of 7
11/22/11 at 6:10am
Thread Starter 

Thanks for all your help.

I did some more research (who would tell...) and I finally decided to get a Fiio E10 (cheaper solution). My head was already spinning for tube amps, and more expensive stuff, so I went the opposite way and spent the less I could to try and get some decent sound out of my computer.

Bang for the buck, I guess it will sound great with my HD555's, and cure my upgraditi's for some time.

 

One of these days I'll try and derive a formula for upgraditi's, something like (time spend reading Head Fi vs money spent on audio equipment. Lol.

 

regards.


Edited by hcabrita - 11/22/11 at 6:13am
Reply
post #7 of 7
11/25/11 at 7:08pm

Ha!  The relationship is probably asymptotic. 

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) › DAC+Amp, or just AMP