[shk216]

Greetings,
 
I'm currently using an HP Envy dv7 laptop (2011 model) at home which I mainly use to watch movies, listen to music and play games. I have two little tots so I mainly use my laptop when the kids goto bed (most dads can probably relate to this). I mostly use my headphones except when they're out with their mom and then I use my speakers.
 
With that said, I've been wanting to upgrade my overall sound quality; however, I don't know where to start. I've done lots of readings on forums and reviews but still not sure how to approach this.
I'm not sure if I should start with buying a dac/amp combo (not even sure what sound card my laptop has. It just says with BeatsAudio) or if I should buy a new speakers.
 
Will buying a dac/amp improve the sound quality? In addition, if I buy a speaker such as HK Stx III or Bose Comp Series and plug in my headphone through the speaker, would that sound any different than my current set up?
 
Any kind of assistance as to where I should start will be greatly appreciated.
 
Thank you!
 
By the way, I currently own four headphones: ATH 50x, AKG K545, AKG K702 and Bose QC25. I have no external speakers at this point as my old atlac lasing from 2002 recently stopped working.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Monoprice 5" studio monitors, $170.
http://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=605500
 
Hifimediy Sabre U2, USB DAC, $59.
http://hifimediy.com/U2-DAC
 
Bravo Ocean tube (Hybrid) headphone amplifier, $120
http://www.parts-express.com/bravo-audio-ocean-mini-valve-class-a-tube-headphone-amplifier--310-352
 
Assorted cables, $20.

 

[shk216]

I appreciate the quick response and I'll take a look at the items you have listed above. However, would you be willing to provide answers to my questions above? Thank you.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  I'm currently using an HP Envy dv7 laptop (2011 model) at home which I mainly use to watch movies, listen to music and play games. I have two little tots so I mainly use my laptop when the kids go to bed (most dads can probably relate to this). I mostly use my headphones except when they're out with their mom and then I use my speakers.
With that said, I've been wanting to upgrade my overall sound quality; however, I don't know where to start. I've done lots of readings on forums and reviews but still not sure how to approach this.
I'm not sure if I should start with buying a dac/amp combo (not even sure what sound card my laptop has. It just says with Beats Audio) or if I should buy a new speakers.
Will buying a dac/amp improve the sound quality? In addition, if I buy a speaker such as HK Stx III or Bose Comp Series and plug in my headphone through the speaker, would that sound any different than my current set up?

 
I've always assumed "Beats Audio" is more about marketing, then something that actually improves audio quality.
Great audio requires good hardware, but laptop manufacturing is dictated by keeping costs down.
 
Buying an external DAC/head amp should improve the audio quality of your headphones and a DAC itself should improve the audio quality whatever speakers you get.
 
The Harmon Kardon Sound Stick III and Bose Companion series use the same built in amplifier to drive both the speakers and headphones.
and assuming they come with a more powerful amplifier, then whatever is built into the laptop's Beats Audio, might help improve the headphone's audio quality, more so the K702,
but with the other three headphones, something like the FiiO E10K or Q1 might help bring out the detail in the audio.
 
If you had an over budget for this audio upgrade, it might be easier to recommend something?

 

[shk216]

I just want to make sure that I'm buying proper the equipments as these will likely be my ultimate end products.
 
I plan on buying a new MAC around Christmas time and likely will get an HD600 or HD650, early next year. There is a possibility that I may get a headphone before a new computer. Hence, I wanted some flexibility.
 
I was initially going to get an O2/ODAC until I noticed that I could get the Element (Bstock) at a similar price. I really like the design and the fact that  you get a customized engravings. Then I thought to myself, is this really going to improve my sound quality with my current headphones. Then I started looking at desktop speakers and that's the reason why I asked if plugging the headphone to a speaker would improve the sound quality.
 
In the end, I would like to improve sound quality in both speakers and headphones but I guess headphone sound quality is more important as of now. At the same time I didn't want to waste money in something that may become useless in the near future.
 
It seems like perhaps a new external DAC/head amp is the way to go for now and then buy a speaker?

 

[buke9]

Like purpleangle said a budget would help out a lot on what there is in your price range. I myself am not a big fan of the HD-6xx's not saying there bad just not my cup of tea. If you have listened to them and like them then go for it. Without a budget it is hard to say. 

 

[shk216]

Would you be willing to recommend some other headphones? I live in the northwest and there are not a single store around here where I can try the high-end headphones...
 
I really don't have a budget it's just that I don't want to spoil myself. I was planning on spending few hundred for dac/amp combo and then few hundred for a new speakers. Does this help you help me?

 

[buke9]

  Would you be willing to recommend some other headphones? I live in the northwest and there are not a single store around here where I can try the high-end headphones...
 
I really don't have a budget it's just that I don't want to spoil myself. I was planning on spending few hundred for dac/amp combo and then few hundred for a new speakers. Does this help you help me?

I would not want to recommend anything that you can't listen to. It has a lot to do with what type of music and what type of sound you want . I tend to go for the planar sound as it was the first decent pair I bought (HE-400) upgrading from a HD-280 pro.  It was a shot in the dark for me as I had not many places to listen to anything other than what was at Best Buy in my location. Then found Head-Fi and bought a pair of Alpha Dogs and my wallet has been crying ever since. The thing I would advise is find a meet to go to and you can check out a lot of different things and also find the sound you like. I drove 2 1/2 hours to go to my first meet it was well worth the trip. There are thousands of headphones out there all with there goods and bads. Your good might be my bad and vice versa. I know this doesn't help but it is what it is.

 

[shk216]

Thank you for the recommendation! I mostly watch movies on my headphone and as for music, mostly classic, soft rock/alternative and pop. That's about it. Not a fan of bass hungry kind of music like hip-hop/rap.
 
I will definitely look up to see if there are any meets around here. Thank you again.

 

[buke9]

 
Thank you for the recommendation! I mostly watch movies on my headphone and as for music, mostly classic, soft rock/alternative and pop. That's about it. Not a fan of bass hungry kind of music like hip-hop/rap.
 
I will definitely look up to see if there are any meets around here. Thank you again.

A meet is the way to go. The people in this community are some of the best you'll meet. Everyone is so helpful and just plain good people I've had a great time at both meets and can't wait for April to go back. What happened to the Altec's are they both dead? 

 

[PurpleAngel]

  I just want to make sure that I'm buying proper the equipments as these will likely be my ultimate end products.
I plan on buying a new MAC around Christmas time and likely will get an HD600 or HD650, early next year. There is a possibility that I may get a headphone before a new computer. Hence, I wanted some flexibility.
I was initially going to get an O2/ODAC until I noticed that I could get the Element (Bstock) at a similar price. I really like the design and the fact that  you get a customized engravings. Then I thought to myself, is this really going to improve my sound quality with my current headphones. Then I started looking at desktop speakers and that's the reason why I asked if plugging the headphone to a speaker would improve the sound quality.
In the end, I would like to improve sound quality in both speakers and headphones but I guess headphone sound quality is more important as of now. At the same time I didn't want to waste money in something that may become useless in the near future.
It seems like perhaps a new external DAC/head amp is the way to go for now and then buy a speaker?

 
I just checked my local Craigslist and there are lots of good used studio monitors for sale.
Suggest you check you local Craigslist ads
 
Massdrop sometimes sells a ODAC/O2 combo for $200.
You might be able to find a used one on eBay, it's nice and small
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-o2-odac

 

[shk216]

  A meet is the way to go. The people in this community are some of the best you'll meet. Everyone is so helpful and just plain good people I've had a great time at both meets and can't wait for April to go back. What happened to the Altec's are they both dead? 

Yeah, unfortunately. I do get an external sound from my laptop; however, it's stationed underneath my desk and so the sound doesn't travel all that well. I tried linking it to my bluetooth speaker; however, there must be something wrong with my driver as the speaker pretty much has to be right next to my laptop in order to get a decent sound.

 

[buke9]

Yeah I like wires and not computer speaker setup. You can get much better than those made for computers. A nice little dac and powered monitors will blow away a set of computer speakers.

 

[shk216]

  Yeah I like wires and not computer speaker setup. You can get much better than those made for computers. A nice little dac and powered monitors will blow away a set of computer speakers.

You put me back to "noob" mode. What's the difference between computer speakers vs. powered monitors?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PurpleAngel /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 

I've always assumed "Beats Audio" is more about marketing, then something that actually improves audio quality.

 

There was a thread before that tested devices with Beats Audio disabled and they did sound crappy. However disabled Beats Audio devices were also crappier than all other devices, while enabled Beats Audio weren't really any better than comparable devices.

 

At some point somebody looked into the programming and figured out that it works in reverse - when "disabled" that's when it's actually "enabled," applying an EQ curve to much up the sound, while when "enabled" it's actually "disabled" in the sense that it isn't doing anything.

 

Basically, it isn't just marketing, it's a protection racket. It's like being having someone go into your store and demand protection money, and by protection they mean "so we won't smash your store shelves and make sure our initiation and recruitment procedures don't use your store or your cute daughter/niece over there that you worked hard to bring in from the old country."

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by shk216 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

You put me back to "noob" mode. What's the difference between computer speakers vs. powered monitors?

 

When we say "powered monitors" we very likely refer to studio monitors with built-in amplifiers, usually separate amplifier channels for each tweeter and woofer. A good example will be something like a Genelec, Focal, Dynaudio, or JBL studio monitor. In some cases this may refer to non-professional products that are built similar but not exactly the same way, like how some have all the amplifier circuits in one "Master" speaker and this drives the "Slave" speaker, like many Swans or almost all Audioengines.

 

A computer speaker generally speaking has only one thing in common - it has an amplifier built into it somewhere. These tend to be tiny with an equally tinny sound, and for more serious listeners if they use these at all it has more to do with just having a speaker for when they don't want to use headphones, like casual pod casts and there isn't much noise to isolate with headphones when they want to rest their skulls or want to share the audio with somebody else.

 

In some cases the second type of consumer-oriented, non-pro use powered monitors are really designed more to be more serious computer speakers but have features that make them easier to use or have response skewed a bit for a warmer sound considering users aren't likely to have an acoustically treated studio for listening with these, like the Audioengine A5 or Swans D1080-IV.