[tf1216]

I did some searching and I could not find a reasonable answer to my question.

If one was to purchase a portable amplifier to use at home and on the go should they purchase one with a DAC?

Let's please assume this person does not want a two case solution.

Is the line out from a laptop into and amplifier far inferior to a USB output to a DAC then to the amplifier?

 

[Necrolic]

From a laptop, definitely. From a good sound card like the Auzentech HTHD, it depends on the DAC but yes potentially if you spend enough.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

It depends on the laptop and the DAC. Really, the biggest reason to use an external DAC is to get the converted, analog signal out of the noisy environment of the computer. If your computer's output is pretty quiet, any gains you'd get from an external DAC would be pretty subtle.

P

 

[vedran70]

As I was also exploring this issue of external DAC quality gain, I have also discovered that it is also much more convenient to separate music only output from system sounds (if you really need them). Btw, my laptop output is totally quiet and also handles my low impendance cans very well but I would really like to have an music dedicated output.

 

[Armaegis]

Laptops are generally noisy devices and frequently suffer from ground loop problems.

cheapest solution: ground loop isolator from radio shack, $20

next cheapest: cheap usb sound card such as HotAudio or Turtle Beach, $50

headphone amp w/dac: Nuforce Icon Mobile, $100
and a ton of options once you get into the $150-200 range, and if you wait a month there will be another option from Nuforce and one from FiiO in the $100 range.