[cel4145]

It's pretty damn good. Up to 115 dB SNR on the main DAC  What you would have expected in a high end/professional unit costing $2000+  15 years ago. 10 years ago it would have been project studio quality and cost $500+. Even 5 years ago or less it compares well with boxes costing $150+. Now it comes as a $10 part on expensive motherboards.

This is overstating the significance of 115db SNR. Redbook CD audio has an SNR < 100db. Now bluray has an SNR of 124db, but tor the average consumer, there's probably little benefit of SNR rations much above 100db. You'd have to have the system cranked really, really loud, and then you'd only be able to hear the SNR from the DAC with a bluray in a dead quiet part of a film. Might not even ever notice it even at reference volumes.

But, higher SNR does makes them sell, just like higher mega pixels on digital cameras makes them sell, even though it's generally not significant because cameras (such as in phones) need bigger sensors and better lenses much more than more megapixels.

That being said, I'm not saying that the 1150 might not sound good. Just be wary of getting hyped advice about how well motherboard audio performs now based on specs. Higher specs sometimes only mean higher specs, not significant audible performance increase. And, higher specs still don't tell you how the audio performs in the environment of a computer with noise problems potentially being introduced by PSUs or gaming graphic cards.

 

[obsidyen]

While it is certainly true that computers have improved significantly over the years in this regard, it's quite impossible to make this claim for all computers. Noise can be a result not just of the sound card or motherboard, but other parts of the hardware configuration as well. And of course, not all sound cards or motherboards are created equal.

And then how much difference an external dac/amp makes is also partially a personal value judgement.

 
Any decent brand's top models such as HP's Envy line or MSI's GS60 with ALC 1150 have amazing sound with easy to drive headphones. MSI GS60's (latest model with Nvidia 980m) headphone jack has actually quite a powerful output and can drive Sennheiser HD650s with authority. ALC 1150 is no worse than similar Cirrus Logic or Wolfson products. I think it sounds better than the Cirrus Logic in Macbook Pros actually.
 
I've done a lot of listening test myself. Tried Meridian Explorer, Chord Hugo, Resonessence Herus and Dacmagic XS which I borrowed from friends (I had the first three but now sold them). To be honest, none of them sounded better to me than the headphone jack of my laptop with ALC 1150.
 
Well, Explorer, Herus and Dacmagic XS are your really standard cheap dac/amps. They are good if you have a horrible low quality laptop from 5 years ago, but new laptops with ALC 1150 sound better than them, I think. And no, there's no audible noise at all.
 
Chord Hugo, well yes it's better in many ways and it should be for the price. But it's not worth that much at all. It should be USD 500 at best. The sound signature is lean and bright and that can be somewhat annoying with bright headphones. Hugo+Beyerdynamic Tesla line is a recipe for disaster, for instance. ALC 1150 with its neutral sound can pair with a lot more variety of headphones well. In the end I sold my Hugo, it was a disappointment to me.
 
I'm not saying there are better amps. Sure, a USD 2000 amp will be great for your LCD 3. But if what you own is an easy to drive headphones such as Fostex TH900, don't pay for snake oil. You've already paid a lot for the headphones, just enjoy them.

 

[cel4145]

Any decent brand's top models such as HP's Envy line or MSI's GS60 with ALC 1150 have amazing sound . . .

Have you tried them? If so, great to hear that kind of testimonial. But there are people that try to extrapolate their own computer to all other computers with the same audio chipset. Time and time again that has been shown not to be true because the whole computer environment affects the audio quality.

 

[obsidyen]

Yes, I tried MSI GS60 a few days ago. The new model with Nvidia 970m. The headphone jack was really powerful too, could drive 300 ohms with ease. I'll probably buy one even if I don't play games on laptops. Really elegant and powerful computer.

 

[geeklord]

well if on a budget and like to tinker i  would try to use an equalizer to remove the hum noise.     http://onlinetonegenerator.com/     try putting 60  or 120 in here..if you arent sure.

  You are removing some music but the bass guitar might like that note. 
 
 
a 60hz ( you might hear 120hz or some multiple)   narrow band notch hz filter.  or 59 to 61...   eq untill the hum is low enough.   using a software EQ  filter.   I don't see much EQ on my system under sound options.   It is possible toEQ it from your music player or get an add on... 


 in Win 10 i see a room correction ( which might help you with other bass sounds, if you have a subwoofer that just rattles the windows at some notes , because of the shape of your room  can boost some bass at certain places.  Put the mic at your sweet listening
spots... move it around a bit..  then, plug in a mic, and Let windows make you a filter from listening to its chirps test signals.    It should remove the 60 hz hm as well, because its not in the signal intended.   it wants a recording mic.. doesnt have to be expensive, just what you yell at cortana with should do fine. 
 
https://www.dsprelated.com/showthread/comp.dsp/5838-1.php   here are people talking about this issue.


if you have no decend eq, maybe try this: 

http://www.highcriteria.com/   lets you get into the signal path and eq it...its a bit controversial .. since you can get record with it.  But it has an EQ.   
 
Bad EQ software creates distortion, phase    (  causes a delay on the 60hz area, again, you might not notice,because  the beat is still tight.) 
 
 
you will never notice teh missing notes probably in your entire music collection..   But .. one guy had an idea.. Get a smart filter that leaves it if there is 60 hz signal,or, puts a 60hz signal in extra opposite phase with the AC power.. ( like a noise cancelling Bose headphones concept)