[billcat]

Hi all,

Next year for college I'm going to be using a laptop (Dell Inspiron 8200) as my only audio device (except for a discman for when I go running). The problem is, I don't think the integrated audio chip will be up to the task, and you can't simply put a nice soundcard in a laptop.

For my listening I'm going to be using some high quality headphones. Right now I'm leaning toward Etymotic ER-6 or ER-4P, or maybe a nice Sennheiser.

I've done a good deal of research into the topic on this and other forums, and learned quite a bit. I've decided that the best choice for me is getting an external DAC. The two I have been considering the most are the stereo-link 1200 and the ART D/IO.

The stereo-link 1200 is (relatively) cheap, simple, and effective. It plugs into the USB port, turns the digital into analogue, then either passes it on to a reciever or amp, or puts it through its built in headphone amp. With only it I would have all I needed, and I could upgrade by buying a seperate headphone amp.

The ART D/IO is a very highly regarded DAC. It is not USB, so I am not sure how I would connect it to my laptop, although I've heard you have to buy an expensive converter cable, and even then the signal might be degraded some. However, as it is not USB I could use the ART D/IO for my home stereo as well. That I would have to buy a headphone amp does not really bother me, becuase I suspect that if I get the stereo-link I'll be buying a headphone amp soon anyway (the MG Head is looking awfully nice, especially because I've never even seen a tube amp before).

The stereo-link is more cost effective, would result in less clutter, and probably would be more than sufficient. However, the ART D/IO setup would be much more fun, and, I suspect, more satisfying. I suppose it is probably just that I really want to play around with an ART D/IO, and I want an excuse to buy a MG Head right -now-, as opposed to somewhat -later-.

I would appreciate any info anybody has on this. If you think I should go one way or the other let me know, or maybe you can suggest something I haven't thought of yet. I really want to know if I can realistically expect to hear a big difference between notebook->stereo-link->ER-6 and notebook->ART D/IO->MG Head->ER-4P, or what sort of improvements I can expect as I upgrade various parts.

Thanks in advance for any help,

-Will

 

[taoster]

i dont have too much experience with notebooks or for that matter the ART DIO but I too have been contemplating an ART DIO as a next/eventual upgrade(among many many others!

).

I just dont think you are going to get the benefits of an ART DIO or an MG HEAD out of a notebook, period! Besides, I dont think notebooks have coaxial outs and you are left with a optical cable to your ART DIO. maybe the discman would be a better transport than the notebook?

go the Stereo-link for better sound now.

the ART/MG Head for the better upgrade path.

 

[beni]

If headphone listening really is your primary concern and not finding a toy to use with your stereo, why not just find a decent CDP and headphone amp instead of trying to use your notebook to do it? As a good example, I just picked up a Sony NS500V player for $160...combine that with an MG head or Corda or something and you've got a combo that should easily outperform the notebook setup sound-wise, and also not require you to have the computer turned on to listen to music (which may not annoy you anyway, but it would me). It would probably be cheaper to boot.

 

[lextek]

I don't know about Dell. I have an iBook and I've used Grado SR-60,RS-2's and Ety 4P's to watch/listen to DVD's. Also to listen to MP3's. I found the sound very, good. I tried adding a Airhead amp. It add some, not alot. I'd go for the Ety's.

 

[beni]

Yeah, I should have mentioned that. I have a dell CPxJ laptop that I use to watch DVDs with my ksc-35s and the sound quality is pretty darn good. I wouldn't use it as a main listening setup for music, but for casual use the built-in sound is fine. You'll probably want more though since this will be your main setup.

 

[lextek]

What about adding some external speakers (Cambridge Soundworks or Klipsh) Then use the laptop to play CD's and MP3's. Not the ultimate audiophile system, but very, good sound is a small package.

 

[legoman]

If your Dell is anything like my (admittedly 4 year old) Inspiron Notebook (and that is probably a big if), the Etys may not be the ideal choice. The output is bearable (but still way too much crackling/hiss) with SR-60s, but with the revealing Etys the background noise from the soundcard becomes unbearable to me.

 

[BDA_ABAT]

Although probably not nearly as fun as playing with a DAC, seems much more reasonable to get a decent CD player, amp, and a couple pair of headphones. Heck, since you're going off to college and probably don't have a whole lot o' cash handy (or space to store stuff), you could even use a portable source for all of your headphone needs.

E.g., (Stationary use) Panasonic 570 --> Markertek min - mini --> JMT amp --> Ety4 =

(Running) Pana 570 --> Koss KSC 35 or 50 =

I'd bet the sound would be a lot better than whatever came out of a notebook.

Bruce

 

[MirandaX]

Billcat, you should just go for a dedicated CD player. I spent a lot of time trying various options to upgrade my laptop's sound (the Stereo-Link was very good, the Xitel Analog Hi-Fi Link only so-so) and I thought about adding an ART DI/O, but couldn't find a cheap USB device that offered digital output and didn't resample 44.1kHz signals up to 48kHz. Eventually I just decided to go with the Sony NS-500V (on Tuberoller's recommendation) for about $150, and honestly, it blows the Stereo-Link clear away. Save yourself the trouble of playing with laptop sound, and just go for the music. Plus you get a good DVD player and a great SACD player for free.

 

[MirandaX]

By the way, if your heart is set on a laptop sound device, you might want to consider this instead of the Stereo-Link. It's not pretty (in fact, it's an evaluation board), but various members of this board have given high praise to the sound chip it uses:
http://focus.ti.com/docs/tool/toolfo...er=DEM-PCM2702

 

[Tim D]

No slam against the MG Head, and I know some enjoy the combo with Ety's, however it might be a better idea to go for a portable amp. Not only because they are portable, but they might even be better suited sonically. MG Heads are usually a Senn 580/600 synergy thing. Also the Ety's can be very revealing of equipment noise which the MG Head just doesn't have the best track record in. Probably works well with Senns cause with their high impedance and such it is can be glossed over to a greater extent.

I'm not really getting your priorities either...a portable laptop hooked to a big bulky amp to some portable phones.

Why the laptop in the first place then if it wasn't for some portable convenience. If it is because of music download access, maybe try a NetMD recorder.

I've got a Dell Latitude C600 and my discman is better. Unless you like the audible feedback of harddrive access. The DIO hooked up to a computer was also very nice, but not easy to do on a laptop. USB methods should work but I'd rather not deal with the constant resource drain when a NetMD player could get that out of the way in the transfer.

 

[kerelybonto]

billcat, I use a Micron Transport GX laptop at college and also a Dell Inspiron 3500 at home. The sound out of the headphones jacks of each is terrible. Really, the hissing and cracking is so bad that it's unlistenable on a good headphone. I assume an external DAC would correct much of this, especially a USB-connected one, but you have to realize how noisy it is inside a laptop's case. I don't think you're going to get great sound out of a laptop, ever.

I use a mini-sytem at college, which of course is about as good as you can get in a dorm room if you want speakers. But if you're planning on primarily using headphones, it might be worth it to pick up a real CD player, like the one MirandaX suggested. At around $150, the price'll be probably around what you're considering spending anyway, and you know you'll get great sound. If you're into MP3s, you can always burn them to CD, or just use a RCA-mini interconnect and play right from your laptop via the CDP -- for some reason, that seems to eliminate a lot of the noise from the laptop's headphone jack.

kerelybonto

 

[billcat]

Thanks for all the advice. I've now discounted the idea of the ART D/IO... as cool as it would be to have a DIO, it's not worth the hassle, etc. The MG Head too is just something that I wanted because I like the idea of having a tube amp, not that it made sense for me.

The suggestion of getting a real cd player is a good one. However, I like the easy access to mp3s that I would have with the laptop. I'll have to consider the benifits and drawbacks of each before reaching a decision.

If I go with the laptop as far as I can tell the stereo-link is the best bet. MirandaX: I don't quite understand that evaluation board. Is it like a kit that I would have to put together?

Also, if I go with a real cd player, would you recommend getting a tried and true good quality cd only player, or getting a cheap sacd player like the sony DVP-NS500V or SCD-CE775. I normally would just go with a nicer quality cd only player, but I've heard good thigns about the cheap sony sacd players. http://www.tweakaudio.com/Players.html claims that the NS500V has the same DAC architecture as the ART D/IO (?!?!) I've heard that they can sound really good if they are modded, but that could just be modders hyping their product. Looks like yet another thing I'll have to do a lot of research and thinking on!

Thanks for all the help,

-Will

 

[Nezer]

Why not add a stereolink USB? It gets fairly high marks here.

 

[MirandaX]

Quote:

Originally posted by billcat The MG Head too is just something that I wanted because I like the idea of having a tube amp, not that it made sense for me.

While the MG Head has warts, it's a great amp for both the Ety 4S and the Senn 600. If you're into bass-heavy music, you might want to go solid state, though.

Quote:

The suggestion of getting a real cd player is a good one. However, I like the easy access to mp3s that I would have with the laptop. I'll have to consider the benifits and drawbacks of each before reaching a decision.

If you're only going to be listening to MP3's occasionally, go for a dedicated CDP and also get an extra Xitel Analog Hi-Fi link. It's cheap (only about $50), and apart from some weaknesses in the amount of low bass, it's not a bad option at all for occasional listening. For your favorite MP3s, you can always burn them onto CD-RWs and listen on your dedicated CDP. For frequent listening, the Stereo-Link is a better choice. The evaluation board I mentioned comes already assembled; you only have to add a USB cable and an external power supply, which you can get at Radio Shack. (No one on this board has heard the eval board yet, but it's very tempting, and might be a good choice if you're looking for adventure.)

Quote:

Also, if I go with a real cd player, would you recommend getting a tried and true good quality cd only player, or getting a cheap sacd player like the sony DVP-NS500V or SCD-CE775. I normally would just go with a nicer quality cd only player, but I've heard good thigns about the cheap sony sacd players.

Tuberoller, on this board, highly recommended the NS500V in this thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...threadid=10974
Tuberoller's gone through a huge amount of high-end equipment over the years (including a bout with the $12000 Orpheus), so he tends to be a good source of advice. I'm pleased I took his recommendation about the NS500V, though it took forever (about 100 hours) to burn in and sound optimal.

By the way, if you're going to college, definitely consider Etymotics!!! These will lessen your stress level enormously, especially if you have roommates or have to work in noisy labs. They might even improve your grades. Seriously. They'll change your life.