[napol30n]

In the fall im going to be going to university and I'm not bringing a desktop and I'll only have a laptop for music (maybe with an external hard drive but thats not important). I was wondering what the best audio solution would be for about $200 or so.

I was looking at the Total BitHead and that looked pretty good. I do have a question, on the site it says

"If, however, you are of an audiophile mind, turn the power switch on and the Total BitHead’s digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and power amp section will run off the internal batteries for ultra-clean performance and lower power drain on your computer."

So does that mean that it will sound better when its powered by batteries even when it is hooked up to the laptop via USB?

I wouldn't mind building a PIMETA if that + a cheaper external sound card/DAC would provide a better quality sound for the same price. I'm also open to other all in 1 solutions.

Also for curiosity how does the BitHead stack up to a PCI card like a 0404 or a 1212 and a PIMETA?

 

[uraflit]

i have no experience whatsoever with those items, but i'm sure most others can add an input

i would also suggest the headphonia amp (with usb) as another one of your choices though. it can be had for cheaper, and also suits you well for your laptop system.

 

[Killercrush]

My take on this would be to buy a DIY usb dac called Alien DAC, it's a usb-powered external one you could have for around $75-90 from various DYIers here. It's said to be better then a Chaintech AV710 and close to an Emu-0404 quality wise and you have $125-110$ more to spend on an amp and an interconnect.

It's good with a laptop since you get your power from it instead of wall power
(You can also order it with a DC jack if you want,fallingangel does offer this option on his Alien Dacs)

Voila!

Julien

 

[kingsqueak]

There's a little bit of difference with switching the batteries on, but it's nothing I would call major. I use my Total Bithead driving DT880s without any trouble on USB power only.

Batteries seem to punch up the sound a bit, but not enough that I bother running on batts all day.

 

[CSMR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by napol30n /img/forum/go_quote.gif In the fall im going to be going to university and I'm not bringing a desktop and I'll only have a laptop for music (maybe with an external hard drive but thats not important). I was wondering what the best audio solution would be for about $200 or so. I was looking at the Total BitHead and that looked pretty good. I do have a question, on the site it says "If, however, you are of an audiophile mind, turn the power switch on and the Total BitHead’s digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and power amp section will run off the internal batteries for ultra-clean performance and lower power drain on your computer." So does that mean that it will sound better when its powered by batteries even when it is hooked up to the laptop via USB? I wouldn't mind building a PIMETA if that + a cheaper external sound card/DAC would provide a better quality sound for the same price. I'm also open to other all in 1 solutions. Also for curiosity how does the BitHead stack up to a PCI card like a 0404 or a 1212 and a PIMETA?

I would suggest a USB soundcard (E-MU, M-Audio, ESI). I don't know about the bithead but I'm sure that would be good too. Something with its own power is probably best, and power from a plug is more convenient than power from batteries.

 

[Omega]

If you're using a laptop, presumably you want a portable solution, and the environment you'll be using it in is likely to be somewhat noisy. So don't go for truly hi-fi, it's a waste! Get something comfortable and durable with a moderate replacement value. Like the Koss KSC75 or 35's that are highly recommended around here. Or a pair of Grado SR60's (or 125's). Or maybe a nice pair of canalphones if you're willing to spend most of your $200 budget. $200 isn't enough to get a decent amp AND a decent set of 'phones...on a dollar value basis, a headphone amp is just an incremental improvement over a decent set of 'phones. It doesn't make sense to spend the $ on a sweet amplifier and 'phones when your source is admittedly modest and your environment is noisy! And having less stuff to lug around is always a bonus.

 

[napol30n]

The $200 does not include Cans. I just want something to make the laptop sound better than onboard. For cans im eyeing the HD580/595 and SR225.

I dont need anything portable, just transportable.

 

[uraflit]

good choices for cans. if all else fails, get the total bithead, you can't go wrong with it. if you dont mind buying off others, the aliendac might be ok.

 

[napol30n]

Alien DAC + PIMETA seems like a good combo. Anyone know how how this would sound compared to the bithead?

Also i just found out about the emu 0404 USB, how would this compare?