[Jesda]

Grado SR40s... just ordered a Chaintech 710 sound card. Do I need to order an amp as well or does it have enough power to get the job done on its own?

Thanks!

 

[sgrossklass]

If you intend to benefit from the better quality Wolfson DAC - and I guess most people will - then an amp is recommended. There isn't even an opamp after the DAC, and the thing itself isn't too great driving low impedance stuff like 'phones.

 

[fr4c]

you "need" a amp because the av-710 doesnt have a headphone out, it has a line-out.

line-out + headphones = not a good idea

 

[funnytimes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fr4c you "need" a amp because the av-710 doesnt have a headphone out, it has a line-out. line-out + headphones = not a good idea

by line-out do you mean the volume control is bypassed? This is done by the jumper on the card right?

 

[Mr.Radar]

By line-out we mean that there is no opamp chip connected to the DAC, which would make it capable of driving headphones. It can still power some headphones adequately but you'd probably notice a big improvement with an amp.

 

[Yaboosh]

Can you describe what insufficiently driven headphones may sound like? Sometimes using my 710 with my Sony V6's I get a click that persists throughout the songs and almost sounds like part of the song, but is definitely not. Is this an instance of not enough power?

 

[skitlets]

What you're describing sounds like clipping, a result of being underpowered. Also, I found the bass sorely lacking and the highs harsh when unamped.

 

[Yaboosh]

Actually, after listening to it again, it isn't so much a click as a small pop. Does this still sound like clipping that can be cured by adding an amp?

 

[Clown12]

Clipping comes from having your volume sliders up too high - this comes before any analog amplification stage. It means your trying to play samples with 17 or more bits through a 16bit dac.
Go to your volume control advanced page and check all the relevant sliders you can find.
Like they said, you definately need at least one amp between the dac and your headphones.

 

[Yaboosh]

Well, I am not listening at an insane level, but at a fairly moderate level. Could it simply be another kind of distortion? I am getting pops from all output by my Chaintech 710, whether I am playing CDs straight from the disc or mp3s that I ripped using EAC and LAME. I just don't know if this will be cured by using an amp or if that will just amplify the pops, if it is another problem besides lack of power out of the sound card.

 

[cheezman67]

If there are no audible signs of distorsion then it shouldn't be HARMFUL to use the lineout on an AV-710 with unamped headphones, right? I'm using it with a pair of Sennheiser hd-497s, and it already sounds a whole lot better than my Logitech Z640s (big suprise there, I know).

 

[Yaboosh]

Alright, well, I have been emailing Norm about my popping problem, and he seems unsure about whether or not it is a result of my phones being underpowered.

So, once again, the popping only happens with my phones when they are hooked up to the AV710, it occurs whether I am playing CDs through the CDROM or playing MP3s off the hard drive. But I do not want to pull the trigger and spend 150 shipped on an amp that might not help my V6's and SR80's that much. If it fixes the popping, then I will get it, but I am not confident that the popping is a result of the phones being underpowered. Does anyone else have experience with this?

 

[KentWang]

I have the V6 which is supposed to be fairly easy to drive. Will those phones unamped be OK with the 710?

 

[Yaboosh]

Well, I have been having trouble with mine. I get a popping sound with most songs on even modest volume, but I don't know if this is a case of underpowered driving or some other problem. My V6 sound great out of my home audio reciever, but leave a bit to be desired out of the 710. Something may be wrong though, I dont know.

 

[robzy]

A simple, well made cMoy should suit your needs perfectly.

Of course if you went for somethjing higher quality would imrpove even more. The cMoy is just a very basic generic amp - which is all you want, right?

Rob.