mikeaj
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2010
- Posts
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My laptop headphone out jack picks up a lot of noise, which I gather is quite a common problem. I'm fairly convinced that my onboard audio (Conexant 20561 SmartAudio HD) isn't too hot anyway. Ever since I picked up the Klipsch Custom 2 IEMs for $70 a little while ago, the noise has been much more noticeable, so I'm looking for a solution. Since the onboard audio is no good anyway, I figure that trying to shield the wires to reduce noise is not a worthwhile endeavor. This means I'm going to buy something, but what? Sound card? External DAC?
Btw despite the name, the C2 is not custom--though it did originally retail for $200 before being quickly discontinued. They're 16 ohm, 112 dB SPL/mW.
My laptop has a PCMCIA slot, an ExpressCard slot, a few USB slots, and a FireWire slot. I don't use a desktop computer, so my laptop gets a lot of use both at home and school/work. Portability is thus important. Mostly I listen to classical and some jazz music, and I play some games. However, none of the games I play involve 3D locational audio, so I'm not interested in EAX soundcard options or anything like that. I don't use speakers or have any worth mentioning, I don't foresee other upgrades in the near future, and I don't need microphone in or optical out or anything other than the 3.5mm headphone jack out.
Let's set my maximum price range at $80, though $30-$40 would be better. I'm not expecting great sound quality, just a modest upgrade from onboard audio that would eliminate the hissing noise I'm getting from the existing headphone out.
Essentially, I'm looking for what's appropriate to match the C2. Since it's only 16 ohms, would it be possible to go laptop -> DAC -> C2 without an amp?
I've seen that the Turtle Beach Audio Advantage Micro is a popular cheap USB sound card at around $30. However, I'm wary of the lack of volume control and the fact that it's supposed to amplify the signal by quite a bit. My system volume is currently set to about 4 to 10 out of 50, and that's with my applications set to 50% volume (I listen to things quieter than most). Could it be too loud?
Ideas and suggestions? Thanks.
Btw despite the name, the C2 is not custom--though it did originally retail for $200 before being quickly discontinued. They're 16 ohm, 112 dB SPL/mW.
My laptop has a PCMCIA slot, an ExpressCard slot, a few USB slots, and a FireWire slot. I don't use a desktop computer, so my laptop gets a lot of use both at home and school/work. Portability is thus important. Mostly I listen to classical and some jazz music, and I play some games. However, none of the games I play involve 3D locational audio, so I'm not interested in EAX soundcard options or anything like that. I don't use speakers or have any worth mentioning, I don't foresee other upgrades in the near future, and I don't need microphone in or optical out or anything other than the 3.5mm headphone jack out.
Let's set my maximum price range at $80, though $30-$40 would be better. I'm not expecting great sound quality, just a modest upgrade from onboard audio that would eliminate the hissing noise I'm getting from the existing headphone out.
Essentially, I'm looking for what's appropriate to match the C2. Since it's only 16 ohms, would it be possible to go laptop -> DAC -> C2 without an amp?
I've seen that the Turtle Beach Audio Advantage Micro is a popular cheap USB sound card at around $30. However, I'm wary of the lack of volume control and the fact that it's supposed to amplify the signal by quite a bit. My system volume is currently set to about 4 to 10 out of 50, and that's with my applications set to 50% volume (I listen to things quieter than most). Could it be too loud?
Ideas and suggestions? Thanks.