[crunchyjoe]

I'm gonna admit now I have a hard time being super good at telling the difference between mid-high end and HIGH end audio setups so I was wondering what and if at all do I need for my asgard 2. the sound is already fantastic going right into my desktop's motherboard (RCA analog to 3.5mm converter) but with every other person who has a setup at this price range using a DAC I have a feeling the sound could be better, but it's not like I can prove it. which is why when I saw the most recommended DAC being the bifrost ($100 more than my amp which seems crazy to me) I thought that maybe that's kinda for something a little better than the HD 650s, or I am just not on the level of the people who can percieve that difference. anyway, now that my rant is over, I'd like some under $200 suggestions for good DACS to pair and use with this headphone + amp setup and what the benefit of a DAC is in the first place.

 

[k4rstar]

Best advice for you would be to grab a Modi 2 Uber from Schiit since you already have an Asgard and test it in your system. If the improvement is not worth it to you over your motherboard you have 15 days to return it to Schiit.

 

[crunchyjoe]

OK thanks I was looking at that one and it was weird to me everyone kept saying the bifrost, maybe because it is the same size and looks nicer on a desk. but all I need is a USB DAC to convert to RCA analog and that does the job, I'll do that, and make another post or do it in this thread about my findings and if my ears really are that bad, because I don't think my motherboard has the most amazing inbuilt audio.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  I'm gonna admit now I have a hard time being super good at telling the difference between mid-high end and HIGH end audio setups so I was wondering what and if at all do I need for my asgard 2. the sound is already fantastic going right into my desktop's motherboard (RCA analog to 3.5mm converter) but with every other person who has a setup at this price range using a DAC I have a feeling the sound could be better, but it's not like I can prove it. which is why when I saw the most recommended DAC being the bifrost ($100 more than my amp which seems crazy to me) I thought that maybe that's kinda for something a little better than the HD 650s, or I am just not on the level of the people who can percieve that difference. anyway, now that my rant is over, I'd like some under $200 suggestions for good DACS to pair and use with this headphone + amp setup and what the benefit of a DAC is in the first place.

 
I'd much rather save up a bit more and get a used Bifrost now that other people might upgrade to the Multibit version. For no other reason that to be able to neatly stack the Asgard on it without paying full price.

 

[cel4145]

. . . I have a feeling the sound could be better, but it's not like I can prove it.

Well, once you reach a certain price point, there are DACs where the distortion measures inaudible. The Modi 2 measures that well. Motherboard audio? Maybe not quite that good, but it can be very good. Hard to predict because it depends on the audio chipset and the implementation in the specific computer model.

I would suggest that ordering the Modi 2 to try it out and see what you think is a worthwhile demo fee to return it for piece of mind if you decide it's not worth the money. After all, only you can judge if any difference is worthwhile. But, based on what audio science tells us through measurements, I probably wouldn't spend more than the Modi 2.

 

[crunchyjoe]

Well, once you reach a certain price point, there are DACs where the distortion measures inaudible. The Modi 2 measures that well. Motherboard audio? Maybe not quite that good, but it can be very good. Hard to predict because it depends on the audio chipset and the implementation in the specific computer model.

I would suggest that ordering the Modi 2 to try it out and see what you think is a worthwhile demo fee to return it for piece of mind if you decide it's not worth the money. After all, only you can judge if any difference is worthwhile. But, based on what audio science tells us through measurements, I probably wouldn't spend more than the Modi 2.

OK 2 people recommended the modi 2 so I'm going to order it and try it out. I don't want to tell anyone they are wrong for having a nicer DAC but it seems like the real difference comes from the amp and the headphones so money should be put there first. if you or anyone else knows anything about motherboard sound chipset quality, I am running an ASUS p6x58de. also what is the consensus on internal DACS? are none of them up to the same quality as external ones? because I'd imagine they'd be pretty efficient running right through PCIe

 

[cel4145]

External can often be better. Whether or not the difference is significant will depend on what you feel and how bad the implementation is on a specific computer, which is more than just the motherboard, but also other components which might generate EMI that influences SQ.