[johnvonmacz]

I have mixed suggestions from people. Some said that because I have the latest pc specs (i7 Haswell, ASUS Z87-PRO Motherboard) That I don't have to worry about the sound card as my onboard audio is just as good as other sound cards, some said I still need it. Anyway can someone please take a look at my motherboard onboard audio specs and see if it's good enough and no need for sound card? Thanks! Here are the specs:
 
Realtek® ALC1150 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC 
- Supports : Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-retasking
- High quality 112 dB SNR stereo playback output (Line-out at rear) and 104 dB SNR recording input (Line-in)
Audio Feature :
- Absolute Pitch 192kHz/ 24-bit True BD Lossless Sound
- DTS Ultra PC II
- DTS Connect
- Optical S/PDIF out port(s) at back panel
- BD Audio Layer Content Protection

 

[johnvonmacz]

Bump

 

[BrownBear]

When you say "good enough", do you mean enough power, or good enough sound quality? If you're talking about sound quality, I would say that you'll have to listen to the setup yourself, so you can allow your ears to determine if the quality is up to your standards.
 
If you mean enough power, you'd have to look into the specs of those headphones, which if I'm correct is 110dB for sensitivity and it's nominal impedance is 54 ohms. If that's correct, I think they should be able to be used with a wide array of devices without an issue, or 'need' for an external amp. Someone please correct me if that's wrong.
 
I don't own those headphones though, so I'm merely speculating based on specs. Again, you'll need to listen for yourself to attain the best advice. Trust your own ears.

 

[johnvonmacz]

  When you say "good enough", do you mean enough power, or good enough sound quality? If you're talking about sound quality, I would say that you'll have to listen to the setup yourself, so you can allow your ears to determine if the quality is up to your standards.
 
If you mean enough power, you'd have to look into the specs of those headphones, which if I'm correct is 110dB for sensitivity and it's nominal impedance is 54 ohms. If that's correct, I think they should be able to be used with a wide array of devices without an issue, or 'need' for an external amp. Someone please correct me if that's wrong.
 
I don't own those headphones though, so I'm merely speculating based on specs. Again, you'll need to listen for yourself to attain the best advice. Trust your own ears.

 
Thanks for your reply! I'm not an audiophile so I don't know if the sound will be excellent enough, I thought beats SOLO's sounds great and hopefully the 380 Pro's will be greater than that, I usually listen to RNB, Hiphop and dubsteps. I don't have the 380 Pro's yet, I just ordered it 2 days ago. I also hope that my computer rig's powerful enough to power the 380 Pro's and that the onboard audio's just as good as let's say Fiio E17's or some XONAR's. Any other thoughts? Please don't hesitate to comment. Thanks a lot!

 

[Mad Max]

Xonar or other soundcards and external sound decoders will provide noticeably better sound quality over integrated audio, but it is up to you if care.  Your Realtek is certainly "good enough", as are many other devices, even portable media players thanks to HD380's efficiency.
Audiophilia is one deep rabbit hole, so don't go in if you don't really feel like it. 

 
If you do, then let me tell you ahead of time: sorry about your wallet!

 

[johnvonmacz]

  Xonar or other soundcards and external sound decoders will provide noticeably better sound quality over integrated audio, but it is up to you if care.  Your Realtek is certainly "good enough", as are many other devices, even portable media players thanks to HD380's efficiency.
Audiophilia is one deep rabbit hole, so don't go in if you don't really feel like it. 

 
If you do, then let me tell you ahead of time: sorry about your wallet!

 
Thanks for your reply! Good to know my onboard audio's good enough I'd rather use my money to upgrade my PC than being an audiophile and buy the best of the best headphone that may cost $1000 or more haha