do i WANT a dac or amp?
Feb 14, 2018 at 7:31 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 15
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alti0204

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hi everyone, i'm new to the community, iliterally know nothing about this stuff until like 3 months ago.
i recntly bought an audio technica ath m30x, and it definitely sounds better than most earphone i ever used.

i heard that dac and amp will help my listening experience better. so i onsider buying one.
The problem is i don't know whether i need one since my gear is not very great and i don't want to waste my money.

So do i want a dac and/or amp for audio technica ath m30x?
which is more important since i'm on a budget and i can only afford dac and amp seperately..
(also Could you recommend me some under 50$?)

thx in advance
 
Feb 14, 2018 at 7:53 PM Post #2 of 15
I doubt a dac/amp would be needed for those and $50 is not going to get you much.
 
Feb 14, 2018 at 9:22 PM Post #3 of 15
alti0204 said:
hi everyone, i'm new to the community, iliterally know nothing about this stuff until like 3 months ago.
i recntly bought an audio technica ath m30x, and it definitely sounds better than most earphone i ever used.
i heard that dac and amp will help my listening experience better. so i onsider buying one.
The problem is i don't know whether i need one since my gear is not very great and i don't want to waste my money.
So do i want a DAC and/or amp for Audio Technica ath m30x?
which is more important since i'm on a budget and i can only afford dac and amp seperately..
(also Could you recommend me some under 50$?)
thx in advance
Click to expand...
Can we assume your plugging the M30X into a Windows PC's on-board audio?
Do you know the make and model of the motherboard?

Check out the FiiO K1 DAC/amp.
 
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Feb 15, 2018 at 12:08 AM Post #4 of 15
Are you looking for a desktop dac/amp to use with a computer (versus the computer's on-board audio) or a portable dac/amp to use with your phone (versus the phone's headphone jack)?

Either way, you definitely don't need a separate dac, and you probably don't need an amp if your headphones get loud and sound good with whatever you're currently using.
 
Feb 15, 2018 at 2:21 AM Post #5 of 15
alti0204 said:
So do i want a dac and/or amp for audio technica ath m30x?
which is more important since i'm on a budget and i can only afford dac and amp seperately..
(also Could you recommend me some under 50$?)
Click to expand...

If you jut buy a DAC, you can't use it with the M30X without a headphone amp, either separately or a headphone amp circuit built into the same box as the DAC.

And unless what you're using it with has very serious issues with its amp design - like a smartphone with a really bad audio chip - I would doubt a cheap unit will be an improvement.
 
Feb 15, 2018 at 2:53 AM Post #6 of 15
buke9 said:
I doubt a dac/amp would be needed for those and $50 is not going to get you much.
Click to expand...
yep, that's what i'm worried about.

PurpleAngel said:
Can we assume your plugging the M30X into a Windows PC's on-board audio?
Do you know the make and model of the motherboard?

Check out the FiiO K1 DAC/amp.
Click to expand...

yes, i plug it in my pc, Dell Vostro 3459 is the motherboard (i suppose)

kukkurovaca said:
Either way, you definitely don't need a separate dac, and you probably don't need an amp if your headphones get loud and sound good with whatever you're currently using.
Click to expand...

well, it does sounds decent, i still need some more bass though. But if i got an dac/amp would it sound different, and in what way?

ProtegeManiac said:
If you jut buy a DAC, you can't use it with the M30X without a headphone amp, either separately or a headphone amp circuit built into the same box as the DAC.

And unless what you're using it with has very serious issues with its amp design - like a smartphone with a really bad audio chip - I would doubt a cheap unit will be an improvement.
Click to expand...

So i should get an DAC/amp, just not around that price?
 
Feb 15, 2018 at 10:21 AM Post #8 of 15
alti0204 said:
well, it does sounds decent, i still need some more bass though. But if i got an dac/amp would it sound different, and in what way?
Click to expand...

It's hard to say what differences you would find because it may depend on what dac and/or amp. Generally speaking, you'd hopefully get better detail, a cleaner signal, and more dynamic range (the difference between the loudest and quietest parts of a track).

If you're specifically looking for more bass, then fiio portable units are probably a good option, because most of their units have a bass boost switch. However, have you tried using EQ to increase the bass? Given that you're on a tight budget, that might solve the problem without the need to buy a new piece of hardware.
 
Feb 15, 2018 at 11:50 AM Post #9 of 15
alti0204 said:
btw, fiio k1 is definitely reasonable, but is it good though?
Click to expand...
For a $50 budget, that's about the best you could get.
Your Dell comes with a Realtek audio processor(DSP), but without knowing which model of Realtek DSP is used in it, it not easy to say how much of a noticeable improvement the K1 will make.
Selling off the ATH-M30X and putting all money towards a better headphone might be a better choice.

Edit, here is a low cost ($17) DAC/amp.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/X5-PCM2706...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
 
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Feb 15, 2018 at 3:49 PM Post #10 of 15
Are you happy with the sound you currently have? If you are, just stop there and enjoy your new purchase. I've never heard the M30x, but HPs at that price point aren't usually designed to require (or benefit) from a good source.

If $50 was the extent of my budget, I would forget I was ever on this forum and come back when I could comfortably afford to spend more. There's the temptation for "just a little bit more"... before you know it you're spending the next 1+ years paying off the credit card bill.
 
Feb 15, 2018 at 5:11 PM Post #11 of 15
I would say that it isnt really worth it to buy a dac/amp at this point. If you find the audio coming from your computer lacking I would use your phone. My phones dac is a lot better than my laptops. (I have LG V20, most phones are pretty decent.)
 
Feb 15, 2018 at 7:17 PM Post #13 of 15
alti0204 said:
thx for the help, everyone. really appreciate it. I'll wait till i get a better headphone though.
Click to expand...
I don’t think that is a bad choice at all not that I’m adverse to buying new gear as I have probably too much but I try to do what makes more sense not that wins out all the time. Unless your getting lots of computer noise your better off with better headphones than a amp/dac just my thought.
 
Feb 16, 2018 at 8:30 AM Post #14 of 15
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