[Impulsive]

well, i dont see any barrier either.
Now it is playing sound which i am satisfied with, and new amp soon to come
so there is really no problem

 

[Ishcabible]

Quote:

^ High-impedance loads are easier to drive than low-impedance ones. Volume shouldn't be a problem either with the E-MU, so I don't think there's a barrier.

Actually, my main gripe for the EMU is that for even 50ohm loads with decent sensitivity (If I have this impedance thing right, it's easier to coax volume from low impedance loads, but harder to properly drive) need to be at 1 o'clock for my listening levels (which are kind of high admittedly). 600ohm loads need to be at 3 o'clock. I don't have his Beyers, so I can only speak for myself, but my AKG's start to show some distortion at 3.

 

[infinitesymphony]

16 mW @ 22 ohms seems awfully low for 600-ohm headphones. My impression of the headphone section on the 0404 USB (which is rated slightly higher at 20 mW @ 22 ohms) is that the sound quality is nothing special, unlike the main outputs. It seems more like a practical inclusion than a major feature of the device.

 

[Ishcabible]

Quote:

16 mW @ 22 ohms seems awfully low for 600-ohm headphones. My impression of the headphone section on the 0404 USB (which is rated slightly higher at 20 mW @ 22 ohms) is that the sound quality is nothing special, unlike the main outputs. It seems more like a practical inclusion than a major feature of the device.

I'm pretty sure that was EMU's goal was. It's a $130 audio interface; they won't put too much effort in the headphone out. I mostly use it for its DAC, which is decent.

 

[evanft]

Quote:

this is weird.
i tried same music using asio and not using it, and i do not hear any audible difference.
what is worse, is, that i hear no audible difference between my integrated laptop sound card and emu..
i am deaf or what the heck?
what i am doing wrong?
Current serup is E-mu 0204 > DT 880
There was no WOW effect when i firstly played music via it.
It was ....exactly as via laptop sound card.
What the....

The difference in DAC's is highly, highly overrated, but the 0204 is not made for the Beyers. A dedicated amp is required for those.

 

[Impulsive]

yeah i know.
Amp is on the way.

 

[erod]

Hello everyone. I was looking for a DAC/amp combo that woould allow me to connect headphones and speakers at the same time. I was also looking for a good price. This E-MU unit seems like a perfect fit.I just have some questions that maybe you can answer.
 
Will the headphone amp be enough to drive Denon D2000 or D5000?
 
Will the amp be powerful enough to drive passive bookshelf speakers?
 
If not, will it work well with active bookshelf speakers?
 
If anybody has any suggestions on other DAC/amps for this purpose, I would love to hear them.

 

[Ishcabible]

It doesn't power passive speakers. I don't have active speakers, but I don't see why it wouldn't work well with them.
 
And enough is a relative term. You'll get more than enough volume, but the amp section in this is kind of an after thought. It's really not much better than onboard.

 

[erod]

Ok, thanks for answering. But now I have another question.
 
I thought the amp's intended purpose was to provide adequate current for proper volume.
 
So i guess the question is, what would be the benefit of using E-MU as DAC only and getting a different amp?
 
What does another, possibly more expensive amp offer that this unit doesn't?
 
I thought the improvement in sound quality came primarily from the DAC.

 

[Ishcabible]

Voltage. I have no idea how power hungry your headphones are, but if they aren't given enough power, they lack in general finesse. As far as DACs go, I'm not the one to talk to about that.

 

[infinitesymphony]

erod, the E-MU 0204 USB does not have any volume control for the main outputs, nor any speaker-level outputs, so in that sense it is like any other DAC. You will need volume control (preamplification) and power (power amplification) after the audio interface in order to make it work with passive speakers. Active speakers have built-in power amplifiers but they will still need a volume knob. If you need to drive passive speakers and power headphones you may want to look at home theater receivers (multi-channel, multi-input) or integrated amplifiers (audio only). You could split up the system in a number of ways, really.
 
Edit: Though I guess you could control volume through software. Too scary for me.

 

[erod]

Thanks for the answers. I suppose I'm looking for something like the NuForce Icon HDP in terms of functionality, but at a better price.
 
There must be a way of coupling the E-MU with a speaker amplifier that would give me the same functionality at a lower price.
 
I'm sure the headphone amp in the E-MU will be enough for me, as I intend to use Denon D2000 or D5000.
 
So another question arises. Is there a decent, well-priced speaker amplifier that I can use in conjuction with the E-MU to at least control volume on active speakers?
 
 

 

[Ishcabible]

Quote:

Thanks for the answers. I suppose I'm looking for something like the NuForce Icon HDP in terms of functionality, but at a better price.
 
There must be a way of coupling the E-MU with a speaker amplifier that would give me the same functionality at a lower price.
 
I'm sure the headphone amp in the E-MU will be enough for me, as I intend to use Denon D2000 or D5000.
 
So another question arises. Is there a decent, well-priced speaker amplifier that I can use in conjuction with the E-MU to at least control volume on active speakers?
 
 

 
Oh, you can totally connect an amp to the 0204. I have a receiver connected to the 0204 and use the EMU as a DAC.
 
If you're looking for amp cheap amp suggestions, get either a T-Amp or a vintage receiver. (There's a huge thread about them)
 
 

 

[RonaldDumsfeld]

In the olden days your integrated amplifier or receiver performed two functions.
 
First it connected and drove your loudspeakers/headphones.
 
It also acted as a kind of switch. You connected and sometimes balanced all your various sources (TT, CD, radio etc) and maybe a tape monitor. Then used the amp controls to switch between them.
 
Since nowadays your audio interface (DAC/ADC) box performs all the switching (and more, much more) it makes the most sense to buy active speakers. This is one of the main drivers behind the current popularity of self powered desktop monitors.
 
So if you don't already own a pair of speakers you really like then you should look at active sysems first.
 
Otherwise, if you do need separate amplification, don't sweat it. You should get a clean, flat signal out of anything on the market. I'd probably choose something from Samson because I've been impressed by the cost:quality relationship you get from semi-pro audio but I also own a early 9Ts era japanese receiver and it's still going strong.
 
Most important though. I'd get the EM-U first and have a mess about with it before you commit to spending even more dosh. You may be surprised at how it changes your way of thinking and discover a load of interesting possibilities you didn't know existed. So you will want something different to what you think you want now. If you get me?

 

[erod]

Yes, i get it. Thanks for the answers and suggestions. E-MU will most likely be a purchase. It's definitely priced right.
 
As far as amps, I see there are many choices. I recently read a reviw on the Dayens Ampino and it seemed good for the money, especially since it can drive big audiphile speakers. That will most likely be my long term path. But for now, I guess I'll be fine with small active speakers.