[idkwhatimdoin]

Hey guys, newbie here with some questions,
Im looking for a sub 100$ DAC/Amp to use with my S5 / Laptop and Senn. HD280 Pro
Ive looked into the Fiio E07K / E10k and Schiit Fulla, out of the 3 I believe only the E07K can run standalone on OTG while others need dedicated power
So my main questions are, will I notice a difference by using a DAC/Amp with my S5 (Snapdragon) ?
And which DAC/Amp would you recommend? Im all ears for suggestions and other DAC/Amp recommendations so long as theyre within the budget

Oh I also use Spotify 90% of the time if that affects anything

 

[cel4145]

So my main questions are, will I notice a difference by using a DAC/Amp with my S5 (Snapdragon) ?

Do you run your phone at or near the maximum volume with your headphones? If so, then likely the dynamics are being squashed/distorted. So a more powerful headphone amp than the internal one would help.

And if so, the Galaxy S5 scored really well in this audio test when used with an external amp: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s5-review-1064p8.php

I'd go for the Fiio E11K headphone amp and not worry about an external DAC, too.

 

[idkwhatimdoin]

Okay I'll definitely look into that, I usually listen to my music at 75-80% volume
Thanks a lot !

 

[kimvictor]

To be honest, amp is almost unnecessary for almost all entry gears. As long as you get enough volume, you shouldn't worry about it. It won't really make much of a difference. Phones nowadays perform as well as entry level DACs in terms of things like noise and range(S5 can outperform many cheaper portable DAC set up). So unless you don't get enough volume, I don't really recommend getting an amp. It's a bit of a hassle to carry with your phone.
 
Your laptop, however is a bit different. Unless you have top of the line laptop or a mac, the hp out is quite crappy. In that case, you need a DAC+amp, not just an amp. Connecting an amp to crappy output will only amplify crap, so it won't do any good. So you would need a DAC.

 

[idkwhatimdoin]

Alright good stuff, glad I posted here before I made a pointless purchase
Thanks for the responses guys