[jamesino]

Hi,
 
I am relatively new to this. I have had a Senn HD 595 for a year now and I'm looking to squeeze some more quality out of it. I exclusively listen to flacs and 320 kbps mp3's from my Dell XPS 15 laptop and I'm confused with some of the terminology and components that I need. Just by plugging the speaker into my laptop, I get pretty good sound, but I heard if I get an amp it will sound better?
 
I am interested in the FiiO E9 amp on Amazon. How does this work exactly? I plug in the amp to an AC outlet and then plug it into the headphone jack on my laptop and then connect my 595's to the E9? I would imagine the soundcard on my laptop will affect the audio performance right? I believe it is the regular IDT soundcard, is there a way to improve the card without taking apart the computer and installing a new one?
 
What is the E7 DAC? Is the DAC the same as a soundcard? If so, will the E7 DAC be better than the soundcard DAC on my laptop? How much performance difference is there between the E7 alone vs E9 alone vs E7+E9 and which one should I get if I could only get one?
 
Thanks!

 

[ssrock64]

If your computer has advanced EQ settings you can try to modify it out, but you can't change a bad sound card. While an amp would certainly improve things and the E9 is a good amp, if you don't have an upgraded sound card I'd recommend the E7/E9 combo. The E7 DAC basically acts as an off-board sound card that is better than your onboard one, and the E9 plugs right into it like an iPod Touch. It's a good deal as far as amp/DAC combos go.
 
Sincerely,

 

[Danthrax]

If money is an issue or you just want to try things out and see if it makes a difference you might want to go with this http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10-USB-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B005VO7LG6/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top