[mixman]

I have a question for you studio guys. Would it be better as far as SQ to get a dedicated AMP/DAC for my headphones and Studio Monitors such as an Audio-gd NFB-28.28 or an audio interface such as an RME Babyface Pro? Either option would cost about $750. I would like to be able to handle tough HPs as well as be the DAC for my studio monitors. The cool thing about the RME is I will have software to configure the setup, not sure what I could use with the Audio-gd or any other headphone / amp combo.

 

[mixman]

Anyone?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I have a question for you studio guys. Would it be better as far as SQ to get a dedicated AMP/DAC for my headphones and Studio Monitors such as an Audio-gd NFB-28.28 or an audio interface such as an RME Babyface Pro? Either option would cost about $750. I would like to be able to handle tough HPs as well as be the DAC for my studio monitors. The cool thing about the RME is I will have software to configure the setup, not sure what I could use with the Audio-gd or any other headphone / amp combo.

Very, very, generally, interfaces are better on the input side than the headphone output side as their headphone amps tend to suck - very high output impedance, power barely more than what you get out of an iPad (if not less), etc.

if you're recording then there's no getting around the need for the interface. At best, you can get around the crap headphone amps (or crap for the money headphone amps, because your money's going to what matters in an interface - DAC and ADC plus the mic preamps).

If you'll just listen or you record in a studio and then do the mix on that computer then might as well get the DAC-HPamp. If by software set up you mean USB drivers then sure they come with that....if the USB DAC doesn't use generic Windows drivers. Otherwise they're plug and play via SPDIF.

 

[mixman]

Very, very, generally, interfaces are better on the input side than the headphone output side as their headphone amps tend to suck - very high output impedance, power barely more than what you get out of an iPad (if not less), etc.

if you're recording then there's no getting around the need for the interface. At best, you can get around the crap headphone amps (or crap for the money headphone amps, because your money's going to what matters in an interface - DAC and ADC plus the mic preamps).

If you'll just listen or you record in a studio and then do the mix on that computer then might as well get the DAC-HPamp. If by software set up you mean USB drivers then sure they come with that....if the USB DAC doesn't use generic Windows drivers. Otherwise they're plug and play via SPDIF.

That's kind of what I figured, that the hp sections of the interfaces weren't too good. Now I do see something like the Audio-gd in which I could use the balanced outputs for my studio monitors. Maybe I will just continue to use my Audient ID14 for my instruments. By software I meant interface software where you can configure the setup.

 

[PurpleAngel]

I have a question for you studio guys. Would it be better as far as SQ to get a dedicated AMP/DAC for my headphones and Studio Monitors such as an Audio-gd NFB-28.28 or an audio interface such as an RME Babyface Pro? Either option would cost about $750. I would like to be able to handle tough HPs as well as be the DAC for my studio monitors. The cool thing about the RME is I will have software to configure the setup, not sure what I could use with the Audio-GD or any other headphone / amp combo.

If you got the AI (Audio Interface) now, you could always in the future daisy chain a headphone amplifier off the AI's line-output (RCA, 1/4", XLR) and connect the headphone amplifier's line-output (RCA, 1/4" XLR) to the line-input, on the studio monitors, if the AI has S/PDIF (optical/coaxial) digital output, then you can connect a fully separate DAC and headphone amplifier, to the AI.
And you get the software that is included in the price of the AI
For analyzing audio, lower costing studio monitoring headphones, like the Sony MDR-V6 or MDR-7506, cost around $100 can can easily be driving directly by an AI's headphone jack.
And buy second headphones, Maybe spend $150 (+ tax/shipping) for "fun listening" headphones, like the Massdrop/Sennheiser HD58X.

Now an external DAC/amp. like from Audio-GD (compared to an AI), would come with a better DAC chip, a more powerful built in headphone amplifier and assorted line-outputs (RCA, 1/4", XLR) to connect to the studio monitors. The Audio-GD would feed it's really nice DAC function to the studio monitors.
But it seems like you would also have to buy a separate USB input (Mic or line-input), for feeding analog audio, into the computer.
Plus having to buy a separate audio processing software (for mixing, editing, creating).

Guess it depends on your budget?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

That's kind of what I figured, that the hp sections of the interfaces weren't too good. Now I do see something like the Audio-gd in which I could use the balanced outputs for my studio monitors. Maybe I will just continue to use my Audient ID14 for my instruments. By software I meant interface software where you can configure the setup.

Yep just save up for the AudioGD and then later use the ID14 just for the input side.

 

[PurpleAngel]

That's kind of what I figured, that the hp sections of the interfaces weren't too good. Now I do see something like the Audio-GD in which I could use the balanced outputs for my studio monitors. Maybe I will just continue to use my Audient ID14 for my instruments. By software I meant interface software where you can configure the setup.

You could hook up a headphone amplifier, between the Audient ID14's line-output and the studio monitors.
If the Audient ID14's line-output jacks (TRS 1/4"), support an un-balanced connection (use TS 1/4" Mono plugs), you have lots of options, for headphone amplifiers, that come with both an analog input and analog output jacks.
If the Audient ID14's line-output jacks only support a balanced connection, then the price goes up for head amp options, for between the ID 14 and studio monitor speakers.