ftb
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2009
- Posts
- 6
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In advance, I really appreciate the time anyone takes to help me with my probably stupid questions.
I understand a DAC to be a chip (or stand-alone device) that converts a digital signal into an analogue one to be fed into normal audio equipment. So computer sound cards have them, mp3 players have them, etc, which is why you can plug headphones straight into them and get sound straight away.
Which brings me to not understanding why you buy extra DACs, plug them into your sources, and have better sound. If the source has already converted it into a final signal, why would the signal you get out of your extra DAC you plugged in be any different, unless it's changed or added something to the output signal of the source? Wouldn't another DAC only be useful if you bypassed the first DAC being used in the source? - which, as I understand it, you are not doing by plugging an external DAC into the output of your laptop soundcard and then listening to your headphones from that DAC?
I'm obviously missing something, so please enlighten me
I understand a DAC to be a chip (or stand-alone device) that converts a digital signal into an analogue one to be fed into normal audio equipment. So computer sound cards have them, mp3 players have them, etc, which is why you can plug headphones straight into them and get sound straight away.
Which brings me to not understanding why you buy extra DACs, plug them into your sources, and have better sound. If the source has already converted it into a final signal, why would the signal you get out of your extra DAC you plugged in be any different, unless it's changed or added something to the output signal of the source? Wouldn't another DAC only be useful if you bypassed the first DAC being used in the source? - which, as I understand it, you are not doing by plugging an external DAC into the output of your laptop soundcard and then listening to your headphones from that DAC?
I'm obviously missing something, so please enlighten me