[qanda]

Pre-emptive TLDR:
Looking for a transportable external soundcard/DAC to drive non-audiophile cans and enhance laptop audio for music, films AND casual gaming (no competitive FPS type stuff). Need advice on ideal devices and features.
 
---
 
I will soon be moving from a desktop environment (Creative Fatality X-fi Platinum internal soundcard) to a laptop-only environment (onboard "Realtek ALC665 5.1-Channel High Definition Audio Codec"). Hoping to mitigate the audio downgrade with a transportable external soundcard/DAC or other recommended solution--something that can easily be thrown in a bag/suitcase about six times a year (love the FiiO E10 form factor). 
 
Headphones: Haven't decided yet (whole other thread), but nothing higher-end than AD700s. Please advise if that needs to be sorted before trying to determine the above.
 
Interests are music (indie rock, blues, trip hop, dubstep), films and games (mostly "cinematic" RPGs, e.g. Skyrim; League of Legends; NO competitive FPS games).
 
 
Order of importance:
Music > Films = Games
 
Music is most important, but films and games are tied for close second. I want everything to sound at least good/great--and better than the stock experience provided by Realtek. But a superlative music experience will not justify average/poor sounding games, nor vice versa.
 
So...
 
What type of external device best suits my needs?
USB soundcard? DAC? Other?
 
What features should I be looking for?
I've seen a lot of threads referencing Dolby Headphone (mostly positive) and CMSS (mostly negative), among others. Do I need 5.1/surround virtualization? Do I need to avoid it? I realize the need for an amp depends on the phones I choose, but doubt it'll be anything crazy hard to drive.
 
Any recommended devices?
I think the Astro MixAmp comes closest to what I'm looking for, but decided to just ask the knowledgeable community here first. Remember to keep it portable please.
 
 
Cheers very much.
 
 

 

[audionewbieyao]

The Astromix amp looks like a 2 piece combo, you sure that's good for travel?
Perhaps just look at Asus Xonar U3 or Creative's solutions.
U3 has pretty good review, and talking about portable, it's just a thumb big.

 

[qanda]

Thanks for responding. I was referring to the MixAmp Pro which is one unit; I agree that a combo solution like the 5.8 or the FiiO E7+E9 would be less than ideal, but I'm editing the OP to revise my portability requirements. The U3 looks alright, but should I be worried about the 16-bit/48kHz limitation or the baseline build quality?
 
More importantly, do you think I need positional audio and surround virtualization in order to fully enjoy movies and non-FPS games? The more I read, the less convinced I am that CMSS 3D/Dolby Headphone/etc. would create a better experience than proper stereo sound delivered by a quality DAC.
 
If so, would the FiiO E10 be a good all-round improvement for music/movies/no-frills stereo gaming?
 
Sorry in advance for mixing/misusing terms. I am quite nub at all this.