[Cla55clown]

Hi all, first post! This site is amazing and I've enjoyed lurking here for awhile. Just ordered my first set of quality headphones and I want to get the most out of them. I know I don't need a amp to drive them but I'm a little confused about the DAC part of the equation. I'll be using my cans with 4 different devices: My laptop, Android smartphone, Nook Color, and my desktop rig when I'm at home. I travel a lot and am looking for a portable solution for improved SQ. Is it really necessary for me to buy an external DAC or DAC/amp combo at this time? Is the DAC built into these devices "good enough" for the time being or should I pony up and get a E7 or D-zero? 

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Hi all, first post! This site is amazing and I've enjoyed lurking here for awhile. Just ordered my first set of quality headphones and I want to get the most out of them. I know I don't need a amp to drive them but I'm a little confused about the DAC part of the equation. I'll be using my cans with 4 different devices: My laptop, Android smartphone, Nook Color, and my desktop rig when I'm at home. I travel a lot and am looking for a portable solution for improved SQ. Is it really necessary for me to buy an external DAC or DAC/amp combo at this time? Is the DAC built into these devices "good enough" for the time being or should I pony up and get a E7 or D-zero? 

What headphonesdid you get?
All those devices come with a built in DAC,
Almost any device that stores audio and outputs audio will have a DAC.
Computers usually come with a low cost DAC.
Something like a Fiio E11 will work with all your devices.
 
 
 

 

[Cla55clown]

Picked up some Ultrasone HFI-580s. I figured they would all have that component albeit a cheap one I suppose since most mainstream manufacturers don't put much money there. So, your advice would be to skip the combo (amp/DAC) and just go with a solid amp like the Fiio you mentioned? Thanks for the reply.

 

[Roller]

If you're not using an internal soundcard for your desktop or an external one for either your desktop or laptop, then you certainly should get a DAC as soon as possible, it will give you rather significant improvements to SQ.
 
For something within a lower budget, the FiiO E7 has the advantage of being both a DAC and a headphone amplifier in one unit.

 

[Cla55clown]

See, that's what I'm wondering about...Will an external (i.e. better quality) DAC give me a noticeable improvement in my SQ? You say YES in your reply. I just built my desktop last month and am currently using the integrated audio that came on the Asus Z68 motherboard. Far from the best, I know, but a discrete PCI soundcard will be installed in the future (probably a Xonar). I just feel my Android, NookColor, and laptop would benefit from an external DAC. Just to clear things up for me, a DAC is synonymous with "soundcard" correct? I feel like you guys know what you're talking about so thanks for providing me some insight. I have researched the D-zero and E7 and they're both in my price range.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Picked up some Ultrasone HFI-580s. I figured they would all have that component albeit a cheap one I suppose since most mainstream manufacturers don't put much money there. So, your advice would be to skip the combo (amp/DAC) and just go with a solid amp like the Fiio you mentioned? Thanks for the reply.

Well, I know you can hook up an external USB/DAC to the laptop and the desktop computer.
The Fiio E10 USB/DAC/headphone amplifier would work with both of those.
i just did not know if the Android Smartphone and Nook Color have a have a digital output for hooking up an external DAC to.
So i left the DAC out of my recommendations, hopeful that someone else had answers on that.
 
Where as the E11 uses an analog input, so it should at least work with all four of your devices.

 
 
 

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

See, that's what I'm wondering about...Will an external (i.e. better quality) DAC give me a noticeable improvement in my SQ? You say YES in your reply. I just built my desktop last month and am currently using the integrated audio that came on the Asus Z68 motherboard. Far from the best, I know, but a discrete PCI soundcard will be installed in the future (probably a Xonar). I just feel my Android, NookColor, and laptop would benefit from an external DAC. Just to clear things up for me, a DAC is synonymous with "soundcard" correct? I feel like you guys know what you're talking about so thanks for providing me some insight. I have researched the D-zero and E7 and they're both in my price range.

Just about anything that deals with digital audio and outputs sound will have a DAC.
TVs, mp3 players, iPods, computers, stereo receivers, sound cards, etc. come with a DAC (Digital to Analog Converter).
audio today is all in a digital (zeros & ones) format, but we hear in analog (wave).
 
 
 

 

[Cla55clown]

I've hacked my NookColor to death so I have USB host support working on it (thanks to the devs over at XDA). My HTC Evo, however, will have to do with just the external amp functionality since it doesn't have USB host working on it (yet) that I know of. 

 

[Roller]

First of all, what are your listening habits? Music, games, movies? Because depending on that, different recommendations will be given.
 
And yes, a soundcard (containing a DAC) or an external DAC will noticeably improve your SQ in any of those devices you listed. And despite you having a recent motherboard, onboard audio chips continue to be an afterthought by the manufacturers, exposed to EMI and other issues, as well as continuing to have lower specs than dedicated DACs.

 

[Cla55clown]

My headphone listening will almost solely be music. Don't game much and I watch movies in the living room sans headphones. My music preferences are pretty wide. I like most all genres except classical, opera, and jazz. On any given day I may listen to Deadmau5, Modest Mouse, Ryan Adams, Daft Punk, The Doors, Brad Paisley, etc.

 

[Roller]

In that case I think you should skip the gaming oriented DACs and go with either a FiiO E7, E10 or E17, each increasing in quality as well as in price. The fact that they're all USB DAC-Amp combos means you can use them on all your devices.
 
EDIT: Typo fix.

 

[Cla55clown]

Quote:

In that case I think you should skip the gaming oriented DACs and go with either a FiiO E7, E10 or E17, each increasing in quality as well as in price. The fact that they're all USB DAC-Amp combos means you can use them on all your devices.
 
EDIT: Typo fix.

One more quick question: Would you recommend the iBasso D-zero in this class of DAC/amp? I don't mind spending a little more $ than the cost of the FiiO E7. Thanks for helping me get started.

 

[Roller]

Quote:

One more quick question: Would you recommend the iBasso D-zero in this class of DAC/amp? I don't mind spending a little more $ than the cost of the FiiO E7. Thanks for helping me get started.

Specs wise, I wouldn't get the D-Zero, as the USB receiver chip limits the DAC performance. My suggestion would be for you to get the FiiO E10, keeping things in the same budget zone but with improved performance.