[squib323]

I was planning on getting my first set of headphones and now it turns out it will be pointless since I'll be using it on my laptop. I was planning on getting a Ultrasone HFI-780.

Since the sound card thing says "HD" (its IDT High Definition Audio Codec) I've always assumed it wouldn't matter. But apparently it does.

Are there any cheap solutions? Like around $50? Maybe $100 at most? I don't know what to get exactly to remedy the sound card. Would anyone kindly explain?

 

[smallcaps]

i would recommend getting an external soundcard, better known as a DAC. the range and breath of functionality is wide and can range from inexpensive to luxury. if you want something cheap and simple that works, i have had good experience with the creative usb sound card range. if you want something that will be better but costs more, i can recommend the ibasso d10. it is a portable headphone amp/dac that can connect to several types of sources including your laptop. you can do this most easily with usb. there are several posts in this forum regarding DACs and dac/amps and even how they sounds with your choice of headphones. use the search function and have fun.

 

[smallcaps]

this post has a pile of info:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f105/u...ce-xm5-306883/

 

[iriverdude]

A soundcard is more than a DAC.
I'd either look at a USB soundcard/headphone amp or to save space, a cardbus one.

 

[squib323]

HOTUSB1 [HOTUSB1] - $65.00 : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce

^ That seems incredibly promising

Can anyone confirm if its good, and if it will work well with the HFI-780s?

 

[NiceCans]

1- get the headphones
2- listen
3- after extended listening decide

If you are uncertain after listening you can compare the output from your laptop to some other source (home stereo, CD player, other people's sources, good stuff at a high end stereo shop, etc) and see if you notice a significant difference. If you find that to your ears your laptop is lacking, then shop around for an external sound card, a usb DAC, etc.

To say that it is pointless if you will use the laptop as a source is IMO a great exaggeration.

 

[squib323]

Really? I just recently heard, from the headphonics forum's admin; "your audio setup will only sound as good as the worst component" (ie laptop's sound source). Thanks though, I'll consider it.

Quote:

HOTUSB1 [HOTUSB1] - $65.00 : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce ^ That seems incredibly promising Can anyone confirm if its good, and if it will work well with the HFI-780s?

can anyone confirm it?

 

[apatN]

Good things have been said here already. Get the pair of headphones and decide for yourself. Also a DAC isn't the same as a sound card.
I can already tell you that you will like the headphone upgrade but that your sound card won't be bringing them to their full potential.

 

[saintalfonzo]

If you can output a pure digital signal through spdif or toslink from your laptop, you don't need to get another soundcard. Just get a dac. The Zero is about $100.