[koreanoverlord]

I have just ordered my first pair of proper headphones. I ended up getting the M50S.
 
I plan on using them on both my computer for music and gaming and with my phone. (I will eventually get something more portable later)
 
So I have the choice between getting a HTC One M8 Harmon/Kardon over a Vanilla M8 or a ~$100 souncard or dac and amp.
 
From what I've heard about the H/K M8 is that all of the differences might only be software based EQ adjustments and a modified DSP... however I also heard that the Harmon/Kardon features "Custom amps for the front speakers" and a higher quality DAC. Would I actually get a better listening experience with this phone?
 
Or should I just get a soundcard for my computer. Right now I am using an onboard Realtek ALC889 based codec which I heard is pretty good for onboard audio.
 
Thank you so much!

 

[billybob_jcv]

The branded audio on smart phones is mostly just marketing hype. I had a Win8 phone that includes "Beats Audio" - as far as I could tell it was just an equalizer preset to boost the bass & treble. Luckily, I didn't pay extra for it (I didn't even know it had it until the phone was delivered). I never used it. According to the Cnet review I saw, the H/K M8 includes different speakers, a bunch of useless software and a pair of H/K AE model IEMs.

I think you would be better off with an inexpensive DAC/Amp that you can use on your PC, like the Fiio E10K.

 

[koreanoverlord]

The branded audio on smart phones is mostly just marketing hype. I had a Win8 phone that includes "Beats Audio" - as far as I could tell it was just an equalizer preset to boost the bass & treble. Luckily, I didn't pay extra for it (I didn't even know it had it until the phone was delivered). I never used it. According to the Cnet review I saw, the H/K M8 includes different speakers, a bunch of useless software and a pair of H/K AE model IEMs.

I think you would be better off with an inexpensive DAC/Amp that you can use on your PC, like the Fiio E10K.

Well I know it has "Clari-Fi" and "LiveStage" which is just a software based EQ adjustment, and the ability to play 192Khz files without downsampling (which TBH I will not use, since I use mainly Spotify). But from most of the product pages it says something about custom amps for the speakers and a higher quality DAC... but reviews tend to not say anything about it. I have also heard that Sprint M8's have better audio quality when using headphones over a non Sprint M8, so there if also that thing to consider too. Has anybody used the H/K IEMs?
 
Also, from googling if getting a soundcard or DAC I've seen people comparing typical onboard audio to the Xonar DGX. I have also seen a lot of people say that the specific onboard I currently have is actually really good if you do not have high impedance headphones.
 
Thank you for helping me, I know these kinds of questions can get annoying.