[daweinah]

With my old computer, I had a ridiculous, window-shaking amount of bass that I always had to keep dialed down. Now I've got a place to myself to crank it but my current computer produces very little bass!
 
The speakers are connected to the green 3.5mm jack.
Plugging the 3.5mm jack into my phone and playing the same song from Spotify phone gives noticeably more bass.
 
Will a USB DAC+Amp like the Fiio E10K help me get my bass back?
 
Motherboard: Asrock Z77 Extreme4 w/ Realtek ALC898
Speakers: Klipsch Promedia 2.1
Headphones: Sennheiser HD485

 

[PleasantSounds]

An external DAC would give you similar tonality as the phone, probably with somewhat better sound quality. But that may not be the best way for you.
 
Most likely you will be able to get similar sound from your PC as is, without any investment. I'm guessing here, but check if your realtek driver is not set to 7.1 sound or something like that - in this case most of the low frequencies for L+R channels would be filtered out and passed to the subwoofer channel (which you are not using). What you want is a pure stereo, no virtual surround, and full range front speakers.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Yes, it's really the only part of the equation your missing. There are sound cards too which you can add, as little as $29.

Think maybe a Sound Blaster card will improve your audio, still any of those stand alone USD Dacs (about $100) will get you tremendous improvements!

Enjoy!

Though not familiar with the bass response of your personal earphones? Normally you get good bass from ...


1) file of music
2) DAC
3) amp used
4) headphone personality


It's normally a ratio of these things.
http://www.head-fi.org/products/audioquest-dragonfly-v1-2-usb-dac

 

[daweinah]

  Most likely you will be able to get similar sound from your PC as is, without any investment. I'm guessing here, but check if your realtek driver is not set to 7.1 sound or something like that - in this case most of the low frequencies for L+R channels would be filtered out and passed to the subwoofer channel (which you are not using). What you want is a pure stereo, no virtual surround, and full range front speakers.

Thanks. I think I had Virtual Surround enabled before reinstalling the drivers. It's off now. I feel like there is some improvement compared to when I started messing with the settings today, so that probably explains how that happened. Still not as near as bassy as it was with the old computer though

 

[brkitup]

I would definitely try an external DAC like the Dragonfly Black to bypass the computer's soundcard and settings all together, and hand off the duties to the Dragonfly.

 

[daweinah]

Thanks everyone! I ordered a Dragonfly Black today.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  With my old computer, I had a ridiculous, window-shaking amount of bass that I always had to keep dialed down. Now I've got a place to myself to crank it but my current computer produces very little bass!
 
The speakers are connected to the green 3.5mm jack.
Plugging the 3.5mm jack into my phone and playing the same song from Spotify phone gives noticeably more bass.
 
Will a USB DAC+Amp like the Fiio E10K help me get my bass back?
 
Motherboard: Asrock Z77 Extreme4 w/ Realtek ALC898
Speakers: Klipsch Promedia 2.1
Headphones: Sennheiser HD485

 
In the computer's audio settings (Realtek).
Make sure it is set for 2.0-channel Speaker output, not Headphone output.
That should be the best setting for the on-board to send a signal to the Klipsch.
 
Makes sure the Window's volume controls are set to at least 75%, even better 100%.
Have you double checked the Klipsch's sub-woofer setting? 

 

[Redcarmoose]

Thanks everyone! I ordered a Dragonfly Black today.

This will be fun, report back!

 

[daweinah]

   
In the computer's audio settings (Realtek).
Make sure it is set for 2.0-channel Speaker output, not Headphone output.
That should be the best setting for the on-board to send a signal to the Klipsch.
 
Makes sure the Window's volume controls are set to at least 75%, even better 100%.
Have you double checked the Klipsch's sub-woofer setting? 

I have the Windows sound > Playback > Speakers > Configure Speakers set to Speakers Full-range Front left and right
Doesn't seem to change no matter what I set there.
 
I had Windows at 20% and the speakers turned up. Now Windows is 100% and the speaker volume knob is set much lower to get the same overall loudness. No real change in the sub.
Even if I crank it, the sub doesn't start to hit. The subwoofer knob is maxxed out.