[Vikingatheart]

I was listening to my Grado sr80is through my MacBook and thought they sounded OK, but I was expecting a bit more. I than did the following and it sounds so much better. At least I think it does. My question is, have I done something that will actually improve the sound or am I just hearing something that my mind wants to hear?
 
The steps are showed in these pictures:
 
Step 1 - 
Step 2 - 
Step 3 - 
Step 4 -
 
Sorry for the photos. When I email them from my iPhone to my computer, they flip and I don't really have the time to fix that. Also I am NOT using the little Samson mixer/amp thing on the corner of the table thing. 
 
So I am pretty much just using the headphone jack on my MacBook and using some sort of 1/8 to A/V converter, which goes into this Sony "Micro Hi-Fi Component System" that my parents let me have. This also allows me to play from the nice speakers that come with the system 

 
 
EDIT: If this is something extremely obvious, I'm sorry. I am not trolling

 

[Eric_C]

Well you're running the signal through a lot more components, so it's entirely possible the sound has changed.
If you're not a cable believer, then the extra cables you're using can only have 2 possible effects:
1. Signal degradation
2. No signal degradation (just passing along the signal)
Which would mean that the sound must be changed inside the Micro Hi-Fi.
 
Perhaps the Sony's amp/headphone jack "warms" up the sound? In general, a slightly warmer tone is more pleasing to the ear.

 

[Vikingatheart]

 
 
Quote:

Perhaps the Sony's amp/headphone jack "warms" up the sound? In general, a slightly warmer tone is more pleasing to the ear.

That is exactly how I would describe the sound, warmer. The bass is seems tighter, the mids seem more fluid, and the already sparkly highs seem, well... well a little more sparkly 

 

[Eric_C]

So awesome that you've improved your setup for nearly 0 added cost.

 

[Vikingatheart]

Quote:

So awesome that you've improved your setup for nearly 0 added cost.

I know! I'm pretty amped (pun intended 

). I am, however, going to be getting an Amp/DAC combo for Christmas. I noticed that there is a some background noise I need to get rid of. I can only hear on really soft songs though. Is there a technical name for the noise I am hearing? Its pretty much just fuzz.

 

[Eric_C]

I think "background noise" is as technical as it gets for most. It's sometimes described as a "hiss".

 

[Vikingatheart]

Quote:

I think "background noise" is as technical as it gets for most. It's sometimes described as a "hiss".

Ok, cool. I was wondering if it was the same thing as noise floor or whatever. I probably sound like an idiot right now, but I am fairly new to this audio thing

 

[Eric_C]

Oh yeah! Noise floor is another term people use to describe that sound.
The absence of it tends to be called a "black" background. 

 

[Vikingatheart]

Thanks for the info 

 

[JRG1990]

Use shielded cables and the hiss should lessen or disappear, none of them cables look shielded to me.

 

[Vikingatheart]

Would the hiss go away with a USB DAC/Amp? I am getting one of those for Christmas.

 

[JRG1990]

Yes should do since your no longer using a onboard soundcard, but then again your laptop could inject noise into the dac, also your still be using unshielded cables so it depends how much interference there picking up.

 

[ramicio]

They are most likely shielded.  Cables were unshielded when it was more expensive to do that.  It is standard today.  No one's EVER been able to prove these super expensive cables are any better than generic shielded RCA cables that come with A/V appliances.

 

[Vikingatheart]

Quote:

Yes should do since your no longer using a onboard soundcard, but then again your laptop could inject noise into the dac, also your still be using unshielded cables so it depends how much interference there picking up.

 I wouldn't be using these cables with my amp/dac. It comes with cables, so I would use those.

 

[JRG1990]

Quote:

They are most likely shielded.  Cables were unshielded when it was more expensive to do that.  It is standard today.  No one's EVER been able to prove these super expensive cables are any better than generic shielded RCA cables that come with A/V appliances.

From the photos they look like the cables that came with A/V appliances, there is no rf/emi interference shielding, just a couple of layers of pvc with some cheap normally tinned copper inside, pvc does not keep rf/emi interference out, shielded cables aren't what i would call super expensive i paid £8 , for my 3.5mm jack to stereo rca cable, and £17 for my shielded usb cable but if you look at the amazon basics range there £3-8.