[TrollSelektor]

My plan was to use an external dac since the on-board sound on my laptop (http://in.asus.com/Notebooks/Versatile_Performance/X52F/) is garbage but I realized that there is no line level audio jacks. I am hoping to be able to use an adapter that I can plug into a USB port but I am not even sure if this laptop is capable of having line out at all- regardless of adapters. Anyone with more knowledge on this able to help out?

 

[tzjin]

Line-out refers to having already been converted to analog form. So what you are looking for is a DAC that takes digital via USB, then outputs analog (line-out) for use with an amplifier that can then drive your headphones or speakers.

There are plenty of USB DAC's on the market, from cheap ones like the Fiio D3, to budget ones like the ODAC, to really expensive ones that I will not say for sake of your wallet. 
 
I hope this helped!

 

[TrollSelektor]

Hmmm. Didn't think of that. Are you sure that what I will be getting will actually have the quality of line-level sound? And not just sound that has already been destroyed by my on onboard sound and then just sent along to my dac?
 

 

[obobskivich]

Hmmm. Didn't think of that. Are you sure that what I will be getting will actually have the quality of line-level sound? And not just sound that has already been destroyed by my on onboard sound and then just sent along to my dac?

What are you on about? Do you get what "line-level" means? Or are you thinking in terms of an iPod with LOD vs headphone out? :confused_face_2:

If you have a separate audio controller, such as a USB device, it will 100% bypass the onboard audio controller - whatever it does with the signal beyond that is up to it's abilities and your preferences.

 

[PleasantSounds]

Quote:

Hmmm. Didn't think of that. Are you sure that what I will be getting will actually have the quality of line-level sound? And not just sound that has already been destroyed by my on onboard sound and then just sent along to my dac?
 

Line-level is an analog term. USB outputs digital signal.
Your laptop will have opportunity to manipulate it, but whatever it does won't be half as bad as the onboard conversion to analog. You can however minimise the impact by setting volume to 100% and avoiding any equalizers and other effects.
If that's still not good enough, then use foobar as your player and set it up to use WASAPI - that'll make the signal as pure as possible.