[buke9]

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hyperx...jIMy3ZFwfieukboneQRoCg9sQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds More or less this is what you are talking about.

 

[boomhaur]

Audioengine D3 $45 refurbished from the main website.

A few others can be found when their Drop.

Though truth be told a $75 budget means your very limited on choices. Doesn't mean you can't get a good one, just means don't expect more than a handful of good options.

 

[jason41987]

I'd rather have an actual desktop DAC, not another dongle of any sort. I was looking at the Fiio E10K, FX Audio DAC X6, Fosi Q5, SMSL D3, maybe even the Topping D3. That sort of stuff is what I was looking at.

 

[jason41987]

My onboard PC audio says it can output 24 bit 192khz audio, but I can't notice a difference over 16/48khz so I am not sure if it's supposed to be any better?

 

[jason41987]

I mean, if a 24/192 DAC isn't going to sound noticeably different over what my PC can put out, then yeah, I won't waste the dough. But I do feel I still need some kind of am amplifier, because max settings on my PC, on my DD adapter, on the software playing audio, these headphones just do not get very loud.

 

[boomhaur]

AMP should help with the volume the Audioengine D3 is a dac/amp and so is the Fiio e10k off hand to give two examples.

Human hearing is the limit for audio so don’t worry to much about whether it’s 24/96 or 24/192, etc.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

ASUS TUF B450M-plus motherboard. Realtek ALC887-VD2 audio and no SPDIF outputs. Though the headers are there so if I choose to I can add optical and coaxial connectivity. But USB would be easier.

Oh, and my surround sound headphone adapter is only 16 bit / 48,000hz.

Have you tried plugging directly into the motherboard's headphone output? I'd trust that more than the USB surround adapter. And doesn't that board have headphone surround simulation?

 

[PurpleAngel]

It's a HyperX Dolby USB dongle.

I'm fairly sure that HyperX Dolby USB adapter provides more of a faked headphone surround sound.

 

[PurpleAngel]

My onboard PC audio says it can output 24 bit 192khz audio, but I can't notice a difference over 16/48khz so I am not sure if it's supposed to be any better?

CD-audio is 16-bit/44.1K and just about any mp3 or FLAC or stream music audio really has no need for being more then 16-bit/44.1K
I believe DVD movie disks will max out at 24-bit/48K?
I would think 24-bit/48K is more then enough for any game on a gaming console or PC.
Special HD music audio and Blu-ray disk audio will go above 24-bit/48K.

 

[PurpleAngel]

I mean, if a 24/192 DAC isn't going to sound noticeably different over what my PC can put out, then yeah, I won't waste the dough. But I do feel I still need some kind of am amplifier, because max settings on my PC, on my DD adapter, on the software playing audio, these headphones just do not get very loud.

For $15 I can get a basic DAC, from China, with the 16-bit/44k PCM2704 DAC chip and it should sound just a good for 16-bit/44.1K music, as that 24-bit/192k DAC function built into your motherboard.
Most motherboards use an on-board audio processing DSP chip (sound card functions) that comes with a built in DAC function.
Higher priced motherboards come with a separate add-on dedicated DAC chip.

 

[PurpleAngel]

ASUS TUF B450M-plus motherboard. Realtek ALC887-VD2 audio and no SPDIF outputs. Though the headers are there so if I choose to I can add optical and coaxial connectivity. But USB would be easier.

I'm sure a $20 Asus Xonar DG sound card is easily as good audio quality wise, as the ALC887.

 

[PurpleAngel]

It's a HyperX Dolby USB dongle.

I would guess a $40 FiiO K1 USB DAC/amp, would be better then the HyperX USB adapter or your on-board audio (ALC887).

 

[jason41987]

The audio on my PC doesn't sound as good though, certainly not as well as the surround sound adapter does. The surround sound adapter makes audio sound more full and more encompassing. Compared to onboard audio which comes across to me as sounding flat and fordward. I was hoping a DAC could give me a better sound overall but if it's just going to do what onboard audio does, then i'll just get an amp to add power to what I already have and forget the DAC.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

The audio on my PC doesn't sound as good though, certainly not as well as the surround sound adapter does. The surround sound adapter makes audio sound more full and more encompassing. Compared to onboard audio which comes across to me as sounding flat and fordward. I was hoping a DAC could give me a better sound overall but if it's just going to do what onboard audio does, then i'll just get an amp to add power to what I already have and forget the DAC.

If ether way the problem is high output impedance (since it can do either to the sound depending on the circuit and driver combo involved) there's a possibility that even with more power and cleaner sound tonally it can sound not as full as your USB adapter and could be closer to the soundcard as much as it could be the other way around.

 

[jason41987]

See, that's what I am curious about. I am curious if there will even be an auditory difference between an external 24/192 DAC vs onboard audio which can technically output the same, but sounds noticeably worse than the surround sound I use now, before putting more money into better DACs.