[chimney189]

So, this might not just be with Alpha Prime headphones..

I plugged them into my laptop, set the onboard volume all the way, and I could barely hear the music!
What is the deal?

What pops into my mind is getting an AMP/DAC combo (I have no idea which one to get).. do these things let you increase the volume to get a better effect? If not, then I'm wondering if I wasted my money?!

 

[Muinarc]

So, this might not just be with Alpha Prime headphones..

I plugged them into my laptop, set the onboard volume all the way, and I could barely hear the music!
What is the deal?

What pops into my mind is getting an AMP/DAC combo (I have no idea which one to get).. do these things let you increase the volume to get a better effect? If not, then I'm wondering if I wasted my money?!

​Yes the Alpha Prime is using a planar-magnetic driver and they need considerable power to reach high volumes. It's not surprising that your laptop had a hard time with them.
 
An amp will help you more than a DAC, might be worth spending your budget on an amp with good power and not worrying if it has a dac built in.

 

[chimney189]

Are there any amps in the $200 range that you would personally recommend?