[soulicro]

Hey all,
 
I just recently entered the world of audio with the purchase of my Sennheiser HD 555 =] I've been a fan of audio quality before, and took the plunge with an Asus Xonar D2X and the Logitech Z5500 (This started one year ago, shortly after I turned 20). Now, I feel that by buying the HD555 I stepped my game up a little.. =]
 
Anywho, I'm beginning to pick some basic things up.. I know I need to burn in my phones, so I started doing so with pink noise overnight. I know I need to mod my 555's a bit, the foam mod... and I've recently read that by utilizing a DAC and/or an amp I can get much better sound quality.
 
So, my real questions are.. do I need an amp? do I need a DAC? What exactly is a DAC? And if I need 'em, which should I get? I pay for this stuff out my own pocket, so my budget is a little constrained, but I won't mind paying a little extra if its worth it!
 
Bonus question: whats a pre-amp?
 
Thanks all

 

[RollerBall]

Upgrading over the Xonar D2X for an amp/DAC is not worth it with those 'phones imo.

 

[LiquidExtreme12]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RollerBall /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Upgrading over the Xonar D2X for an amp/DAC is not worth it with those 'phones imo.

My point exactly. The ASUS Xonar D2X is a top notch Sound Card. For that sort of headphone, you've pretty much reached it's limit. If you are interested in buying a Headphone Amplifier, I would suggest upgrading your Headphones to something like the Sennheiser HD 650, where you'll notice some REAL difference. Otherwise, just stick with your current setup (Sorry if I sound harsh, LOL!).
 

 

[1audioz]

With the Sennheiser HD 555, what you've got now is all you need.
 
As for the basics. A DAC is a digital-to-analog converter which effectively converts your digital music (mp3/flac) from digital signals to analog signals (what you hear through speakers/headphones).
 
Your Asus sound card comes with a pretty good amp inside and it also has an internal DAC.
 
As far as I know, a pre-amp is the amp that comes before the power amp, and prepares the audio signal for amplification/further processing. I think most "amps" you see around come with both the pre-amp and amp integrated into a single unit.
 
Hope this helps.