[Dongle]

I'm using whitebox ATH-M50's. They're great. They could use a little more bass. I listen to them mostly on a HP laptop. At volume level 4 out of 10, they're plenty loud. I'm running the Real Bass Exciter DSP plug-in in Foobar2000 and running the software EQ flat (every other preset I downloaded in the preset pack is too sibilant, except maybe "pop" and "home theater"). 


What would an external amp do for me? My understanding is that if my source can send enough voltage to the cans to create a maximum listening volume, adding extra voltage with an external amp wouldn't do anything.

Separate question: Why do people get DACs for their laptop/desktop/iPods? Isn't the signal coming out of a 3.5mm jack already analog? I'm not an idiot, but I learn best when things are explained to me in a "How Stuff Works" sort of way. Thanks all!

 

[Dongle]

I forgot to add that I also listen to my home theater late at night with a Mixamp, which does static-free wireless transfer of audio using a custom frequency (i.e. not Bluetooth, I believe it's in the 5.8 ghz range) or when I play video games. This is relevant because if I did get an external amp with some sort of EQ function, it would help boost the bass in movies/video games for me.