[qoouep]

My laptop's headphone jack doesn't output good sound at all. I'm not a major audiophile, but the white noise at low levels and the poor frequency response is pretty bad. (I've only tried it with IEMs; I don't have any full size headphones worth more than $5.)

Anyway, I'm looking for some sort of soundcard/DAC that I can leave in my laptop without worrying that it'll break off in a bag or something. I don't want to spend more than $100 on it, and even that is pushing it.

I have an Expresscard 54 slot (that also accepts the smaller 32mm cards) as well as a couple free USB slots. I would really prefer an Expresscard one, but it seems like the only decent ones are $200+.

Is there an expresscard product like this out there? (I'm going to reiterate here that I'm not a HUGE audiophile; I just want something decent. If I could get something with similar SQ to the iPods, I would be happy.)

 

[nyjets28]

you could just velcro a nuforce udac to your laptop cover similar to this: From the Tips Box: External Drives, Userscript Organization, and Taskbar Separators - Tips - Lifehacker

 

[Armaegis]

The Echo Indigo expresscards are fantastic (I haven't heard the current models, but used to use the pcmcia DJ extensively) and I would heartily recommend them.

Maybe also consider something like this? Headphonia.com -

or a cable adapter to things don't stick out... http://www.usbfirewire.com/ucableaa.html

 

[Drubbing]

It's a fairly common problem with IEMS, they're very sensitive, so can pick up interference and noise easily from laptops.

Whatever you get, you'll still be listening to $5 headphones.

Pretty poor investment unless you get good phones too.

 

[qoouep]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nyjets28 /img/forum/go_quote.gif you could just velcro a nuforce udac to your laptop cover similar to this: From the Tips Box: External Drives, Userscript Organization, and Taskbar Separators - Tips - Lifehacker It seems like that would be a bit on the bulky side...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Armaegis /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Echo Indigo expresscards are fantastic (I haven't heard the current models, but used to use the pcmcia DJ extensively) and I would heartily recommend them. Is there something similar to the Echo Indigo expresscard that isn't quite so expensive? All I could find was Creative X-fi and it seems like it's not so hot from the reviews. Maybe also consider something like this? Headphonia.com - Forgive my lack of knowledge on this, but wouldn't I still need an amp on top of that? Maybe I don't have an entirely clear definition of what a DAC is?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drubbing /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's a fairly common problem with IEMS, they're very sensitive, so can pick up interference and noise easily from laptops. Whatever you get, you'll still be listening to $5 headphones. Pretty poor investment unless you get good phones too. I guess I didn't word the original post well. I just said that I don't have a decent pair of full size headphones. My IEMs are ok. And once I get this problem figured out, I will be ordering some cans

I don't understand why these are so uncommon/expensive when a tiny $50 MP3 player can do an adequate job, at the very least. Does anyone here have any experience with the Creative X-fi? Any other suggestions are also appreciated.

 

[Torr]

I have a Music Streamer+ that I throw in my laptop bag. It's an external DAC that connects via usb and gives great sound. The cheaper version only costs $99. You'll also need a usb cable, an rca to stereo mini Y adapter, and a female to female stereo mini coupler to connect it to your headphones. With the cables, this might go over your budget, but there's a chance you already have some of these cables at home. The only drawback is that this has no external volume control and it is recommended you leave the pc volume at max and control volume externally for best sound (although in practice, I have found that controlling the volume through Windows still sounds fine).

Pros: Great sound that can easily be plugged into any PC or laptop.
Cons: At the upper limits of what you wanted to spend. No external volume control.

 

[daouda]

You should take a look a that thread http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f46/be...ac-amp-472277/

Nuforce uDAC would look like your best bet at 99usd. Supposedly excellent DAC + headphone amp for the price, with RCA and spdif lineout and also an amped headphone out that supposed to be very good. Its got all you need out of the box without having to buy any additional cable, and its tiny and sturdy. No way it would make any setup "bulky", its ridiculously small, the picture on the lifehack site features external HDDs that are much much bigger. Look at pics of the uDAC with a quarter at its side!

You could also try to get a used Echo Indigo DJx expresscard, but the cheapest ive seen it here was 160usd

 

[nyjets28]

ok so i just suggested the velcro idea because you said you wanted to keep it (a sound card) in the laptop. if you don't mind carrying around the udac (it's reallly small) and a short usb, then your problem is solved. and with the usb dac cable and any other dac only, you don't necessarily NEED an amp afaik. you can just control the volume through your laptop's volume control. the dac/amp combos bypass that and you control the volume externally using the amp portion of the dac/amp.

 

[nyjets28]

actually i would check out the headstage dac/amp usb stick like daouda suggested. it is more expensive ($150) [and not yet in production actually - starts in march 2010] but it would solve your problem in terms of you can keep it plugged in [but probably shouldn't because it'll be sticking out of your laptop] so maybe just carry around a like usb flash drive.

 

[wali]

I have not heard the nforce dac but at $150 I don't think any DAC amp combo comes close to Musiland 02's performance.

 

[kite7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by qoouep /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't understand why these are so uncommon/expensive when a tiny $50 MP3 player can do an adequate job, at the very least. Does anyone here have any experience with the Creative X-fi? Any other suggestions are also appreciated.

a $50 MP3 player and a X-Fi is not on the same level of sound quality offered by something like the uDAC, in fact I would go as far as saying nowhere near. If you ever decide to get new headphones, the uDAC would not be the weakest link in a setup. The uDAC and Musiland 02US are comparable, but I prefer the 02US more.

 

[daouda]

Problem with musiland 02 is its getting on the bulky side and especially since it needs an external alimentation (if im not mistaken), its much less portable and convenient then the uDAC (self powered through USB) which is a better laptop solution IMO

 

[kite7]

That is true, but I just threw it in there to answer wali as it does come close to 02US performance.

 

[qoouep]

Looks like the NuForce uDAC is the best solution in my price range. It should eliminate static even on IEMs, right? And it'll be able to power Alessandro MS-1s?

 

[Hybrys]

Quote:

Originally Posted by qoouep /img/forum/go_quote.gif Looks like the NuForce uDAC is the best solution in my price range. It should eliminate static even on IEMs, right? And it'll be able to power Alessandro MS-1s?

All in all...

Yes.