[konstantin dmi]

Long time lurker, first time poster.
 
I am looking to very substantially upgrade my desktop audio system. Main uses are music listening and movies, with occasional gaming. I like what I was able to find about Dynaudio MC-15, and I think these are the speakers I am going to buy.
 
I am a bit puzzled about the source part. Obviously, default audio card I have in my PC is not going to be good enough for these speaker (I have Intel HDA). Should I get a sound card? If so which is "on par" with these speakers? I.e. I do not want the sound card to become "bottleneck".
 
Or should I get a standalone DAC? I like that option, because there are quite some DACs out there with headphone amps, which is convenient and something I could use. If I go DAC route, which DAC should I get? Again, main thing I am looking for is for it to be not "out of place" with speakers - i.e. not become a bottleneck. But I see no reason to overpay, obviously.
 
I would appreciate any feedback or comments.

 

[stv014]

Even at a high price, the speakers (and the room they are used in) are likely to be the most important factor determining the overall quality. A good sound card would be fine as a DAC, unless it is affected by interference or grounding problems (causing audible hiss, buzzing noises, etc.), but with the exception of the Xonar Essence ST/STX and a couple others, the headphone amplification tends to be lacking, and even if present, it may not be perfect. External DACs are less prone to computer noise issues, but are generally more expensive for the same performance, and have less features. They are more likely to include a decent headphone amplifier, though. In either case, you can also get a separate headphone amplifier.
 

 

[konstantin dmi]

Thanks for the input. Would something like NuForce Icon HDP be good enough for these speakers? Any other particular DAC I should check out?

 

[stv014]

If you are looking for a decent external DAC, I would recommend the HRT Music Streamer II. It does not have a headphone amplifier, though. You could also wait for the soon to be released ODAC.
 

 

[PurpleAngel]

As you want to watch movies and do a little gaming use, better to get a sound card like the Asus Xonar Essence STX.
Comes with a fairly good DAC, has Dolby Digital (surround sound for headphones).