[chouman]

hi all!

i'm pretty new to headfi, only discovering it recently and spending way too much time perusing through tons of threads just soaking in way more info than my mind can process. started out with my stumbling across headroom a few years back. i'm now starting to fear for my wallet, but i'm also somewhat confident that others relieve that with people almost always willing to trade/buy/sell etc.

i recently bought a micro amp from headroom, but am wondering whether i am doing it justice since it's running straight out of my laptop (headphone output). i was looking to buy the micro dac, but i was wondering whether the micro dac would replace the need for another sound card. i've read lots of good reviews of echo indigo dj, tbaam, and others. can i plug in my computer speakers into the line out of the micro dac (use it as a source component) rather than get another soundcard? would something like a headphone splitter do the job there?

i guess a similar question goes for the total bithead: can i use it as an alternative to my laptop soundcard for my speakers?

or should i go with a soundcard that has some built-in dac?

thanks in advance for your advice and help.

 

[JMCIII]

Chouman,

If you already have a Micro Amp, then, provided you can afford it, by all means add the Micro DAC. First, it was built to mate perfectly with the Micro Amp. The connection from your computer is via USB to mini USB (at the Micro end). This bypasses the internal soundcard - your computer will recognize the Headroom as your soundcard. Benefits? Better sound. I mean BETTER sound! Much better than you'll get from even the best soundcard. Why? You're taking the D-to-A conversion out of the noisy, jitter prone computer and doing it in the Micro DAC (which will have a much better DAC than any internal computer soundcard.

Another plus is the Micro's are portable enough to take on the road with you - just pick up the Headroom bag the corresponds to the Micro's.

The Total Bithead is the Micro Amp and Micro DAC all-in-one. Sounds good, much smaller and lighter, but the Micro's beat it sonically. If you didn't already have the Micro Amp it's be the way to go - but you do, so get the Micro DAC and don't look back. just enjoy the music.

 

[warpdriver]

You have several options for best sound

Computer -> USB -> Micro DAC -> Micro Amp -> headphones

Computer -> Soundcard with SPDIF output -> Coaxial Miniplug cable-> Micro DAC -> Micro Amp -> headphones

In the first, the MicroDAC acts as a soundcard, in the second, you are bypassing the DAC of your soundcard and only using the digital output. In the first case, you don't need a soundcard at all.

Both cases are excellent but the second should be slightly superior.

If you have a Bithead.

Computer -> USB -> Bithead -> headphones (no soundcard needed again)

I'd advise getting the Micro DAC if you DON'T need it to be very portable. The Micro DAC+Amp does run on batteries but the Bithead lasts a lot longer on batteries, and you only need one box.

The MicroDAC would run rings around the soundcards that you listed in terms of sound quality, and even the Bithead should fare pretty well against most of the low-mid soundcards in terms of quality.

The MicroDAC supplies a line level output, so anything that takes line inputs (such as computer speakers) or a home stereo amp/HT receiver can indeed be used with it.

 

[PaulRivers]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMCIII ...This bypasses the internal soundcard - your computer will recognize the Headroom as your soundcard. Benefits? Better sound. I mean BETTER sound! Much better than you'll get from even the best soundcard. Why? You're taking the D-to-A conversion out of the noisy, jitter prone computer and doing it in the Micro DAC (which will have a much better DAC than any internal computer soundcard...

Just fyi - I keep hearing people say this, but I found the sound from the soundcard to be more enjoyable than the sound from my amp. I'm not sure I believe this whole "the computer soundcard is ALWAYS noisy" thing to be true. I've had computers where the soundcard is terrible - but my current one, for example, sounds very nice.

 

[JMCIII]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulRivers Just fyi - I keep hearing people say this, but I found the sound from the soundcard to be more enjoyable than the sound from my amp. I'm not sure I believe this whole "the computer soundcard is ALWAYS noisy" thing to be true. I've had computers where the soundcard is terrible - but my current one, for example, sounds very nice.

Paul,

Put a Total Bithead (or better yet - the Micro amp & DAC) on your computer and see if you still feel the same. I'll bet you'll come to realize why most of us feel this way.

 

[warpdriver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMCIII Paul, Put a Total Bithead (or better yet - the Micro amp & DAC) on your computer and see if you still feel the same. I'll bet you'll come to realize why most of us feel this way.

He does own a Total Bithead.

Paul is definitely an exceptional case

 

[Chri5peed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by warpdriver You have several options for best sound (1)Computer -> USB -> Micro DAC -> Micro Amp -> headphones Computer -> Soundcard with SPDIF output -> Coaxial Miniplug cable-> Micro DAC -> Micro Amp -> headphones

Its a lot of peoples opinion that S/PDIF beats out USB for listening to music. So that first setup(1) is without soundcard(digital-out), in many cases your motherboard with have a digital-out. My ASUS A8N does.
So you could still go the S/PDIF route without a soundcard.

 

[JMCIII]

Quote:

Originally Posted by warpdriver He does own a Total Bithead. Paul is definitely an exceptional case

Then I stand corrected. My appologies.

 

[PaulRivers]

Quote:

Originally Posted by warpdriver He does own a Total Bithead. Paul is definitely an exceptional case

Yes, I own a TotalBithead and a number of times I've found I actually prefer the soundcard sound to the bithead w/dac sound.

I know it sounds weird, but that's what's happened for me personally on my setup.

 

[ComfyCan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chouman hi all! i'm pretty new to headfi, only discovering it recently and spending way too much time perusing through tons of threads just soaking in way more info than my mind can process. started out with my stumbling across headroom a few years back. i'm now starting to fear for my wallet, but i'm also somewhat confident that others relieve that with people almost always willing to trade/buy/sell etc. i recently bought a micro amp from headroom, but am wondering whether i am doing it justice since it's running straight out of my laptop (headphone output). i was looking to buy the micro dac, but i was wondering whether the micro dac would replace the need for another sound card. i've read lots of good reviews of echo indigo dj, tbaam, and others. can i plug in my computer speakers into the line out of the micro dac (use it as a source component) rather than get another soundcard? would something like a headphone splitter do the job there? i guess a similar question goes for the total bithead: can i use it as an alternative to my laptop soundcard for my speakers? or should i go with a soundcard that has some built-in dac? thanks in advance for your advice and help.

The weakest link in your present setup is clearly the DAC in you laptop soundcard. Since you already have the MicroAmp, I would jump on the MicroDac. Of the two components, the MicroDac clearly makes the largest difference in sound quality. Every headphone amp I've tried sounds good with the MicroDac.

The Total Bithead only makes sense if you don't already have an amp--which does not apply to you.

If your onboard soundcard has digital out (unlikely), you will get better sound using it to connect to the DAC than if you use USB. However, the MicroDac w/ USB still sounds *quite good*.

After you have the DAC, you can consider the multiple confusing tweak options available to get around the USB connection. Don't get too caught up in all the USB chatter--there is a learning curve involved and you are only talking about a tweak, not a "night and day" difference between USB and SPDIF. You WILL see a "night and day" difference if you add a standalone DAC to your system, regardless of how you connect the PC to the DAC.

You will be able to connect your computer speakers to the MicroDac or the existing jack on your laptop soundcard. It's just a matter of choosing the right settings. Since it is unlikely you will want to listen to phones and speakers simultaneously, I wouldn't let that issue influence your purchasing decision at all. When I want to listen to my computer speakers (rare), I just don't hook up the MicroStack, and use the existing laptop port.