[Gech]

Current headphones: Superlux hd668b and I need a usb dac. Usage: Competitive gaming (Cs go + Overwatch) + Music
My options are:
SMSL IDEA (70€)
SMSL M3 (70€)
FX Audio DAC-X6 (70€)
FiiO E10K Olympus 2 (65€) Condition: Manufacturer refurbished or (80€) new
Or just get a cheap usb card like Ugreen Usb Sound card (10 euro)

 

[Apatride]

Lots of options. The Sound Blaster E or XG series could be worth checking as well, the sound is decent for music and you even have some gimmicks to improve game sounds. I have the E5 (a bit over-budget but you might find it on sales) and I recommend it. Asus also has decent option but their support is quite disappointing.
Now your headphones are not bad, but I would consider upgrading them before getting a DAC.

 

[Gech]

Lots of options. The Sound Blaster E or XG series could be worth checking as well, the sound is decent for music and you even have some gimmicks to improve game sounds. I have the E5 (a bit over-budget but you might find it on sales) and I recommend it. Asus also has decent option but their support is quite disappointing.
Now your headphones are not bad, but I would consider upgrading them before getting a DAC.

So your opinion is to buy a cheap Usb sound card like 10 € max and save for new headphones... I will consider it...
Thanks for your reply

 

[Apatride]

So your opinion is to buy a cheap Usb sound card like 10 € max and save for new headphones... I will consider it...
Thanks for your reply

Well... A 10 euro DAC won't be an improvement over your onboard soundcard. I personally use a gaming headset for gaming (Logitech G930) and before I got decent speakers, I would use separate headphones for music. It might not be easy to do on a budget but I'd say a 10 euros DAC is wasted money no matter what and a better one, while not wasted money, will require a headphones upgrade before you can really hear a difference. The best price/quality ratio on a budget for gaming is likely to be something from TurtleBeach or Logitech, even more so if you consider surround sound, unless you upgrade part of your setup with the intent of upgrading the rest later and don't want a separate solution for music.

 

[Gech]

Well... A 10 euro DAC won't be an improvement over your onboard soundcard. I personally use a gaming headset for gaming (Logitech G930) and before I got decent speakers, I would use separate headphones for music. It might not be easy to do on a budget but I'd say a 10 euros DAC is wasted money no matter what and a better one, while not wasted money, will require a headphones upgrade before you can really hear a difference. The best price/quality ratio on a budget for gaming is likely to be something from TurtleBeach or Logitech, even more so if you consider surround sound, unless you upgrade part of your setup with the intent of upgrading the rest later and don't want a separate solution for music.

I need it because I have my speakers on the audio jack and I have to remove each time time to put headphones because my front panel doesn't work... So I need to buy something to connect it with USB. I would consider a dac for close to 100 if it was gonna to improve the sound... But I think I will probably get a cheap soundcard until I save up to 150-200 for headphones...

 

[Apatride]

I need it because I have my speakers on the audio jack and I have to remove each time time to put headphones because my front panel doesn't work... So I need to buy something to connect it with USB. I would consider a dac for close to 100 if it was gonna to improve the sound... But I think I will probably get a cheap soundcard until I save up to 150-200 for headphones...

I see. In that case, if you absolutely need a USB DAC, then it might be worth getting something that isn't too bad and could still be useful in the future. Something like the FiiO BTR1K (60 euros) would work as a USB DAC for now, would still be 40 euros under max budget while sounding much better than a 10 euro DAC and can be used as a BT DAC in the future if you upgrade your desktop setup (although nothing prevents you from using it as a BT DAC now).