[Brent Hutto]

My armchair listening setup is

iPod Classic (via line out)==>Portaphile V2^2==>HD595

and I think it sounds great. I've experienced high-end headphones and sources and won't claim my setup matches that level of detail and spaciousness but I am perfectly happy listening to music through this mid-fi stuff.

So here's my question. How do I duplicate a comparable level of quality using iTunes on my laptop as the source rather than my iPod? Obviously the headphone jack on the laptop doesn't cut it so I'm thinking maybe a decent little USB DAC might do the trick? Maybe something in the $100-odd range?

For instance, how about something like a Fubar II DAC running off its wall-wart. Just plop it down next to the Portaphile with a USB cable to the laptop, right? Would that be a rough match for the iPod in terms of noise and distortion?

Or for that matter any other pretty cheap USB DAC that is iPod or better quality for that kind of low budget? Keep in mind I don't need portable (although I guess it would be nice on occasion), I love the sound of my Portaphile so I don't need a DAC/Amp combo and I want something that'll run off a wall-wart so I don't have to buy batteries...

 

[blessingx]

It's up to you, but if you wait to save a bit leap-frogging (why just match?) the iPod is relatively easily.

Froogle has the E-mu 0404 USB at a couple places for $140.

Also depending if your laptop has an optical out there would be a bunch of vintage DACs that show up on eBay and Audiogon from time to time. Quite the bang for buck there.

 

[Brent Hutto]

Hmmm, that does look like a nice box. I used to have (and probably still do in a drawer somewhere) an 0404 PCI interface, although come to think of it that one might have been in the computer that got fried by lightning a couple years back. But anyway, I could imagine one day wanting to hook up for prosumer quality 48V microphones and recording my guitar so a decent in-and-out interface sounds nice.

Dare I ask whether Creative ever got their Vista drivers sorted out?

P.S. No optical here, it's an el-cheapo laptop.

 

[Brent Hutto]

Well I decided to try something totally different...one of those $39 USB cables with an inline DAC from Headstage. Looking around for E-MU 0404 USB deals the best I could find was $180 shipped and frankly I don't have that kind of cash to spend on a more-or-less impulse purchase at the moment. If I get the urge for a sound-quality upgrade I can do some research into the '404 and other step-up alternatives (for instance that Keces DA-151 looks intriguing) but for now I'll just stick with a mid-fi solution on the cheap.

Postscript: The USB DAC cable arrived almost overnight and I've been listening to it. Comparing sound quality with the HD595 straight from the laptop's headphone port being barely acceptable for occasional listening and the HD595/Portaphile/iPod being very good indeed...I'd say the USB DAC cable and Portaphile get me something like 80% of the way to very good but don't quite get there. Putting the Portaphile alone between the laptop and HD595 improves things a little but the USB DAC cable helps a lot more. Still, there is more detail and cleaner highs coming from the iPod.