[zrossiter]

hey all, i was wondering how much a dac would change the sound of my 325's coming out of a macbook pro. If i were to get a dac it would probably be relatively cheap, probably like an 0404, zero dac or anything as cheap or cheaper. Let me know...thanks in advance

 

[moonboy403]

Two words: VERY MUCH

 

[AndrewZander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zrossiter /img/forum/go_quote.gif hey all, i was wondering how much a dac would change the sound of my 325's coming out of a macbook pro. If i were to get a dac it would probably be relatively cheap, probably like an 0404, zero dac or anything as cheap or cheaper. Let me know...thanks in advance

I have a Beresford TC-7510 DAC hooked up to my iMac with an optical cable and there was a noticeable improvement.

Might want to consider a Beresford, they're probably around your price range based on other DACs you mentioned.

 

[hifidk]

I would say improvement is more noticeable than changing your cables but less noticeable than changing your headphone. So, go get one

 

[abellaw]

Yes i would say it really does. I bought a icon mobile for christmas and it did a nice job as a headphone amp...but it really didnt start to shine until i plugged it into my computer.

I think a dac is a good way to see an improvement in your sq.

I have not heard the dacs you listed and i am not sure how much they cost, but if you can spare a 100 dollars you might want to look into the nuforce icon mobile it is small portable and does a really good job at least imo

 

[FallenAngel]

While I won't recommend the headphone amp in the EMU0404USB, I would say a DAC and headphone amp will make a drastic improvement in sound quality compared to onboard.

 

[krmathis]

+1 on it being a very noticeable improvement.

 

[leeperry]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FallenAngel /img/forum/go_quote.gif I won't recommend the headphone amp in the EMU0404USB

why not? it's got 3*NE5532 I think, and this soundcard has fantastic SNR/THD *measured* specs