Would an amp or external DAC make a bigger difference in DAP sound?

[MKAL]

I have an amp but have never heard an external DAC. Would a high quality portable amp or high quality portable external DAC make a bigger improvement to the sound quality of an MP3 player?

 

[jjcha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MKAL I have an amp but have never heard an external DAC. Would a high quality portable amp or high quality portable external DAC make a bigger improvement to the sound quality of an MP3 player?

They both matter. Hard to say which has more of an impact in my portable rig. If pressed, I might lean towards the SR-71, but they both bring meaningful improvements to the sound.

Just remember, if you're using a portable DAC, you're going to want an amp for volume control.

Best regards,

-Jason

 

[elrod-tom]

Portable DAC = better digital decoding = better sound = YES!! The Overture DAC makes a HUGE difference when fed with optical out from my Sony D-EJ1000 or my iRiver iHP-140.

The amp, as has been pointed out, will be required with an external DAC. I've also found that an amp significantly improves the sonics of my iPod, for example.

 

[aseltzer144]

Yes to both the improvements with a DAC and an amp. Bear in mind that your MP3 player needs to have a digital output such as an optical or USB output. With an amp, maximal improvements occur when tapping the unamplified signal from the lineouts, something again not available on all MP3 players. However, even if you amplify the signal from the headphone out jack, most external amps will still give you better definition and quality of sound. You only need to set the player's volume on a low volume setting and let the amp do the rest. Of course, if you're using a DAC, presumably you'll have line outs to use with the amp.

As far as portable amps are concerned, there are many products out there with excellent sound quality, well suited to MP3 playback. Bear in mind though, that as you add more quality and resolution to your playback system, you will also start hearing the inherent flaws in MP3 and any other compressed sources.