O2 Amp only vs ODAC combo

stonecold996 · February 22, 2014

Hi guys, your noob comrade requires some assistance :lol: I am getting a beyer dt990 pro 250 ohms headphones and I am considering to get an O2 amp/ampdaccombo to go with it(I know I know, I should wait for the headphones to arrive to decide if I need an amp, just assume I need an amp ). What more will the ODAC combo provide in terms of sound quality over just the amp? Is it worth the money to get the ODAC combo? Also does the DAC improve sound quality coming out from portable devices like phones and mp3s ? Thanks in advance guys B)

mr moose · February 22, 2014

The dac will only work with limited device that support the USB transport protocol, so a handful of androids at best. As far as improvements go, it is not likely that the dac will improve sound quality from your pc but that amp certainly will. The question is more do you want the dac in their so you can use it on all pc's and not just the ones with an already decent output? or do you want to save the cash?

Personally I would get the combo and never think about a sound solution again (until you need inputs).

I am pretty sure you can still use the combo with the line in from a phone or PMP, and run it of batteries. @MayflowerElectronics

MayflowerElectronics · February 22, 2014

Yes - the front input still works just like normal. You can use the DAC or analog input to the amp. For batteries, you'll need to buy the amp/DAC separate (which I'm pretty sure is the same price?) so you can have the best of both worlds.