Question about DAC / AMP.

[Kluxii]

Hey,

 

i've been recently buying new headphones and i've came to conclusion that my onboard audio might not be enough to actually comprehend for such good headset.

 

I've got Beyerdynamic MMX300 Gen 2 ( https://europe.beyerdynamic.com/mmx-300.html ) as a new headset coming in few days, and right now im running Audio-Technica ATH-AVC500 + ModMic 4 ( https://www.audio-technica.com/en-eu/ath-avc500 ).

 

For sound source im running onboard audio with Realtek® ALC S1200A on my mobo ASUS TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI). I've heard that with other components ( such as GPU etc. ) under load, the onboard audio quality gets worse, is it true?

 

So here comes the real question. Is it even worth it for me to buy something to get the sound better? I just dont want to lose on my audio quality because of onboard audio since i got such "expensive" headset.

 

If it is worth it, what would you suggest i should buy? I've been looking at something like Creative Sound BlasterX G5 , but from what i understand thats just a DAC and it needs AMP aswell.

 

So maybe something like FiiO E10k OLYMPUS 2 would do the job?

 

I would like the new audio thingy to not exceed 135$.

 

Thanks everyone for help, and sorry if the post seems duplicate, but i assumed giving as much information as possible might help a lot.

[Kluxii]

Okay,

 

lets say i will get Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO instead of Beyerdynamic MMX300 Gen 2, the 250Ω version.

 

Then i could get something like Audioquest DragonFly Red.

 

Would the audio quality be noticeably better? Since the impedance is higher, so less audio loss occurs.

 

Thanks

[Kluxii]

Great conclusion, well explained, thanks a lot.

[Entropy.]

2 hours ago, 8tg said:

An amp is just to add more power to headphones that need more power. A DAC is just to process different types of audio files. You ideally want neither of these to really change the sound much at all, and it’s more about how little it changes sound than how it does change sound.

 

If that's what you're looking for, sure. But that's not for everybody, some people aren't just looking for clean and uncolored.

 

The mmx300 mk2 and the 770 250 ohm seem to have the same sensitivity of 96 dB SPL/V, which honestly isn't that senstive. Both headphones do have a max power handling of 100mw, though. Makes me wonder if the mmx is similar to a dt770/700 32 ohm...

 

I haven't seen any measurements of power draw, this is a calculator for the power draw of headphones. (32 ohm mmx300 top, 250 dt770 pro bottom)

 

 

 

For OP, I would probably just recommend getting the Meizu masterhifi dongle for either case. Cheap, economical, and performant- it can push a good bit of power. Doesn't apply if you live outside of the US, the price is most likely going to be astronomical for you in most countries, or you might not be able to get it shipped to you. Even in the us, it might be out of stock, but it should come back pretty soon. It's $33. 

 

For the headphones my recommendations (if you're looking for them) would go to either the hifiman he400se/ drop x hifman he-x4 (slightly cheaper variant), or the hd560s. Personally, they're my favorite headphones in the pricerange. 

[Tigerleon]

1 hour ago, Brok3n But who cares? said:

hifiman he400se/ drop x hifman he-x4

Or a HE400i 2020

[Kluxii]

I prefer headsets over headphones, and if its a headset with quality sound and mic ( just like MMX 300 Mk2 is ) then its my go to choice. I dont know how i would add mic to HD560S or something like that, i've used ModMic 4 for a long time and the second cable annoys me quite much.

 

Those MMX300 got delivered today, and i have them on right now. They seem great, aswell as the mic, only problem is its way quieter than the Audio-Technica ATH-AVC500 i had before, aswell as the mic is quieter. Will an AMP/DAC solution fix that? Something like Sound BlasterX G5 or Shiit Fulla 2.

[ShearMe]

On 12/12/2021 at 3:32 PM, Kluxii said:

I prefer headsets over headphones, and if its a headset with quality sound and mic ( just like MMX 300 Mk2 is ) then its my go to choice. I dont know how i would add mic to HD560S or something like that, i've used ModMic 4 for a long time and the second cable annoys me quite much.

 

Those MMX300 got delivered today, and i have them on right now. They seem great, aswell as the mic, only problem is its way quieter than the Audio-Technica ATH-AVC500 i had before, aswell as the mic is quieter. Will an AMP/DAC solution fix that? Something like Sound BlasterX G5 or Shiit Fulla 2.

 

Some headphones with a removable cable are compatible with the V-Moda BoomPro. It's a similar idea to the modmic, but has only one cable .