Mayflower ODAC?

[orangecat]

I really really want an ODAC and O2 from MayFlower Electronics  but I might not be able to afford both right away. I was wondering if I could use the ODAC without the headphone amp.

 

Just some random questions:

 

Can i plug my headphones directly into the ODAC? I know they might not get very loud but I'm just curious.

 

Can I run a 3.5mm headphone jack to RCA and still get the same quality sound?

 

Will the headphone amp improve my sound quality without the ODAC?

[BoredErica]

First you should probably tell us what headphones you're running and what dac/amp you're currently running......

[orangecat]

First you should probably tell us what headphones you're running and what dac/amp you're currently running......

Currently I'm using a pair of HD 518s and my onboard audio.

[dalekphalm]

You should talk to @MayflowerElectronics about the different options available. I believe they have different input/output configurations, such as RCA vs 3.5mm.

 

The Mayflower ODAC is probably better than your onboard, and you may see some difference, but the HD 518 might not be high end enough to really give you much difference.

 

If you get the ODAC without the Amp, then it just won't go as loud. You can always buy the O2 Amp separately when you have the money (They just Daisy-Chain connect into each other, with the Amp plugged into the "Output" of the ODAC, and the Headphones plugged into the "Output" of the Amp).

 

They also sell a ODAC + O2 Amp combo box, which contains the same hardware wired up just inside one enclosure. I eventually still plan on getting a Mayflower O2 Amp + ODAC but I want the DIY one

[BoredErica]

If we're going to talk about differences between onboard dac and external dac and saying there's an audibly appreciable difference, then we can also make the case that the onboard amp vs O2 can have an audibly appreciable difference. Yes, you can do what you plan, but you're upgrading for the sake of it and with a budget headphone I don't think that makes sense.

[orangecat]

You should talk to @MayflowerElectronics about the different options available. I believe they have different input/output configurations, such as RCA vs 3.5mm.

 

The Mayflower ODAC is probably better than your onboard, and you may see some difference, but the HD 518 might not be high end enough to really give you much difference.

 

If you get the ODAC without the Amp, then it just won't go as loud. You can always buy the O2 Amp separately when you have the money (They just Daisy-Chain connect into each other, with the Amp plugged into the "Output" of the ODAC, and the Headphones plugged into the "Output" of the Amp).

 

They also sell a ODAC + O2 Amp combo box, which contains the same hardware wired up just inside one enclosure. I eventually still plan on getting a Mayflower O2 Amp + ODAC but I want the DIY one

I know that the HD 518's use the same driver as their higher end 5XX products but I'm not worried about a huge increase in audio quality I mostly want to remove the hissing and all the other crappy audio artifacts my onboard audio produces its actually quite noticeable sometimes.

[orangecat]

If we're going to talk about differences between onboard dac and external dac and saying there's an audibly appreciable difference, then we can also make the case that the onboard amp vs O2 can have an audibly appreciable difference. Yes, you can do what you plan, but you're upgrading for the sake of it and with a budget headphone I don't think that makes sense.

I hear all over that te 200$ rage of headphones is where you actually start to get some benefit from dedicated dac and amp plus i hate the drivers for my onboard audio so if I could get away from them even if the sound was the same id be happy with that.

[BoredErica]

I know that the HD 518's use the same driver as their higher end 5XX products but I'm not worried about a huge increase in audio quality I mostly want to remove the hissing and all the other crappy audio artifacts my onboard audio produces its actually quite noticeable sometimes.

You didn't mention this in the past. If you're getting such wonkiness and it's not a ground loop issue maybe an Odac makes sense. If there is hiss while nothing is playing it could be your dac or amp. I am also obliged to tell you that there are cheaper options that should do what you're looking for.

 

I hear all over that te 200$ rage of headphones is where you actually start to get some benefit from dedicated dac and amp plus i hate the drivers for my onboard audio so if I could get away from them even if the sound was the same id be happy with that.

I think that rule is a little too broad and vague. 

[orangecat]

what you're looking for.

I'm mostly looking for a high quality source that i can use as my main sound device. I use my headphones allot so if I had a really good audio device and amp I would drive them appropriately. My onboard audio isn't too bad but i do notice some artifacts every once in a while. I also would like the assurance that my source device is providing a good signal.

 

I would also like room to upgrade my headphones to better ones in the future and not have to worry about my onboard audio bottlenecking them.

[MayflowerElectronics]

You can't really drive headphones off of an ODAC. You need an amp running in tandom with it. Have you tried plugging the headphones directly in the motherboard?

[Lays]

You can't really drive headphones off of an ODAC. You need an amp running in tandom with it. Have you tried plugging the headphones directly in the motherboard?

 

Try telling that to the guy recommending some guy to drive headphones from a schiit modi, LOL.

 

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/246869-headphones-dacamp-for-mixed-genre-of-music/

 

 

What's the output impedance on an ODAC btw?