Sound card or DAC/AMP combo

[UltraTin]

Hi there,

 

I've been looking at the Asus Xonar STX sound card for my PC. I have a V-Moda M100 headphones that are pretty awesome to me. Im split between getting the sound card or a dedicated dac/amp combo. I'm not really into surrond gaming but rather just sound quality. I've not very sure what is the pros and cons for a sound card vs dedicated dac/amp combo in terms of sound quality. I am on a budget and the Xonar STX can be had for about $180 while if I'm looking to get a dac/amp combo it would be around $250. Which should I choose?

[SSL]

Neither if your onboard isn't broken and you don't hate money.

[Jade]

Neither if your onboard isn't broken and you don't hate money.

DACs and amps can have an extremely large margin of benefit for audio quality and experience. They're not wastes of money. 

[UltraTin]

DACs and amps can have an extremely large margin of benefit for audio quality and experience. They're not wastes of money. 

Sound quality is key

[Jade]

Sound quality is key

Indeed. That aside, I'm gonna ping @MayflowerElectronics, seeing as they probably know audio better than the rest of us.

[RevoltTrain]

AMP / DAC combo is almost always a better solution. I recommend the Schiit Stack:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32-X4sDzLXw

 

Why I personally don't and never will own another sound card:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1rXcJuEsy0

[SSL]

Sound quality is key

 

What is the model of your current motherboard?

[UltraTin]

AMP / DAC combo is almost always a better solution. I recommend the Schiit Stack:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32-X4sDzLXw

 

Why I personally don't and never will own a sound card:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1rXcJuEsy0

Ahhh, thats a nice video I should watch! Thanks! I'm looking into something like the Centrance Dacport for dac/amp. Venturing into the audiophile world is dangerous for my wallet.

[SSL]

AMP / DAC combo is almost always a better solution. I recommend the Schiit Stack:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32-X4sDzLXw

 

Why I personally don't and never will own a sound card:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1rXcJuEsy0

 

Thanks, but please don't.

[RevoltTrain]

Ahhh, thats a nice video I should watch! Thanks! I'm looking into something like the Centrance Dacport for dac/amp. Venturing into the audiophile world is dangerous for my wallet.

The Schiit Stack costs only $200 USD for the AMP and DAC instead of the $250 USD for the Dacport

 

http://schiit.com/products/magni-2

http://schiit.com/products/modi-2

[RevoltTrain]

Thanks, but please don't.

I'm just trying to help a good person not waste money on something they will regret owning.

[SSL]

I'm just trying to help a good person not waste money on something they will regret owning.

 

So why are you recommending that they spend $200 for no reason?

[RevoltTrain]

So why are you recommending that they spend $200 for no reason?

An AMP and a DAC is something that anyone venturing into the Audiophile world will need, and that is the best inexpensive combo on the market right now, I use one and absolutely love it.

[Guest]

I have the Essence ST (which is slightly better than the STX) and this is what I can say:

 

Its a good card. It can drive headphones up to around 250 ohms (it can drive things higher than that, but it starts to sound flat. I can't really explain it), but compared to higher quality DACs and amps, its just okay. The sound is a bit flat sounding, but well balanced and the soundstage is rather small. However, the op amps are swappable, so you can improve sound quality a bit by getting different ones (I've heard good things about the LME49990, just make sure they are on DIP8 and are stereo) But the sound quality is still a massive step up from on board audio. I would say that compared to DACs and amps in the same price range, it is pretty good. However, if you are willing to spend more, there are much better options that will do laps around this card. Some people have already recommended Schitt Audio, and they are very good. However, be sure to plenty of research before you drop money on anything.

[vlkn´]

If you have, use the Spdif output on your mainboard and plug it to an external dac. 

Extremely good for headphones that need more juice.

[SSL]

An AMP and a DAC is something that anyone venturing into the Audiophile world will need, and that is the best inexpensive combo on the market right now, I use one and absolutely love it.

 

No. The only reason the OP might need one is if they have sub-par or broken onboard. Otherwise they should look into upgrading their headphones first and think about an amp/DAC later if they really need one.

[JAKEBAB]

Don't get a sound card. those headphones are only 32ohms so your onboard should be adequate so you dont need an amp but a dac is what actually improves audio quality so you could look at something from schiit whether or not you will hear a difference is pretty much up to anyone who owns the same headphones as you which i don't so i cant comment.

[sebischmitz]

A Soundcard or dac can improve listening for almost every headphone, you just have to buy the right thing. I would also go with the Schiit stack, as it is great in quality. The Amp is not entirely useless, but it won't make a huge difference, so you might get a better dac intead.

[EmoRarity]

Poor SSL the only only sane man in a room of bumbling people drowning in snake oil.

[creatip123]

An external solution (dac, amp, or both) could improve the sound quality a little bit, depending on the onboard audio on the first place. That's mainly due to (if) the onboard audio having high output impedance, EMI and static noises, and bad circuit implementation.

 

Problem is, when you go for external solutions, there aren't so much differences between 1 external device to the other. There aren't much differences between say a $40 Syba DAC to $200 devices. 

 

To make matters worse, it also depends heavily on the headphone used, and most importantly, your ears. No points in spending extra hundreds or thousands of dollars for something you can't hear/perceive anyway....

[EmoRarity]

An external solution (dac, amp, or both) could improve the sound quality a little bit, depending on the onboard audio on the first place. That's mainly due to (if) the onboard audio having high output impedance, EMI and static noises, and bad circuit implementation.

 

Problem is, when you go for external solutions, there aren't so much differences between 1 external device to the other. There aren't much differences between say a $40 Syba DAC to $200 devices. 

 

To make matters worse, it also depends heavily on the headphone used, and most importantly, your ears. No points in spending extra hundreds or thousands of dollars for something you can't hear/perceive anyway....

But it feels more better, and more better is more better for more bettering of betterness.

[creatip123]

But it feels more better, and more better is more better for more bettering of betterness.

 

Well, my $1000 dac/amp came with a free bunny girl to do a full body massage, so yeah, it does feel better....

[Tundral]

I just got the FiiO E07K as an early christmas present for myself. It's working fantastically. Also if you have an Andoid phone that supports on-the-go USB hosting then you can buy an adapter and use the E07K with your phone too

[Tundral]

No. The only reason the OP might need one is if they have sub-par or broken onboard. Otherwise they should look into upgrading their headphones first and think about an amp/DAC later if they really need one.

 

Well let us know what DAC/AMP combos have you blindtested with all onboard audio solutions, including OPs onboard audio?

[Lays]

Well let us know what DAC/AMP combos have you blindtested with all onboard audio solutions, including OPs onboard audio?

 

 

I'm not sure why everyone automatically assumes that all onboard is shit, despite people like tek syndicate + mayflower electronics and lots of other people that all these braindead people on this forum blindly follow saying LOTS of current motherboards have wonderful onboard solutions that are comparable in sound quality to most stand-alone dac/amps.

 

Yet for some reason people still shit all over onboard....

 

 

My onboard on my Rampage IV Extreme was terrible, yet my new board (z97 M Power) has amazing onboard that's on par with my Schiit LYR + separate DAC.  And the RIVE was 3 times more expensive, yet still had an inferior solution.