My phone produces better audio than my PC - is it normal?

[Tomek20225]

Hi, guys!
I think I have a problem.
The thing is that I became tired of my current headphones and I decided to change them. I went on a trip through nearby shops in order to find the best pair for around 75-85$.

I had the same methodology for each:
 - CoD: Infinite Warfare, Titanfall and Batman: Arkham City gameplays to test how good they're in emulating 7.1 and gaming overall,
 - Adele "Hello" and Eminem "Rap God" to test vocals,
 - Timmy Trumpet & Savage "Freaks" to test bass.
All of the tracks were played from my iPhone SE.
After few hours I decided that the best ones are Sony MDR-XB950AP and Kingston HyperX Cloud. I still can't pick which is better, but that's not the point.
When I came back home, for lolz, I did the same with my current headphones - I wanted to compare the difference, just to be sure (I own Superlux HD681 at the moment).
And it turned out that they are a lot better than I thought. Hell, I would even call them 'comparable' to these mentioned above (not in terms of comfort and build quality, but sound quality). These were never as good when connected to the PC, even with Razer Surroud Pro turned on.
Just an hour ago I checked whether it's true - I played the same tracks directly from the PC and from my phone.
Eventually I was right - the sound coming from the phone was definitely louder, clearer (I heard some weird buzzing/cracking when plugged into PC) and was more pleasant to listen to.
My question is - is it normal? Because it seems weird to me, but I'm quite a noob in terms of audio gear.
I haven't changed any equalizers on the iPhone. I have the latest Realtek drivers installed (at least I think so - I downloaded them from the manufacturer's website) and Razer Surround Pro within Synapse enabled (it makes the sound a lot better than without it, but still not very close to the one produced by the phone).

Thanks in advance!
Thomas


BTW, I have some additional questions, but these are different topics:
 1. My front audio jack stopped detecting my headphones when I plug them in. I think it isn't broken, since microphone jack still works fine. It even produces some audio when I plug them in in a specific way, but the system still doesn't 'see' them, and so doesn't turn off the speakers.
 2. Which pair of these two mentioned do you think is the best? I'm going to change my current one anyway, because they're not comfortable enough for me.

[MrDrWho13]

I'm not really an audiophile, but this doesn't surprise me. Phones are built as multimedia devices, and you'd expect that sort of quality from a company like Apple. Your motherboard manufacturer probably chose the cheapest DAC and amp to put on. If you want better sound out of your PC, get a dedicated sound card.

[Bazadar]

Dont know much at all about Audio, But the above is no surprise. As your PC will just have mostly very basic sound on board, Where a phone built around the fact it needs to have the best audio possible as its a phone.

 

I would advise a sound card would improve the overall audio performance.

 

Thats my take on it anyway  

[Tomek20225]

8 minutes ago, DarkShadowUK said:

Dont know much at all about Audio, But the above is no surprise. As your PC will just have mostly very basic sound on board, Where a phone built around the fact it needs to have the best audio possible as its a phone.

 

I would advise a sound card would improve the overall audio performance.

 

Thats my take on it anyway  

 

9 minutes ago, MrDrWho13 said:

I'm not really an audiophile, but this doesn't surprise me. Phones are built as multimedia devices, and you'd expect that sort of quality from a company like Apple. Your motherboard manufacturer probably chose the cheapest DAC and amp to put on. If you want better sound out of your PC, get a dedicated sound card.

 

That would explain a lot actually - thanks for informative replies!
Now, when I know this, I want to know a bit more about fixing the 'problem'.
You both suggested sound cards. Will I find a good one for around 30$? Or should I invest in an AMP and DAC? Or if I have so little money I should leave it all alone and gather more?
I really am not an audiophile - I like the sound of my Superlux' (delivered from my iPhone), they're just not comfy enough. When I buy something, I want it to be the best for the price and the fact that my phone delvers better audio quality than my very expensive (as Polish standards go) PC simply annoys me.

[MrDrWho13]

4 minutes ago, Tomek20225 said:

 

 

That would explain a lot actually - thanks for informative replies!
Now, when I know this, I want to know a bit more about fixing the 'problem'.
You both suggested sound cards. Will I find a good one for around 30$? Or should I invest in an AMP and DAC? Or if I have so little money I should leave it all alone and gather more?
I really am not an audiophile - I like the sound of my Superlux' (delivered from my iPhone), they're just not comfy enough. When I buy something, I want it to be the best for the price and the fact that my phone delvers better audio quality than my very expensive (as Polish standards go) PC simply annoys me.

Sorry I don't really know enough to start recommending things. I would suggest you either start reading Amazon reviews for sound cards around $30, or make another thread in this topic asking for suggestions. (Or both )  

[Bazadar]

9 minutes ago, Tomek20225 said:

 

 

That would explain a lot actually - thanks for informative replies!
Now, when I know this, I want to know a bit more about fixing the 'problem'.
You both suggested sound cards. Will I find a good one for around 30$? Or should I invest in an AMP and DAC? Or if I have so little money I should leave it all alone and gather more?
I really am not an audiophile - I like the sound of my Superlux' (delivered from my iPhone), they're just not comfy enough. When I buy something, I want it to be the best for the price and the fact that my phone delvers better audio quality than my very expensive (as Polish standards go) PC simply annoys me.

Wish i could advise but i honestly dont know  

 

I would like to know as well tbh, So hopefully someone who is in the know answers