DAC audio vs Motherboard audio

[IAR117]

I have a pair of SR60Es which I currently run through my Asrock Z97 Anniversary motherboard. Would upgrading to, for example a Schiit Fulla 2 make Spotify (non-premium) sound better? I also listen to some ripped FLAC files. TIA

[Guest]

It would make the sound better, but i don't think you can hear a diffrence.

[Dackzy]

Not really worth it

[AndersT2]

The only way to find that out sadly is to compare them. Audio and difference between them can be non or alot depending on who's listening. I could say you would hear a big difference, but you might not, because Your ears can tell the difference, and maybe mine can. So the only way you will know is if you try yourself, and see if you'll hear any differance.

 

I have found out in the later years that I can easier hear the differance between sound Equipment when I understood what I should listen for to find the differance.

 

I have a Schiit headphone amp, and are really happy With it, but uses it With a Asus pci soundcard (Essence STX), and prefers it over the build in headphone amp on the Asus card, even if they use the same dac for their signal.

[SeanAngelo]

9 minutes ago, IAR117 said:

I have a pair of SR60Es which I currently run through my Asrock Z97 Anniversary motherboard. Would upgrading to, for example a Schiit Fulla 2 make Spotify (non-premium) sound better? I also listen to some ripped FLAC files. TIA

not really worth it imho, its only 32ohms...

[Dackzy]

9 hours ago, SeanAngelo said:

not really worth it imho, its only 32ohms...

The impedance doesn't matter. Go read the pinned post.

 

The fact is that he has grado headphones, they aren't very detailed and their frequency response is very very bumpy, so improving the source would kinda be a waste of money, at least if you compare it to improving the headphones.

[seduce_me]

18 hours ago, IAR117 said:

I have a pair of SR60Es which I currently run through my Asrock Z97 Anniversary motherboard. Would upgrading to, for example a Schiit Fulla 2 make Spotify (non-premium) sound better? I also listen to some ripped FLAC files. TIA

Audible improvements are likely vs the onboard, but not with grados. They aren't resolving and the FR is kind of screwed so improving your source/amplification is a waste of your money. Buy better headphones first.

[IAR117]

Thanks for all the replies guys What level of headphones would benefit from a dac?

[seduce_me]

Headphones that are known to scale a large amount, meaning a more audible difference with source/amp upgrades such as:

-HD650

-HD800

 

[IAR117]

7 hours ago, seduce_me said:

Headphones that are known to scale a large amount, meaning a more audible difference with source/amp upgrades such as:

-HD650

-HD800

 

Really? Wow I didn't think you'd have to go that high end for a listening difference

[Dackzy]

3 minutes ago, IAR117 said:

Really? Wow I didn't think you'd have to go that high end for a listening difference

well, you don't to notice a difference, but those he listed just show a difference more than other headphones.

[Jose Camoes Silva]

On 9/17/2017 at 12:54 PM, AndersT2 said:

I have found out in the later years that I can easier hear the differance between sound Equipment when I understood what I should listen for to find the differance.

 

 

Many moons ago a colleague told me to "listen to the harpsichord strings resonating with the voice of the soprano when she's singing solo." I thought, ok, I'll indulge your fancy, but what difference can this setup make? It turns out, the difference between two amplifiers was such that you could tell which was which by those little resonances -- they made a difference. The better amplifier, and we're talking homemade amps here, allowed those differences to show sound through.

 

Once you learn how to tell things like that, you start the path to ruin. Each 5% increase in quality is a three-fold increase in price, and it never ends...

 

(There are many things that simply cost money and make no difference, but there are things that do make a difference. Only the ears can tell. Preferably in a blind sound test.)

[kxrider85]

On 9/19/2017 at 12:45 PM, IAR117 said:

Really? Wow I didn't think you'd have to go that high end for a listening difference

Technically, there is a listening difference with any pair of headphones as different DAC/amplifiers color the sound differently. You don't typically buy DACs or amplifiers for cheaper headphones because they are hindered by other things anyway. In other words, audio peripherals are for improving/refining sound, not fixing it.

[IAR117]

16 hours ago, kxrider85 said:

Technically, there is a listening difference with any pair of headphones as different DAC/amplifiers color the sound differently. You don't typically buy DACs or amplifiers for cheaper headphones because they are hindered by other things anyway. In other words, audio peripherals are for improving/refining sound, not fixing it.

It's not for fixing it, I was hoping to improve audio form lower quality inputs such as older YouTube music

[klh2000]

3 hours ago, IAR117 said:

It's not for fixing it, I was hoping to improve audio form lower quality inputs such as older YouTube music

When you start with a low quality source (YouTube), there isn't really anything that you can do to make it sound better. A DAC won't sound better that your onboard when using a low quality source.

[GamerDude]

Basically, what everyone's saying is true, for you to benefit from a an external DAC stack/combo, you'd have to improve everything else in the audio chain. Perhaps 320kbps MP3's, but I would suggest FLAC/WAV and better audio source, plus reasonably good DAC/amp + good pair of cans. I have the GS1000i, and though some may find it a tad too sparkly, I absolutely love it! I use my GS1000i with my OPPO HA1 (sometimes my Fostex HPA4 which warms the sound a little) with digital audio source fed from my computer (FLAC/WAV/DSD) to my DAC stack/combo. NOT that I'm suggesting that you get the GS1ki, it isn't for everyone. But be forewarned though, this audio indulgence can be quite the slippery slope.

[IAR117]

OK then, so what I've got from you guys is that to truly benefit from a DAC/AMP, I need better headphones and need to listen to at least FLAC/WAV files. Thanks for replies all

[seduce_me]

1 hour ago, IAR117 said:

OK then, so what I've got from you guys is that to truly benefit from a DAC/AMP, I need better headphones and need to listen to at least FLAC/WAV files. Thanks for replies all

The second part is not true. Yes more resolving headphones can bring out more low-level detail but it does not determine the quality of the entire headphone, such as:

• Timbre
• FR
• Attack/Decay etc.