Looking to get an external DAC and an amp for a DT770 Pro, what would you advise ?

[Lyraël]

Hello, I'm currently running said headset through an ASUS Xonar DSX, however I feel like I could still get more out of it. As it is, the headset feels slightly underpowered (being 80 Ohms), and I feel like I may as well run an external DAC through the S-PDIF of my soundboard to get the most of it.
I'll probably end up going for a higher impedance headset in the long run, but I feel like even now such a setup would substantially enhance my experience. This will mostly be used for listening to music in case that matters.

Thank you for reading.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

The DAC should replace the sound card entirely, not connect to it.
USB DAC usually connect via USB and are driven on the PC that way.
S/PDIF is more of a option on the DAC in order to output the PC Audio over to a surround sound receiver if needed.

[Lyraël]

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

The DAC should replace the sound card entirely, not connect to it.
USB DAC usually connect via USB and are driven on the PC that way.
S/PDIF is more of a option on the DAC in order to output the PC Audio over to a surround sound receiver if needed.

Got it, since I read that S/PDIF is an overall better solution I figured I might as well use it and not treat the signal through my sound card.
That being said, I'm still not sure about what I should go for really. There are products in a wide range of prices and quality, and to be fair I have no clue as to what would be optimal.

[pasa]

Are you sure you want a DAC?

I'm also thinking to get something better to drive the headphone. But more inclined for a player like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/XDUOO%C2%AE-JZ4760B-Lossless-Supports-Formats-Black/dp/B017K9XVX6/ref=pd_sbs_107_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=2XBWP1XT5Q510RX43XHT (not necessarily this model bit something akin)

My friend has Xduoo X2 and it makes superb sound. Plugged in the USB it takes power from there. Some burden to transfer the media files, but once there might be even better than holding on PC (I don't reorganize them). And as a bonus I can take it somewhere I go.

[Lyraël]

Originally posted by pasa:

Are you sure you want a DAC?

I'm also thinking to get something better to drive the headphone. But more inclined for a player like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/XDUOO%C2%AE-JZ4760B-Lossless-Supports-Formats-Black/dp/B017K9XVX6/ref=pd_sbs_107_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=2XBWP1XT5Q510RX43XHT (not necessarily this model bit something akin)

My friend has Xduoo X2 and it makes superb sound. Plugged in the USB it takes power from there. Some burden to transfer the media files, but once there might be even better than holding on PC (I don't reorganize them). And as a bonus I can take it somewhere I go.

I'd be more inclined towards something that directly enhances the experience I can get from my PC. While I'd like to use that my audio setup mostly for music, I'd rather not have my music experience completely separated from my computer, since I'm already set as far as portability goes.
Still, I can understand the appeal of that. Although, given that my computer already cannot provide adequate power to the headset, I reckon a portable music player would struggle even more :/

[pasa]

Originally posted by Lyraël:

Still, I can understand the appeal of that. Although, given that my computer already cannot provide adequate power to the headset, I reckon a portable music player would struggle even more :/

Quite the opposite, those are made with 250 ohm headphones in mind, while the PC mostly expect 32 and the 80 ohm piece put it to the limits.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Originally posted by Lyraël:

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

The DAC should replace the sound card entirely, not connect to it.
USB DAC usually connect via USB and are driven on the PC that way.
S/PDIF is more of a option on the DAC in order to output the PC Audio over to a surround sound receiver if needed.

Got it, since I read that S/PDIF is an overall better solution I figured I might as well use it and not treat the signal through my sound card.
That being said, I'm still not sure about what I should go for really. There are products in a wide range of prices and quality, and to be fair I have no clue as to what would be optimal.

I think you misunderstand, we don't need sound cards, you plug in a USB DAC and you're done. The DAC is a driver less sound card all its own. No real software for them because you don't need any, the controls are in the OS and on the DAC. You don't use a DAC in combination with sound card, you use it to ditch the sound card entirely.

[Lyraël]

Originally posted by pasa:

Originally posted by Lyraël:

Still, I can understand the appeal of that. Although, given that my computer already cannot provide adequate power to the headset, I reckon a portable music player would struggle even more :/

Quite the opposite, those are made with 250 ohm headphones in mind, while the PC mostly expect 32 and the 80 ohm piece put it to the limits.

Interesting, so this is basically a portable DAC/Amp combo with player capabilities then. If there's anyway to just use that kind of product as an output for a PC, this might just do the trick

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Originally posted by Lyraël:

Originally posted by pasa:

Quite the opposite, those are made with 250 ohm headphones in mind, while the PC mostly expect 32 and the 80 ohm piece put it to the limits.

Interesting, so this is basically a portable DAC/Amp combo with player capabilities then. If there's anyway to just use that kind of product as an output for a PC, this might just do the trick

There is; you just plug them into the PC via USB; headsets and speakers plug into them using 3.5mm analog; or you can get DAC that can use Pro Mics that use XLR. The DAC itself should have its own volume, boost and such controls directly on it.

[Lyraël]

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

I think you misunderstand, we don't need sound cards, you plug in a USB DAC and you're done. The DAC is a driver less sound card all its own. No real software for them because you don't need any, the controls are in the OS and on the DAC. You don't use a DAC in combination with sound card, you use it to ditch the sound card entirely.

I actually understand that, I was still pretty sure that you would get a better signal to the DAC from an S-PDIF than from USB, hence my train of thoughts. In that case, I would just have powered the card for the sake of having the port, and not for any sound treatment.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

S/PDIF is used to go to outside sources of speakers; like a receiver; you would never use that to connect to the PC, since that means connecting to a sound card, which is just not something you would do, period.

DAC < USB < PC
< Audio flows out to DAC <
DAC > S/PDIF > Receiver
> Audio from DAC to Receiver and then to Speakers >

[Lyraël]

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

There is; you just plug them into the PC via USB; headsets and speakers plug into them using 3.5mm analog; or you can get DAC that can use Pro Mics that use XLR. The DAC itself should have its own volume, boost and such controls directly on it.

And so is there any benefit to going for much bigger individual pieces like Schiit or Cambridge Audio sell ? I feel like with such a small form factor compared to most DAC / Amp combos something must be lost, right ?

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

S/PDIF is used to go to outside sources of speakers; like a receiver; you would never use that to connect to the PC, since that means connecting to a sound card, which is just not something you would do, period.

Alrighty then, thanks for clearing that out.

[TehSpoopyKitteh]

Originally posted by Lyraël:

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

I think you misunderstand, we don't need sound cards, you plug in a USB DAC and you're done. The DAC is a driver less sound card all its own. No real software for them because you don't need any, the controls are in the OS and on the DAC. You don't use a DAC in combination with sound card, you use it to ditch the sound card entirely.

I actually understand that, I was still pretty sure that you would get a better signal to the DAC from an S-PDIF than from USB, hence my train of thoughts. In that case, I would just have powered the card for the sake of having the port, and not for any sound treatment.

USB is not the signal carrier for the audio. It’s an external serialized system peripheral bus. It will not degrade the signal whatsoever.

Get either a Creative Soundblaster Omni or a Creative XFi-HD external audio card.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Cambridge from what I see is S/PDIF or Optical Input; that just allows you to get pure surround sound with ease from devices like a Bluray player. Again you wouldn't use that connection on PC in-conjunction with your DAC

These are basically the same things, and do the same... the difference is available options on them regarding input and output is basically all.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072JJT7SF
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0078Q35PG

[Lyraël]

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

Cambridge from what I see is S/PDIF or Optical Input; that just allows you to get pure surround sound with ease from devices like a Bluray player. Again you wouldn't use that connection on PC in-conjunction with your DAC

These are basically the same things, and do the same... the difference is available options on them regarding input and output is basically all.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072JJT7SF
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0078Q35PG

That means those couple more ports can get really expensive then. So as far as I can see for the use I'll make of that material, I might as well not go beyond 100€ territory, right ? Especially since DACs just handle the signal conversion without any possibility for treatment besides software

Originally posted by 🎃The Spoopy Kitteh🎃:

USB is not the signal carrier for the audio. It’s an external serialized system peripheral bus. It will not degrade the signal whatsoever.

Get either a Creative Soundblaster Omni or a Creative XFi-HD external audio card.

I see, thank you for the explanation. But isn't this the kind of material I was going for first hand then, cabling aside ?

[Bad 💀 Motha]

But its also a super clean conversion; most internal sound cards dont provide that, most of them, even $100+ ones from ASUS or Creative, often have noise with them, due to digital noise from your Power Supply; and it can be audible during playback and/or recording. External USB DACs pretty much wont ever have that issue.

And yes, external ones from the likes of Creative is good option as well, they offer some decent ones.