DAC or Soundcard? Please Help

[harryxzz]

Hello I am new to the audiophile tech world I am looking to upgrade my quality of sound for music.
I was wondering if a DAC or sound card, or both would make a noticeable difference in my audio quality.

Would a soundcard or DAC make a difference if I added one or the other or both?

My current setup is -

Fiio e09K Amplifier

DT 990 PRO 250 OHM headphones

Asus z87a motherboard.

 

[hat]

Since it appears you would be running analog to your headphone amp, a high quality sound card may actually help in your situation. That said, an external DAC would do the same thing, possibly better depending on which models are in question. It would make no sense to buy a sound card and an external DAC, though.

 

[Ferrum Master]

What's your budget.

Seconds what do you aim for? Games or music... and what kind of type of music.

 

[Jetster]

Its all about how much money you have. And how sensitive your ears are. Sound can get expensive

 

[harryxzz]

I would like to get something really nice for around 50-100

What's your budget.

Seconds what do you aim for? Games or music... and what kind of type of music.

Electronic / Chillstep / for music

 

[Niteblooded]

I have a pair of those exact same headphones. I also had a Fiio amp and while it was nice (till it broke) even my laptop drives the headphones better. These headphones benefit greatly from more power and they sing well with tube amps/dacs.

The most popular amp/dac combo in your price range is the Schiit Modi/Magni combo. Each one is roughly $120 though. You can start off with the Modi 2 and use your PC to amplify it. I almost bought this combo but I waited till I could get what I really wanted - Woo Audio 7 Fireflies. Soo good. I know you can't afford it now but you may want to consider it in the future when you have the money. It is soo good. I always heard Beyerdynamic headphones love tube amps but the synergy is just amazing. Sadly there is not much cheaper than the Modi/Magni thats worth it. I think there might be 1 or 2 you can order off of a Chinese site (you can ask on Head-Fi.org) but honestly most stuff is going to cost a lot more. If you can't afford it, stick with onboard sound for now. I did that for like 2-3 years while I lusted for the WA7. It won't have the same sound quality but it will provide enough power to drive them. The Fiio is good when you are traveling somewhere, but I leave my beyers at home now and just use buds on the road.

I too listen to a lot of electronic (melodic dubstep, liquid dnb, ambient, etc.) in addition to a lot of rock.

 

[harryxzz]

I have a pair of those exact same headphones. I also had a Fiio amp and while it was nice (till it broke) even my laptop drives the headphones better. These headphones benefit greatly from more power and they sing well with tube amps/dacs.

The most popular amp/dac combo in your price range is the Schiit Modi/Magni combo. Each one is roughly $120 though. You can start off with the Modi 2 and use your PC to amplify it. I almost bought this combo but I waited till I could get what I really wanted - Woo Audio 7 Fireflies. Soo good. I know you can't afford it now but you may want to consider it in the future when you have the money. It is soo good. I always heard Beyerdynamic headphones love tube amps but the synergy is just amazing. Sadly there is not much cheaper than the Modi/Magni thats worth it. I think there might be 1 or 2 you can order off of a Chinese site (you can ask on Head-Fi.org) but honestly most stuff is going to cost a lot more. If you can't afford it, stick with onboard sound for now. I did that for like 2-3 years while I lusted for the WA7. It won't have the same sound quality but it will provide enough power to drive them. The Fiio is good when you are traveling somewhere, but I leave my beyers at home now and just use buds on the road.

I too listen to a lot of electronic (melodic dubstep, liquid dnb, ambient, etc.) in addition to a lot of rock.

Is it pointless to have both soundcard and DAC ? If it is pointless to have both what you recommend the sound card or DAC?

 

[erocker]

This is all you need: http://www.audioquest.com/usb_digital_analog_converter/dragonfly-dac

I was amazed upon first using it. Reviews everywhere love it too.

 

[Athlon2K15]

If you already have the E09K you might as well grab the E17 and dock it.

 

[ERazer]

DAC this one, i have the O2 amp and ODAC i never looked back got my combo at massdrop

since you have open back headphone no need for gimmicky fake surround sound from SC.

 

[harryxzz]

So no point is having both soundcard AND the DAC?

 

[erocker]

So no point is having both soundcard AND the DAC?

Nope. Unless you need a mic input and don't have integrated sound on your computer.

 

[harryxzz]

Nope. Unless you need a mic input and don't have integrated sound on your computer.

Sorry confused, So no point in having both with my setup correct?

 

[Niteblooded]

I would not buy a sound card if you plan on buying an external DAC.

An audiophile quality DAC will hands down beat a sound card or onboard sound. If you can't afford a quality DAC I would go with onboard sound and save up for one.