headphone amps and PC speakers

[ongakublue]

Hi there,

2 questions for any audio enthusiasts -

1. does the little  fiio headphone amp boost only volume or would it improve sound quality when listening to my ipod? i have a decent pair of senns.

2. is the sound better through headphones if i connect directly to a laptop or use an intermediary set of speakers costing no more than 100 dollars. i mean using the headphone input on the speakers.

thanks a lot for your help
i came here before with some similar tech questions and got great feedback

J

[DavidW]

1. You won't get great improvement on sound quality unless you can bypass the amp, which means you need a docking type headphone amp (which I believe fiio makes but is higher model than perhaps what you were looking at), you will simply get more volume.

2. Both are bad choices, you are still using noisy onboard audio either way.  You need to again bypass the amp.

That being said the ipod has a very clean output (and laptops not as much), if you had to choose the lesser of two evils go with #1 amping the ipod, but they're both flawed.

If you're willing to spend more you can get what I have, the nuforce icon udac-2 for $100-130, or you can get the Headroom Total Bithead for $130 which works with your laptop and with an adaptor can work with your ipod (without having to use the ipod's amp).

Else you can amp your ipod with the fiio you mentioned or the headroom total airhead (which I have).  And I must point out that everything I've tried sub-$100 and an audible noise floor.  Anyway good luck.

[Scarpia]

Hi there,

2 questions for any audio enthusiasts -

1. does the little  fiio headphone amp boost only volume or would it improve sound quality when listening to my ipod? i have a decent pair of senns.

2. is the sound better through headphones if i connect directly to a laptop or use an intermediary set of speakers costing no more than 100 dollars. i mean using the headphone input on the speakers.

thanks a lot for your help
i came here before with some similar tech questions and got great feedback

J

A headphone amp will likely increase quality if you are using headphones that are harder to drive than the typical iPod ear buds, particularly bass response. 

I doubt that running your headphones through computer speakers would give terribly good quality, though maybe marginally better than through your laptop directly.

Sounds like you could solve both problems with the Headroom Total BitHead

http://www.headphone.com/headphone-amps/headroom-total-bithead.php

This device can act as a headphone amp for your iPod or similar analog source, and can also act as an external sound card for your computer (connecting to the USB port).   The electronics it uses to synthesize and amplify sound are much better than anything that you will find in a computer.

[DavidW]

If you look right below the product listing on Scarpia's link, you'll see there is that ipod dock adapter so you can buy both at the same time.  Headroom must have price matched with the nuforce, I swear if it was the same price just a few weeks ago I would have ordered that ... Headroom amps are more neutral, have variable gain, crossfeed and better build quality.  At that price there can't be anything better.

[ongakublue]

Much appreciated David and Scarpia 

will go check out Headroom


J

PS - i took a look so this improves headphones but it means i have no decent external speakers for the laptop. can i connect pc speakers to this device? or is it really not suitable for that? thanks

[DavidW]

If you want to also get good sound to your speakers you should consider (a) an external sound card instead or (b) stereo rca or digital spdif out to an amp or your receiver.  I don't know if the total bithead can do that, but the nuforce has a digital coaxial out and stereo rca for just that purpose.

[ongakublue]

If you want to also get good sound to your speakers you should consider (a) an external sound card instead or (b) stereo rca or digital spdif out to an amp or your receiver.  I don't know if the total bithead can do that, but the nuforce has a digital coaxial out and stereo rca for just that purpose.

Yes, you are right, the thing to do is to get something to serve as/or be a soundcard. the thing is that i will be travelling so i can't take my big amp and speakers with me. I can't presently afford either Nuforce or Bithead so I will get speakers for the pc. I will get it tho for sure, one or the other. Strange it is not available on amazon.co.uk or any of the other major british or irish stores. Maybe a lot of people just don't care about good sound.

J

[mc ukrneal]

Yes, you are right, the thing to do is to get something to serve as/or be a soundcard. the thing is that i will be travelling so i can't take my big amp and speakers with me. I can't presently afford either Nuforce or Bithead so I will get speakers for the pc. I will get it tho for sure, one or the other. Strange it is not available on amazon.co.uk or any of the other major british or irish stores. Maybe a lot of people just don't care about good sound.

J

I must say that I am rarely impressed with the speakers that fit into computers. Most of them seem to be tinny or otherwise poor sounding. I do a lot of travelling, so I would add a few suggestions:

1. If you cannot afford the amp, go with a cheap but good quality headphone like the Senn PX100. This was one of the best Head-fi suggestions I got, and the sound is really quite amazing for such a small headphone. I do a lot of listening at work with these (and they are light and easy to carry) and the sound is remarkable (Koss have a similar phone as well at this price point). I think I got them for like $40, though I see they are $55 at Amazon. You could probably get them for less if you look around or wait for a sale.

2. If the travelling is stationary (meaning you travel to a base, but then stay in that base for days at a time, instead of flying somwhere different every day), you could buy a headphone and then supplement it later with the amp. That is, buy the headphone you want now and buy the amp later when you are able. I think the unamped sound will still be way better than a speaker for the computer.

3. An alternative is to buy a headphone that is geared for amp-less listening like the Senn HD 595. Whether you will like the sound of these or their alternatives, well- who knows. Ideally, you could audition them first.

Anyway, just a few more thoughts. For travelling, I think #1 is ideal, and is cheaper than the others. Good luck with whatever you choose.

[ongakublue]

hi ukrneal

you raised some points and the good news is i HAVE the senns you mentioned, the HD 595s and I like them alot. They are a little big but by travelling I mean having a base in the new place. I have a nice marantz amo but it is far too big to take with me.

so, i have the senns to either go into my laptop or ipod directly or via somekind of speakers. I agree the sound from computer speakers is bad but maybe it is all I can do for now. i want to be able to hear the music in my itunes collection or internet radio without having a big amp and without spending more than 100. It limits me!
Perhaps as you said, I could get a 'portable amp' later.

i find that convenience is the name of the game for me. like having your ipod next to your bed with a remote to play your music out loud and the radio too - the cheapest solution is a radio alarm clock dock like the ones sony make.
that is another poor sound quality option but that hardly matters for 'sleeping music' - the laptop matters more.

thanks for your feedback 


PS I took a look and found a DAC that seems ok - if only i knew more about these things. it is available in europe and it is cheaper than nuforce udac.

maybe someone would look at it for me please?

http://www.thomann.de/ie/esi_dr_dac_nano.htm

[DavidW]

Head-fi says audible noise floor, I would avoid.  Look the 595 is sensitive enough to use straight out of your ipod without an additional amp, and the ipod does NOT have an audible noise floor.  I would just go with that for now until you have a little bit more money.  It makes no sense to pay some now and be unhappy instead of just wait until you have more money.

[ongakublue]

I think you are right. Spending near to 100 dollars on a dac that does not even have rca connection and that soundfloor thing you mentioned is a waste of money. i shud rather save up for a better solution to the whole issue. for now i will get speakers for the pc for under 50 - just so i can hear stuff without headphones sometimes - when i want better sound i use the senns, when i want even better sound i use the ipod. i don't think a headphone amp is necessary either. the senns don't need it when i connect to my ipod.

thanks for the advice on this thread

J

[DavidW]

Awesome!  Spending a little on pc speakers easily improves sq over the tinny laptop audio.