Improving Audio with DAC etc?

[Dom___]

Hi all,

I am looking to improve the quality of the sound coming from my pc both for music and gaming (mostly gaming). I currently have a pair of sennheiser HD558's which I run straight from the audio jack on my pc front or through the volume controller on my logitech z4's.

I am interested in gaining superior audio using a DAC or an external sound card and amplifier etc.

pretty new to the world of audiophilia so any help appreciated what's the best way to go about this? i saw some cool creative external sound card and amplifiers but not sure how good of an option they are.

my budget would ideally be around GBP £100

cheers!

 

[Ruggo181]

Your Logitech Z4's are an external amplifier, so I'd stick with what you've got.
If your onboard sound is tripping over trying to play some DSD 128 files, sure look at another sound solution, but trust me, what you've got is fine.

 

[ssddx]

do you notice any buzzing, poor quality, lack of bass, tinny sound, distortion or other issues? if not, a dac or amp is optional for you.

will you notice a difference with better equipment? maybe. it depends on your ears. some people can see a large difference while others may have a hard time picking it up.

if you do go the upgrade route.. things like the creative z or xonar dx are good soundcards. the audioengine d1 or fiio e10k are good dac/amp units that should be somewhere around budget.