Can I still get a better sound quality if I were going to upgrade my already good enough DAC and/or amplifier?

[Mbuud]

AFAIK, if your DAC and/or amplifier doesn't properly drive your headphones, they won't sound as good as if they were driven properly. For that particular case, I believe that a better DAC and/or amplifier could upgrade the sound quality (wider soundstage, better imaging and separation, faster bass response, etc).

Let's suppose I own a headphone and it is already driven properly with Topping D30 + JDS Labs Atom. Can I still get a better sound quality (especially the unmeasurable ones) if I were going to upgrade them to a better one? Let's say to SMSL U8 V2 + THX AAA 789.

Since both of them have a great measurement, the only thing that I can imagine to be upgraded is only the power. But, since I have never tried any DACs nor amplifiers (because I only own IEMs atm), I am curious if any things other than the power are also got upgraded.

 

[pozz]

AFAIK, if your DAC and/or amplifier doesn't properly drive your headphones, they won't sound as good as if they were driven properly. For that particular case, I believe that a better DAC and/or amplifier could upgrade the sound quality (wider soundstage, better imaging and separation, faster bass response, etc).

Let's suppose I own a headphone and it is already driven properly with Topping D30 + JDS Labs Atom. Can I still get a better sound quality (especially the unmeasurable ones) if I were going to upgrade them to a better one? Let's say to SMSL U8 V2 + THX AAA 789.

Since both of them have a great measurement, the only thing that I can imagine to be upgraded is only the power. But, since I have never tried any DACs nor amplifiers (because I only own IEMs atm), I am curious if any things other than the power are also got upgraded.

You won't improve any of the features you mention other than expand the range of compatible headphones.

Wider soundstage, better imaging and separation, faster bass response, etc., happens when you move from a suboptimally-set system to a correctly-considered one.

 

[Mbuud]

You won't improve any of the features you mention other than expand the range of compatible headphones.

Wider soundstage, better imaging and separation, faster bass response, etc., happens when you move from a suboptimally-set system to a correctly-considered one.

So, my guess was right then. The only thing that going to be upgraded is the power.

 

[twsecrest]

It might depend on the headphone.
What headphones do you own or plan on buying?
What audio sources do you listen to?

 

[pozz]

So, my guess was right then. The only thing that going to be upgraded is the power.

Yeah, you put it well:

AFAIK, if your DAC and/or amplifier doesn't properly drive your headphones, they won't sound as good as if they were driven properly.

 

[Mbuud]

It might depend on the headphone.
What headphones do you own or plan on buying?
What audio sources do you listen to?

I have M40x's now, I use them with my phone and laptop. But, let's say i was planning to get HD800's.

 

[Human Bass]

I have M40x's now, I use them with my phone and laptop. But, let's say i was planning to get HD800's.

Even a mx40 would benefit from a dedicated amp compared to the bad amps we have in cellphones and notebooks.

 

[Mbuud]

Even a mx40 would benefit from a dedicated amp compared to the bad amps we have in cellphones and notebooks.

I do think so. But if you already have a good enough DAC and/or amp, would you still getting a benefit from a better one? Other than more power.

 

[Neutron]

Put your money on your headphone first. Get yourself an amp that you think drive the headphone to your liking, then you think about your DAC.

In many cases, DACs really sound very similar that you shouldn't bother tickling with it until everything else are settled. I have first hand experience on 2 DACs sounding the same to my ears (TC BMC2, akm4552; Grace M900, akm4490). Even my desktop's sound card is very close in sound to those DACs.

 

[solderdude]

Let's suppose I own a headphone and it is already driven properly with Topping D30 + JDS Labs Atom.

Your equipment is good enough your headphone is the limiting factor here.
To upgrade sound quality you need to buy headphones that suit you better.
When your Atom runs out of output power (you need pretty insensitive headphones for that) then it could be beneficial to buy an ap with higher output power. Keep in mind that to do that you need substantially more power (at least 4x as much) in such a case.