Is an DAC required to power an AMP?

[woolfy]

Hello, recently I have bought the 250 Ohm version of the DT990, and I have decided that I wanted to buy an Amp and Dac. I was looking to buy the Schiit Magni 3, and Modi 3. But I was wondering if I could just buy the Amp and connect the Amp from Rca to 3.5mm into the back of my PC. What I am trying to say is, do I need a Dac to power the Amp? Or can I just use the Amp, and connect it to the Dac onboard my motherboard.

 

[Doodski]

But I was wondering if I could just buy the Amp and connect the Amp from Rca to 3.5mm into the back of my PC. What I am trying to say is, do I need a Dac to power the Amp? Or can I just use the Amp, and connect it to the Dac onboard my motherboard.

You can do it both ways if you like. The PC 3.5mm stereo output can be input to the amp or a dedicated DAC can be used.

 

[woolfy]

You can do it both ways if you like. The PC 3.5mm stereo output can be input to the amp or a dedicated DAC can be used.

Would there be a significant downgrade from using the 3.5mm output from my onboard Dac, instead of using an external one?

 

[Jimbob54]

Hello, recently I have bought the 250 Ohm version of the DT990, and I have decided that I wanted to buy an Amp and Dac. I was looking to buy the Schiit Magni 3, and Modi 3. But I was wondering if I could just buy the Amp and connect the Amp from Rca to 3.5mm into the back of my PC. What I am trying to say is, do I need a Dac to power the Amp? Or can I just use the Amp, and connect it to the Dac onboard my motherboard.

Unless you have a noisy or low power output from the PC why not try just getting the amp, you can always add the Modi or another similar DAC latyer but dont expect improvements unless your PC output is crap

 

[Doodski]

Would there be a significant downgrade from using the 3.5mm output from my onboard Dac, instead of using an external one?

No. The onboard DAC of the motherboard will have decent sound and the difference between a dedicated outboard DAC and the onboard motherboard solution will be tiny if at all noticeable.

 

[woolfy]

Thank you for helping me, as I am not very educated on this.

 

[AnalogSteph]

The most noticeable difference may be one in output level - while fancy onboard audio that can output 2 Vrms (as standard in standalone DACs) has become more common, the lowest common denominator is somewhere around 1 Vrms - knowing the motherboard or computer type would generally help determining the capabilities. Something worth keeping in mind in case you ever find yourself running out of available output volume.