Newbie question

[dustyedinger]

Considering a DAC to improve laptop audio for music, specifically for Logic pro at 48hz sample rate. Topping DX1 and Dx5-2 are both on my short list. Does the DAC chip drive the headphone out as well as the main outputs? Or just the main outs?

Thanks for any clarification.

 

[DVDdoug]

All of the Topping stuff seems to get good reviews!

Considering a DAC to improve laptop audio for music

There MAY be noting to "improve" unless you have "hard to drive" headphones or some particular sound problem.

On the other hand, different headphones (or speakers) will always sound different.

The DX-5 has built-in EQ, which of course can alter the sound, but since your source is apparently a computer you have other software EQ possibilities.

Does the DAC chip drive the headphone out as well as the main outputs? Or just the main outs?

I'm not sure what's inside but there's usually a separate headphone amplifier chip, which in some cases may double as a line-output buffer. But in any case, how it performs is much more important than what's inside or how they accomplish that performance.

 

[SuicideSquid]

Considering a DAC to improve laptop audio for music, specifically for Logic pro at 48hz sample rate. Topping DX1 and Dx5-2 are both on my short list. Does the DAC chip drive the headphone out as well as the main outputs? Or just the main outs?

Thanks for any clarification.

The DAC inside your laptop is likely just fine but the headphone amplifier in the laptop is probably lackluster.

I bought one of these to use with my AKG 720 headphones which the built-in headphone amp in my laptop couldn't handle. Measures basically perfectly and has no trouble with the AKG headphones: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...cally-jm20-max-headphone-dongle-review.62260/

As far as "does the DAC chip drive the headphone out", do you mean is the DAC used to process audio on the headphone out? A DAC is the chip that converts digital audio signals to analog waveforms. It's not an amplifier. In the Toppings you mention (and in any other DAC/amp combo I'm aware of), the incoming signal is converted by the DAC to an analog waveform, and is then sent un-amplified to the pre-outs, and is also routed internally to the headphone amplifier to be amplified.

 

[voodooless]

As long as your headphones are low impedance, I think the default output of a fairly recent Apple device will be quite good. They’ll do almost 300mW into 15R with low enough distortion.

If you have a high impedance headphone, a headphone amp or DAC+headphone amp are probably useful. The latter is usually the better deal: more options and usually not (much) more expensive.

 

[dustyedinger]

The DAC inside your laptop is likely just fine but the headphone amplifier in the laptop is probably lackluster.

I bought one of these to use with my AKG 720 headphones which the built-in headphone amp in my laptop couldn't handle. Measures basically perfectly and has no trouble with the AKG headphones: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...cally-jm20-max-headphone-dongle-review.62260/

As far as "does the DAC chip drive the headphone out", do you mean is the DAC used to process audio on the headphone out? A DAC is the chip that converts digital audio signals to analog waveforms. It's not an amplifier. In the Toppings you mention (and in any other DAC/amp combo I'm aware of), the incoming signal is converted by the DAC to an analog waveform, and is then sent un-amplified to the pre-outs, and is also routed internally to the headphone amplifier to be amplified.

I see, suicide squid. This answers my question. So the DAC does, in fact, process/affect both. Interestingly enough, I had also considered the questyle M15i. That seems a bit more similar to your dongle suggestion. Hard to get past the psychological hurdle of paying that much for something so small though. Lol.

 

[SuicideSquid]

I see, suicide squid. This answers my question. So the DAC does, in fact, process/affect both. Interestingly enough, I had also considered the questyle M15i. That seems a bit more similar to your dongle suggestion. Hard to get past the psychological hurdle of paying that much for something so small though. Lol.

The JMAX is like $30.