Will I notice any difference with my speakers between mainboard line-out and USB DAC?

[Deleted member 58865]

I currently just have my AIYIMA A07 TPA3255 power amplifier connected to my mainboard's line-out.

Since I don't hear any hiss with the volume knob at 9'o clock, I just set the digital volume to -12db. Below 9'o clock, I notice channel imbalance.
Because my computer's fan noise fills my room, I wouldn't be able to really tell the differece between -12db RCA attenuators and the digital volume at -12db.

So far, I was okay with my speakers(eltax monitor 3). However, I wonder if a USB DAC will improve the sound. Will a pair of RCA attenuators make any difference along with a USB DAC?

I know the mainboard audio isn't great because its headphone output port sends extreme amounts of audible distortions that sound like the morse code. But, my speakers are not sensitive enough to pick up distortions heard through headphones.

I ordered FiiO K5 Pro ESS to fix the distortion problem for my headphones(ATH-M40x).

 

[jae]

If your computer's fan noise is loud there is maybe no point? If you want a cheap solution to get a cleaner signal into your amplifier that does not break the bank buy a cheap $10-20 USB dongle dac and plug that into your amplifier instead instead of directly from the motherboard. I guess there's always the possibility the channel imbalance could be the amplifier itself, have you tried it with any other inputs?

 

[Deleted member 58865]

the channel imbalance could be the amplifier itself, have you tried it with any other inputs?

The analogue amplifier volume knob is the cause of channel imbalance. I haven't bothered testing.

a cheap $10-20 USB dongle dac

is likely to be worse than onboard line-out.

 

[Deleted member 58865]

I suspect USB DAC can improve accuracy and reduce crosstalk. Combined with RCA attenuators, it would further reduce noise.

 

[Koeitje]

is likely to be worse than onboard line-out.

Not necessarily. Onboard audio can range from good to absolutely horrendous.

 

[sergeauckland]

Having tested a number of analogue audio outputs from 'phones, laptops and tablets, anything made in the past ,5 years, possibly 10 years is likely to be transparent, so no benefit to using an external DAC. I use the headphone output from my laptop and tablets into 'speakers perfectly satisfactorily, I get no noises when moving a mouse or using keyboard.
When I set the specifications for our local radio station some 13 years ago, I mandated that laptops and tablets used for on-air playout should be plugged into a USB DAC that we provided to avoid strange noises. At that time, laptops especially didn't have good enough analogue outputs. Now, and for some time, they do, and we haven't had any issues with on-air use of laptops whether they use the USB DAC provided, or the headphone output.

S.

 

[staticV3]

a cheap $10-20 USB dongle dac

is likely to be worse than onboard line-out.

Here's a $12 dongle DAC:


It performs on par with the $130 Schiit Modi+ and better than most $5000 boutique DACs.
(Full measurements here)

 

[Deleted member 58865]

The problem with onboard audio is that it often differs greatly among motherboards and different ports in motherboards. The result I get is unreliable.

I was overcharged at 30 dollars for a trash USB DAC that sent extreme amounts of distortions to my headphones. I was furious at what sounded like the morse code on my headphones. So, I was naturally suspicious of cheap USB DACs that have no track record.

If a cheap USB DAC has a good track record, then I may consider buying it.

The more expensive USB DACs that cost around 100 dollars solve the unreliability issue with better testing and clear marketing. If the audio quality is not included in the marketing material, there is no way for me to know whether or not a USB DAC is good. The cheap ones often don't have clear specifications in the marketing materials. There is usually no independent test for cheap ones. That's why I can't usually trust them.

 

[Deleted member 58865]

Here's a $12 dongle DAC:
View attachment 268175

It performs on par with the $130 Schiit Modi+ and better than most $5000 boutique DACs.
(Full measurements here)

That's for headphones. I already ordered Fiio K5 Pro ESS for my headphones.

If I ever order a DAC, it would be for my AIYIMA A07 TPA3255 power amplifier.

 

[staticV3]

That's for headphones. I already ordered Fiio K5 Pro ESS for my headphones.

If I ever order a DAC, it would be for my AIYIMA A07 TPA3255 power amplifier.

Works perfectly fine as a DAC plugged into an A07.

 

[Deleted member 58865]

Works perfectly fine as a DAC plugged into an A07.

Are you sure? It's advertised as a DAC/amp combo for headphones.

I don't know whether a headphone amp output is a good input for power amplifiers.

DACs have line-out for power amplifiers. As far as I know, line-out and headphone amp output are designed differently.

It may work, but I imagine the result is suboptimal. At the very least, volume control would be more difficult as a practical matter. If its output is stronger than line-out, then I may need to attach a pair of RCA attenuators to compensate for the stronger output.

If I buy a DAC, I would buy a DAC that has line-out.

 

[Erici]

Are you sure? It's advertised as a DAC/amp combo for headphones.

I don't know whether a headphone amp output is a good input for power amplifiers.

DACs have line-out for power amplifiers. As far as I know, line-out and headphone amp output are designed differently.

It may work, but I imagine the result is suboptimal. At the very least, volume control would be more difficult as a practical matter. If its output is stronger than line-out, then I may need to attach a pair of RCA attenuators to compensate for the stronger output.

If I buy a DAC, I would buy a DAC that has line-out.

It looks to me like the Fiio K5 Pro ESS also has line outs. Am I missing something?

 

[Deleted member 58865]

It looks to me like the Fiio K5 Pro ESS also has line outs. Am I missing something?

FiiO K5 Pro ESS doesn't let me choose between headphone output and line out with a hardware switch. Unless it allows me to mute either headphone output or line out through software volume control, I will use it exclusively for headphones.

I prefer software volume control with keyboard shortcuts.

Edit: It turns out that FiiO K5 Pro's line out is actually pre out. It's not suitable for amplifiers with volume knobs.

 

[OnLyTNT]

I wish you had ordered K7, it is more versatile, you can switch between headphone and line output.

 

[Deleted member 58865]

I guess the only trouble-free way to not worry about audio problems is to buy two cheap good USB DACs, a good-enough power amplifier, and a good-enough headphone amplifier.

 

[staticV3]

Are you sure? It's advertised as a DAC/amp combo for headphones.

Yes. You can use every headphone output as though it was Line out. The Amp doesn't care.

It may work, but I imagine the result is suboptimal.

They're not.

If its output is stronger than line-out, then I may need to attach a pair of RCA attenuators to compensate for the stronger output.

It's not. Both this dongle and typical DACs with Line out have 2V output.

 

[Deleted member 58865]

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Line_level says

Conversely, a headphone output generally has a source impedance of only a few ohms (to provide a bridging connection with 32 ohm headphones) and will easily drive a line input.

But, I just ordered Topping D10s to save headaches. The advantage of Topping D10s is that it provides a physically sturdier connection between DAC and power amplifier through RCA jacks. The reason that I ordered Topping D10s today was to upgrade the fragile physical connnection between mainboard and amplifier. I might as well get an upgrade in audio quality.

The sturdiness of the physical connection is an important factor.

The physical connection between the line-out port on my mainboard and my amplifier is so fragile that if I touch it, I hear extreme noise from speakers.

I really liked RCA cables for physical robustness.

MB21P would definitely improve the sturdienss of physical connection a little bit, but not by much. And, I don't want to calculate whether headphone output is a good fit for line input. I want the simplicity of matching line in with line out.

 

[kestrel4]

Having tested a number of analogue audio outputs from 'phones, laptops and tablets, anything made in the past ,5 years, possibly 10 years is likely to be transparent, so no benefit to using an external DAC. I use the headphone output from my laptop and tablets into 'speakers perfectly satisfactorily, I get no noises when moving a mouse or using keyboard.
When I set the specifications for our local radio station some 13 years ago, I mandated that laptops and tablets used for on-air playout should be plugged into a USB DAC that we provided to avoid strange noises. At that time, laptops especially didn't have good enough analogue outputs. Now, and for some time, they do, and we haven't had any issues with on-air use of laptops whether they use the USB DAC provided, or the headphone output.

S.

I really don't expect extraneous noises. They are very rare. But I would certainly consider a DAC to replace my Dell (standard issue with the XPS laptop) USB-C to audio jack dongle, if it improved actual sound-quality/ soundscape in my new HD-650 headphones. They seem muddier or boomier (I don't know the words) than I expected from reasonably high-end open-backs.