Do I need a DAC and amp?

[Dederest]

I'm am currently looking it getting into higher quality audio. I am looking at buying a pair of Senneheiser HD 598's. However I am not sure if I need a DAC and an amp or just one or the other. What would each on get me in terms of quality? I would like to spend less than $100 for the components that I should get (if that is possible). Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[ssddx]

the hd598 is easily powered from pc soundcards, onboard sound, laptops and portable devices so does not need an amplifier.

it does however respond very well to amping (gets more low end kick).

provided you want something extra than what you have now, read below.

if you wanted to use them on a pc only (did not need/want an amp for portable devices) i'd go with a soundcard as it gives you the option for virtual surround when gaming. the xonar dg is your cheapest option while the xonar dx or creative z are not too pricey better options.

if you do not care about virtual surround and only want to use it on the pc then a fiio amp+dac may be an improvement if you do not have a soundcard already.

if you need to use it with portable devices, i'd suggest an amplifier only as not all dac play nice with portable devices but all amplifiers do.

over onboard sound both soundcards and external dacs are going to offer some measure of improvement which are comparable. typically the higher priced external amps will have more power than a soundcard while a soundcard will give more options than an external. technically external dacs have the option of having less white noise but unless you have a known issue its a moot point.

 

[Dederest]

the hd598 is easily powered from pc soundcards, onboard sound, laptops and portable devices so does not need an amplifier.

it does however respond very well to amping (gets more low end kick).

provided you want something extra than what you have now, read below.

if you wanted to use them on a pc only (did not need/want an amp for portable devices) i'd go with a soundcard as it gives you the option for virtual surround when gaming. the xonar dg is your cheapest option while the xonar dx or creative z are not too pricey better options.

if you do not care about virtual surround and only want to use it on the pc then a fiio amp+dac may be an improvement if you do not have a soundcard already.

if you need to use it with portable devices, i'd suggest an amplifier only as not all dac play nice with portable devices but all amplifiers do.

over onboard sound both soundcards and external dacs are going to offer some measure of improvement which are comparable. typically the higher priced external amps will have more power than a soundcard while a soundcard will give more options than an external. technically external dacs have the option of having less white noise but unless you have a known issue its a moot point.

If I get a sound card would I also need an amp or do the soundcards have amps in them? I liked the xonar dx for the soundcard option, my only reservation in the amp part.

 

[ssddx]

the hd598 would run fine on the dx. going with a soundcard would give you better sound quality over onboard and also give you a few more features like virtual surround.

you do not need an external amplifier for the hd598 as they do not need the extra power, a good soundcard is powerful enough to drive them very well.

for your reference, a soundcard is basically a DAC + AMP on one board.

 

[Dederest]

the hd598 would run fine on the dx. going with a soundcard would give you better sound quality over onboard and also give you a few more features like virtual surround.

you do not need an external amplifier for the hd598 as they do not need the extra power, a good soundcard is powerful enough to drive them very well.

for your reference, a soundcard is basically a DAC + AMP on one board.

Alright, that sounds good. Although I did a little reading up, pretty much all of the reviews praise the dx for very good performance once it gets going. However many of the reviews raise questions with the drivers install and the setup. Is that a concern I should take into consideration?

 

[ssddx]

i have heard of some trouble with drivers on the asus soundcards though since they remain ever so popular it must not be terrible. certainly worth noting and doing some digging on for more info at least but i dont see it being a major problem.

cant say i use an asus soundcard myself or have the asus drivers installed for my motherboard sound as i use an external dac (i use a receiver hooked up to a home theater set) so i cant give you firsthand advice on the asus drivers (though i've had no issue with other asus drivers in the past myself)

your other option is to get the creative z from soundblaster which is about equivalent to the dx in price and performance.