Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2016 October 31
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October 31[edit]
Bypass computer's soundcard while using headphone amp?[edit]
So I just bought a USB headphone amp, the Fiio A3. Perhaps I naively assumed I could link it to the computer via USB and it would somehow bypass the computer's onboard sound card and just forward it to the amp, but that appears to not be the case? Looks like the only way is to run an 8th inch cable out of the computer's headphone jack into the aux-in of the amp? That's dumb... Is there a way to forward the audio output via USB? Thanks! NIRVANA2764 (talk) 16:03, 31 October 2016 (UTC)
- I can't find a definitive manual for this, but everything I'm seeing on line suggests it's just a headphone amp with a battery, and that the microUSB port is solely for charging the battery. If you wanted to bypass the onboard sound card, you would have needed to buy a USB external soundcard. -- Finlay McWalter··–·Talk 16:27, 31 October 2016 (UTC)
- Do you think the external soundcard bit would make a world of difference? NIRVANA2764 (talk) 16:29, 31 October 2016 (UTC)
- For the average person (youtube, spotify, games), for output, probably no. If you wanted to drive some fancy multi-channel home theatre thing, maybe, I don't know. If you were involved in amateur or professional musical or audio production or editing (e.g. music recording, webcasting) where you needed to hook up decent microphones or musical instruments (often with an XLR or instrument-cable connection) then you want a USB audio interface like a Focusright or a Presonus, and not a "soundcard" per se. -- Finlay McWalter··–·Talk 16:38, 31 October 2016 (UTC)
- Cool, thanks. I'm just gonna be using it with my laptop playing mp3s through some Shure SRH440s or Grado SR60s, just wanted something to make the sound louder and beefier but now I'm wondering if I should return this and pay a bit more for something with a DAC... NIRVANA2764 (talk) 16:43, 31 October 2016 (UTC)
- Most evidence I've seen based on actual scientific inspired testing rather than flawed (i.e. non blind) "audiophile" testing or anecdotal reports suggests nowadays the DAC in most computers is good enough and the audiopath is likewise clean enough, so a good enough amp/driver is all you're likely to need (if that). Whether your device qualifies I have no idea. In other words, while it may seem nice to keep the signal digital as long as possible, ultimately it's probably better to ensure the device you have is sufficient rather than worrying about whether it has digital or analog input. The Hydrogen Audio forums [1] is a good place to get advice on consumer products largely free from the nonsense that seems to pervade a lot of audiophile groups. While it mostly focuses on the digital side of things, there is a place for discussions of hardware. Note that while USB sound cards are common, you could also use a device with HDMI input or TOSLINK/coax S/PDIF assuming your computer has them (I'm assuming it has at least one). Nil Einne (talk) 01:57, 1 November 2016 (UTC)
- If you really want to go the DAC route, I noticed some discussion here [2] although it's mostly concentrated on speakers. I also noticed the FiiO D3 (D03K) seems to get good comments on those forums e.g. [3] [4], and it seems to be quite cheap although I don't know if the amp is good enough for headphones (which again is the main factor since it's quite difficult to design a DAC which isn't good enough to be come irrelevant nowadays). For pure amps the open source Objective2 headphone amp and CMoy seem to be interesting choices [5] although if you're not making them yourself, I'm not sure if they're necessarily and cheaper or better than more commercial products if you concentrate on the actual performance of these products rather than the hype and don't get suckered in my products which aren't actually any better than cheaper alternatives. Nil Einne (talk) 02:29, 1 November 2016 (UTC)
- I'd agree that a DAC is unlikely to make much difference; on the other hand, if you replaced the A3 with e.g. the fiio E10K (only slightly more expensive, at least in the UK) then you'd know that you had a decent DAC. Depending on how much hassle switching would be, the peace of mind might be worth it. HenryFlower 13:15, 5 November 2016 (UTC)
- If you really want to go the DAC route, I noticed some discussion here [2] although it's mostly concentrated on speakers. I also noticed the FiiO D3 (D03K) seems to get good comments on those forums e.g. [3] [4], and it seems to be quite cheap although I don't know if the amp is good enough for headphones (which again is the main factor since it's quite difficult to design a DAC which isn't good enough to be come irrelevant nowadays). For pure amps the open source Objective2 headphone amp and CMoy seem to be interesting choices [5] although if you're not making them yourself, I'm not sure if they're necessarily and cheaper or better than more commercial products if you concentrate on the actual performance of these products rather than the hype and don't get suckered in my products which aren't actually any better than cheaper alternatives. Nil Einne (talk) 02:29, 1 November 2016 (UTC)
- Most evidence I've seen based on actual scientific inspired testing rather than flawed (i.e. non blind) "audiophile" testing or anecdotal reports suggests nowadays the DAC in most computers is good enough and the audiopath is likewise clean enough, so a good enough amp/driver is all you're likely to need (if that). Whether your device qualifies I have no idea. In other words, while it may seem nice to keep the signal digital as long as possible, ultimately it's probably better to ensure the device you have is sufficient rather than worrying about whether it has digital or analog input. The Hydrogen Audio forums [1] is a good place to get advice on consumer products largely free from the nonsense that seems to pervade a lot of audiophile groups. While it mostly focuses on the digital side of things, there is a place for discussions of hardware. Note that while USB sound cards are common, you could also use a device with HDMI input or TOSLINK/coax S/PDIF assuming your computer has them (I'm assuming it has at least one). Nil Einne (talk) 01:57, 1 November 2016 (UTC)
- Cool, thanks. I'm just gonna be using it with my laptop playing mp3s through some Shure SRH440s or Grado SR60s, just wanted something to make the sound louder and beefier but now I'm wondering if I should return this and pay a bit more for something with a DAC... NIRVANA2764 (talk) 16:43, 31 October 2016 (UTC)