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My ~2021 laptop is ok with noise but isn't powerful enough for my 32ohm headphones. My desktop's too noisy, especially for recording onto tape decks which I wan
by jimmaswell 3y ago
My ~2021 laptop is ok with noise but isn't powerful enough for my 32ohm headphones. My desktop's too noisy, especially for recording onto tape decks which I want to do sometimes. Also not entirely powerful enough from what I recall.
A usb/bluetooth dac for my laptop/phone (standard phone usb-3.5mm adapter's not powerful enough either) and a toslink dac for my desktop solved all my problems. Toslink's an awesome nuclear option to buzz/noise because it's 100% isolated by virtue of being light.
I also enjoy being able to boost the bass/mess with the EQ easily.
- hedora 3y agoThat makes sense, but it sounds like you’re really paying for the amp and the integrated dac is basically free / convenient.
- jimmaswell 3y agoVarious kinds of noise have been problems too even on modern computers, like ground hum or interference. Often I can hear the interference on a desktop change with the screen's brightness. I think on laptops I've had the issue depending on if the charger is plugged in or not. Problem's eliminated with an external DAC/amp. Motherboard DAC's must be cheap/lazy because there's no technical reason this couldn't be done with an internal one.