Just wondering how much of a luxury/difference it has to get one. I have a pair of 598's and I hear people getting a DAC for a better audio experience.

I was thinking about picking up this one https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471251200&sr=8-1&keywords=DAC

Anyone have any experiences using one/currently uses one?

Lots of people here use amp/dacs, Myself included.


They help in multiple ways, I'm far too lazy to go in depth tonight though.

tl;dr version

They help with volume levels
Can improve bass on lower impedance headphones
Better quality Dacs give more accurate sound
Almost no chance of electronic interference from other parts in the PC, Since the amp/dac is located outside of the PC
Also having a physical knob in front of you for volume control is really nice, Compared to using software volume levels only.




If you have any specific questions just lmk, I'll check in again tomorrow.

If most of your music is compressed don't bother. If alot of your music on the other hand don't suffer much from compression and are dynamic then you will benefit from it. How much depends.

That's a DAC/amp combo. You'll notably see a difference because of the amplifier.

Music in its digital form gives a "sterilized" experience. Converting it to analog is more "natural" and warmer.

It ultimately depends on the type music you listen to, what kind of ear you have, and what you're looking to get out of your listening experience.

Music in its digital form is 1's & 0's, There is no way to play digital audio over speakers/headphones without first converting it to analog.

Ah thanks for the multiple points. I mostly game, and do a bit of music managing (Over 25k songs last time I checked) I do like my audio though, will that DAC and 598's be a good combo? Is it mostly plug and play or will I be doing some fine tuning (Software/hardware) myself? Thanks!

That combo will work great with each other.


It's pretty much plug & play, No drivers needed, Not really anything to change.

I have an E10K and HD 598. The bass boost makes the 598 sound warmer. They pair well. I won't go back to using the on-board audio on the mobo.

This post was edited by NewKID on Aug 18 2016 10:08am