FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black)

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Electronics Accessories & Supplies Audio & Video Accessories Headphone Accessories Amps

Info from Amazon Listing
  • DAC Chip¡ªThe Internal DAC chip is a PCM102 and can handle PCM files up to 24-bit/96 kHz while improving audio quality via a linear filter, reduced delay and internal silence on changing tracks, and no phase shifts.
  • LOW NOISE FLOOR ¡ª The unit has an optimized low-pass filter and selectable bass boost circuit that are designed for a low noise floor in all states.
  • CONNECTION VARIETY ¡ª The variety of connections include a front-panel 1/8¡± headphone jack, a rear-panel 1/8¡± line output, and a rear-panel coaxial digital output, which allows you to send your digital audio to another destination.
  • USB CONNECTION ¡ª Connects to your laptop via its micro USB connection, which also provides it with power.
  • PORTABLE DESIGN ¡ª A sleek, brushed aluminum shell and chassis allow for durable, portable use.

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FiiO

Reddit Posts and Comments

0 posts • 54 mentions • top 50 shown below

r/buildapcsales • comment
2 points • wuzzle_was

He could use the onboard sound but I recommend a USB dac/amp like this because they will sound bad unless you have a sound card and even then I've heard there can be hissing and feedback.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_JPQUFbPN6JPPQ

This is a good starter one, the k3 is a different model that is slightly better. There are a lot that people recommend like schiit and dragonfly but fiio is where I'd start

r/battlestations • comment
2 points • devkdup
r/BudgetAudiophile • comment
2 points • DZCreeper

It sounds like you need a cleaner amp, not a new DAC. Motherboard DAC's are pretty decent these days.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2

That DAC+amp combo for $76 should clean up your hiss issue. I don't recommend spending more than that, as your headphones are only 32 Ohms, quite easy to drive.

r/buildapc • comment
2 points • _fortune

Your best bet would usually be a USB DAC/amp like the FiiO E10K

r/makinghiphop • comment
1 points • otttofy

I recommend also picking up an amp to run these, a lot of people say they don’t need one if you’re going for a model under 250 ohms but in my opinion it makes a massive difference. I run this amp (70$): FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_uw.uFb0DMXBX8 With the 80 ohm dt 770s that I picked up refurbished on amazon for 130$ and I’ve been really impressed with it

r/HeadphoneAdvice • comment
1 points • women_are_pretty

In general I've had great luck with Fiio products. I did have one of the fiio do3k have an output issue that had me replace it (which they did, no questions asked).

I also had great luck with the Behringer uca202, but you can't find them for less than $50 lately.

I would look at the Fiio E10K. The only issue I had with it was for some files I had that were greater than the normal bit depths.

I assume your hissing problem is some sort of a grounding issue.

r/headphones • comment
1 points • Fez852

Hey so I have a FiiO E10K currently for my cans but I wanted to get a standing mic for casual use. Therefore I got the presonus audiobox usb 96 as an audio interface for the mic. Can I have both the FiiO and Presonus plugged into my pc as usb devices with no problems?

r/software • comment
1 points • MrBubles01

If that doesn't work out for you, you could buy a device like this Fiio e10k(if you have headphones that have USB this wont work).

Basically it adds more power to your headphones, thus making it louder. Should be around 60$ around the globe.

r/headphones • comment
1 points • TiberSucktim

You’re probably right, so I think I might found something that’s more for me. What do you think: https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=zg_bs_13880161_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JQR4GFRSPRJVT7ZR972X

I’m not familiar with DACs, but could this possibly work for my particular set of headphones and my desktop? If not, you think if I were to exchange my 250 ohms set for an < 80 ohms set my PC would be able to power it? I don’t know exactly how I find out the power output of my motherboard’s built in sound system, so I guess I gotta play the guessing game.

Keep in mind that despite the expensive set of phones I got, I’m not actually doing anything crazy like studio work, just casual stuff like gaming and listening to music. You think that $20 amp would be enough to just boost my sound enough to make most of the things I play and listen to loud enough?

Look man I’m just confused and I just wanna have a setup that I can work with. I can use all the help I can get.

r/buildapc • comment
1 points • TaedusPrime

This is a good example of a popular DAC/amp. Will isolate and boost the audio to your headphones. Good to read up on them but anyone that primarily uses headphones for more critical listening would use a external DAC/amp

r/buildapc • comment
1 points • Leafar3456

> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2 - Excellent for the money, enough for 99.9% of people.

Great to the E10k still recommended, it has supported me for about 7 years now and outlived some headsets and still works great.

r/EscapefromTarkov • comment
1 points • Silent331

I would highly recommend getting an external DAC, here is the one I currently use. The main reason to get one is to avoid the electronics noise that happens within the computer case as well as crosstalk between the left and right channel, this can be massive for positional sound recognition.

I will caveat this by saying on-board sound solutions these days vary wildly in quality. Some produce nearly the exact same sound that a USB DAC will provide sound like the one I posted and some are awful with effectively mono sound because of high crosstalk with a continuous background hiss and an awful EQ. I would recommend doing some research in to testing of your onboard audio to verify its quality, or if the $75 is not a big deal and you just want to ensure you are not messing with that possibility thats fine too. This DAC for me is on to its 3rd computer and always puts out the same sound quality.

r/sennheiser • comment
1 points • SproutsAPlenty

They don't have very many reasonable headphone amplifiers.

If you're comfortable buying online (some people aren't) then I would suggest Amazon.com or B&H store

Specifically the "shiit" line of amps

I've bought from FiiO before, but they make an amp for $75 called the E-10K

FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_rvu4Eb1DD3TH8

An amp by Shiit called the "Shiit Hel" is technically a gaming amp, which allows a microphone in, meaning you can plug in a microphone to it if you need a microphone.

r/HeadphoneAdvice • comment
1 points • loyyd

I don't have any experience with the 32 ohm version but the velour on the 80 ohm version is very comfortable. They clamp fairly tight (not uncomfortably so) so you get a nice isolation, both external sound coming in and not leaking sound out, if that matters to you.

If you do find the 80 ohm version is too quiet for you, which I'd imagine you won't, you can pick up a combo dac/amp on the cheaper side like the fiio e10k. I used that for many years as my primary amp & dac and it works very well and I'd recommend it for a little more budget conscious option. If you want to splurge and get audio hardware to keep you set for life, I recommend Topping audio products.

r/AMDHelp • comment
1 points • Quacky1k

It’s most likely an issue with your motherboard. Analog audio bleeds in and out, so there is an internal crackling happening that you are receiving when you plug into your rear 3.5mm. The fix is to either use the front io jack if that doesn’t cause issues, or buy a DAC online. I’d recommend buying a DAC anyways as that will drastically increases your audio quality as well, albeit a little bit expensive of an option. You can grab a FiiO E10K USB DAC/AMP from Amazon for $75.99 USD, which is a pretty good value and opens up the world of audiophile headphones later on if you so choose (even without diving into audiophile stuff, lower quality headphones are going to sound a good bit better too in my experience)

r/headphones • comment
1 points • Zaga932

I'd do something to keep it from moving. Maybe tape the headphone cable near the connector to the side of the PC or something so, when you move your headphones around, you don't wiggle the adapter. I really cannot overstate how pathetically weak & flimsy this thing looks & feels.

If the dongle turns out to be insufficient, or if you just want to go for something a bit more powerful right off the bat, I can recommend the FiiO E10K as a small, cheap DAC/amp with a pretty fun bass boost switch. I use one for my BeyerDynamic DT 990 Pro and it sounds great.

r/HeadphoneAdvice • comment
1 points • Dafunkk

Or should I return the Magni and go for something like this?

r/intel • comment
1 points • ghostR_ZA

Possibly yes, internal sound cards are old and outdated, contain noise from inside your pc to your headphones. An external DAC would be a better choice, as its outside the electronic interference.

But besides that, there are plenty of threads explaining why and it depends on what headphones and systems you are powering. For $200 you can get a really good audiophile grade external DAC.

I posted the name you can just search it. But here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2

r/audiophile • comment
1 points • exor41n

Hi all, I have been battling this issue with connecting my speakers to my new computer for the past 2 to 3 months since I built my new PC.

The problem is trying to connect my JBL LSR305's to my PC without creating an audible humming or static sound. I've done a ton of research as to why this could be happening and found that it could be coil buzzing, different types of feedback, or whatever. All of my fixes end up resulting in the same problem. When I connect the cable from my PC to my speakers, I can hear a quiet but very noticable humming and static sound. I can record it for you guys if it will help. If I plug the cord into my computer, I can hear the sound. If I unplug it from the computer, there is still a slight hum. If I plug the aux side of the cable into my mac laptop or iphone, the hum completely goes away. When I play games, the humming gets louder and quieter depending on what I do in the game (for example: different menu screens have different volumes and hums). If I plug my headphones straight into my computer, there is no hum.

My set up is I have a PC sitting on my desk and my two JBL speakers on speaker stands on the left and right side of my desk. I have a aux cable that splits into two 1/4 inch outputs that plug into my speakers. The aux able is plugged into my PC.

What I've tried is: putting my computer on the ground to distance the electronics away from the speakers, that didn't work. I bought a DAC which I surely would have thought would fix this and it didn't. It honestly makes the humming and static louder. Although if I plug my headphones into my DAC, there is no hum at all. I've updated all of my audio drivers. It sounds like it could be a grounding issue and I've looked up solutions to that are they are to try to put your speakers and computer on the same exact outlet (which they already are), I tried different outlets, same problem. I thought it was my wifi adapter, I unplugged that and there is still the same issue.

At this point I'm stuck. Is there something I'm overlooking? Any help is super appreciated. Thank you!

r/audiophile • comment
1 points • that_other_dudeman

This is probably your best bet for a dac amp. A little bit more than you are going for, but this is the cheapest and highest quality at the price for a mostly portable dac/amp. It is usb powered and gets audio from usb, so you only need one cable.

r/Diabotical • comment
1 points • Headless_Cow

this

They sound great even w/o. Despite being 250 ohm my phone can drive them easily.

r/kpopthoughts • comment
1 points • telemaxine

> but personally ive noticed when i use apple earphones on my own laptop, the sound,,,, is pretty bad lol and im wondering whether those headphones would still work on a Samsung phone and a laptop that kind of sucks

If the sound from your source sucks you'd probably be better off using one of these to replace the sound card in your laptop. I have one of these and they greatly improve the sound quality compared to those that are built into laptops.

r/buildapc • comment
1 points • fyrefox45

Any external USB DAC should fit the bill. Just sounds like you have a garbage onboard dac. Moving it to something else will fix your issue. Even something like this may be overkill. https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/

r/HeadphoneAdvice • comment
2 points • SirBostonTBagParty

I have a different model of headphone but same brand. LOVE THEM.

https://www.amazon.com/beyerdynamic-770-PRO-Studio-Headphone/dp/B0006NL5SM

I drive them with this little USB powered guy. https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

I suggest getting an external sound card usb for the mod mic to plug into as well. 10$. This will save you from shortcuts your MOBO could have taken that lead to a unclean audio environment(static, hum, buzzing) for your mic to be plugged into.

You’re going to have to decide if you want open back or closed headphones too. They both have their place.

r/HeadphoneAdvice • comment
2 points • NFTOxaile

Drop.com is your friend.

HiFiman HE4XX and Sennheiser HD 58X are good options both at \~$130

Use rest of the budget on a decent DAC/AMP combo like the Fiio E10K

r/headphones • comment
1 points • AnAnonymousFool

Im considering buying the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 OHM version linked here

My motherboard is an Asus Tuf Gaming x570-plus and I was wondering if I will need an amp like this one if my main use will be for gaming

Also any microphone suggestions for good sound quality? or any alternative headphone suggestions?

My budget is around $250 for the entire setup, but if an amp is necessary, I'm willing to buy the amp if it goes over my budget

r/HeadphoneAdvice • comment
1 points • raistlin65

I don't know how the Sound Blaster Z performs. I would guess it should give you significantly more volume. I know that the Fiio E10K would https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-amplificador-auriculares-normal/dp/B00LP3AMC2/

As for bass, they may not be bassy enough for you.

r/audio • comment
1 points • Speedogomer

Under $100 for a DAC and Amp there isn't much out there thats truly great. The Schiit Fulla 3 is a good option though for $99. That would be my pick.

The Fiio E10k also comes to mind but I have no experience with it.

There are a handful of other options like a Fiio BTR3 and a few other dongle style DACs. Still the Schiit would be my choice.

r/edmproduction • comment
1 points • NeonSurge7282

No they do not.

This is the one I got https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_19?dchild=1&keywords=headphone+amp&qid=1596749452&sr=8-19

To be honest I would wait until you get the audio interface and test it out. Really depends on the volume level you like to listen at. Before I got the amp my volume was pretty loud but not quite where I wanted, I can't say for your case though. Definitely wait and see if the audio interface satisfies you before getting a headphone amp. It will definitely pump up the volume just depends how much you want/need.

r/headphones • comment
1 points • wijnandsj

I use one of these with my 250 ohm beyers.

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/

Pretty awesome price/performance ratio IMO

r/GlobalOffensive • comment
1 points • SouthwindPT

> Any recommendations for a soundcard or DAC and AMP?? (preferably under 100$)

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/

https://www.amazon.com/FX-Audio-Digital-Decoder-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B07TW2JQNN/

Both are great options for DAC and AMP under $100

r/gigabytegaming • comment
1 points • aselnor
r/buildapc • comment
1 points • Zephyrical16

Ah okay so it is a DAC I need.

Would this one be a good choice? Also, if I were to use a USB A to USB C adapter for the cable to the DAC, would it still work fine? I'm already maxed out on ports on my laptop (which has terrible sound quality), so I want to use a port I never currently use.

Or this one?

r/HeadphoneAdvice • comment
1 points • Litt0Bud

Or should I get something like this with headphones? I found this on a 3-year-old post, so I don't know if there are better options out there. Thanks for the help. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

r/HeadphoneAdvice • comment
1 points • mgmyx

Thanks for your response. I've no option other than 660s because of availibbility issues. Can you recommend some amp+dac for these? I'm considering- https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2?th=1

https://www.amazon.in/FiiO-Q1-Mark-II-Certified/dp/B0757MH46M/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=fiio&qid=1589273255&sr=8-9

r/BudgetAudiophile • comment
1 points • SmittyJonz

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

https://www.amazon.com/Fosi-Audio-Headphone-Digital-Analog/dp/B07VDQQY95

r/HeadphoneAdvice • comment
1 points • sharp182

It does seem to be a decent amp/Dac made my Sennheiser nonetheless, just might be lacking in power depending on how demanding the headphones will be (I saw you want the dt770 which is a solid choice but which ohms you get it in matters).

You can still go for the uni if you don't want to throw an extra 100 into the mic budget for a at2020.

If you decide differently and want a cheap Dac/amp no mic input

Fiio E10K Fiio K3 Micca Origen G2

Are solid options

r/headphones • comment
1 points • jakenmenheer

If the headphones don't play audio when plugged in, but work on other devices (phone, iPod, other PC, etc.) then it is likely the PC audio port. I would also try a different set of headphones or speakers on the PC to see if they work. If you can deduce that it is definitely a bad audio output on the PC then you would need to add an external amp/DAC. I am not sure what the cheapest options are, but I would feel comfortable recommending a Schitt Fulla since it is a both a DAC and amp, and relatively cheap. There is also a FiiO E10K and the Audioquest Dragonfly.

Their may be cheaper options that will work okay that I just am not aware of, since I haven't had to buy or look at DACs or amps for almost 5 years. Hope that helps though.

r/HeadphoneAdvice • comment
1 points • chidoriseanbon

maybe something like this is cheaper

https://www.amazon.com/HIDIZS-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-Smartphone/dp/B07F2DTTGT

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but I would just get a proper dac/amp like the Fiio E10k

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

r/headphones • comment
1 points • Plazmatic

Title: My Superlux HD668B finally succumed to the common wire issue, upgrade, replace or fix?

I've got these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003JOETX8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 headphones, recommended to me here a couple years ago. I really liked the sound quality, especially for the price. But I recently ran into the common issue where "male cable stub" rubber wire casing cracked, and I guess caused the wire's inside to break/ degrade. I cracked open the side and couldn't see any obvious damage otherwise. see here and here.

Should I bother to get these repaired/repair myself? Should I just get them replaced? Is there a next "upgrade"? I'd be willing to spend like 100$ if there was a significant difference in build quality + sound quality, and if my antlion mod mic would still work for this, and my dac amp still worked fine for it https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LP3AMC2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If buying an upgraded headset is preferable, here is the template filled out.

  • Budget - 100 USD, flexible
  • Source - FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black)
  • Requirements for Isolation - I think the ones I had before were open ear, or what ever it is called, and I was fine with that.
  • Will you be using these Headphones in Public? - No
  • Preferred Type of Headphone - Do you want IEMs, full-sized, or on-ear?
  • Preferred tonal balance - over all balanced I guess, I liked the 668Bs, so I guess that is the base line.
  • Past headphones - What have you used in the past, what did you like about them and what didn't you like about: Cloud gaming, mic broke eventually, didn't like that the mic was attached. superlux 668Bs, really like the sound quality, but the build quality was flimsy, wires broke inside causing left and right to cut out.
  • Preferred Music - rock, electronic, funk.
  • What would you like to improve on from your set-up - improved general quality compared to 668B

r/sffpc • comment
1 points • OakFern

Normally I'd recommend the rear port, since the front case ports are typically not shielded as well and tend to be noisier. Sounds like you've already tried that though.

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What's your setup? Just headphones or self-powered speakers? Or something more elaborate?

Does your motherboard have optical audio out? If yes, some kind of receiver or DAC with an optical audio input is going to be your best bet. You can get non-USB DACs for pretty cheap, e.g. https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-D03K-Digital-Analog-Converter/dp/B009346RSS

Any particular reason you won't/can't use a USB one? Fiio E10K is a pretty decent budget option: https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

If you have passive bookshelf speakers and a receiver, then running optical or HDMI audio into the receiver would make the most sense. You'd need a receiver than can take optical/HDMI as an input though, plus possibly a motherboard that can output optical audio. A lot of boards don't have optical audio out (mine doesn't).

But are you sure the noise is coming from your case? If you're running HDMI audio out to your monitor (?) and then using the headphone out on your monitor, that should eliminate any case noise. So interference from inside your case might not be the issue.

It could be a ground loop. Or even just a problem with your headphones/speakers? Have you tested with a different source, e.g. a phone with a headphone jack? I'd use another source to rule out your speakers/headphones as the source of the noise first.

Some cheaper powered speakers have kinda crappy built-in amplifiers and will give off an audible hiss/static, particularly at higher volume levels.

r/HeadphoneAdvice • comment
1 points • Ialwaysassume

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LP3AMC2

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0006NL5SM

This is right in your price range and will be a good setup.

As mentioned above, the dt770 doesn’t have a removable cable so a mic would need to be separate.

You could also go with the AKG371 or 361 and save some money as well as have a attached mic.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WZH7WM9

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X2LQRCF

r/TIdaL • comment
1 points • Chopstick2U

Have you tried using an external DAC (Digital-Analog-Converter)? Both your PC and your phone are going to have a low quality DAC between the digital signal and the headphone jack. Even a $30 DAC will sound better than just plugging your headphones into the headphone jack. This is a deep rabbit hole that you could go down, and it sounds like you're trying to be pretty budget-conscious.

You might want to get a Fiio E10K, which is a USB DAC and headphone amp combo: LINK. This might be your best starting option because you could plug your desktop speakers into the line out port on the back, and plug your headphones into the jack on the front. The downside is that this isn't very portable.

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You could spend hundreds of dollars on separate DAC and headphone amp components like the very popular "Schiit Stack" LINK

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You might find the Audioquest Dragonfly line of DAC/amps to be an ideal solution for both your phone and your computer, if you want to be able to take this setup on the go. LINK

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Or you could get something in that form factor that is considerably cheaper, like this HIDIZS USB-C DAC: LINK. I have this, but I only use it with my phone.

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Any of these upgrades will be worth it, even if you don't intend to switch from Spotify to Tidal. But you might find that it's necessary to up your game before you appreciate the difference.

r/pcmasterrace • comment
1 points • brosader

I have the DT990 Pro 250 Ohm and I use a dedicated sound card. The motherboard will definitely not be enough to power them properly.

A few suggestions:

  • Creative Sound Blaster Audigy FX is cheap and will get the job done but you won't get a 100% out of the headphones tho.
  • Sound Blaster Z costs a bit more but will fully power the headphones (please note that it comes with an annoying red LED but it's possible to wrap electrical tape around the LED to make it stop (I use this personally and the sound is amazing).

Those are the sound card suggestions. There are also Amps and DACs that sit outside the PC and power the headphones:

  • FiiO E10K is the cheapest you can probably find for a Amp/DAC.
  • Schiit-Magni costs a bit more but you do get more.

There's obviously even better/more expensives one but you get the idea. Just google DT990 Pro soundcard/amp/dac and there will be loads to read.

Good luck and enjoy the headphones.

r/keys • comment
1 points • nm1000

> As I said, my PC doesn't have a port that has a headphone jack.

I understood that.

> I'd need a converter to adapt headphones to USB.

Do you have USB ports? You said "Pc only has hdmi ports,"

When I said "a USB port would allow you to connect an audio interface with a headphone jack", I meant that you can get a USB audio interface to add a headphone jack.

This Behringer U-Control UCA202 USB Audio Interface is a low cost audio interface with a headphone jack. I don't know how good the headphone amplifier is in that particular device. There are more here

There are also there are "hifi" solutions. I'd want to check to see that they work with audio drivers compatible with your DAW.

FiiO E10K USB DAC

This is a "budget" solution from a company that make high end audiophile solution.

https://www.schiit.com/products/magni-1?gclid=Cj0KCQjwn7j2BRDrARIsAHJkxmz0mUuWO0FCrRTn1p4Fwjj1XYdaAX_6_ABom79CySV6cP6Yblu6x_saAp3tEALw_wcB

r/headphones • comment
1 points • DukeOfChaos92

Disclaimer: I haven't used any of these, or your headphones. Just going off of what I know is out there. Also wall of text because I don't know what will be useful so I'm just throwing everything at you. TLDR anything I linked should power your headphones just fine, so if that's all you need to know, take a look at prices and appearances and ignore the rest.

For sub-$100 you still have some options. The FX Dac X6 for $65, or the Fiio E10k for $76 could both work. The e10k is well regarded at its price point on this and other subs and is more portable, but the Dac X6 puts out much more power (910mw/32Ω compared to the E10K at 200mw/32Ω) and feels more like a desktop device (has a wall plug instead of USB powered, better/tougher build quality). The e10k can sometimes be picked up used for closer to $50. Neither of these will have any trouble powering the 35Ω M40X to high volume levels.

If you need something with a microphone input you could look at the Syba Sonic for $50. Creative Labs has both the G3 (usb c) and the G1 (usb a) dongle-style units at that $50 price point. None of these products seem to clearly list their power levels though so hard to know for certain. If you look at the details of the dac/amps, you'll see something like the "200mw/32Ω" I mentioned above, which means it can push 200 miliwatts of power into a headphone with 32 ohms of impedance. Your headphones have 35 ohms of impedance so it's a good number to work off of. Higher impedance headphones are harder to drive, so need more power. 35 ohms is actually very low though, and even the 150 ohm HD58X is said to be easy to power off of a phone.

Even without having power ratings for some those units I still think they'll provide a noticeable improvement if your motherboard is having trouble powering 35 ohms, so from a power perspective you can probably take your pic. If at some point you think you'll get a higher impedance headphone (typically around $200 for a pair; DT770/880/990 250Ω or HD6XX 300Ω are popular) then you may want the Dac X6, but for the M40X any of these will have the power you need. Unless there are some features you need I'd just look at which one you'd actually want to see on your desk. Do you have speakers? You can plug them into everything but the Creative Labs units so maybe that narrows it down (note that the AMP knob doesn't control the speaker volume in any of these units). Do you have any digital sources you want to use it with that DON'T use USB (e.g., TVs will output audio via optical cables)? That leaves only the Dac X6 and the G3; the S/PDIF optical/coaxial ports on the E10K and Syba Sonic are outputs, not inputs.

r/headphones • comment
1 points • robusk

I am looking for a way to share one set of headphones and a mic between two computers. Ideally, I would spend less than $50.

I have these headphones running into this DAC amp. The amp connects to either the USB on the laptop or the USB on the desktop.

I plug this mic directly into either the combination audio jack on the laptop or the mic connection on the desktop.

They are connected like in the linked two pictures. I am looking for some sort of switch where I can connect the mic, amp and headphones up to it and just switch which computer is sending and receiving audio. Without that, I have to un-connect and reconnect a bunch of stuff, plus adjust the length of the wires so I don’t have too much/not enough slack.

https://imgur.com/a/HPicSLl

r/BudgetAudiophile • comment
1 points • sharkamino
r/audiophile • comment
1 points • Ultra04

New audiophile here! I need some advice on amps and DACs.

I recently purchased a pair of Hifiman HE-35X headphones from Massdrop (Now known simply as Drop.) and my desktop computer does not have enough voltage to drive them. So, should I get an analog amplifier, or a DAC? I'm currently leaning more towards a DAC, due to the fact that I can connect it using USB. Which of the two has the best audio quality?

Secondly, if you could give some recommendations, that would be appreciated. I'm looking for something under $100.

Here are three that I'm currently looking at.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=sspa_dk_detail_3?ie=UTF8&adId=A102478937OQ4QU6VUBR8&qualifier=1591222745&id=8075920267429044&widgetName=sp_detail&url=%2Fdp%2FB07QTXPWVK%2Fref%3Dsspa_dk_detail_3%3Fpsc%3D1%26pd_rd_i%3DB07QTXPWVK%26pd_rd_w%3DxlZCj%26pf_rd_p%3D48d372c1-f7e1-4b8b-9d02-4bd86f5158c5%26pd_rd_wg%3Dnrzyw%26pf_rd_r%3DD82TV80WGY1MZX6HS0GS%26pd_rd_r%3D2ee372ca-9090-4e74-af04-30bf4c867266

https://www.amazon.com/Rockville-TubeHead-Headphone-Amplifier-16-300/dp/B084D1V3P2?ref_=s9_apbd_onr_hd_bw_bwErZ&pf_rd_r=WXFRENX6D1KK0EMV6RDJ&pf_rd_p=55dc2ff0-4811-5f70-9cea-25a780aff59e&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-10&pf_rd_t=BROWSE&pf_rd_i=13880161

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=psdc_13880161_t1_B07QTXPWVK?th=1