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dbarreracastro
0
Nov 30, 2016
If I bought the YU3 do I need a DAC to increase sound quality? Or if I connect my laptop to the tv and the tv to the speakers via optical would be enough? If I need a DAC, could anyone recommend me a decent (and not so expensive) one?
dbarreracastro
0
Nov 30, 2016
dbarreracastro(I use it mainly for music)
jforce713
50
Nov 30, 2016
dbarreracastroSounds quality should be fairly good as is. If you're doing HDMI to your TV (I assume not VGA + 3.5mm- really old school), quality should be preserved, and optical out is basically a carbon copy of the signal. Unless you're doing audio through the headphone jack or usb, you should be set.
dbarreracastro
0
Nov 30, 2016
jforce713My laptop is macbook air so I connect it to the tv via Thunderbolt > HDMI. So the sound is better if I do it Thunderbolt > HDMI > Optical output from the tv > Optical input from the speakers than just 3.5mm jack output from laptop > 3.5mm (or RCA with adaptor) input from speakers?
Sorry, I'm new to this.
jforce713
50
Nov 30, 2016
dbarreracastroNo problem, we all gotta learn somewhere. An external DAC is only necessary for sound quality if you're connection options force you to use a low quality DAC otherwise. So if your connection options were limited to USB and headphone out, the answer would be yes. Even though macs onboards probably arent terrible, they are more included as an add-on, as the computer's main function is computer stuff and it's not purpose built to deliver quality sound (usually). In this case, using HDMI does not necessitate you using the onboard DAC, so it can just vopy the raw signal to the TV, where optical can take raw data to the speaker. Since the speaker has an optical in, you know it has a DAC; if it just has an amp, it wouldnt be able to process raw digital signal- and its a pretty safe bet that the YU DACs are good enough since theyre purpose built for great sound. So the answer for your case is that unless you want usb or coax functionality, youll be fine without an additional outboard DAC.
dbarreracastro
0
Nov 30, 2016
jforce713Great! Thank you so much.
I'll test it out once I got it with some FLAC files. I think I'll get a DAC/Amp until I have some good open back headphones. I was thinking an SMSL M3, FIIO E10K or Audioquest Dragonfly. If you happen to know better options, I'd appreciate your recommendations.
Thanks for everything.
jforce713
50
Dec 1, 2016
dbarreracastroThose are all pretty good. Over the course of my time in this hobby I've had a FiiO E07k which works pretty dang well, and I recently got a Dragonfly Red which sounds really good. What to get would depend on what headphones you intend to get. Thinking back I think for my needs and likes I might have gotten something different than the Red cause it functions really well at the one thing it does, and until I get a phone that can do USB host mode the mobility function isn't a necessity to me, although it is really nice to bring something that quality to work, and it'll drive most headphones. If you want functions and great quality for your buck, I've checked out the specs on the M3 and it seems really solid if not the most powerful- seems like a good bet. For headphones, if the 6xx drop goes live again that would be a winner. I ordered one, haven't had a chance to hear the 650 but I hear only fantastic things. If you're budget conscious, the Senn 598 is pretty good from what I remember, nice highs. Ditto to DT 990s which strike me as a bit more neutral, but a nice smooth detailed set of cans for what they are, as are the closed-back DT770s. The AKG K7xx is a big winner if you like big lows and lots of airy space. I got a pair of HiFiMan 400i's recently for $200 instead of the usual $500... they are confusing at first, not smack-you-with-a-2x4 level of excitement but detailed, neutral, bassy, awesome if you have that kinda budget. I would say of the two DACs you mentioned, go with the Fly or the M3- E10K is good from what I hear but unless I'm wrong I think it's coax in only which limits the functionality unless that's what you ned (CD player/Blu-ray/game consol). Lots of good stuff for cheap. I may go for the M3 one of these days just to check it out.
jforce713
50
Dec 1, 2016
dbarreracastroOh, and Z Reviews on Youtube for anything you want to know, if you haven't checked him out already. Brutally honest, strikes me as perhaps the most respected/ respectable opinion on anything about good audio. Funny to boot.
dbarreracastro
0
Dec 1, 2016
jforce713Well, that was a pretty good guide!
I'll check out your headphone recommendations, thanks! the Sennheiser HD 558 I've read are pretty great too. How about the HiFiMan HE 3xx of Massdrop? Are they good?
I've always wanted to check out the SMSL stuff but I always read there are some manufacturing issues and the costumer service is basically non existent. I guess I'll try my luck and see how it goes, because the M3 looks really good. Let me know if you try the M3 and how it turned out.
Anyway, thanks again for the nice little guide. I'm excited to enter to this kind of stuff, I'd like to try lots of things.
dbarreracastro
0
Dec 1, 2016
jforce713Yeah in fact that's where I found all the SMSL stuff, that guy is an SMSL fan. I'll see more of their reviews to learn more about this stuff. Thanks!
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