DAC on an iMac desktop to improve sound. Worthwhile?

[Bonefish Blues]

I'm listening to a lot of my music via our desktop these days (since I'm sat at it c40 hrs a week...), using wired connection via the headphone out to HK Soundsticks and Sub and I've been impressed since I upgraded to the HKs.

Any significant benefit to an offboard DAC like a Dragonfly/similar in terms of improving the sound?

[belleair302]

Dragonfly Blue will make a significant difference.

[somouk]

Depending on the environment you may get more of an improvement per pound by adding in sound isolation and breaking up wall surfaces etc. Made a huge difference in my office space.

[Bonefish Blues]

I picked up something to try from another forum for cheap just as a test to see the effect, so let's see.

[OutInTheShed]

Depends how bad the built in DAC is!

On my PC ,the on-board DAC is pretty good and any difference you'd get with a really posh DAC would be hidden by the processor fan.

I did try an optical DAC when I thought I had ground noise issues but it turned out to be an amp fault.

[stevoknevo]

Bonefish Blues said:

I picked up something to try from another forum for cheap just as a test to see the effect, so let's see.

I bought a cheap but very well reviewed USB C DAC dongle from China for £11, it was certainly an improvement over the built-in headphone jack on my iMac into headphones.

I think the Audioquest dongle DACs are very overpriced now given the other options on the market in that category, or you can get a desktop DAC with better performance/more inputs for less money (if you have the space for one)

[Bonefish Blues]

This is what I bought s/h:

https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2023/01/fosi-aud...

I've hooked it up today and am exploring, but it's a definite step forward

[conkerman]

I have an iFi Zen Dac, has a built in Headphone amp. Very happy indeed with it and can drive my AKGs without issue.

[Dragster]

Bonefish Blues said:

This is what I bought s/h:

https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2023/01/fosi-aud...

I've hooked it up today and am exploring, but it's a definite step forward

Pleased to hear the Fosi is a definite step forward from the iMac

Earlier generations of Apple's gear had audio stages that were very well engineered. This iPhone 5's test results are extremely good; with a slight caveat about the relatively low 1.0v line output voltage rather than 2.0v output that a CD player would deliver. https://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/iphone-5/audio-q...

Edited by Dragster on Tuesday 23 May 09:56

[thebraketester]

I’ve got quite an expensive Focusrite DAC and I honestly don’t think I can tell the difference between it and the 3.5mm output on my MBP

[TameRacingDriver]

Bonefish Blues said:

I'm listening to a lot of my music via our desktop these days (since I'm sat at it c40 hrs a week...), using wired connection via the headphone out to HK Soundsticks and Sub and I've been impressed since I upgraded to the HKs.

Any significant benefit to an offboard DAC like a Dragonfly/similar in terms of improving the sound?

I don't have a Mac, but from what I've heard, they generally output better sound than the equivalent Windows machine, on average.

That said, I'm a Windows user (for my sins), and I have a Dragonfly Red USB DAC, which I use to listen to a set of B&W P7 headphones and the sound is unbelievably good considering what I paid; I've been into hifi for years, it's one of my favourite systems I've ever had and been happy with it for quite a few years now.

That said, I'm not sure you'd notice quite as much difference through PC speakers, as these are proper quality headphones that were £400 new. I don't say that to be disrespectful of what you're using, headphones of this cost tend to be more revealing in my experience.

[Bonefish Blues]

Agreed re headphones, but it's my work desk station and I'm on and off Teams calls all day so just not convenient.

TBH I've been much more impressed with the Harman Kardon set up than I expected to me - it's really quite revealing. The onboard speakers on the Mac are a step backwards over the first gen's fatter-chassis ones, so it was a big 'wow' when I started using them, but as always with hi-fi, you get greedy for just a bit more, and the DAC, albeit really quite an ordinary one, is definitely more revealing.

[Bonefish Blues]

Scrolling back through my threads I thought it might be interesting to update this one.

I enjoyed my new HK desktop so much that I've now gone to a studio monitor setup using a SMSL DO 100 DAC playing through a Presonus 8" active sub into iLoud MTM mk1 monitors using balanced cables throughout, still with the Mac as my primary source feeding the DAC via usb C. Very good it is too, so much so that I have also sold all my old hifi, with the final set of cables posted off earlier this week.

The upgrade itch is still strong though, so I'm toying with the idea of getting the next gen of the iLoud monitors, which allows switchable sound profiles - the setup is so revealing, and so 'intimate' that bad recordings do rather jar.

[OutInTheShed]

Bonefish Blues said:

Scrolling back through my threads I thought it might be interesting to update this one.

I enjoyed my new HK desktop so much that I've now gone to a studio monitor setup using a SMSL DO 100 DAC playing through a Presonus 8" active sub into iLoud MTM mk1 monitors using balanced cables throughout, still with the Mac as my primary source feeding the DAC via usb C. Very good it is too, so much so that I have also sold all my old hifi, with the final set of cables posted off earlier this week.

The upgrade itch is still strong though, so I'm toying with the idea of getting the next gen of the iLoud monitors, which allows switchable sound profiles - the setup is so revealing, and so 'intimate' that bad recordings do rather jar.

It's funny how these 'bad recordings' which were listenable on people's old gear are suddenly painful after an 'upgrade'.

There's some tracks available on youtube where I'm thinking 'wow that bloke can play the guitar', but audiophiles just think it's a terrible recording.

Maybe if your shiny new system is making poor recordings 'worse' it's not that great?