I’ve been reading about DAC/AMP’s and how they work, I get what both are for but, I often see people say something like: “Your computer already has a DAC, every device with audio does.” That’s where I get confused.
If my computer already has a DAC built in, why would buying an “external” or a real (?) one improve the sound quality? Isn’t the sound already being converted to analog by the internal DAC?
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A cheap external DAC and a very expensive external DAC won’t actually sound much different than each other, modern units have gotten very good. For desktop amps, they too have gotten pretty good nowadays where you can get decent power at low-ish costs.
Internal DAC/amps however are usually poor (ones on MacBooks are usually good), mainly due to terribly high output impedance (and potential noise leakage), leading to varying frequency response depending on what headphones are used with it.
Crinacle talks about it with an example here.
many models use same dac but use different op-amps/parts, so sound different (different amplifiers sound different). This is like car tires. They’re all rubber but some are way better (for dry,wet,rain,treadlife)
than others. Its the implentation. (reader of forum.audiogon.com,etc)
A low-quality DAC might be limited in sample rate and bit depth. If you listen to music that has been recorded at a high sample rate and bit depth, a better DAC might make a difference.
The main area where higher quality DACs and Amps can make a difference is in higher fidelity. Low quality equipment might not accurately reproduce the original recording, either because they’re not accurate, or because they’re inconsistent depending on the speakers they’re connected to.
That said, average consumer-grade gear is very good these days, and unless you have a very discerning ear, high quality media to play, good speakers or headphones, and a properly soundproofed environment to listen to music in, don’t waste your money. External DACs and Amps are mostly a way to flex on Reddit.