Systemic Development > Hardware

Recommend PC lab top with best audio, audio card?

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steve:
A friend would like to purchase a new lab top, but one with the best internal audio circuitry, and what is the best card to add for sound quality if desired? Either Apple or Microsoft.

Thanks

Steve

richidoo:
Audio circuitry inside laptops is all the same, optimized for low cost and small footprint. The demand for cellphone performance has made small excellent quality audio ICs available, so they're all decent now. My Lenovo headphone jack sounds pretty darn good by my admittedly low standards, but there's not enough power to drive my hungry AKGs as loud as I'd like. But if you have better ears than me and want a portable DAC to travel with your laptop, I would recommend the iFi micro iDSD. For a smaller budget, the Audioquest Dragonfly is very well respected.

As for Apple vs Windows?

steve:
Thanks Rich. I did not know if some brands might use better parts.

Dan is currently using a 5 year old lab top as one of his sources, often YouTube analog output, to feed one of his stereo systems. He thought that some might be better than others. My limited experience does not allow me to know what might be out there.

With that said, if I understand you correctly Rich, pretty much all lab tops will produce descent sound quality, or similar sound quality? Would that be an accurate statement?

If that is the case, are there any sound cards that use better quality parts etc, that would improve the sound even more?

Cheers and thanks.

Steve

richidoo:
If he's only using it to play yootoobs, then the old laptop he's using now actually is more than adequate to fully express the highly compressed audio stream from yootoob. He's not missing anything.

Audio quality of Youtube stream

If he wants high end audio quality to play full resolution tracks from his own stored digital library or for streaming high resolution audio from Tidal or internet radio, then he could connect a good quality USB DAC to his current laptop to hear all the available goodness.

As for various laptops' integrated audio SQ, I'm sure you can find reviews saying laptop A's headphone jack sounds better than laptop B's. Some laptops are marketed for multimedia prowess, while others focus on business use with audio as afterthought. Horses for courses. Apple invented the iPod, and founder Steve Jobs was badly afflicted with audiophilism, so I assume headphone jack on $2800 Macbook Pro will be very good, but still not as good as an external USB DAC from our world.

steve:

--- Quote from: richidoo on December 17, 2016, 02:13:10 PM ---If he's only using it to play yootoobs, then the old laptop he's using now actually is more than adequate to fully express the highly compressed audio stream from yootoob. He's not missing anything.

Audio quality of Youtube stream

If he wants high end audio quality to play full resolution tracks from his own stored digital library or for streaming high resolution audio from Tidal or internet radio, then he could connect a good quality USB DAC to his current laptop to hear all the available goodness.

As for various laptops' integrated audio SQ, I'm sure you can find reviews saying laptop A's headphone jack sounds better than laptop B's. Some laptops are marketed for multimedia prowess, while others focus on business use with audio as afterthought. Horses for courses. Apple invented the iPod, and founder Steve Jobs was badly afflicted with audiophilism, so I assume headphone jack on $2800 Macbook Pro will be very good, but still not as good as an external USB DAC from our world.

--- End quote ---

Thanks Rich. I am sending him an email with this link so he can read it first hand and go forward, hopefully with your suggestions.

Thanks again Rich, much appreciated.

Steve

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