Conclusion

If I wanted to list and dissect all of the misconceptions from the world of audio, this article would likely go on forever. However, I do feel obliged to wrap up by mentioning two of the most common ones because I feel they bring a ton of confusion into any discussion about DACs, headphone amplifiers, and sound cards. If you read through the previous page of this article, the following should come as news to you.

Do I Need a DAC?

You already have it. One of the most common questions I get asked by people who just purchased a new pair of headphones or a shiny gaming headset is if they need a DAC for it. If you didn't skip the previous pages, you already know that without a DAC, there can't be sound, as it's what turns the digital audio file into an analog waveform, which then gets amplified to a comfortable listening volume and reproduced through our headphones or speakers. So yeah, if you want to listen to any kind of sound stored in a digital form, you definitely do need a DAC.

The good news is that every device capable of reproducing sound, such as the sound card on your motherboard, your smartphone, laptop, console, digital audio player, or even your wireless headphones, already contains a DAC. Perhaps it's not the finest quality DAC on the market, but it's certainly capable of converting ones and zeroes to an analog waveform.

This entire question stems from the incorrect naming scheme used in many online forums and audio-related conversations, where "DAC" is used as a synonym for devices that are, in fact, DACs with integrated headphone amplifiers.

Do I Need an Amplifier?

By now, you surely know the answer to the second most asked question in the audio community: Do I need an amplifier for my headphones/headset? Yes, you do. Otherwise, there wouldn't be anything to amplify the line-level analog signal coming from your DAC. Thankfully, every device capable of playing music is equipped with an amplifier of some kind, including the sound card integrated on your motherboard, so you already have an amplifier you can use.

What You Should Be Asking

What people actually mean when they ask the aforementioned questions is whether they need a more capable DAC and/or headphone amplifier than the one they're already using. To get an answer for those questions, visit the previous pages of this article and snoop around the DAC and amplification sections, where you'll find a heap of information that should put you on the right path. There, you'll also find at least one solid way to determine if your existing amplifier is good enough for your particular needs. You can also simply plug your headphones in and play something. If it doesn't sound as loud, clean or detailed as you'd want, especially if you know your headphones can perform better, getting a sound card with a more capable headphone amplifier is an obvious solution. You'll also get a higher-quality DAC in the process, making the overall sonic experience that much better.