Hey folks! Back in the days of the FX 8350, I felt like you really needed a sound card since the onboard audio was pretty bad. I'm currently building a system with a Ryzen 9 5900X and considering a high-end motherboard. My big question is, do I really need a sound card for headphones like the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro? I'm also thinking about whether I should just get an external DAC instead. What do you all recommend? Thanks!
4 Answers
It depends on the version of the DT 990 you have! If you’re looking at the 80-ohm model, onboard sound should work fine. But if you're going for the 250-ohm version, be ready to push it harder, as it might be too quiet on standard sound card outputs. It's totally subjective, so you might as well try your motherboard's audio first and see if it cuts it for you before spending more.
I own the 250-ohm DT 990s, and they definitely need more power. Standard sound card outputs can leave them sounding weak, so I’d consider an external setup.
Honestly, internal sound cards are becoming less common. The new trend is going for an external DAC and amp setup. I’ve got an SMSL Sanskrit DAC paired with a Topping A50s amp, and it works great for my speakers and headphones!
Most onboard sound has been decent for about a decade now. You probably won’t need a dedicated sound card for typical use.
Thanks for the tip! Sounds like I should definitely look into getting a good amp.