Reddit mentions of CLOSEOUT FiiO D3 Digital to Analog Audio Converter - 192kHz24bit Optical and Coaxial DACNO BOX GOOD CONDITION

You're using your laptop's onboard digital to analog converter which is why you've got that stereo to rca cable adapter sticking out of the side of your laptop. This is a weak link in your system, because of of all the other computer stuff in the laptop making noise on the DACs power supply.

You could spend crazy money on external DACs but any modern DAC powered outside of the laptop will probably sound better.
I use this which requires either optical or coax digital output from the computer, but you could get a USB version if you don't have this.

Could also get the FiiO D3 if he wanted a less expensive optical DAC.

You could try an optical to 3.5mm adapter, it might work, but it would have to be a powered unit. a google search brings up something like this

Otherwise does the monitor have a headphone jack? Can you listen to the PS4 using headphones through the monitor? If you can you could run a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable from the monitor to your speakers.

It is one of the missing marketplace items. You are probably going to go the route of buying a phono pre-amp(if your turntable needs one) and then a FiiO D3 Dac for the tv and then you can get any of the amps above and a manual RCA switch box or Topping has a few amps that have Multiple Inputs which will allow you to skip the switcher.

If you do end up getting a dac I've found this one to be very good as a budget option; FiiO D3 192KHz/24 Bit Digital To Analog Converter https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005PWPUW6/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_gIJ9ub0D5S6WF

Audioengine A2

Audioengine A5+

Polk Subwoofer

FiiP Digital-analog-converter

These are just a few of the entry level options. Don't take my word for it. I don't own any of these items. I just see them pop up from time to time as good entry-level options. Both pairs of speakers I posted are powered, meaning they have amplification built in. They wont require an external amplifier. Another option is to buy a pair of passive speakers, like these, and buy a basic receiver, like this, to power them.

Again, these are just some EXAMPLES. I am not recommending any of these items specifically, as I have not heard them. I am suggesting that you do some research and figure out what works best for your needs and budget.

You'll notice I also posted a subwoofer and DAC (digital-analog-converter). The subwoofer is going to allow you to hear the lower frequencies that those small speakers wont reach, which you might find necessary if you like drums. The external DAC will allow you to bypass the shitty DAC in your current source (a laptop, I'm assuming?). You'll be able to send a digital signal out of your source (provided it has a digital output) to the DAC where it will be converted to the analog signal that will go to the amplifier. It isn't necessary, but it will improve sound quality since the shitty DAC in your laptop or computer will be bypassed.

OP has powered speakers with analog RCA as the only input option.

The FiiO D3 should solve that problem nicely - connect that to the optical output of the Xbox, and to the Audioengines using RCA.

There are a few ways to do this, the simplest is with a bluetooth receiver and cellphone, I have this one and it sounds okay: http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-980-000910-Bluetooth-Audio-Adapter/dp/B00IQBSW28

The best way to do this is with a USB DAC, this is the cheapest: http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UCA202-Audio-Interface/dp/B000KW2YEI and works pretty well. There are lots of different ones with different features, you can spend from 30 to 300 easily.

USB DACs will work with windows and android cellphones with OS 5 (lollipop) and higher. I'm not sure about mac or linux support. Something like this may be useful: http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Digital-Analog-Audio-Converter/dp/B005PWPUW6 if you just want to connect optical or coaxial out from a device.

If you have the PS3 AV cables I think you can get away with just using a physical adapter. If not, you can use a DAC to decode the optical audio output into a usable analog stereo signal. This is the cheapest standalone DAC I know of: http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Digital-Analog-Audio-Converter/dp/B005PWPUW6

You would need an optical cable as well: http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Digital-Optical-Audio-Toslink/dp/B001TH7GSW/ref=pd_bxgy_MI_text_y

Note that this has somewhat limited use though. If you're looking to add more components to your system you may want to look at an HDMI audio extractor instead with an HDMI switcher. The best option is an AV receiver but you would need to by home theater speakers as well which is a much bigger overall investment.

Hello- I keep getting distortion on my audio system when playing PS4 games; specifically anytime there's an explosion or similar loud sound. Only seems to happen on games, not movies or tv shows.

Current set up for audio is:

• PS4 to TV via HDMI.
  
• TV Optical out to DAC.
  
  
• DAC to Sony Receiver.
  
  
• Receiver to speakers (Pioneer SP-BS22 Andrew Jones).
  
  I'm struggling to figure out why this distortion is occurring and how to fix it. It doesn't seem to happen with movies & tv, only games. Also, I have a Wii U that sends audio to the TV as well, but I don't play it nearly as much nor do I really have any Wii U games with loud explosions in it, so it's
  
  
  I've gone through all the settings on both the PS4 and TV and set the outputs to "Linear PCM". At this point, I'm wondering if it's the DAC that's causing the distortion- it was pretty much the cheapest DAC with good reviews, so I'm trying to gauge if it's worth upgrading the DAC to see if it solves this issue.
  
  
  If anyone has any insight, I'd appreciate it!

You would need to buy a DAC like this

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005PWPUW6?pc_redir=1396133927&robot_redir=1

You're looking for one of these:
FiiO D3 Digital to Analog Audio Converter - 192kHz/24bit Optical and Coaxial DAC https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005PWPUW6/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_SBIevb1GD99RS
You'll then run analog audio RCA to 3.5mm female (Google around you'll find the adapter) and connect to your speakers...

Here's the issue; optical won't carry volume control and I'm betting your klipsch don't have a remote control. So, you'll have to adjust the volume on your speakers by hand.

Hope this helps.
Good luck

I didn't think those even exist. Apparently they do, but they are still few and far between

I'd say, get the following:

• Fiio D3 Converter
  
  
• Lepai 2020 Amplifier
  
  
• Dayton B652 speakers
  
  This should be a fine entry systems and should leave you with a lot of upgrade options if you decide you want to shoot for higher quality later on
  
  €: 5.1 is a definite no-go at this price-level. 2.1 is pretty much a waste as well, because the subwoofers in these systems are really shitty

Who says you cant convert it?

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Digital-Analog-Audio-Converter/dp/B005PWPUW6

If you have optical or coaxial then this one is pretty cheap and should work fine. There's an SMSL one that accepts USB as well. Other than that there are a few that are a DAC/headphone amp combo which would could potentially make your amp slightly redundant, so I've refrained from posting those, but most DACs do seem to do both jobs.

I'd pick up a Fiio D3 and sell the E10k to someone that can make use of it.

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Digital-Analog-Audio-Converter/dp/B005PWPUW6 Is that good?

You have the £120 for the Essence STX and can't afford a DAC and headphone amp? They cost the same, stop listening to people that tell you only to buy the stupidly expensive shit.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B006IPH5H2/ - Combined DAC and headphone amp for 140. Near the top of the consumer range.

Or go the route of separated components.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-192KHz-Digital-Analog-Converter/dp/B005PWPUW6/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SMSL-sApII-TPA6120A2-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B00A2QLMX6/

No, they would not work. The buzz is probably due to instability in the power source either from source or from motherboard. To 100% isolate yourself from it, do not get anything that gets power from computer. The options you listed above seem to pull power from your PC which provides noisy current, hence noisy DAC performance.

Your best bet is not only getting a DAC, but getting a DAC that has its own power supply.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-192KHz-Digital-Analog-Converter/dp/B005PWPUW6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1452729777&sr=8-3&keywords=DAC

For example, this has dedicated port for power which shields you from noisy currents. The optical in would be only the sound and none of the junk.

What do you play your sound through? I have a nice amp and speaker set so I use one of these + an optical cable:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-192KHz-Digital-Analog-Converter-Black/dp/B005PWPUW6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420641620&sr=8-1&keywords=fiio+d3

The sound is excellent, but it might not be cheap or simple enough!

What computer do you have? There's a solid chance that you have a combo headphone/SPDIF output. It became fairly standard. If so, grab the inexpensive Fiio D3 and an optical cable. If not, it might be a cheap upgrade, as noted below.

Since just using a 3.5mm headphone-out (assuming the classic Y-cable approach) into the E9 is "double-amping" the signal, you are more likely than not to notice a solid all-around improvement by getting your sound out to the E9 bypassing your computer's headphone amplification. Not sure that going E7 vs. D3 is going to make a big difference, if budget is a problem. Or E7 vs. Modi for that matter.

Failing that, you can run your Beyer's from you computer too. I do it with my 600ohm 880s. It sounds better with the DAC/Amp setup, but not night-and-day better. The 880s are what make the killer improvement in sound. Everything else brings smaller marginal improvements. So, keep that in mind relative to your budget.

I currently own a pair of Sennheiser HD598's. I would like to get a pair for on the go use, though I'm also not opposed to upgrading the 598's for home use. My only concern with IEMs is spending a lot of money to have them broken/lost. I'm hoping to spend <$200. I listen to a lot of jazz, hiphop, and classical. Bass isn't particularly important.

Would either of these Beyers be an upgrade to my 598's? They're currently on sale on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-DT-770-PRO-32-Headphone-Monitoring-Applications/dp/B008POFOHM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417122888&sr=8-2&keywords=DT770+PRO
http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-DT-990-Pro-250-Professional-Acoustically-Applications/dp/B0011UB9CQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1417122917&sr=1-2&keywords=Beyerdynamic

For IEMs, I'm looking at these Westones:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/UM2HW
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/UMPro10

Which of these would be a better buy for a DAC/Amp (honestly not that sure of the difference)? I'm also open to other options in the ~$50 price range.
http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Headphone-Amplifier-Micca-Cable/dp/B005JT8OT6/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1417121587&sr=8-8&keywords=fioo
http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Digital-Analog-Audio-Converter/dp/B005PWPUW6/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1417121587&sr=8-12&keywords=fioo

Thank you very much!

you'll probably have to use something like this with an adapter cable however you may have to run this through an amplifier.

or maybe one of these but you'll need an inline volume control on your headphones.

Found this box which seems better, would this work?
My local shop has this box would that do the trick?