[Groovin Chameleon]

Hi guys,
So a couple months ago I purchased a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 1770 pros, and have been running them with my Macbook Pro 2017 (no touchbar). I think the sound quality is great, and I usually listen at half volume what my mac is able to deliver. I'm curious to know whether a dedicated DAC and Amp would improve the sound quality with my current setup, since I've heard Apple does a good job with their built-in soundcards (Cirrus Logic, apparently). Does anyone have a similar setup, with previous experience?
The JDS Labs Element looks really tempting for a future upgrade. Alternatively, I might just get the JDS Labs El Amp, and run it with the mac's onboard DAC. But this hinges on my assumption a standalone amp will somehow improve sound quality at that same listening volume. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[PurpleAngel]

Usually Apple products come with a decent built in DAC function.
So the headphone amplifier function is what you might invest into first.
Then maybe look into an external DAC.
Or just buy the combo DAC/head/amp unit.
Do you have a budget?

 

[Groovin Chameleon]

At the moment, my absolute tops would be at $500 USD, so it would be great to get to know what's recommended within this range. However, I'd also like to know if there's any real point purchasing a unit within this price point, given my current setup - if there's not really going to be any noticeable sound quality improvement with what I can afford now, I'd prefer to wait and get something that will make a more significant difference in the future.

 

[PurpleAngel]

At the moment, my absolute tops would be at $500 USD, so it would be great to get to know what's recommended within this range. However, I'd also like to know if there's any real point purchasing a unit within this price point, given my current setup - if there's not really going to be any noticeable sound quality improvement with what I can afford now, I'd prefer to wait and get something that will make a more significant difference in the future.

This ($250) hybrid tube might improve audio quality.
https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-alex-cavalli-cth-tube-hybrid-amp

 

[Groovin Chameleon]

Alright, I'll check it out, thanks