Let me preface this by saying that I am a complete noob in terms of audio stuff. I just ordered the Superlux HD 668B that Logan recommended, and I'm reading it has 56 ohms and 98 db SPL.
I have the Asus M5A99x EVO R2.0 mobo, which sports the ALC892 audio codec. From my understanding, this is a fairly average quality codec, but I can't seem to find info on whether this codec is good enough to drive those headphones.
Do I need to get an amp/DAC to make the most these headphones or is the onboard audio enough?
Your onboard audio should be adequate enough to drive 64-70 ohm headphones. Audio is a very subjective thing. If you hear any hissing or static when you're listening to music, then it might be a good idea to invest in a DAC. If your headphones are not loud enough and you can barely hear anything on them at full volume, then maybe you should get an AMP. If you have both these problems, then you should get both an amp and a DAC. 95% of the time though, the onboard audio should be enough.
Pretty good article that you should definitely read. It just all comes back to the subjectivity argument again. What sounds good to me, won't necessarily sound good to you. Some people prefer "warmer" sounds and some people like me prefer a neutral sound. A lot of soundcards just "distort" the audio to make it sound nicer, but it's really an aural illusion if one can put it that way. If you have some cash lying around, I strongly suggest you look into something like a Fiio E10 or a Syba SD-DAC63057 DAC& combo. Both of them use realativity cheap DACs that are pretty much on par with your Realtek ALC892, but just the fact that they are outside your computer takes some of the distortion and interference away. There's really no need for you to spend a fortune on audio equipment, you probably won't be bale to tell the difference with your current pair of headphones.
Codecs to not make a huge difference in sound quality, unless the song id an OLD Mp3, may have some drop in audio level, but that is what the FLAC is for. sample rate has a small bit more to do with it if you are using large PA gear at very high levels.think of a volume up and down as "zoom in, "zoom out" on an audio track. A higher sample rate helps that.
OT: Yeah, Tom's has really gone to shit in the last few years. They are shamelessly biased towards certain brands of hardware, which does make you question their credibility somewhat.
Here i will give you a for instance. I run cheap stuff. I use onboard audio ( whatever on my saber mb 7.1 ) a cheap hybrid tube amp ( bravo v2) 54 dollars an a set of Jvc ha rx900 another fifty dollars. Pretty cheap, not perfect: Does the job! I have a tube bias so i always throw a tube amp or preamp into every chain.
Thanks for the replies, guys, very interesting stuff. I definitely have a lot more research / reading to do.
Speaking of warmer vs neutral sounds, I chose the 668B precisely because I read it had a neutral sound. I figured that's a good place to start before I decide whether I want something specific.
You might not need to amp it or dac it if you are happy with stock sound. Keep in mind that you dont have to spend several hundred dollars for good sound either. So research the science of audio more than the brands of audio equipment.