There are reasons your PC or Mac's audio output doesn't sound particularly good. Noise from the computer's digital circuits often bleeds into the audio signal. Also, design engineers who have been told to keep production costs down don't expend much effort on audio.  Additionally, your computer's audio output has not been optimized for headphone use. Headphones require a low impedance output. The computer's output signal is normally high impedance. Briefly stated, your computer's Audio Line Out really isn't suitable for headphone use.

And there's this to consider too: a digital volume control reduces 16-bit audio resolution, which is already somewhat compromised with respect to first-rate sound, to even less resolution. By reducing volume through the computer's software, you may be listening to resolution as low as 8 bits.

The Icon Mobile sounds better for several critically important reasons. Among these are a heavily filtered power supply, a DAC that's been implemented for optimal performance, and a circuit designed to drive low-impedance headphones. Last but far from least, unlike digital volume controls, the Icon Mobile's high-quality analog volume control does not compromise resolution. 

Features:

• Two headphone/line outputs: a 3.5mm 4-pin mini stereo (with mic) jack and a 3.5mm 3-pin mini stereo jack for driving earphones and line-level sources such as active speakers.
• A 3.5mm mini stereo external input.
• A high-quality rotary volume pot for maximizing USB and iPod signal-to-noise ratios.
• A Gain Select switch provides compatibility for a wide range of headphones and earphones.
• A built-in, rechargeable Lithium Ion battery with USB featuring a 2.5 hour charge-time for 13 hours of continuous playback with maximum power.
• Support for USB audio input and ouput
• The Battery-Low indicator blinks when the battery requires recharging.

Headphone Amp:

• Power output: 80mW x 2 @ 16-Ohm
• THD+N: 0.054% @ 25 mW, 1 kHz
• S/N: 98dB @ 40mW

USB DAC:

• USB 2.0 compatible
• Supports 44.1kHz and 48kHz native sampling rates
• Microphone input: 16-bit ADC 4-pin mini stereo compatible headsets

Bundled Accessories:

• 3.5mm stereo cable
• USB cable
• Silicone band
• Plastic tool for adjusting gain setting

Dimension: 88mm x 55mm x 12mm

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