Views 3,843 ddHIFI TC35PRO is a $66 USD dongle DAC / AMP with a CS43131 DAC at the heart, a 3.5mm single ended headphone output to drive headphones and IEMS, and today we will review it, exploring how it sounds like and if it is fit to be your next …
DAC/AMP devices are those that have both a DAC or a digital to analogue converter inside, but also an AMP, either for headphones and portables for a stereo AMP made for speakers. They are usually great for versatility, and have better price / performance ratio compared to getting standalone AMPs, DACs and other in between devices.
You can find my reviews on DAC/AMPs below, and also the best DAC/AMPs here: https://amzn.to/3JQcUM6
C. DAC/AMP
iBasso PB5 Osprey HiFi Tube Amplifier – Apex Analogic Musicality
Views 4,011 iBasso PB5 Osprey is a $1499 USD Summit-Fi Portable Tube Headphone Amplifier, featuring the most complex Dual Nutube 6P1 Tube setup manufactured by KORG and Noritake, being the 6th generation NuTubes, combined with 6 Batteries, and and a stepped volume attenuator to deliver the best sonic performance you …
HIDIZS S8 PRO Robin Dongle DAC AMp Review – Geometrically Equal HiFi Mass
Views 4,361 HIDIZS S8 PRO Robin is a $69 USD DAC AMP Dongle designed by HIDIZS for the portable music lovers, with Dual 32-Bit CS43131 DACs, Hi-Res support, and both 3.5mm single ended and 4.4mm balanced headphone outputs. Today we will review and explore S8 PRO Robin and how it …
iBasso DC07PRO HiFi DAC/AMP – Master Piece Awaken Boost
Views 4,561 iBasso DC07PRO is a $199 USD portable DAC and Headphone Amplifier designed for those who want a high amount of power, high precision and an array of Quad DACs for their portable setup. In this written review we will explore the DC07PRO, how it sounds like, and how …
iFi hip-dac 3 Hifi Portable Headphone Amplifier – Hewn Titanium Shadow
Views 7,274 iFi hip-dac 3 is a $199 USD DAC and Headphone Amplifier, with a dark titanium color / what I would call coffee colored, and with a similar design as the ifi hip-dac2 that we reviewed before, but improved technical performance, and a smoother, less gaudy design. Today we …
ddHIFI TC35PRO Eye2 HIFI Dongle DAC AMP – Silver Data Opens Up The World
Views 11,335 ddHIFI TC35PRO is a $75 USD dongle DAC AMP that employs a CS43131 DAC chip, with an ES9603Q AMP chip, designed to bring high-quality audio to your smartphone and portable setup. Today we will review the TC35PRO, how it sounds like, and briefly explore how it compares to …
KAEI TAP-1 HiFi DACs AMPs – Fuzzy Magic Of Pocket Tubes
Views 15,538 KAEI TAP-1 DACs is a $329 USD DAC / Headphone Amplifier, with Dual CS43131 DACs inside, a Tube Preamplifier stage, and a solid state amplifier stage with modular OP-AMPs, that allow you to fine tune and change the sound. The unit can come in multiple variations, with DACs …
iBasso D16 Taipan 1 Bit FPGA DAC AMP with 128 DACs – The Ultimate Listening Experience Of Cascaded 16 Sets of 8E PWM-DACs
Views 23,075 iBasso D16 is a $1499 USD Digital to Analog Converter and Super Class A Headphone Amplifier, designed as a portable unit, with what I consider to be the most unique DAC tech we have seen this year. I am talking about 1Bit DACs, with 16 sets of cascaded …
FiiO K11 R2R DAC Headphone Amplifier – Two Worlds Of Sound And Music
Views 12,813 FiiO K11 R2R is a $169 USD DAC and Headphone Amplifier with an R2R or RRR DAC inside, lots of driving power, and as we will explore today, a very colorful, dynamic and punchy sound, not necessarily characteristic of R2R, but enjoyable and fun nonetheless. Instead of the …
FiiO KA11 by Jade Audio DAC/AMP Dongle – Mini CS43131 For The Win
Views 7,518 FiiO Ka11 is a $29 USD DAC / AMP / dongle with a nice ergonomic, high quality CS43131 DAC chip, and with up to 245 mW of power output per channel. Today we will review the Ka11 and explore how it sounds. Introduction Jade Audio is a …
ECdesigns PowerDAC-SX Stereo HIFI Integrated DAC – Ultimate Levels Of Power And Control
Views 27,911 ECdesigns PowerDAC-SX is a 3450 EURO / $3700 USD DAC which can directly drive speakers, and balanced headphones without using any amplifiers. It comes with a remote, and it is one of the most interesting and unique stereo sound reproduction solutions in the whole world. Today we will …
SHANLING ONIX ALPHA XI1 – Bold Sound, Good Function DAC Amp
Views 17,826 Shanling Onix Alpha Xi1 is a $109 USD DAC / Headphone Amplifier with a beautiful design, excellent software support, and with a balanced and single ended headphone output. Today we will review the Onix Alpha Xi1 and compare it with other DAC/AMPs including Shanling H2 (169 USD), Aune …
iFi Zen DAC 3 DAC / AMP – Sonic Balance V3
Views 17,502 iFi Zen DAC 3 is a $229 USD DAC / AMP designed by iFi Audio, with a Balanced headphone output, a single ended headphone output, and it is the latest variant in their lineup of affordable and freshly designed DACs. Today we will review the Zen DAC 3 …
Burson PlayMate 2 DAC / AMP – Incredible Efficiency And Precision
Views 24,837 Burson Playmate 2 is a $544 USD DAC / Headphone Amplifier, with a huge driving power for headphones, and a full metallic chassis, but also with modular OP-AMPs for you to tune and sound and enjoy it in your own favorite flavor. Today we will review the PlayMate …
Shanling H2 DAC/AMP – Warmer and Smoother Flask
Views 22,186 Shanling H2 is a $169 USD DAC/AMP with a warm and smooth sound, following the same flask design that we’ve seen with other DAC/AMPs, to which we will compare the H2, including Shanling h5 (369 USD), iFi Hip-DAC2 (190 USD), and Questyle M15 (250 USD). Introduction Shanling …
ddHIFI TC44PRO USB-C 4.4mm Dongle DAC – Warm Sound Presents Drums and Bass
Views 16,363 ddHIFI TC44PRO is a $71 USD Dongle DAC AMP designed around a pair of Dual Cirrus Logic CS43131 DACs, and with a 4.4mm Headphone output, designed to pair with your smartphone and provide a convenient sound solution. Today we will focus on reviewing the TC 44 PRO, and …
Creative Sound Blaster X5 – Delightful Music Comes From Unexpected DAC / AMP / Sound Card
Views 21,994 Creative Sound Blaster X5 is a $299 USD high-quality Sound Card / DAC / AMP mainly aimed at gamers and audiophiles, or rather a hybrid of the two, with a 4.4mm balanced headphone output, RCA outputs, mic input, and with a selection of other features that may come …
Aune Yuki DAC / AMP – Beautiful Looking But Serious Sounding Dongle
Views 22,993 Aune Yuki is a $179 USD Dongle DAC AMP with a dual DAC inside, and with a 4 x 4 Transistors design. Today we will be reviewing the Yuki and comparing it to other dongles and similarly priced sources including Hiby R3 II (179 USD), Audioengine D1 (169 …
Dethonray Listening M1 DAC / Headphone Amplifier – Beautiful And Deep Music Sound
Views 35,801 Dethonray Listening M1 is a $2599 USD DAC AMP made for desktop, with a really sleek design, ultimate sound architecture, and as we wil explore today, a sound that’s unlike anything we heard before. Given its price point, we will compare it to the best of the best …
FiiO Q15 Portable DAC AMP – Sweet Sounding Dynamics Master
Views 33,572 FiiO Q15 is a $399 USD portable DAC or Digital To Analog Converter, and Headphone Amplifier, with two headphone outputs, a smartphone mode, and with a huge driving power, but low noise for IEMs. Today we will review it and compare the new high-performance FiiO unit to other …
Shanling UA4 DAC AMP – Smart Dongle United
Views 28,228 Shanling UA4 is a $99 USD DAC/AMP with a new ESS ES9069Q DAC, Strong Output Power, DSD512 and Hi-Res PCM support, up to 32 Bit and 768kHz, and with both a Balanced Headphone Output and a single ended one. Today we will be reviewing it, the sound it …
FiiO K11 DAC Headphone Amplifier – Railgun Power Punch
Views 34,806 FiiO K11 is a $129 USD truly balanced headphone amplifier and DAC, with a balanced headphone amplifier, 1400mW of power, and with adjustable RGB Logo Lighting, which works without a Driver, and as a USB DAC, and is based on the CS43198 DAC. Today we will be reviewing …
HIDIZS S9 PRO Plus Balanced Dongle DAC – Martha HIFI Sound
Views 33,073 HIDIZS S9 PRO Plus Martha is a 89 USD Dongle DAC AMP from HIDIZS with a neat design, lots of angles and modern take on the dongle AMP, with two buttons, and with two headphone outputs, one in the 3.5mm SE format, and one in the 4.4mm Balanced …
FiiO BTR15 Bluetooth Receiver – Absolutely Wireless DAC/AMP
Views 34,462 FiiO BTR15 is a $119 USD / EURO Bluetooth DAC / AMP / Receiver, with a super light design, and an upgrade from the popular BTR5 model, with an improved design and overall abilities. Today we are putting it to test, diving into an in-depth review, and comparing …
HIFIMAN EF600 DAC / Headphone AMP – Towering R2R Music Excellence
Views 27,965 HIFIMAN EF600 is a $799 USD high-end desktop DAC / Headphone amplifier, with a vertical design, Himalaya Ladder DACs, and with a design to maximize desktop space. Today we will be reviewing it and comparing it to other high-end desktop DAC/AMPs, including Aune S9C PRO (699 USD), FiiO …