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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
Views 89,823 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 …
Views 86,950 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 …
Views 71,893 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 …
Views 69,107 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 …
Views 62,459 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 …
Views 77,084 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 …
Views 62,297 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 …
Views 57,413 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 …
Views 74,407 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 …
Views 85,460 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 …
Views 81,491 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 …
Views 89,068 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 …
Views 80,008 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 …
Views 80,829 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 …
Views 69,615 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 …
Views 77,019 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 …
Views 84,885 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 …
Views 93,956 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 …
Views 95,471 With 2023 drawing to an end, I think it is time to be grateful for all the excellent music we heard this year, for all the awesome moments we had together, and to be looking forward to an even better year in 2024! Today we’re publishing our best …
Views 78,525 Shanling UA1 Plus is a $49 USD Dongle DAC AMP with a Dual CS43131 DAC, and high resolution decoding abilities. Today we’re going to be reviewing it, and also compare it to Shanling UA2 Plus (89 USD), ddHIFI TC35C (49 USD), and iFi Go Link (59 USD). …
Views 70,632 FiiO K9 PRO ESS is a $849 USD DAC / Headphone Amplifier with a multitude of inputs and outputs, a bulky but cool design, and with enough driving power to deal with most headphones out there. Although the XLR port is covered in most photos, and in most …
Views 90,161 Shanling H5 is a $369 USD DAC / AMP designed with portability in mind, offering a rich selection of inputs and outputs, a lower power than H7, but still enough for most planar magnetic headphones, with RCA, Balanced 4.4mm, and Single Ended 3.5mm Outputs. With a battery life …
Views 70,591 SMSL DO400 is a $499 USD DAC / Headphone Amplifier sold and fulfilled by Aoshida Store, with three headphone outputs, fully balanced XLR Line Outputs, RCA outputs, and those can work at the same time, with a handy display, and with Bluetooth receiving abilities. Today we will be …
Views 58,976 Audioengine D1 is a 169 USD 24-Bit DAC with a small form factor, ergonomic design, and with a 3.5mm single ended headphone output, and RCA outputs for an external headphone amplifier, stereo amplifier, or powered speakers. Today we will be reviewing it and comparing it with other entry-level …
Views 84,576 iFi Audio Go Bar is a $329 USD Premium Ultra Portable USB DAC, with a balanced 4.4mm output, a single ended 3.5mm headphone output, and with iEMatch, along with digital filters, and sound enhancements support. It will be compared to other high-end dongle DACs, including Lotoo PAW S2, …
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