If you own a pair of $300 headphones and your phone doesn’t use a DAC, you’re basically wasting money. Why? Simple: most phones and PCs and tablets do not feature a DAC and this means the sound you’re getting is, well… kind of sub-par.
Also – DAC stands for digital to analogue converter (DAC).
A few brands are changing this, however, with phones from LG and HTC featuring built-in DACs for HD audio, but the lion’s share of consumer electronics DO NOT offer anything remotely close – and this includes iPhones and Galaxy phones.
If you were born after the 1980s, you’re not only a millennial but you’re also part of the MP3 generation, a collection of people that don’t necessarily know what good music actually sounds like. I feel for you too, because once you actually hear how music was intended to sound, well… there’s no going back.
And the reason why all modern systems suck? Again, pretty simple: compression, MP3 files, and the complete lack of DAC systems in modern phones and gizmos. Services like Spotify don’t support HD audio, either, so you’re left with few options in this regard.
But There Is A Way To Change ALL of This – USB DAC Systems!
This brings me back to my original point: If you own a pair of $300 headphones and your phone doesn’t use a DAC, you’re basically wasting money.
You see, if you’re not using a phone with a DAC, the sound produced by your device simply will not do the headphones justice. The sound will be flat, the detail lacking, and most people won’t even notice – and this sucks.
Because there is a very easy way to fix all of this – you need a USB DAC system. With one of these running on your phone, PC, or tablet, you will get all the quality normally reserved for high-end Hi-Fi systems, just on your phone or whatever you connect it to.
And these are three of the best USB DAC systems you can buy right now.
AudioQuest DragonFly
The DragonFly by Audioquest is easily one of my favorite USB DAC systems on this list. It is portable, simple to use, well-designed, and, best of all, it does exactly what it says on the tin.
Because of its size, the DragonFly is IDEAL for use on a phone or tablet, as it is pretty tiny. Just connect it via the headphone jack, plug your headphones in, make sure you use a decent pair, and you’re away.
And if you’re running a headphone jack-less phone, you can buy a nifty little converter for the pack too, so it’ll work on phones like Apple’s iPhone and Google’s incoming Pixel 2 handsets.
If you’re after something that is portable and seriously potent, this should be your first port of call, as it is one hell of a USB DAC system.
Best Price: Amazon – £89.99
DACMagic XS
Cambridge Audio’s DACMagic XS is another excellent option that is also very portable and ideal for use on PCs, laptops, phones, and tablets. You can also hook it up inside your car too, for a larger, more organic sound.
This one is trickier to find online, however, though you can pick them up via eBay for around £150 (or $192).
Here’s what Cambridge Audio has to say about its DACMagic XS:
“Not only is it an excellent little DAC to perform a higher quality conversion on your audio, it’s also got a headphone amp built in. This amp is 10 x more powerful than the headphone output on your laptop. It hooks straight up to your laptop via USB and has a headphone jack so you can plug your headphones straight in and bypass that inferior built-in DAC in the laptop for superior sound on the go. Thanks to the extra power from the amp, you’ll get a load more volume, detail, and bass for your buck, finally making the most of your headphones.”
The DACMagic XS has won awards and has been awarded a myriad of five-star reviews for its design, performance, and sound quality. If you’re after something special, this is the USB DAC for you.
FiiO E17K (ALPEN 2) USB DAC
This is one of the cheapest options on the list and it is also the biggest, meaning it isn’t ideal for use on your phone and/or tablet. You can use it on the go, but it will take up quite a bit of room.
You will save some money by going with this option, but what you save in cash, you lose in portability – the FiiO E17K (ALPEN 2) USB DAC is almost as big as a phone, so it doesn’t lend itself well to use on the go.
The sound quality it produces, however, like all the USB DAC systems on this list, is exceptional. And because it costs less, I can see a lot of people going with this product over the aforementioned DACs.
Personally, I would 100% go with the DACMagic XS over this one. But if I were looking for a DAC for my PC and/or home stereo system, this would probably be my first choice, as it is cheaper and using it in this context would mean its size wouldn’t matter.
Best Price: Amazon – £99 (Down From £149.99)
Which Is The Best USB DAC Overall?
They’re all great, so whatever one you went with you’d be very impressed and get A LOT of value from it. My personal favorites are the Firefly and the DACMagic XS, as they’re more portable, though you will pay a premium for this.
I own a couple of pairs of decent headphones, so these things kind of pay for themselves in the long run. I love music and do not see things like this as a waste of money; they’re more an investment in my eyes.
If you’re serious about audio, and like the sound of these, get one, I guarantee you WILL NOT be disappointed. Just make sure you also invest in a decent pair of headphones. My personal favorites at the moment are the Audeze EL-8’s which deliver amazing sound and are utterly brilliant, so long as you can stomach the price!
by rgoodwin via Featured Articles
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