If you use a DAC without a headphone amp, you’ll need to get one separately (we’ve got you covered there, too).ĪudioQuest’s Dragonfly Black was my first standalone DAC, and it helped me to understand why this piece of audio gear is so important. Almost all of the DACs we’ve chosen have an integrated a headphone amp, so you can plug your cans directly into them. Some have additional inputs like RCA (red and white) so you can connect a CD player, smartphone, tablet, or TV through them. Inputs and Outputs: Our DAC picks all have USB ports on them, so they can be connected to your computer (or in some cases smartphone). Some also support a technology called upsamping, which increases the resolution of a compressed audio file to try and make it sound better. If you subscribe to an audiophile streaming service like TIDAL, you’ll notice a big bump in audio fidelity. Maximum Audio Resolution: All of the DACs we recommend can play high resolution (at least 96kHz/24-bit) music files with no compression or loss of quality. Think about the device you’re most likely to listen to music on (smartphone, computer, home theater system) before making your choice. Size: The DACs in this guide span a wide range of sizes, from pocket-friendly to desk ready. There are many factors to consider when choosing the right DAC for you below are the most important ones, which we considered while we were researching this list. What Are The Best Digital Analog Converters? If you listen to music on your phone or computer, and don’t use a standalone DAC, you’re getting a degraded experience. In some cases that means optimizing for common use cases (streaming lossy (compressed)) music, instead of supporting high resolution (better than CD-quality) audio formats. The first is that the DAC built into most portable devices is one piece of a more complicated gadget, so quality is sacrificed in service of saving space and making sure every piece works pretty well together. Your computer, phone, tablet, CD player, Bluetooth headphones, powered speakers, and TV all have a DAC built into them, but there are a couple of reasons it’s worth getting standalone hardware for serious music listening. This component is required to turn any digital audio file into sounds you can hear. There are many ways to improve the experience of enjoying digital music, but one of the best (and easiest) is to listen through a dedicated DAC (Digital Analog Converter).
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