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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 4,923 With the winter holidays drawing us closer to each other and to our families, it is time to be grateful that we survived another year, that we got to listen to so much excellent music, to meet so many new awesome people, and to explore this wonderful hobby …
Views 11,332 Creative Sound Blaster G8 is a $149 USD desktop DAC / AMP with a Dual DAC inside, Hi-Res decoding support, and Proprietary XAMP dedicated amplifier. Today we will review the G8 and explore how it works, how it sounds like and if it would make a good purchase …
Views 14,268 Shanling UA6 is a $159 USD Dongle DAC AMP with 4 x CS43131 DACs inside, a fairly high driving power, and what Shanling considers to be the peak of USB Dongle DAC technology. Today we will review the UA6 In-Depth and study its performance, how it generally compares …
Views 23,142 FiiO KA15 is a $109 USD dongle DAC AMP with a unique retro design that reminds me a lot of old cassette players, being a dual DAC design inside, perfect for HiFi listening with a modern sound. Today we will explore and review KA15. Introduction FiiO has …
Views 25,369 HIFIMAN EF500 is a $459 USD Desktop Headphone Amplifier, DAC, Streamer based on the novel Hymalaya R2R DACs developed by HIFIMAN, known to surpass the venerable PCM1704K. Today we will review the EF500 and also compare it with other DAC/AMPs including HIFIMAN EF499 (299 USD), Burson PlayMate2 (544 …
Views 24,679 HeartField R1 is a $159 USD R2R DAC and Headphone AMP with the lowest weight I’ve seen in the whole world, with two headphone outputs, one Type-C USB input, and with a plastic case, but a transparent top allowing you to see the internal circuit and R2R Board. …
Views 24,344 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 …
Views 39,680 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 …
Views 30,313 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 …
Views 28,145 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 …
Views 33,783 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 …
Views 31,653 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 …
Views 36,800 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 …
Views 46,262 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 32,723 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 24,646 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 45,519 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 28,480 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 31,701 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 34,836 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 32,807 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 27,173 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 38,516 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 38,644 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 87,773 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 …
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