In other cases you might have something like a portable headphone amp with a built in DAC that's good, but when you're home, you want to use a dedicated DAC with a higher quality output. You can also check out our video where we cover these same topics and expand on a couple aspects:. Have other questions about DACs?
Wanna know which one might be the best for you? Hit us up call , email , message any time! Close menu. Over-Ear Headphones. Wireless Headphones. Phono Stage. All Phono Stages. Individual Speakers. Speaker Collections. All-in-One Music Systems. Standalone DACs: This type of Digital-to-Analog Converter is typically a simple box with inputs and outputs that you add to your existing signal chain.
If you decide to purchase a standalone DAC, keep in mind that you may also need an external amplifier to boost the converted sound to your playback device. Portable DACs almost always include a built-in headphone amplifier, which means you can use this as the segue from your smartphone to your headphones. While it might seem excessive to carry another device alongside your cell-phone, this is actually an ideal solution to devices lacking a 3.
With a portable DAC, you can comfortably travel with your favorite high-end headphones and the latest iPhone, or simply boost your laptop sound on-the-go. This type of DAC provides a transition from your digital input device to your analog output, whether that be a set of bookshelf speakers or a pair of headphones.
DACs with built-in headphone amplifiers often feature a physical volume control allowing you to adjust what level of volume is fed into your headphones. Adding a DAC to your listening setup is the simplest way to improve your headphone or speaker sound.
A low bit depth either at the recording stage, or in the file itself will necessarily result in low dynamic range, making many sounds incorrectly emphasized or muted altogether. So the greater the bit depth, the better, right? Well, this is where we run into the limits of human perception once again.
In theory, that means that no sound less than 96dB down from peak level should get lost in the noise. While that may not sound terribly impressive, you really need to think hard about how you listen to music.
While I'm a super big crank when it comes to silly-ass excesses in audio tech, this is one point I'm forced to concede. However, the necessity of bit files for casual listeners is dramatically overstated. So why do so many people swear by bit audio when bit is just fine? If you like to listen to recordings that are super quiet think, orchestral music —and you need to really crank the volume in order for everything to be heard—you need a lot more dynamic range than you would with an over-produced, too-loud pop song would in order to be heard properly.
That way, you avoid having a high-bitrate file with low-bitrate dynamic range, or worse: added noise. Spotify tops out at kbps, which is perfectly fine for most listeners.
While bit depth is important, what most people are familiar with in terms of bad-sounding audio is either limited bitrate, or aggressive audio data compression. Ever listen to music on YouTube, then immediately notice the difference when switching to an iTunes track or high-quality streaming service? This is why bitrate—the speed at which your music data is decoded—is somewhat important. So how much is enough? Just use a kbps MP3 or Opus file; audio compression has improved leaps and bounds in the last 20 years, and newer compression standards are able to do a lot more with a lot less than they used to.
You just need an optical connection from your PC. If the USB DAC includes a headphone amplifier with a decent power output, then yes, it will help drive your headphones properly to get the most out of them. But it's the amplifier that's the important part in your situation. A standalone amplifier would also get the job done.
Although theoretically the coax and optical connections should be the same, the optical cable is generally considered to be a cleaner connection as it electrically isolates the two components.
On some older phones: sure. But the errors and noise that you're likely to come across in this situation will be minor at best—not really something that you'll hear in the din of a commute, or wherever else you go with your smartphone as your main source of music. Do not buy a DAC for Bluetooth headphones, as they will already have a DAC chip inside to handle converting the digital signal to an analog one to send to the headphone's drivers.
A second DAC would be redundant. Check Price. Name: Subject: Message:. SoundGuys is reader supported. When you buy through links on our site we may earn an affiliate commission.
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