DAPs, DACs and DAC-AMPs: Best for Portable Audio
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- eCoustics Headphone Editor, Will Jennings explains everything you need to know to get the best sound on-the-go whether you use your smartphone with a dongle DAC or DAC AMP, or opt for a portable digital audio player (DAP).
Definition:
DAP = Digital Audio Player (aka MP3 player, iPod)
DAC = Digital Audio Converter
Dongle DAC = Portable adapter that connects between smartphone and headphone, which improves digital-to-analog conversion for more detailed sound.
DAC AMP = Larger than a Dongle DAC, yet still portable, adds built-in amplifier for cleaner sound.
Products mentioned in video:
DAPs:
Sony WM1Z ($2,488) amzn.to/3sJnPAu
Fiio M17 ($1,799) www.amazon.com...
Astell & Kern Kann Alpha ($1,099) amzn.to/3a0Px53
Hiby R3 Sabre ($209) amzn.to/3PDlH7c
Hidizs AP 80 Pro X ($169) amzn.to/3lmsV1e
Dongles:
Cayin RU6 ($249) www.ecoustics....
Questyle M15 ($249) www.ecoustics....
Questyle M12 ($139) www.ecoustics....
Xduoo Link 2 Balanced ($149) amzn.to/3a7nbGt
DAC/AMPS:
Chord Mojo 2 ($845) www.ecoustics....
Centrance M8v2 ($749) amzn.to/3sDUvve
iFi xDSD ($599) amzn.to/3NivH3F
Xduoo Poke II ($390) amzn.to/3G99Edz
Hidizs DH80S ($139) amzn.to/37Sr1Cs
IEM:
UE Live ($2199) www.ecoustics....
UE Switch Plates ($199) www.ecoustics....
#daps #dacs #dacamps
Very refreshing to hear Mr Jennings share-out his thoughts the dongle / DAP dichotomy.
Appreciate the kind words!
A while ago I bought a Surfans F20, a little DAP that was sub $150, for playing music over headphones while I walk. I'm sure it's not the greatest sounding DAP, but it's miles better than my phone, and the battery life lasts several days of that.kind of use. The main advantage I like is that my phone isn't always interrupting the music with notifications or goofing up when I use the phone.
Glad you’re enjoying it!
I own iBasso DX240 and I purchased it exactly for the same reasons which is portability and desktop replacement. I didn’t want anything stationery and I realized that to get equivalent value I would have to purchase capable DAC and headphone amp. Both as separate units. I prefer to listen to music using Mango OS. It bypasses Android system. The sound quality is noticeably better. It really makes me feel like I’m listening to high quality CD/system. The same music played on my iPhone 12 + Apple dongle sounds thinner, less impactful and less engaging.
Best video ever to explain this ! A thousand times thank you 🎉 🙏
Glad to be helpful!
I'll be at THE Show coming up in LA on June 10th-12th. Come say Hi at the Ecoustics booth.
Does a DAC dongle make a difference when connecting my phone to my home hifi system? Or is this only beneficial for headphones?
These were all excellent views. I'm convinced that I will be shopping for a DAP very soon versus continuing to use my phone for music. I do like the option of streaming from my phone but it is a big distraction when I'm holding my phone and begin answering texts, emails, etc. Transitioning to a DAP that supports streaming sounds like the solution for me. But in the long run, I will focus on purchasing music again to own the music versus the "renting" of music through streaming services so I won't have to rely on DAP streaming supportability.
Seems like a smart move. Keep us informed with what you end up buying and how you like it.
Absolutely, all of your focus will be on the listening experience, akin to sitting down and listening to vinyl in a way. Also, like I do, when you get home if your DAP has a digital output, then run it into an outside DAC or DAC-AMP. I run mine straight into my Schiit stack including the Loki EQ and the sound is truly amazing. Lastly, since you are not using the DAP's DAC or AMP (but as a transport) the battery life lasts forever. I go 2 weeks in between charges listening around 3 hours a day 6 days a week. Have fun and don't be weary to but second hand and save a few hundred bucks. Peace.
@@noturnleftunstoned72 What an excellent tip. I might have to do some research and try running my DAP to an outside DAC or DAC-AMP myself to see what kind of results I get!
Is dac and dap the same?
@@williamsmith9194 no. DAP= Digital Audio Player (usually speaking of the hand sized ones) & DAC is Digital to Audio Conversion (pc language of 1's and 0's into audio files or streamable audio [FLAC,wav etc]
😮I have the LG V50 phone with Quad DAC. With the DTC: x3D surround sound.
It sounds fantastic😜🤩💕
Very interesting. I found this viodeo because I'm hesitant to replace my Pixel 3aXL due to the fact that it's almost impossible to find new phones with 3.5mm headphone jacks.
Great content man!
Do you know which dap equal in sound to chord mojo and mojo 2?
I’m looking for hiby r8, ibasso dx240/260, shanling m8 etc….
Great video. How would a FiiO M23 in desktop mode fit in here?
Hi I'm looking for a bit of advice concerning buying an Android based DAP. I read Will's review of the AK Kann Max and was impressed with this particular DAP however I'm concerned with the longevity of any Android-based DAP in terms of how long will the OS be supported. I think the Kann Max runs Android 10 is this still going to be supported in the next couple of years or can the OS be upgraded to a later version? I come from an iPhone background so not too familiar with the Android ecosystem. Any help or advice greatly appreciated.
Hard to guess about Android lifecycles. One would hope Astell&Kern would provide support and updates as needed. If you get an answer from them before we do, please let us know what they say.
Enjoyed this a lot! I learnt a lot of stuff as a newbie to the hobby. Planning to get an Aune Yuki or Hiby FC6 soon.
Glad we could help. Thanks for watching.
Genio
7:20
Así es Implementación That's the key
17:00 el Lugar de los Dongles DAC amp
Right on point
Interesting video 👍
I don’t want to be tethered to another piece of hardware..if I can avoid it….so I run an IFI Go Blue..the Bluetooth processing is pretty decent .
And as an Apple user ..sometimes you can go direct with a single connection..sometimes ..you need another piece of freak’n cable 🤦♂️
Is the iFi Go Blue still fulfilling all your needs?
@@ecoustics yes , great sound in a very convenient physical format
Is the Sennheiser IE 600 with an iBasso DX 170 DAP can be a perfect combo with good synergy?
Hello Ecoustics, great podcast. I have a question regarding the sound quality. Will The dongle and the DAP will have same audio quality keeping the source file and the output equipment same? What are the parameters or stats i need to look which tell the diffrentiating factors of both when compared? Thank you!
Difficult to answer. I think you may be getting into the territory of equipment matching, which can vary based on your specific needs/goals. Did you have products in mind?
@@ecoustics i am confused as i should opt for phone+DAc or i should get a DAP as i feel my android phone will ruin the high quality downloaded/streaming music and the DAC would be left useless. Please suggest.
@@Ruderajput I wish the answer was straightforward. The Higher End DAPs should be able to beat out phone/dongle combos on sound quality alone, partly because they more space to dedicate for audio circuitry. It may not always be the case.
@@ecousticsIs a 150 dollars DAP better than a 50 dollars DAC? (Music quality).
I’m looking to buy a Fiio M15S along with the Sennheiser HD600 headphones. Would I also need an amp to get the most out of the Sennheisers? I’m aware that they have an impedance of 300 ohms. Or would the Fiio be enough on its own?
Besides the convenience and battery save from your phone. Is an expensive dap significantly better in sound quality than a good dongle dac (like the ap80 pro-x) using only easy to drive iems of course?
The answer depends on your definition of “significant”. Will you hear differences? Most likely. The question ultimately is case by case.
What do you think of the ifi gryphon vs the ifi hip dac? Is the gryphon a huge step up? Especially interested in using with headphones like Dan Clark Audio Aeon closed x or he4xx.
I have a Gryphon on the way at the moment but have not had a chance to try it for more than a few passing moments yet. I'll try and add a full review to Ecoustics in the coming weeks.
W. Jenning’s iFi Gryphon review will be posted on Monday on our homepage.
Signature is best
Highly recommended go direct to ifi Diablo better mid tone , more solid bass , better sound separation can drive hungry power headphone and iem .from a ex gryphon user pair with Samsung A72 phone
Argh so much to know and learn. This dude certainly knows his stuff. On the flipside I'm lost. I've just bought a pair of Oppo pm3's and want to have the ability to use an EQ. All of my online music ( over 2k tracks) is in my favourites folder in my UA-cam account. What DAC would you recommend for these headphones using an iphone and UA-cam? I am thinking about the Hip Dac but i'm soooo confused HELP!!!. Cheers
If you only listening off UA-cam, any dongle dac with lightning connector will work with iPhone. Here are some options: www.ecoustics.com/articles/best-dongle-dacs/
@@ecoustics hey thanks dude. I carried on researching and went for the Ibasso DCR3pro thanks for the reply.
Getting equipment to listen from UA-cam 😂
@@BerserkeR_031 it's ok, you can relax smart arse, i've also got over 1000 cd's and 2500 records at home.
Do I need an additional amp/dac with DAP? or the DAP will be sufficient enough? Currently, I have an ifi nano bl. Will I get a significant improvement if I attach it with a DAP? Thanks for making this video.
Whether you need an additional dac/amp is dependent on the headphones efficiency. Most high-end DAPs should be powerful enough to drive “most” headphones.
I’d be curious if you’ve compared both since your original comment.
I have issues with my Shanling m0 Pro with its battery, it drains extremely fast on its own even on complete standy by mode. Now my seller is preparing for a refund, what do you recommend I should buy that is around the budget range ($129)
@27.12 WATER PROOF, I have had the samsung s10 and still have the LG v40 , both are ip rated with 3.5mm headphone jack on it. I have used s10 under water on multiple occasion always had no issues - used for 3 years (was immaculate).they might have ditched It for the extra water resistance/proof , but I believe it's for the extra room for battery and camera,
Sony is still giving 3.5 jack with ip ratings.
I think you’re right about that too. Thanks for adding more context.
@@ecoustics 🙏
This was a great watch. (Yes watched the entire 58 minutes lol). Mr. Jennings seems like a great person to hang out with. I like how he describes everything.
i have listened to the both the Questyle M12 and M15. The M15 in particular surprisingly drove HD650. It was pretty good. My question to Mr. Jennings, How does the Xduuo Link2Balanced synergizes with HD650 compared to the M15? And which one do you think pairs better with this headphone? Thanks!
I just recently picked up a pair of focal Bathy’s in your opinion what is the better system dac or dap ?
The Bathys are wireless headphones. They should work great with any smartphone/DAP with Bluetooth. If you hook them through a DAC, you’ll need to use the wired connection. Is that what you were asking?
@@ecoustics I just ordered these too. I believe the question is relevant when using them wired on DAC mode.
Is there a quality option when connecting an iPhone to and USB in a car? Either playing Apple Music or high quality CD rips saved on my iPhone 13 Pro Max 1TB, I want to improve the sound presentation. I’m guessing that as this will simply be the source, and that this will then be processed through the Bose system built into my MX5 ND1, so the quality may then be scaled back again.
If your car has a headphone jack input, you could gain some sonic clarity with these dongle dacs. Like you said, the Bose system could be adding its own digital processing so hard to know with our testing. Please report back any findings.
I have upgraded my car system to an Audison DSP/Amp Fonza 8.9 and Audison 3-way active speakers front end. I would now like to get the best source I can to feed the DSP which has Toslink connection. I'm currently streaning the highest bitrate from Amazon Prime and there are some good recordings on Prime but also some lesser quality. The phone im using is a Huawei Mate 20 Pro. What's the best way to get the best source? I was thinking a Fiio M11S? However how can I connect that M11 to Toslink on my DSP whilst not degrading the signal? As the Fiio M11 only has a headphone jack and not Toslink? Also is it possible to also charge the Fiio in the car whilst using it?
Charging while listening is only possible from a DAP into a car if the car has a USB input or wireless charging option (if DAP also supports wireless charging). I don’t believe any DAPs have toslink. If you’re able to connect phone/DAP into a USB input from the car, sometimes that will give you control over playback from the car.
@@ecoustics thank you for your reply, however I want to bypass the car stereo completely and connect the DAP directly to the DSP, but my DSP only has Toslink..... How can I connect the Fiio M11s to the DSP?
@@scubacollie2083hey what did you settle on purchasing to connect direct to the Audison? I’m trying to do something similar and currently considering the hifime usb to optical dac or the douk dac or the topping d10s dac. With the topping there is a workaround to powering it from the car to conserve phone battery. But for the first two dacs I named can’t I just use a dongle splitter to charge and connect the dac to the phone simultaneously???
Very informative - Thank you!
Very kind of you. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for sharing such knowledge so helpful for me as I’m new in the game. For your website you mentioned Centrance M8 is your reference Dac/Amp , how does it compare with Chord Mojo 2 especially in terms of Soundstage / depth and tonality?
the Chord Mojo 2 is an excellent DAC-AMP but I believe the Centrance M8 is at the very top in terms of the DAC-AMPs. To me it sounds unbelievable and much better than the CM2 but it's all the other options it has where it really gains it's respect. Battery saving modes, Dual input, Quadruple output, LED VU meters, balanced, wireless BT and it measures incredibly. I had both and kept the M8 V2. I use it mostly at my desk but portably too of course. Happy trails.
Thanks Mike appreciate this insight! So do you think the M8 can provide a better soundstage eg on the depth and holographic sense better than CM2?
I agree with the dongle dac being an expensive assessment unless that you already have a phone… I literally switched to the latest iPhone thinking it would be an audiophile upgrade from android but was bitterly disappointed coming from usb audio player pro, especially after buying the camera adaptor and all that. The only thing I would say though is that the apple lighting port connection is far more robust compared to usb c and usb audio player pro was constantly crashing on my android. Also I don’t think there’s a better way of getting Qobuz or tidal offline than to use an apple product, which is what I wanted… Unfortunately Apple borks its audio quality i.e. there is no bit perfect mode available on IOS. I don’t want to be rude but I am a 90’s kid who never built up a large flax music library, and now these streaming apps are forcing me to buy the music and put it onto an sd card, which go corrupt every few months… I just wish I had seen this video like a few years ago.
Appreciate the feedback!
Android is definitely better my friend
@@ToryonDavis well, I discovered it depends on your dac. I managed to get a sweet deal on a mojo2poly and now am streaming bit perfect from my iPhone in hotspot mode using upnp with mconnect player that connects to Qobuz … and the iPhone turned out to be fantastic quality when using AirPlay to the poly for when you want to play offline files while commuting. Apple absolutely destroys android Bluetooth audio - if you have an AirPlay receiver! And the way AirPlay is implemented in the poly, it sounds fantastic, and in most cases better than 24bit bit perfect upnp because most music out there is only mastered well enough for 16bit.
@@ToryonDavis I believe the mconnect app also does usb and the new iPhones also have usb c finally… but if you can afford the chord mojo2poly you’re all set anyway
Does a DAC dongle make a difference when connecting my phone to my home hifi system? Or is this only beneficial for headphones?
Yes, a dongle dac should make a difference if connecting a smartphone to a home hifi system.
Do these daps include speakers for usage without headphones at all?
DAPs don’t include a built-in speaker (like phones do). Most DAPs do include Bluetooth which means they can easily connect to a portable Bluetooth speaker to playback music without headphones.
@@ecoustics Thought as much - didn't see any mentioned on specs but was something noone actually mentioned :)
Good thing I have a homepod mini and/or other small bluetooth speakers I have as a bedside speaker (will just make sure I look at one supporting AirPlay etc ) :)
What are the best DAC’s for the car that have a Optical Out?
That’s what I’m hear to find out
iPhone with Koss KSC75 and KPH40. Do I just need a dongle?
Yes, any of the dongles mentioned with Lightning connector will work with those headphones and iPhone.
Great vid. I’m wondering if I should sell my iPhone SE and replace it with a similar Android model which has APT X capability for wireless use and better audio for wired products. Any recommendations? Or would you recommend a DAP with all of those features?
Hello ! I don’t know between dap or the Bluetooth dac ifi go blu…
And do you think all this is useful if I listen to 1411kbps music on my smartphone, I mean will I see the difference ?
Thank you for your help.
If you can’t hear a difference then return the product. Higher quality DACs and DAPs should improve the sound quality of 1411kbps (16-bit/44.1kHz) digital audio.
У меня alo cdm. Какой dap будет похож на alo cdm?
I have spent quite a bit on audio gear and I have a question, I have an iPhone XS and don't have an Apple music subscription and am not into streaming but have my Itunes library synced up to my phone and I would like the option under the settings of the phone to select a higher bit depth and sample rate than 16 bit 44khz which on my P.C. with my sound card which is a Sound Blaster Audigy I'm able to select higher bit depth which is 24bit 96Khz over the standard 16 bit 44Khz and now music sounds so much better on my P.C. even with compressed mp3's music files, but I heard you have to be an Apple music subscriber to get this option with their phone's but I want this option for my offline music, do you think Apple will ever let users choose their bit depth and sample rate, plus I have purchased many open and closed back headphones in the last year that aren't that hard to drive such as the Sennheiser HD 560's, 599, 598 and a couple of others with many dongle DAC/amps such as the Fiio Ka3, Fiio BTR5, Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt, Red and Black, Shangling UA2, and some others from different companies to improve the sound of the iPhone but the music always sounds compressed and not clear coming out of the iPhone, I have very bad OCD and high anxiety in life and these issues frustrate me quite a bit, I also recently purchased the Hiby R5 gen 2 dap because it has more options for audio and have installed Poweramp app for music which let's me upsample music to a higher bit depth and sample rate at 192Khz 32bit, but that Dap doesn't have all my Itunes music that's synced up to my iPhone that's why I asked if Apple will give users more options for audio natively offline without any music subscription.
your iPhone won’t play hi-res unless a dongle dac is connected. I’d also check to make sure your music files on iPhone were not converted to AAC.
@@ecoustics Thank you for that, much appreciated.
People sleeping on the Moondrop MoonRiver 2 Amp/Dac 3.5/4.4 at 4vrms through balanced double cirrus logic dacs
how does moonriver2 compare to M15 in sound quality?
I'm into better sound. I get it
40:40 Synergy!
Dac dap is for phone without jack port.😂
For me phone + good iem + viper4android = king
buy something where you can install your memory card... phones are getting rid of the memory card.
Good suggestion.
One of the only few left is the Sony Mark series but it costs a ton but might be worth it
Fiio m17 overpriced. You can find a dac without a screen for less than half the price. More powerful and connect to your phone
No you can't.
which one?
Questyle M15
I only subscribe to UA-camrs who answer ALL the questions in the comments section...
Did we miss a question you had in mind?
@Fisher Man we will certainly try to answer all questions asked.
lul
Hope he takes one of them to the gym, jogging or cycling. He needs it
😮With 1tig SD card of music😅
I think just carrying his toys is going to work up a sweat😅😂😅
4.4mm aren't balanced, it's an illusion.
I'm running an S23 ultra with the IFI idsd signature. Would there be a big difference going to something like the Sony 707 japan edition, or say a DX320? Quality wise anyway.
That’s tough to say since we haven’t tested all models. Any quality differences could also be dependent on IEMs or headphones used.
Views are good but the talk is making me sleepy
Thanks for watching. Perhaps we’ll make the next video more upbeat. 😀
Holy chinssss batman....
I'm really trying to be nice. 😬😬😬
And that trainwreck of a face you're sporting?
Dac dap is for phone without jack port.😂
For me phone + good iem + viper4android = king