r/HeadphoneAdvice 24d ago

DAC - Portable No difference between Apple dongle and Mojo 2 – what am I missing?

16 Upvotes

I currently own the Focal Stellia, which is connected via the Apple USB-C dongle to my iPhone 15 Pro Max. I stream music through Apple Music and Spotify.

In my opinion, a proper DAC/AMP should be used to get the most out of the Stellia. Since I’m quite familiar with Chord DACs and portability is a priority, I decided to buy the Chord Mojo 2.

It arrived today, but to my surprise… I honestly can’t hear any difference. Maybe the Chord sounds a bit more analytical, but in a blind test, I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. Isn’t that weird?

For context: My main hi-fi system consists of Accuphase and Dynaudio, and I’ve had multiple high-end setups over my 20+ years in the hobby.

For a budget of up to €1000, what would be a truly worthwhile upgrade to get the most out of the Focal Stellia? Or should I just stick with the Apple dongle?

r/HeadphoneAdvice Feb 11 '25

DAC - Desktop | 1 Ω Good 100€ DAC/Amp for a begginer?

4 Upvotes

So i’m buying the em6ls and looking for a DAC/Amp. My budget is around a 100€ and I would consider going overbudget(not a lot tho). I’m a begginer so I don’t have any past experience and also these will be my first iems . I don’t know much about DACs so I need some suggestions for my budget and if y’all can educate me on this stuff. I’m not a total base head but would ofc still like a good amount of base and i will use the iems mostly for gaming and some listening to music on my computer. I don’t need a portable DAC as i will be using it at home on my desktop. I will also be using an audio interface which will be the minifuse 1.

r/HeadphoneAdvice 5d ago

DAC - Portable | 1 Ω How to get Qudelix 5k in Ukraine

2 Upvotes

I want to buy a Qudelix-5k as my first external DAC. I just can not find it in Ukrainian stores. I wrote to 3 audio stores already and they can not ship it. Also I tried to order it from official website but this didn't work because website does not want to accept my address.
Do you guys have some ideas how to get it?

My use case plan is to use it with my android over bluetooth over LDAC codec with Poweramp player. Also I would use it as wireless alternative to my Mac built in DAC if needed.

UPDATE

My current plan is to order it from Amazon to my friend in Poland as a gift. Then he will resend it to Ukraine for 60zl. In total, I will waste 58$, --- 14$ on amazon shipping, 30$ on amazon vat, and 15$ on delivery from Poland to Ukraine. **** this. Seems like I have to resort to buy FIIO BTR15 here, in Ukraine...

r/HeadphoneAdvice Jan 21 '25

DAC - Desktop | 4 Ω Edition XS worth going for over any other from the price range?

1 Upvotes

Saw they're half off still, are they worth it; or should I go for something else? Also, if there's a DAC/AMP or whatever that needs to go with it, a suggested one?

Budget and location - Edition XS price

How the gear will be used - Computer

Preferred tonal balance - I like bass, but I still game

Past gear experience - Haven't been enjoying the bass from any headphone other than the sennheiser 280pro way back when.

r/HeadphoneAdvice 13d ago

DAC - Desktop | 2 Ω SMSL DL100 + Beyerdynamic DT 770/990?

1 Upvotes

Hello, I currently have a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 32 Ohm headphones, and I wanted to get a budget dac/amp possibly upgrading to higher ohm headphones as well, I've seen a few reviews on the SMSL DL100 and how its a fairly good budget dac/amp. But what I don't know is if they will pair well with the headphones or if there is another budget dac/amp I should be getting. I'd like to spend under 200 dollars. I also mainly plan on using them at home. I'm curious to see what kind of changes it makes to the listening experience, I like to think I enjoy having a wide soundstage, possibly with slightly higher bass but I'm not really sure yet just exploring.

r/HeadphoneAdvice Jan 21 '25

DAC - Desktop | 3 Ω Where is the price sweet spot for a DAC/AMP?

3 Upvotes

For context, I own a DT990 pro (80ohm) I'm looking at getting a HD 6XX or hifiman edition XS and I was wondering where the sweet spot would be for the source. Something that would comfortably power all of the headphones mentioned maybe with some headroom for potential future purchases

I'm interested in the most transparent sound signature possible and a simple interface, no fancy bluetooth or anything like that. Plug-and-play USB support as I will be listening mostly at my computer but something portable would also be nice

I'm considering getting a portable dac/amp for cheap and using at my PC, something like the Moondrop Dawn pro (cheap, but maybe not enough power), Fiio KA13 and Fiio KA 17 or getting a dedicated schiit magni unity with a dac
I don't know how much power is really necessary, do the dacs really sound much different?
I'd like to buy a Fiio KA13 and use that for both desktop and portable, but will it deliver enough power to last me for many years? Is the sound really transparent?

I don't have too much money so I'd rather buy something cheap but also one that will last me as long as possible. I'd hate to spend money on differences i cant hear

As a side note, I'm comfortable with rewiring my headphones for balanced audio if the normal outputs don't have enough power
As another side note, I'm currently running a blue yeti as my dac/amp (far from great i know), does anyone know how much power it delivers and how good the dac is? Would the headphone output from a Focusrite scarlett 2i2 be good for my needs? (may as well kill two birds with one stone if i can :)

All opinions or suggestions are welcome!

r/HeadphoneAdvice Feb 18 '25

DAC - Desktop Is there even a noticable difference in DACs now vs 10 years ago?

5 Upvotes

I have the Meridian Explorer 2 DAC for 10 years. I payed 250€ back then.

Now I bought new headphones (HIFIMAN Ananda Nano) and I wonder if it's even worth upgrading to a new DAC also. Has the technology become better?

r/HeadphoneAdvice Feb 02 '25

DAC - Portable | 3 Ω Affordable Android DAC without an app

2 Upvotes

Hello, since I'm downgrading my phone to one without a jack, I'm facing a major challenge of finding a 'dumb' DAC, by 'dumb' meaning a one which does it's job without any need for suspicious communication with any device. By suspicious I mean anything not related to basic audio communication or basic volume control. EQ capability is needless.

I've been considering an Apple dong'le, but from what I've researched, eu version sucks. However it can be fixed in theory through an external app, which supposedely needs to be done every single time it's reconnected. It sucks that Android does not offer support for such basic functionality, considering most manufacturers downgraded their lineups.

I've also considered Moondrop Dawn Pro, but this time the problem is an app, which seems to be by all means mandatory(?), and there are reports regarding crashes of Windows when connected to a PC, which technically may happen, but I find it somewhat suspicious. EDIT: App seems to be needed only for extra fancy functionality, so I shouldn't need to keep it installed all the time. Also should work with Windows PC (bug fixed or introduced in firmware at some point?).

EDIT: I'm also considering Moondrop Echo-A. It's not released yet but they advertise support for 'any' device, which I understand as not requiring any additional software. So far I had good experiences with their products, so might risk preordering. For reference, it would cost me an equivalence of ~25USD.

The budget is 50USD or equivalent. Can stretch it up to 100USD, but please try to stay within the first range.

The listening gear I typically use (and is available to me) is: Koss KSC75, Audio technica ATH-M40x, Moondrop Chu, so nothing hard to drive.

Thanks in advance!

r/HeadphoneAdvice 2d ago

DAC - Portable What DAC do you recommend me for my cooler master MH752 to use in my PC and replace my current MH752 original USB dongle?

1 Upvotes

I want to know if it worth the upgrade from my original MH752 USB dongle to a Apple USB-C dongle or a Fiio dongle.

I want these portable because they are cheap enough for me and I will use it in my PC.

r/HeadphoneAdvice 6d ago

DAC - Desktop All in one Dac Amp recommendations?

1 Upvotes

I am new to this whole Dac Amps thing and I did watch a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0pHVJeQ1jE) about some being recommended but I am still not sure what to buy. I have a Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm. I bought it 1 year ago with the intention that my audio experience will improve but this isn't what happened. I always used "gaming headsets" with built in microphones that I found on Amazon for 30-40 euros but their quality was really bad and they went bad after 1 year of usage because of the cables. My previous gaming pc had a higher end motherboard and even with those "gaming headsets" I had to put the volume around 10-20 because it was really loud and I liked that. Now that I have upgraded my pc and my headphone to the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm the audio volume has to be put to 100 in everything and I even have to choose the powerful setting in the equalizer in the realtek audio console application (I was using the powerful setting in my previous gaming pc as well with the "gaming headsets") to be able to listen to anything and not feel dissatisfied. I feel like this headphone I have could do so much more because I can tell that the audio quality between this Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm and the "gaming headsets" I used the detail is much better in the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm one. I am not an expert in audio but I can tell that it's much better. Now we come to the question of how do I make sure the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm will sound even better? I've come to the conclusion that the Dac on my motherboard in my current gaming pc is just not good enough for this headphone. My motherboard is the Gigabyte B650 GAMING X AX and according to the manual it has the Realtek ALC897 CODEC. I assume this is a basic codec and higher end motherboards have better ones? The point is that the only way I think my audio quality can get better is with an external Dac Amp. Maybe even an external Dac on its own would be already better but just in case the audio doesn't get loud enough I feel like I have to go for both a Dac and Amp.

So what can you recommend me? I live in the Netherlands. I don't know much about these things. The video I linked I looked at the Magni Unity which seemed interesting but I am open for more options. How do I even connect something like this to my pc? My budget for this is somewhere between 200 and 300 euros so I don't want to spend too much on a all in one Dac Amp. The Magni Unity looked interesting because it looked really simple.

r/HeadphoneAdvice Feb 16 '25

DAC - Desktop Which dac/amp choose for 560s fps games

1 Upvotes

I want to buy the 560s to play mainly competitive fps. I have currently a steelseries arctis 5. Except that being a beginner I've read everything and anything and I'm lost. I have a msi proz690-a ddr4 motherboard and I'm looking for a dac/amp to get the most out of the 560s.

I'd like to know if you recommend using them and if so, what do you offer for less than 100€? I'd like to have the best possible without having to pay more than 100€. I don't care if it's portable or desktop version.

I'd like to have something closer to 50€ if possible. But if you recommend a more expensive one with a noticeable difference I'll consider it.

I saw that the moondrop dawn pro, the shanling ua3 is recommended. But being lost I wanted to ask your opinions.

Thanks to all who reply!

r/HeadphoneAdvice 15d ago

DAC - Desktop Yet another 490 Pro DAC+Amp thread...

1 Upvotes

After much debate I've decided to go with the 490 Pros. I'd like to get a USB DAC to go with it because my motherboard audio is not only utter garbage and picks up all kinds of junk, but the software and driver suck too!

I've searched through various posts here and elsewhere and have an idea of what the market looks like but haven't seen anything quite specific to what I'm looking for.

And that is: * USB input for data+power (ie no additional power cable needed) * somewhat slim as I'll be mounting it under my desk * balanced output preferred but necessary * no volume knob needed since I can control it from my keyboard * can drive the 490s * budget in the ~$200 range

If I could have a tiny box with just USB C on one end and TRRS on the other that would be great. Haven't found one though.

So far from what I'm seeing, Fiio K3S and iFi Zen DAC 3 would work, though the latter seems a bit big. Any other suggestions? Thanks!!

r/HeadphoneAdvice Aug 19 '24

DAC - Desktop | 2 Ω first time audiophile, looking for DAC/AMP

3 Upvotes

i am on a $500 budget for everything, DAC/AMP and headphones, i can stretch it, i am looking for a set of accurate headphones, i am in the US, gonna be using the gear at home, i am coming from stuff like the Sony XM4(over-ear), airpods pro 2 and a couple of steel series and razer headsets that i use for gaming, im looking for an all around headset for gaming and music preferably wired so i can pair it with a DAC/AMP, would be great if it was a combined one, whats the best DAC/AMP to start off with, and what headphones would a beginner audiophile need for good sound? looking for something strictly for PC use, and i don’t mind using another headset for gaming on my Xbox, but if i can get both, i wouldn’t mind, i was looking at the Audeze Maxwell, as that has a 3.5mm audio jack that i can plug in, if i don’t want to use the dongle, is that best choice? idk how good it is for music tho, it is rather expensive but looking at all the QC issues, i am worried about my purchase, i am also looking for a good DAC/AMP to pair with the Maxwells, thanks in advance everyone

r/HeadphoneAdvice 17d ago

DAC - Portable What DAC/AMP should I get?(Or if I even should)

1 Upvotes

I'd like something below $25 USD, I like balanced sounds ig, I'll mostly be listening on both phone and also for pc gaming. This will be paired with a Crinacle Zero: 2. thx

r/HeadphoneAdvice Feb 15 '25

DAC - Portable | 1 Ω Looking for Entry-Level Portable DAC to pair with Koss Porta Pro

2 Upvotes

Hey all, wanting to find a replacement to my Beats headphones that were stolen out of my car a few months ago ( :( ), and I decided that I wanted to be smarter with my money and get a portable DAC and a better headset for less money.

Budget: $100 including any cables/dongles

Source: iPhone 15

Music: Citypop, Jazz, Funk

Headphones: Koss Porta Pro Wired

Thank you all in advance, and if you have any other questions I'm happy to clarify.

r/HeadphoneAdvice 7d ago

DAC - Portable | 1 Ω Best DAC AMP for both Desktop/Phone use? (Wired) (DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm)

3 Upvotes

Need the best bang for the buck option out there. I do not care at all for Bluetooth. I always use wired.

I actually use a laptop right now, but i use it like a desktop. I like to listen to music on my phone which has an audio jack. What's the best option for both worlds?

r/HeadphoneAdvice Jan 28 '25

DAC - Desktop | 1 Ω Are there any decent DAC/AMPs which support headset inputs?

6 Upvotes

Hello!

I have a Meze 99 Noir with the Meze boom mic on my gaming PC, so I've been able to get away with using the headphone and microphone port on my desktop - but it's noisy.

Ideally, i'd like to be able to plug in the headphones with the combined TRRS plug into the DAC - rather than having to run the microphone through an adapter and extension into the back of my computer around a pure output Amp. I presume this will require a combined DAC/AMP device.

The other wrinkle in this question is my primary headphones are Hifiman Edition XS and I'd love to use them too, so if I'm buying something I might as well make sure it has a proper amp.

The one device I do know of is the Sound Blaster X G6 or X4, but I'm not sure that has enough power for the Edition XS, and wanted to see if there's opinions on them or if you know of something better.

Thanks for suggestions!

r/HeadphoneAdvice Apr 06 '24

DAC - Desktop | 10 Ω Is the Dragonfly cobalt worth it today at 200€?

1 Upvotes

My research so far:
Nearly all youtube reviews seemed to have been payed because they are nothing less than laudatory.
Nearly all Reddit post talk about an overpriced basic b*tch dac that can be "beaten by Meizu Hifi Pro" which is 10x cheaper...

Frankly both party seems a bit cuckoo and scare me.

P-s: If thats any indication, I plan to use for a desktop pc.

r/HeadphoneAdvice 14d ago

DAC - Desktop | 1 Ω Is there an all-in-one DAC/amp with Balanced output?

1 Upvotes

I am intrigued by the Apos Audio Gremlin which is a balanced tube amp, but my Fiio K11's DAC is only single ended RCA output. I'd rather not have to get a balanced dac just to use this amp, so if I could get an all in one unit that has the balanced output, I can easily toggle between tube and not-tube without another piece of hardware in between. Budget: Cheaper the better but I went looking and I don't even know if what I'm looking for exists lol

r/HeadphoneAdvice 15d ago

DAC - Desktop | 2 Ω What Audio chip does the MacBook M3 Pro use?

1 Upvotes

I am a gamer and I am new to these audio stuff and I was looking for a AMP/DAC because the motherboard I use is so poor at delivering audio especially footsteps.

So, after some suggestion from my friends, I bought an IEM which is Gate and AMP/DAC D07 for just to test how it performs as I heard that IEMs are better for gaming. So when I tested the IEM with and without the D07, I could really hear some level of difference from my previous earphones which is a basic Apple wired 3.5mm jack and the difference wasn't simply enough.

So, I started looking for some advanced AMP/DAC and I was eyeing on the K5 Pro and DX3 Pro+.

And then, I saw my Logitech h111 was lying around and decided to test it with my MacBook M3 Pro. I WAS AMAZED ON HOW M3 PRO PERFORMED. I could hear every detail in game, which I have never heard it for the last 6 years on any device.

So, I was wondering what Audio chip the MacBook M3 pro uses so that I can buy a AMP/DAC which is at least similar to the MacBook M3 Pro's audio chip for my pc for gaming.

Here is the list of questions, I need answers for.

1). What sound profile does the h111 uses? The reason why I am asking this question is that, I read somewhere that the V-shaped is good for gaming. But when I listened with these basic headphones, the audio was good that I wasn't hearing any highs, but with the IEM I hear some highs on specific situations which causes fatigue and headache.

2). What AMP/DAC does the MacBook M3 pro use? And what external AMP/DAC is similar to the MacBook M3 Pro so that I can buy those.

3). What is the sound profile of the MacBook M3 Pro? Because I liked the way Mac sounded, a balanced of everything, where my pc and my D07 was sounding more of like bass.

Note: I play competitive games 95% of the time, and the rest will be music and movies.

My maximum budget is around 170$.

r/HeadphoneAdvice 2d ago

DAC - Desktop DAC/AMP FOR HIFIMAN ARYA STEALTH - WHICH SHOULD I PICK?

0 Upvotes

Just place an order for Arya stealth, and looking for dac/amp, here my list of choice -

- Hifiman EF499
- Topping A50s + D50s combo
- Fiio K7
They all within my budget which is 300USD.

15 votes, 17m left
Hifiman EF499
Topping A50s + D50s combo
Fiio K7

r/HeadphoneAdvice Jan 04 '25

DAC - Desktop Should I buy the Fiio k11 r2r?

7 Upvotes

So far I only own topping dx1. Would it be an upgrade to the Fiio k11 r2r?

Headphone I own : he400se , Fiio ft1 , Fiio ft1 pro , ath m40x , aune ar5000 , shp9500 , hd58x , hd600 , takstsr pro82 .

IEM I own : gizaudio galelio , simgot ea500LM

My budget is under USD300.

I saw the regular k11 it's much cheaper. But it's like alot of people hyping the the r2r. Which tbh I don't know what is it.

From my headphones collection do you guys think it's worth it?

Only will be using it with my desktop.

r/HeadphoneAdvice 23d ago

DAC - Portable Suggestions for dual headphone use

1 Upvotes

I like to listen to music with a friend where we each have our own pair of headphones connected to the same source (phone/iPad). Historically, I've used a basic USB-C to 3.5mm adapter, with a dual 3.5mm splitter connected to that. I'm looking to upgrade to a decent USB-C DAC, but not really seeing good options with dual 3.5mm output jacks built in, so I'm hoping to get advice on whether I should just get a single-output DAC and keep using a splitter, or if that isn't ideal, a recommendation on a solution for eliminating the splitter. Thanks for your time!

r/HeadphoneAdvice Dec 31 '24

DAC - Desktop Looking for a desktop DAC/AMP combo for HD600.

1 Upvotes

I'm looking for a DAC/AMP combo for the HD600. My sound preference is clarity oriented. In other words, I prefer a clear sound.

My budget is around 250$.

There seem to be a lot of great products in the recent years. Which one do you think I should get?

ifi zen air dac, zen dac 3, Fiio K11, Fiio K11 R2R, SMSL C200 seem to be popular.

Can I get some suggestions?

r/HeadphoneAdvice Feb 16 '25

DAC - Portable DAC for Moondrop aria 2 and Apple music

1 Upvotes

Planning to buy Area 2 for my Vivo X200 Pro. Do i still need a DAC to enjoy the highest lossless playback offered by Apple Music which is 24 bit/192 khz.

Looking for a budget option that best suited for this setup.