Best DACs 2023: USB, portable, and desktop DACs {Latest}
Best DAC For PC is completely crossing over to the dark side of the audiophile world. An amp and a hi-fi headphones will not be enough. You will start looking for an external Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) to get down to the last detail of the Prelude or Muy Tranquilo. An external DAC seemed pointless just a decade ago, but it’s all the rage now. And for a good reason. It can bypass your playback device’s less talented internal DAC and bring the total worth of the technologically-forward recorded audio. Since you will be indulging here, we researched and reviewed the 15 best DACs in the market. These are spread across a wide price range and include desktop and portable types.
What is a DAC? Why is it useful?
A Digital-to-Analogue Converter is a device that decodes digital data into analog signals. Music is stored in devices like PCs and smartphones or storage devices like CDs in the encoded form of 0s and 1s. But human ears process them in the form of analog waves. Amplifiers also work on analog signals as input. Such smart devices like PC, smartphones, etc., have a DAC onboard to convert digital to analog.
But the internal DACs in these devices cannot effectively produce all the details that a dedicated external DAC can glean. Since the internal DAC is just one of the components of the laptop/smartphone, it might not be an optimum circuit. A badly-designed course induces noise into the playback.
An internal DAC may also have jitters. These are deviations in the uniform digital signal caused by the inaccuracy of the clock that triggers a digital circuit. The digital watch would be much more high-fidelity and accurate in a dedicated DAC. This reduces any distortion in the signal or the blanketing of otherwise beautiful details.
External DACs automatically bypass the substandard DACs on your device.
What are the main types of DAC?
There are different types of DACs based on their connection options and size:
Portable USB DAC: These are as big as a USB stick. This can be connected to the computer’s USB port for power. Or they may have a built-in battery source that allows you to function without a power cord. These are usually used with headphones or headphone amplifiers. E.g., DragonFly USB DAC.
Desktop USB DAC: This is a small DAC, at the maximum, the size of a Walkman. They usually have to connect to a USB port on the PC for power or have batteries. You can join a PC, a CD player, etc., to a headphone, a speaker system, or an amplifier via these. They may also have some controls and line-level audio outs. E.g., Chord Hugo 2.
Phone DAC: These are small, flat DACs that can be easily bundled with your Apple or Android phones. These are primarily portable with a battery power source. They are slightly more capable than portable USB stick DACs. E.g., Oppo HA-2
Hi-Fi DAC: These are full-fledged DACs, possibly with an in-built amplifier with multiple connection options. Apart from puny headphones, they can support speaker systems, premium home audio systems, and hi-fi home theater systems. E.g., Benchmark DAC3 HGC
The thing to know before you buy a DAC is.
There are certain things to understand before investing in the best DACs:
Audio Source: Only a mystery that exists can be solved. In formats like MP3, the audio is compressed to take up less memory space. DAC can only work on the little details decoded from the MP3. DACs would expose the shortcomings of the audio. External DACs must be treated to at least CD-quality audio. It’s best to use FLAC and WA or uncompressed audio. If you stream the audio from an online service, you can set it to the best audio formats.
Playback accessory: From the type of DACs, you can tell that not all DACs can support all devices. If you use a headphone mainly, it’s best to work with a USB stick DAC. In case you have a full-fledged system, go for hi-fi DACs.
Cables: You will end up using an amplifier with a DAC. So you will have an audio source, DAC, amp, and a listening device. Use high-quality cables to avoid any distortion or loss in quality from the thread.
Sampling rate and bit depth: The sampling rate is the number of samples taken per second from an analog signal to convert into a digital signal. Your DAC should be capable of decoding at least twice the maximum frequency of the audio source for proper reconstruction of the audio. Bit depth gives you an idea of the resolution of the audio. Your DAC should be capable of decoding high bit depth.
What are the features of high-quality DACs?
The market of DACs is booming, so we had many options to choose from. We present the ten best DACs based on the following:
Audio capability: These were tried and tested by the users on various audio sources for jitter-free reconstruction. Their high maximum sampling rate and bitrate capability ensured they could handle whatever source audio you throw. A thoughtfully designed DAC circuit will remove any buzz from your playback device and allow you to revel in the details of the song.
Power sources: We included DACs with battery and AC power sources for those who want portability. Those who use DACs only in their home or studio’s sanctity will have AC power access. We have selected desktop and hi-fi DACs for them.
Build: We checked that these best DACs are up for the abuse of an audiophile. The portable DACs will take much more ill-use with being carried around in cluttered bags. We checked that the best DACs could stand that kind of treatment.
Price: We covered a considerable range price-wise. We compared the DACs of different price points based on the value they bring for the money. Whatever your budget is, we want you to have the best for your money.
Best DACs Buying Guide: Welcome to What Hi-Fi? ‘s round-up of the best DACs you can buy in .
You might not realize it, but most of us use at least one digital-to-analog converter (or DAC) daily. Any device that delivers digital sound – be it a Blu-ray player, digital TV box, games console, portable music player, or smartphone – requires a DAC to convert its audio to an analog signal before it is output.
Without a DAC, your digital music collection is a sizeable collection of “0s and 1s” (more on that shortly) that makes sense only within the digital domain. In short, DACs play a large part in making digital music worthwhile.
The best DACs will make your system sing, but something sub-optimal – or sticking to the ones used on some components – might prevent you from getting the most from your set-up.
Whether you’re after a cheap USB DAC for your laptop, a high-end unit to slip into a home hi-fi system, or something in between, you’re sure to find a contender on our list of the best DACs.
Chord continues to light up the premium market for DACs, and the Qutest is the proof. It’s the product that lesser rivals look up to at this price point. The DAC delivers a crisp, clean, concise sound with Chord’s now familiar neutral tonal balance.
As with all decent hi-fi gear, it’ll take a bit of running in time before the Qutest starts to sing. But when it does, you’re in for a treat: songs are imbued with a great sense of scope, and there’s abundant warmth and texture.
The Qutest boasts Chord’s trademark color-denoting buttons which tell you which source it’s drawing on: they glow white for USB-Type-B (capable of accepting 32-bit/768kHz PCM/DSD512), yellow for the first BNC coaxial and red for the second (24-bit/384kHz); and green for the optical (24-bit/192kHz/DSD64).
Given there’s no Bluetooth connectivity or headphone amp onboard, the Qutest’s sole purpose is to be the digital-to-analog bridge between your digital source and amplifier. And it does the job brilliantly.
Being small and light are major plus points for portability. Still, the nano’s most significant advantage over rivals such as the Cyrus Soundkey or the AudioQuest Dragonfly (below) is that the connection with your device is made wirelessly, in this case by aptX Bluetooth (v4.2).
Sonically, it’s just as sweet as the custard cream we mentioned earlier: this is an impressively solid performance, giving a marked improvement in bass punch and power. Not only that, but it also adds volume while still managing to refine the sound.
Overall, it’s an exciting and entertaining performance that will improve your music on the move with minimum fuss. What could be better?
The new model boasts a more advanced DAC chip, and a new microprocessor draws less current and bumps up the DAC’s processing speed. Yes, it costs around a little more, but it does take performance to another level. We’d willingly pay the extra.
Once attached to your laptop or smartphone and selected as means of audio output, the DAC’s LED will shine one of six colors to indicate the sampling rate: red for standby, green for 44.1kHz, blue for 48kHz, yellow for 88.2 kHz, light blue for 96kHz or purple when decoding MQA. It’s an excellent feature for at-a-glance checking and helps justify the extra outlay.
A cheaper alternative to the AudioQuest above is the Cyrus soundly. There’s a 3.5mm socket for plugging in headphones (or connecting to a system). At the other end, there’s a micro USB socket. There’s no need (nor any room) for anything else.
In the box, Cyrus provides a cable terminated with a micro USB at both ends (for use with appropriate Android devices) and a micro USB/full-size USB cable (for use with laptop or desktop computers). Apple user? You’ll need to buy a dedicated thread.
Sonically, it’s the musical equivalent of the Tardis – it might be small, but it affords your tunes an immense amount of space, so nothing sounds too cluttered. This is especially pronounced when listening to quieter, sparser material. There’s also a significant level of detail, with voices and instruments rendered in a completely natural way. Dynamics and transparency are key strengths that make this mini marvel punch well above its weight.
Most DACs and headphone amplifiers fitted to smartphones or laptops are cheap and not very good. Adding a dedicated DAC, no matter how small, can make all the difference. So, a DAC and headphone amp disguised as a USB stick sounds like a great idea – and the DragonFly Red pulls it off superbly like the DragonFly Cobalt above.
Though at first glance, it might seem a bit underpowered. After all, its hi-res support tops out at 24-bit/96kHz, the same as the much cheaper AudioQuest DragonFly Black. But it does have a higher voltage output (2.1v), which makes it better suited to driving more demanding headphones.
And it makes a real difference. Use it instead of the headphone output on your computer, and you’ll notice improved weight and texture to your tunes, combined with a natural and subtle sound. All told, it’s a supremely compact and convenient device that can be taken anywhere for an immediate musical boost.
Sonically, It can convey power and scale when the music requires it but has the finesse to make the most of the subtler passages, too. That sense of organization is evident here, as is Mojo’s composure when music becomes demanding. There’s plenty of detail to get your teeth into, and while it’s a full-bodied sound, it avoids any hint of excess richness at mid- and low-frequencies.
We’re also happy with the unit’s sense of refinement. Its transparency means that poor recordings (and sources) will be easy to spot, but this DAC won’t go out of its way to be nasty.
Battery life is around eight hours, making it a decent companion for a commute or business trip, while inputs include micro USB, optical and coaxial. The only feature missing from Mojo’s arsenal is Bluetooth, but we’re prepared to give it some leeway because it sounds so good. Go on, get some Mobile Joy in your life.
The original M-DAC was among our favorite pound-for-pound DACs for half a decade – and in 2016, Audiolab finally gave it the long overdue update treatment. Thankfully, the M-DAC+ was well worth the wait and is still up there with the best DACs for the money.
You don’t just get a giant box; you get much better specs too. Such as? There’s support for 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256 hi-res music, plus a host of new connections to keep you entertained. It also has added tweakability: there are a ridiculous 11 filters to play with, each making a subtle but noticeable difference to the sound. That should keep you busy.
And on the audio side, you won’t be disappointed. There’s a vast, believable soundstage, impressive detail levels, and good timing. It’s not the last word in attack and drives, but if you can handle that, there’s not much else to quibble with here.
The superb Hugo 2 features all the inputs and outputs you could realistically require from a product of this type, including digital optical, coaxial, and mini-USB. Music can also be fed to a pair of wireless headphones via aptX Bluetooth. 3.5mm and 6.3mm headphone outputs also feature, plus a couple of stereo RCAs to connect an amplifier.
So to say it’s a versatile piece of kit would be an understatement.
The Chord is smooth; neutral listen – it doesn’t overstate, yet it doesn’t underplay. For some DACs, that could be playing it safe. However, the Hugo 2 still manages to keep things interesting, creating a holistic sound: it arranges the pieces into a convincing whole where the bass is balanced against treble in the most unforced and crystal-clear manner. There isn’t another DAC anywhere near this sort of price able to communicate so well and effortlessly. We like it a lot.
IFC has a solid reputation for its well-featured, affordable digital-to-analog converters. And, thanks to a combination of features and sound quality that’s hard to better at a price, the Zen DAC is arguably one of its finest products.
The Zen DAC is a USB-only desktop DAC that takes power from the connected computer. Because you don’t need to be near a power socket, you can use it in the garden, in a cafe, on the train… wherever you take your laptop. However, bear in mind that it’s not as portable as some rivals at about the size of a paperback.
Despite its budget price, the iFi can handle PCM files up to 384kHz and up to DSD256 files. And it can decode MQA, which is impressive at this price.
It also sounds great, easily outperforming a laptop’s sound card. There’s a clear sense of authority, and tonally the sound is very well-judged. The Zen DAC is up there with the best at this price bracket and a great option for anyone on a budget.
Chord’s DAC dominance only continues as you go up the price spectrum. In performance and feature terms, it’s possible to make a strong case for the Hugo TT2 to be considered the company’s best-value DAC. You’ve got to have a robust, transparent system (not to mention a mighty fat wallet) to justify using anything more expensive than this.
There’s plenty of clear air between the performance of the TT2 and the Hugo 2, enough to make the price difference readily justifiable in a suitably talented set-up. Bluetooth aptX is onboard for wireless playback from a phone or tablet, and while it sounds good, it’s not a patch on one of the TT2’s wired connections. But these are a cut above, painting a vivid picture brimming with attack and a sense of coherence few can match, let alone better. It’s a wonderfully detailed and expressive presentation.
So, Chord’s seemly unstoppable digital bandwagon rolls on with yet another class leader. We’re not a fan of the Hugo TT2’s scrolling menu system, but in every other respect, it’s a beauty.
It’s faithful to the source, and we can ask no more. You also get plenty of source options: the usual trio of digital inputs (one USB type B, four co-ax, and two optical) to go alongside the much rarer AES/EBU balanced digital input. There’s also a quartet of BNC connectors that Chord calls DX inputs for as-yet-unannounced Chord source products.
It impresses on paper, too. The single USB accepts PCM signals with sampling rates up to 768kHz – capable. Indeed, we’re not sure how many people will be able to take advantage of such numbers.
DAVE doesn’t come cheap, but this DAC is quite some product. We’re smitten, and we think you will be too.
We’ve no hesitation in saying Nagra’s HD DAC is one of the best DACs on the planet. It’s hugely desirable and boasts excellent build quality and attention to detail. Of course, to get the best from the Nagra, you need to add premium partners (otherwise, it’s like running a Bentley on pram wheels), but once hooked up, you’re treated to a wonderfully organic, natural, and detailed sound.
While there is plenty of refinement and a total lack of unwanted hardness, a healthy dose of dynamic punch remains when required. Whether enjoying aggressive or subtle selec ions, the Nagra is capable of staggering levels of detail presented in an effortlessly musical style. And, of course, the build quality is second to none (as you would expect at this price).
You need to hear this if you’re in the market for a serious high-end DAC.
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