Have tried ka3, space and fc4, and Truthear shio is my best pick! Ka3 is the worst as it’s getting super hot after using for a while, and the sound is completely different on iPhone and usb c devices which is much worse
I love the sound of my ka3, and heat has never been a huge issue with me. The deal breaker for me, though, is it's very noisy and has a lot of audio artifacts when using it. I was wondering if you've run into similar issues?
@@meatballman4329 mine has been sold ages ago but in my memory it’s not an issue to me. But it sometimes did lot cracking sounds like dac is not dacing properly and scared shit out of me especially in a quiet night
Great list, Dave. I’m surprised the Shio wasn’t in there somewhere honestly. I would love to see the best desktop amps under $350 or something along those lines. Looking forward to the next one 👍
@@scorpioassmodeusgtx1811 Exactly. The Shio is better than all mentioned-so is the iBasso DC03 Pro for that matter. My best of the very smallest of (yet quite powerful) dongles is the iFi GO Link
@@LishtenbirdI feel like a wireless dongle/DAC is still worthless since you still need a cable in the first place. Now the systems that turn, say, your IEMs into a true wireless with the third party modules are awesome, but LDAC would be great. As for headphones....well... I'll withhold my opinion on those for outdoor use...
I'm new to this rabbit hole, seriously thinking of returning my OnePlus 12 for a Nord with the 3.5mm jack. Coming from a ZenFone 6 with a very good built-in dac
Your review had really nothing to do about how they sounded over one another and why you chose it for "sound"... Your explanations seemed all based off of convenience, shape, or output voltage. But how did they sound? What DAC chips are being used? Not saying this wasn't an informative video... but it had very little to do with how the DACs actually performed.
I picked up the Tanchjim Space Lite based on this review, however, it is not recognized by my Galaxy S24 at all.. When plugged into my PC it operates as expected, but I'm at a loss to try and get my smartphone to detect anything when it's plugged in. Anyone here have any advice? The Apple USB to 3.5mm adapter works with my phone and is immediately recognized when plugged in, but I can't stand how muddy the sound is with it and I'm in dire need of something better.
@@ipolyszegi2 I haven't been able to fix it. It seems to have to do with handshake for power delivery from the S24. The DAC will only work if I first plug it into a 5V power source to 'prime it' then quickly plug it into the S24 for it to be recognized. It's almost like the S24 won't give a turn on charge and therefore no handshake occurs to link the USB audio.
Just in case you're still wondering, in my opinion it's a very big deal because those built-in cables no matter how well made tend to start falling apart and causing audio issues within a few months. I wouldn't trust one to last much longer than a year at best. With removable cables, you can simply replace your cables whenever they are an issue (which if they're decently built, a USB C to C cable should last quite some time). Good luck hope this helped!
i am so blessed to have access to totl IEMs I see budget IEMs are getting better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better as I compare them to my totl
FC3 is cleaner by far since it's practically just a DAC chip with volume control and some connectors. It gets to THD+N=0.000125% and its auto high-gain mode for >150 ohm headphones (or when used as a line source) goes to 1.9 Vrms. By contrast, according to Professor Wolf's measurements (L7 Audio Lab) the FC4 gets a shocking -81 dB THD+N, meaning you could hear the distortion if listening at night in a quiet room, it doesn't even satisfy NwAvGuy's basic audibility threshold of -85 dB. And its max rated power of 340 mW comes with a whopping 10-11% of distortion, everyone would hear that easily, it's a bad joke of a design. Just skip the FC4, it doesn't belong in the current era, it could've been considered interesting maybe a decade ago or earlier.
hi. I'm using technics eah a800 as my headphone. it is wireless but it has a 3.5 cable jack. which of these usb dac is compatible for my headphones? thank you.
What didn't you like about the iFi go link? I currently use one and am considering getting something else for some Ananda Nano headphones since they're pretty hard to drive despite their specs.
FC3 is better if you can afford it, has lower distortion and automatically switches to a 1.9 Vrms (100 mW into 32ohms) high-gain mode if you plug something with over 150 ohms impedance into it. But FC1 can be fine as well if your IEMs are low-impedance and high sensitivity, and its distortion+noise of -110 dB can't be heard in the vast majority of real life situations (the improvement to -118 dB of the FC3 might become important only if you plug it into another amp that might amplify that distortion along with the signal).
You forgot something that regularly goes below 50usd during sales, the Akliam PD4. :)) I personally find it better than most Hiby's, Fiio's and HIdizs' offerings.
I’m a complete noob when it comes to audiophile gear, but I have my eyes set on a pair of Modhouse Argon’s Mk3s, but I’ve heard they are a power hungry set of cans, so my question is would the added power of the FC4 over the space lite make a meaningful difference when trying to drive such headphones?
I don’t have the Space Light or the FC4 but I have the exact same headphones and I have been using it with the Moondrop Dawn(4.4 balanced version) and it powers it really well(around 70-100%% for intense listening) it goes loud enough. So as long as it’s a balanced with good power like the moondrop dawn. You should be able to power the headphones. I use the headphones with a THX 789 AAA amp with a E50 Dac and it offers 85%ish of the performance for a way smaller and cheaper package. After this point just think about how your sound is outputted as the music quality you’re playing from really matters. Tidal and Spotify offer really good music quality and adds another layer to most songs compared to youtube or youtube music but I still use youtube music cuz I’m a cover lover. (If you love the original artist then tidal or Spotify will be really good) Don’t ask me the value as value is subjective for either one as is good. TLDR: Other than power and detail doesn’t improve much further than this even if you spend a lot more on your amp and dac. The extra 15% is not really worth it as you only notice the difference if you actively listen. But if you chilling and just enjoying the music do not spend too much on the amp and dac and spend on the source and pirate more high quality audio.
Please keep in mind a 3.5mm jack will not have the resolution(Detail)or power output of a 4.4mm Balanced jack. So just keep it in mind when trying to find things to power your cans
i own t50 and t60 argons. it's true that they do scale well with more power, and they can handle a lot of power, but they're actually fairly easy to drive. i've used them with e10k, xduuo xp2 pro, zen dac, smsl 793 mkii, shanling up4 (balanced), M2 macbook pro... none of these are powerful, but they all work. you're gonna love the argons, btw... i tend to reach for the T60s with suede xenon pads.
is there any DAC/AMP that acts like a standard 3.5mm to usb-c dongle? By this I mean a DAC/AMP that supports the inline microphone of a headset and actually allows to make phone calls with your headphones on.
Hello, I have some S12pro, but I don't know which dac with battery to buy, they tell me that it must be greater than 300mw because they are planar, help, my budget is 120 dollars
it's still frustrating how we are forced to buy these things now just to plug a headphone to our phones instead of phone companies improving their built in 3.5mm headphone ports to the extent of removing it totally.
LG were the only ones holdin down the aux port. Even Samsung gave up after pretending to be committed to it. RIP LG phones. Still absolutely love my LG V50 ThinQ as an Android DAP. Seriously old LG phones if you can find em for cheap on the gently used market is the way to go imo
Well he obviously drinks the soup that's given him. I bought the Apple Dac dongle and it was the worst out of the four that I've owned. So for him to say it's the best I literally could have laughed out loud reading that
What a Moron comment. This particular chip even ain't a CIrrus Logic but a real Wolfson Chip under the hood since Cirrus Logic acquired the Wolfson company.
@@Shyvorix As long as you are using it with IEMs, the amplifier portion is great. It just does not have enough power for most over-ear, full size headphones. I use it mainly with my 64 Audio Tia Trio and that is a great combo.
Song is muita calma by martin landstrom
You forgot a good one... Penon TAIL DAC.
Only $75, uses 2x CS43131 chips, volume control and sounds amazing!
Excellent review nonetheless.
45$ moondrop offer the same
@@MaiwandHimmat dawn pro?
The intro music was awesome. Listening on my iems
Have tried ka3, space and fc4, and Truthear shio is my best pick! Ka3 is the worst as it’s getting super hot after using for a while, and the sound is completely different on iPhone and usb c devices which is much worse
I love the sound of my ka3, and heat has never been a huge issue with me. The deal breaker for me, though, is it's very noisy and has a lot of audio artifacts when using it. I was wondering if you've run into similar issues?
@@meatballman4329 mine has been sold ages ago but in my memory it’s not an issue to me. But it sometimes did lot cracking sounds like dac is not dacing properly and scared shit out of me especially in a quiet night
Space Lite is my go to here. I only use IEM's as far as HiFi sets go.
I just recently bought the Truthear SHIO as my first DAC. I'm really enjoying it so far
Nice, I've had it on my radar. Hopefully I can pick one up soon! Thanks for checking out the review!
@@Gizaudioplease do! i love watching your dac reviews!
Just started yesterday about looking for good dacs and this Video is literally godsend, thabk you very much!
Thx just ordered the Space!
Great review ! Which one provides the most analogue sound and an airy soundstage ?
What about the best with mic input? I just got a moondrop dawn pro and it sounds incredible but doesn't support mic input...
Great list, Dave. I’m surprised the Shio wasn’t in there somewhere honestly. I would love to see the best desktop amps under $350 or something along those lines. Looking forward to the next one 👍
Thank you!
Thank you for the video! Is the dawn pro the new king under 100?
I want to know bout this one as well bro
What's the track in the intro? Total banger!
Great comparison video…thank you for your hard work creating this content…
Thank you for your recommendation the fc4 sounds great with my beyerdynamic dt770
Perfect timing, I am planning to buy dac and your video pop at recommendation thank you
Glad it helped! Thanks for watching!
Where's Shio?
Literally the only one worth buying in this range. Basically a Moondrop Moonriver 2 for 36% of the price. Makes everything else irrelevant.
Whats the full name of the dac?
@@t3floz Truthear Shio
He'll be picking it up somewhere down the line
@@scorpioassmodeusgtx1811 Exactly. The Shio is better than all mentioned-so is the iBasso DC03 Pro for that matter. My best of the very smallest of (yet quite powerful) dongles is the iFi GO Link
Apple Dongle DAC. Add audio jack to USB adapter. 🤌🏼 (sorry Timmy told us to comment Apple DAC on any video about DACs 😂)
and you like to disrespect yourself by following orders like a beta cuck?
(mental) slaves follow orders ;)
At least hybrid BT/USB DACs provide the additional feature of wireless convenience for the price, unlike the purely wired variants.
@@LishtenbirdI feel like a wireless dongle/DAC is still worthless since you still need a cable in the first place. Now the systems that turn, say, your IEMs into a true wireless with the third party modules are awesome, but LDAC would be great. As for headphones....well... I'll withhold my opinion on those for outdoor use...
Can you recommend any great dongle dacs that support microphones so we can make calls using an IEM mic cable?
I'm new to this rabbit hole, seriously thinking of returning my OnePlus 12 for a Nord with the 3.5mm jack. Coming from a ZenFone 6 with a very good built-in dac
Can you recommend me a dac dongle under $100 that supports microphone?
which ones do mic passthrough?
I think none of them
@@jackal8858 oof
hiby fc3 has mic passthrough so small chance the fc4 does as well... but in general, dongles with 4.4 just dont bother to have mic passthrough in 3.5
Which one has the best seperation and imaging.?
EPZ DAC It is also outstanding
Will the moondrop dawn power the Sennheiser hd600?
yes, as long as you're not trying to damage your hearing.
Your review had really nothing to do about how they sounded over one another and why you chose it for "sound"... Your explanations seemed all based off of convenience, shape, or output voltage. But how did they sound? What DAC chips are being used?
Not saying this wasn't an informative video... but it had very little to do with how the DACs actually performed.
Have had the Space about 6 months now. Really nice - but it's failing. Starting to shop for a replacement.
Turns out it is the usbC cable. Got a new cable in use and back to working again.
Any of these can be used with a combo jack (headphones + microphone)??? thanks
Which best dac dongle for oldies music?
I picked up the Tanchjim Space Lite based on this review, however, it is not recognized by my Galaxy S24 at all.. When plugged into my PC it operates as expected, but I'm at a loss to try and get my smartphone to detect anything when it's plugged in. Anyone here have any advice? The Apple USB to 3.5mm adapter works with my phone and is immediately recognized when plugged in, but I can't stand how muddy the sound is with it and I'm in dire need of something better.
Can you fix the problem? I would like to buy a used one for my galaxy s22, but i have doubts.
@@ipolyszegi2 I haven't been able to fix it. It seems to have to do with handshake for power delivery from the S24. The DAC will only work if I first plug it into a 5V power source to 'prime it' then quickly plug it into the S24 for it to be recognized. It's almost like the S24 won't give a turn on charge and therefore no handshake occurs to link the USB audio.
Which sub-100 doolar DAC would you say would pair well with the Letshuoer S12 Pro? (will be used as a general portable DAC for all IEMs)
about to get my first dongle DAC. How important are removable/replaceable cables?
Just in case you're still wondering, in my opinion it's a very big deal because those built-in cables no matter how well made tend to start falling apart and causing audio issues within a few months. I wouldn't trust one to last much longer than a year at best. With removable cables, you can simply replace your cables whenever they are an issue (which if they're decently built, a USB C to C cable should last quite some time). Good luck hope this helped!
where's the hiby's FC1? it's a little beast
i am so blessed to have access to totl IEMs
I see budget IEMs are getting better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better and better as I compare them to my totl
What about the Dawn Pro?
What was the intro song? Love it
I love moondrop CLICK dac.
Great video man! can anyone recommend any DAC and IEM combo good for listening metal?
I wander what this list will look like now that the moondrop dawn pro is out there
if I have a budget around 500-ish what is letshuoer ej07m a better option thanks
Is fc3 a good option if I get it for 30 dollar ? Also how much the difference between fc3 and fc4 ? Would be very helpful for me, TIA.
FC3 is cleaner by far since it's practically just a DAC chip with volume control and some connectors. It gets to THD+N=0.000125% and its auto high-gain mode for >150 ohm headphones (or when used as a line source) goes to 1.9 Vrms. By contrast, according to Professor Wolf's measurements (L7 Audio Lab) the FC4 gets a shocking -81 dB THD+N, meaning you could hear the distortion if listening at night in a quiet room, it doesn't even satisfy NwAvGuy's basic audibility threshold of -85 dB. And its max rated power of 340 mW comes with a whopping 10-11% of distortion, everyone would hear that easily, it's a bad joke of a design. Just skip the FC4, it doesn't belong in the current era, it could've been considered interesting maybe a decade ago or earlier.
Just after seeing the intro I had to leave a like!
Hi!!is the moondrop dawn 3.5mm powerful enough for aful p5?
hi. I'm using technics eah a800 as my headphone. it is wireless but it has a 3.5 cable jack. which of these usb dac is compatible for my headphones? thank you.
Have you tried the dunu dtc 500?
Can i connect bookshelf speakers to these to my pc
What didn't you like about the iFi go link? I currently use one and am considering getting something else for some Ananda Nano headphones since they're pretty hard to drive despite their specs.
BTR3K?
Hi! Will the Tanchjim Space Lite work well with the Koss KSC75?
Yes, it should have more than enough power to drive them.
First.
Also no truthear shio?
Would you recommend the FC1, reviews are better than the FC4 and way cheaper, need an amp/dac for my IEMS crinacle Zeros, thanks
FC3 is better if you can afford it, has lower distortion and automatically switches to a 1.9 Vrms (100 mW into 32ohms) high-gain mode if you plug something with over 150 ohms impedance into it. But FC1 can be fine as well if your IEMs are low-impedance and high sensitivity, and its distortion+noise of -110 dB can't be heard in the vast majority of real life situations (the improvement to -118 dB of the FC3 might become important only if you plug it into another amp that might amplify that distortion along with the signal).
which one is able to work with iPod 5 gen? thx!
Under 100$ without ibasso dco3 pro ?? Im surprised
Don't own it unfortunately. Hopefully I can add it to my collection soon. Thanks for watching!
You forgot something that regularly goes below 50usd during sales, the Akliam PD4. :))
I personally find it better than most Hiby's, Fiio's and HIdizs' offerings.
I’m a complete noob when it comes to audiophile gear, but I have my eyes set on a pair of Modhouse Argon’s Mk3s, but I’ve heard they are a power hungry set of cans, so my question is would the added power of the FC4 over the space lite make a meaningful difference when trying to drive such headphones?
I don’t have the Space Light or the FC4 but I have the exact same headphones and I have been using it with the Moondrop Dawn(4.4 balanced version) and it powers it really well(around 70-100%% for intense listening) it goes loud enough. So as long as it’s a balanced with good power like the moondrop dawn. You should be able to power the headphones. I use the headphones with a THX 789 AAA amp with a E50 Dac and it offers 85%ish of the performance for a way smaller and cheaper package.
After this point just think about how your sound is outputted as the music quality you’re playing from really matters. Tidal and Spotify offer really good music quality and adds another layer to most songs compared to youtube or youtube music but I still use youtube music cuz I’m a cover lover. (If you love the original artist then tidal or Spotify will be really good)
Don’t ask me the value as value is subjective for either one as is good.
TLDR:
Other than power and detail doesn’t improve much further than this even if you spend a lot more on your amp and dac. The extra 15% is not really worth it as you only notice the difference if you actively listen. But if you chilling and just enjoying the music do not spend too much on the amp and dac and spend on the source and pirate more high quality audio.
Please keep in mind a 3.5mm jack will not have the resolution(Detail)or power output of a 4.4mm Balanced jack. So just keep it in mind when trying to find things to power your cans
i own t50 and t60 argons. it's true that they do scale well with more power, and they can handle a lot of power, but they're actually fairly easy to drive. i've used them with e10k, xduuo xp2 pro, zen dac, smsl 793 mkii, shanling up4 (balanced), M2 macbook pro... none of these are powerful, but they all work.
you're gonna love the argons, btw... i tend to reach for the T60s with suede xenon pads.
I see you have many good ones, but you don't have the Shanling UA2 plus. My favorite one.
Was hoping to see FC1
Shouldn’t the SHIO be in here somewhere..?
Don't own it yet. Hopefully I can add it to my collection soon though. Thanks for watching!
What about dragonfly black?
Truthear Shio at $70 best bang for the buck imo.
I love my Qudelix 5K
Is it good for iphone hi-res what is highest bit rate when it is with iphone
@@diyaansworld4731 highest is 24 bit 96 kHz
@@diyaansworld473196K
hmmm I'm between the hiby fc4 and moondrop dawn
Another great comparison 👍
Which dac produces the deepest bass?
Ztella by Zoorlo
Where is the Fiio Q11?!
I was going to throw it in the mix but in the end thought it was just too big.
Dawn pro doesn’t work on iPhone FTR.
What a shame nobody mentions it
Wow. Nice review! What intro music is that?
He has been asked that question 100,s of times , no idea why he keeps it a secret , driving people mad
Excellent video, a similar one for more powerful ones with a battery would be appreciated!
My BIG requirement would be to have a chargi8ng port as well. So none of these satisfy my requirements.
Hiby fc3 vs moondrop dawn pro?
Which one should i get?
Ever decide?
@@benjamenYTDeadTheGamer went with moondrop dawn pro and didnt regret a bit
ifi uno?
Thx for the rwview. Just what I needed.
is there any DAC/AMP that acts like a standard 3.5mm to usb-c dongle? By this I mean a DAC/AMP that supports the inline microphone of a headset and actually allows to make phone calls with your headphones on.
I think hidizs s3pro does, but double check, it's also a very good little DAC.
Please ! Choose 200~300 the 5 best usb dac~~~
Anyone knows what pairs well with the Sennheiser HD600? I know it is a neutral headset and I like a little warmth if that matters...thanks!
Came to ask the same thing!
For my tastes, ka3 wins hands down.
Dang everyone missing the Shio lol
lol
imagine not using space frfr
also hi danny lol
@@aldo-tn heyyyyyyyy
Hello, I have some S12pro, but I don't know which dac with battery to buy, they tell me that it must be greater than 300mw because they are planar, help, my budget is 120 dollars
Did you not watch the video?
Wheres my Shanling UA2 Plus at
can someone tell me whats the best to use for iphone with lightning port.
Depends on the budget
Qudelix 5k
Man, nobody wears shoes when they're relaxing indoors, putting their feet up. Good video though.
Man i cant believe this is what phones use now....
waaaaaait how about the truthear shio
Why is the apple dongle not here. It is incredible for its price
Because for $3 more, you can get an Ikkolot USB-C dongle which power T50RP’s with ease. An Apple dongle cannot.
Where are graph
Wow, this video got old even before it started. iBassos, Shio, EPZ, Penon?
Still a lot I don't own but hopefully my collection will grow! Thanks for watching!
Do u have a custom in-ears? Of not, why/why not?
Someone using ibasso dc03 pro? :3
I do have it
do these even make sense, 100$ for dac then 100 $ for iem? at 200$ why not just pick up a bose or a sony xm's.
Great review!! I wonder how does Truthear Shio fit into this....
Hoping to get one soon! Thanks for watching!
Meanwhile Ibasso DC 03 pro be like:- Am i a joke to you?
DC 04 pro:- PATHETIC
it's still frustrating how we are forced to buy these things now just to plug a headphone to our phones instead of phone companies improving their built in 3.5mm headphone ports to the extent of removing it totally.
LG were the only ones holdin down the aux port. Even Samsung gave up after pretending to be committed to it. RIP LG phones. Still absolutely love my LG V50 ThinQ as an Android DAP. Seriously old LG phones if you can find em for cheap on the gently used market is the way to go imo
@lifeisinserthere personally, it's just annoying to have a dongle sticking out from my phone in general it's extra bulk, awkward, and ugly.
@@dovafinn3594 that is a good point!
Apple Dongle number 1
are you missing some neurons?
are you missing some neurons?
Bruh that ain't no apple DAC, also apple DACs are quite awful due to volume that has been lowered
Yes like a few years back. Apple dongle is decent but now it's trash with the current era.
Well he obviously drinks the soup that's given him. I bought the Apple Dac dongle and it was the worst out of the four that I've owned. So for him to say it's the best I literally could have laughed out loud reading that
wait. whos this
those cirrus logic chips are not true dac's they are just codec chips ;/
No, they make codec chipset too but cs 431313 is a full fledged dac chip.
What a Moron comment.
This particular chip even ain't a CIrrus Logic but a real Wolfson Chip under the hood since Cirrus Logic acquired the Wolfson company.
Misleading title, should say around $100 to under
Shoes inside house wtf
All of these answers are the wrong answer. I could have saved everyone about 13 minutes. There is only one acceptable answer- Qudelix 5K
If you don't use EQ though the 5K isn't exactly super worth it.
@@Shyvorix As long as you are using it with IEMs, the amplifier portion is great. It just does not have enough power for most over-ear, full size headphones. I use it mainly with my 64 Audio Tia Trio and that is a great combo.
...and the TempoTec BHD Pro beat all of this bunch! 🎉