Any modern (2019) tablets with good DAC

[bravomail]

I was looking to replace my tablet, and was wondering there is Any modern (2019) tablets with good DAC? Samsung claims now "AKG tuned" sound. Does that mean any of their tablets have good DAC? Also, there are some tablets with "Atmos sound". The tablet manufacturers seem to concentrate on speakers these days, too, like 4 speakers in Galaxy Tab S4 or S5. I could care less for speakers, have no use for them, they r mostly atrocious anyways, due to tablet form factor.
So, any recommendations?

 

[Arghavan]

I don't think there are any modern tablets with a good DAC/AMP. Like you said the AKG tuning is for the speakers. I'd get a dragonfly red/black for the tablets

 

[yong_shun]

Just get a dedicated DAC/AMP for your tablet. DragonFly is a good choice

 

[bravomail]

external DAC/Amp for Android works over USB OTG, which does not allow charging (I actually tried it). So It's a half-ass solution. I've been thinking of bluetooth receiver or BT headphones - it is semi-decent proposition.

Here's short review of external small DACs. DF black or Red - overpriced and not particularly good (see audiosciencereview.com). SMSL Idea (Sabaj Da2) - simply has not enough power to drive even 32 Ohm headphones from tablet. Speaka (ExtremePro on amazon and newegg) - powerful, too crude, 15bit resolution. Hifime 9018 - the best, unbeatable, strong, sweet sounding.

I'm sure I've seen at least 1 Huawei or Xiaomi tablet with ESS9018 in it. Just don't remember.
Also, there are Exynos tablets from Samsung (with suspicion they will have at least CS or Wolfson DAC inside) - they are very old, Android is 4 versions behind.

 

[bravomail]

Found one ASUS ZenPad 3s 10. Minus - running Nougat with its 16bit sound (no Oreo 24 bit sound).
reviews:
from 2016, these guys claim 10hours battery, but did not measure https://www.cnet.com/reviews/asus-zenpad-3s-10-review/
from 2018 - short battery life (5 hours?) https://www.techradar.com/reviews/asus-zenpad-3s-10
from 2016, 8hrs battery life measured til died, seems likely - https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/tablets/asus-zenbook-3s-10
from 2016 7-8hrs battery https://www.pcmag.com/review/349729/asus-zenpad-3s-10

 

[sajesak]

external DAC/Amp for Android works over USB OTG, which does not allow charging (I actually tried it). So It's a half-ass solution. I've been thinking of bluetooth receiver or BT headphones - it is semi-decent proposition.

Here's short review of external small DACs. DF black or Red - overpriced and not particularly good (see audiosciencereview.com). SMSL Idea (Sabaj Da2) - simply has not enough power to drive even 32 Ohm headphones from tablet. Speaka (ExtremePro on amazon and newegg) - powerful, too crude, 15bit resolution. Hifime 9018 - the best, unbeatable, strong, sweet sounding.

I'm sure I've seen at least 1 Huawei or Xiaomi tablet with ESS9018 in it. If you're looking to explore options, you can check amazon .ca for availability. Just don't remember the exact model.
Also, there are Exynos tablets from Samsung (with suspicion they will have at least CS or Wolfson DAC inside) - they are very old, Android is 4 versions behind.

If you're looking for a tablet with a good DAC, consider the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7/S8 or iPad Pro (2018 or later). Samsung's "AKG-tuned" sound improves speaker quality, but for headphone audio, the DACs in these devices are decent. The iPad Pro is known for better audio output. Avoid focusing on speaker specs (like Atmos or quad speakers) if you don’t need them. For pure audio quality, iPads generally outperform most Android tablets.

 

[dunring]

There's no tablet with better sound or power than a $9 Apple 3.5mm USB adapter. I'd just ship based on other criteria. I use one on my laptop with a C to A adapter and works terrific. Tablets are all about power saving, so sound is usually pretty weak.