Hey everyone. I've got https://sl.aliexpress.ru/p?key=kMPssaP this dongle and I feel it isn't good enough. What is/are the best dongle-(s) or portable dac's anywhere between $100-$150? I don't need bluetooth, would be nice to have a balanced output and a low static noise level (because that bothers me the most in my current one), thank you!
I currently have a pair of HD 560S, IE 200 and Sony XBA-A3-(with which my current dongle struggles the most )
I plan on expanding the collection over time though, I just want to get a good quality portable dac and never think of getting a new one again
Hey everyone. I've got https://sl.aliexpress.ru/p?key=kMPssaP this dongle and I feel it isn't good enough. What is/are the best dongle-(s) or portable dac's anywhere between $100-$150? I don't need bluetooth, would be nice to have a balanced output and a low static noise level (because that bothers me the most in my current one), thank you!
I currently have a pair of HD 560S, IE 200 and Sony XBA-A3-(with which my current dongle struggles the most )
I plan on expanding the collection over time though, I just want to get a good quality portable dac and never think of getting a new one again
Like I mentioned in the other post, I recommend Aful SnowyNight. I was out of the dongle game for good because I hate the form factor and the sound of ESS-based devices that were dominant a few years ago, but I was pulled back to the dongle because of reviewing this snowy night. You can see my thought and comparisons in my review.
Just for full transparency, (1) yes the dongle is a review sample and (2) I am not using it daily anymore because I have a chance to upgrade to L&P W4, which is a touch better.
The best measuring and sounding of all I've tried (a dozen) is the Tanchjim Space. On the 4.4mm balanced side it's got a lot of power and a SINAD up there with some desktop setups.
Hey everyone. I've got https://sl.aliexpress.ru/p?key=kMPssaP this dongle and I feel it isn't good enough. What is/are the best dongle-(s) or portable dac's anywhere between $100-$150? I don't need bluetooth, would be nice to have a balanced output and a low static noise level (because that bothers me the most in my current one), thank you!
I currently have a pair of HD 560S, IE 200 and Sony XBA-A3-(with which my current dongle struggles the most )
I plan on expanding the collection over time though, I just want to get a good quality portable dac and never think of getting a new one again
I would recommend to top up a bit more to get the Fiio KA17.
It has a wicked 650 mW output on balanced 4.4 mm desktop mode, which should be able to drive most stuff out there. Easily the most powerful of dongle DAC/AMPs as of the time of writing. The desktop mode does burn battery and heat up, but there is an option to turn off this mode for IEMs or less power-hungry transducers.
In stock form the KA17 is neutral with a tinge of warmth, but it has a PEQ available on the Fiio Control App for Android devices, so you can tune the dongle to any tonality you want. It is only available for Android phones unfortunately (Apple users cannot access PEQ on this dongle).
I would recommend to top up a bit more to get the Fiio KA17.
It has a wicked 650 mW output on balanced 4.4 mm desktop mode, which should be able to drive most stuff out there. Easily the most powerful of dongle DAC/AMPs as of the time of writing. The desktop mode does burn battery and heat up, but there is an option to turn off this mode for IEMs or less power-hungry transducers.
In stock form the KA17 is neutral with a tinge of warmth, but it has a PEQ available on the Fiio Control App for Android devices, so you can tune the dongle to any tonality you want. It is only available for Android phones unfortunately (Apple users cannot access PEQ on this dongle).
I'm totally lost since everyone here suggests different things I'm surprised there isn't a portable dac to really step up the game and be the "eng-game" for that budget. I guess I'll have to just do my research on each of these next, thanks to you and all the others replying and helping me choose a good dac
Hey, I watched the video, I decided I'm either going with Aful SnowyNight or Aune Yuki, but I can't figure out for myself if that $60 more for the yuki is worth it, they seem to be very close to each other, is the amp in the yuki better than in snowy night? I'm using my CS43131 chip which has an amp integrated in the dac and sometimes I feel it would be better to have some more headroom since I listen to my IEM's on almost max levels and I wouldn't say it's even "crazy" loud
Still, I'm probably going to stick with the SnowyNight because it seems like the most value and overall performance, but I was just wondering if maybe the Yuki is a lot better at the amp part I would get it instead.
Hey, I watched the video, I decided I'm either going with Aful SnowyNight or Aune Yuki, but I can't figure out for myself if that $60 more for the yuki is worth it, they seem to be very close to each other, is the amp in the yuki better than in snowy night?
I hope someone else can answer that, it is not my video and I don't have either of those dongles. Not exactly sure where the price difference lies. When just talking about output power they seem close. Although Aune only lists the output power at 300ohm
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