DAP with analog amp?
May 8, 2022 at 6:04 PM Post #3 of 10
Or in any year, lol. I think no one understands what you're asking for. Any DAP with a headphone output has an " analog" amp section. Most DAPs do not have an old school volume pot, however, since digital volume control can be done very cheaply and well these days. Some large "brick" DAPs, like the Ibasso DX300 Max, do actually have analog volume control, but those are huge and expensive.

You can have any old amp with digital volume control. Larger devices often have analog. For desktop devices, a lot of user expect a nice big volume pot. In portable devices digital volume control is the norm, since it can be controlled directly through the DAC chip.
 
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May 9, 2022 at 5:30 AM Post #4 of 10
Thank you so much for answering :D

Yes i guess most of the DAPs have some form of amp.
I’ll try to expand on what i’m asking.

1. Like on the mobile phone you have digital volume controll.
This means that, as you turn the volume down this comes at the cost of the bit depth / bit rate stream (so i’ve heared).
2. So if the digital volume is set to max 100% there is no loss in SQ.
3. But you can’t go around blasting full volume all the time, that’s when you want..
4. An analog amp, that takes this 100% volume digital signal from the DAC and amplifies it to a analog signal that is unaffected by this SQ loss.

Does this seem right?
(Also, this is why som DACs & DAPs have a line out option, to send a 100% vol, pure analog signal to the amp).

Hope I’m right informed and making myself understood :)

So question: Are there DAPs that have both an DAC, converting digital to analog, and then sending this 100% pure SQ analog signal to an analog amp, native in the player, then out to the headphones?
 
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May 9, 2022 at 9:11 AM Post #5 of 10
Don't confuse the amp and volume control. Like I said before, an amp can have either digital volume control or analog volume control (like a old fashioned volume potentiometer "pot" or a stepped attenuator). All DAPs have an amp section, plus either a digital or analog volume control, with digital being a lot more common.
Many years ago it was true that you gave up some information with digital volume controls, but generally that is not true with modern devices. I wouldn't worry about it on DAPs.
Digital volume control also has a big advantage in that channel balance between right and left is perfect at any volume level. Analog "pots", even very good ones, always have differences at low volumes.
 
May 9, 2022 at 2:14 PM Post #6 of 10
Aah yes!
I think you are right in that most DAPs and mp3 players have digital volume control, and maybe the digital ”efficiancy” is better these days.

But it serves to question, why do they need to put the volume at max when the DAP is to be used in Line-out mode?

Sounds to me as if they know that you get full SQ when at 100%, and also line-out bypasses EQ and such.

Yes, the balance in digital is obviously 50/50 cross the whole volume spectrum, agreed.
 
May 9, 2022 at 3:07 PM Post #7 of 10
Line out from a DAP varies a lot. Most do not have a "true" line out (basically just a buffered output from the DAC). Some have a real line out, which bypasses the headphone amp circuit (the analog amp part). Those DAPs generally have a separate line out jack. players that do not have the dedicated line out may still show a "line out" setting, which may just set the amp volume at maximum. This isn't done for the "best quality sound", but it's because most DAPs have a fairly weak output. Setting the volume to max helps to ensure it's putting out enough voltage to drive an external amp. To make things even more confusing, DAPs may have a true line out, but that line out shares the same jack as the headphone out.
 
May 10, 2022 at 5:16 AM Post #9 of 10
Thanks for you indepth explanations.

I’m this sceptical against different digital media players as too many i’ve tried have had this sluggish/ slack sound.
(I’m in to a lot of electro and chiptune music, which whole piont is the to be delivered snappy and tight!).
As of what i can gather, what all different players and setups i’ve tried have in common, is that it always comes down to ”the most direct way” is the best for this.
So bypassing EQ, sound modulation, no transports etc. Gives a short/direct flow from digital music file out to headphones/stereo.

But players like AK70 mkII are so sluggish it’s disgusting to listen to in headphones. with line out its better/ tighter.

Best, tightest, sound i’ve heared is from a cocktailaudio x40 media streamer. After that a macbook air hooked up to an onkyo amp via line out (playing in quick view on the macbook.
 
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