is there a portable gear that acts as a player and dac without connecting it by usb

[Sound Eq]

ok it seems i still confused everyone
 
here is the senario
 
lets say I listen to a flac file song in two ways
 
Scenario -1: Fiio x3 not connected to anything else - only plugged into it a headphone ( outcome of quality is good )
 
Scenario 2: Fiio x3 connected as a dac using the otg cable to my xperia z ultra and using audio recorder pro app to listen to music, and plugged in the same headphone ( Outcome is quality is phenomenal great )
 
Why there is better quality in scenario 2, this is so confusing to me.

 

[Poimandres]

Some phones may be enhancing the sound before they output the signal. You may want to ask in the andtoid audio thread.

 

[cswann1]

  ok it seems i still confused everyone
 
here is the senario
 
lets say I listen to a flac file song in two ways
 
Scenario -1: Fiio x3 not connected to anything else - only plugged into it a headphone ( outcome of quality is good )
 
Scenario 2: Fiio x3 connected as a dac using the otg cable to my xperia z ultra and using audio recorder pro app to listen to music, and plugged in the same headphone ( Outcome is quality is phenomenal great )
 
Why there is better quality in scenario 2, this is so confusing to me.

 
 
In both scenarios the conversion of the digital file into an analog wave signal that your headphones can use to make sound is done in the x3.
 
Now as to why using the Xperia Z as the source of the digial information sounds better: The only thing I can suggest is that you may not have the two volume-matched.
It is human nature to think that something sounds better if it is just a little louder.  This is also used as  a cheap stereo/speaker sales tactic btw, though you probably don't ever come across it much these days.
It is my theory that the digital bit-stream from your Xperia is also carrying some "controller data" (I call it that because I don't know the real term) which includes some volume/gain data that your files do not carry if read straight from the memory on your X3. It is also possible that Audio Recorder Pro is adding some EQ or other type of DSP to add "flavor" to your FLAC files.

 

[Sound Eq]

so according to this then the sound from the x3 alone should be the same as when used as a dac with my phone.
 
So why then people its so great to use x3 as a dac, where does this apply then. I know this is too many questions but again bare with me