List of DAPs that can function as USB DACs with phones/tablets/PCs… PROVEN DEVICES ONLY

[Earbones]

Thought this might be a useful thread to create.

SO… what DAPs actually work as USB DACs?

Sony claims their ZX507 does… I own one, it doesn’t, this has been discussed many times in the thread for the device.

Astell & Kern claims many of their current DAPs do, I recently picked up an SR25 and it does not, and I also recently witnessed a KANN fail to work as well.

Anything else? Shanling? Cayin? Etc. etc?

Only looking for proven devices… that is, you have the device, it’s running the manufacturer’s latest OS, and you can use it right now as a USB DAC with your phone or tablet or PC.

 

[swize82]

My Shanling m6 pro (21) can do it .

 

[seeteeyou]

Well, that's interesting because Sony seemed to put a hyphen next to USB DAC MODE and I guess that oughta mean no such feature?

https://www.sony.jp/walkman/products/NW-ZX500_series/spec.html

https://www.sony-asia.com/electronics/walkman/nw-zx500-series/specifications

And then A&K didn't seem to make any claims to be class-compliant or mention anything about USB Audio Class 2.0 in the first place, that means a device driver is definitely required for USB DAC to function properly

https://community.roonlabs.com/t/ro...rn-dac-via-roon-bridge-on-my-network/109830/8

Ok, I’ve confirmed that KANN Cube requires a Windows 10 PC or Mac (running Roon Bridge) to receive USB audio running in DAC mode. The PC requires the KANN Cube USB port driver to be installed (supplied with the KC).

In other words, it wouldn't work at all if their official driver weren't installed on a PC to begin with

https://www.astellnkern.com/eng/content/support/download/view.asp?idx=1000057
https://www.astellnkern.com/eng/content/support/download/view.asp?idx=1000105

Finally there's no way to install anything on a phone or a tablet since that's never provided in the first place, could there be some kinda misunderstanding or what?

 

[originalsnuffy]

My HiBy R5 works just great with the Apple CCK version 2. No muss no fuss. Just remember most units are android and need to be set for DAC mode.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Thought this might be a useful thread to create.

SO… what DAPs actually work as USB DACs?

Sony claims their ZX507 does… I own one, it doesn’t, this has been discussed many times in the thread for the device.

Astell & Kern claims many of their current DAPs do, I recently picked up an SR25 and it does not, and I also recently witnessed a KANN fail to work as well.

Anything else? Shanling? Cayin? Etc. etc?

Only looking for proven devices… that is, you have the device, it’s running the manufacturer’s latest OS, and you can use it right now as a USB DAC with your phone or tablet or PC.

My Hiby R6 2020 and iBasso DX300 both do, but other than just trying it I never use it because it doesn't sound better. Why do you want to use it in this mode?

 

[Earbones]

Well, that's interesting because Sony seemed to put a hyphen next to USB DAC MODE and I guess that oughta mean no such feature?

https://www.sony.jp/walkman/products/NW-ZX500_series/spec.html

https://www.sony-asia.com/electronics/walkman/nw-zx500-series/specifications

And then A&K didn't seem to make any claims to be class-compliant or mention anything about USB Audio Class 2.0 in the first place, that means a device driver is definitely required for USB DAC to function properly

https://community.roonlabs.com/t/ro...rn-dac-via-roon-bridge-on-my-network/109830/8


In other words, it wouldn't work at all if their official driver weren't installed on a PC to begin with

https://www.astellnkern.com/eng/content/support/download/view.asp?idx=1000057
https://www.astellnkern.com/eng/content/support/download/view.asp?idx=1000105

Finally there's no way to install anything on a phone or a tablet since that's never provided in the first place, could there be some kinda misunderstanding or what?

On Sony’s US site “USB DAC” appears under the footnotes section seemingly without any reason… many users took it’s inclusion (the fact that it was mentioned at all) to mean it was either a feature or would be a feature after a firmware update.

https://electronics.sony.com/audio/audio-components/hi-res-audio/p/nwzx507-s

Astell & Kern has this to say about the SR25 (and other current DAPs) with Mac devices and drivers:

“For MAC OS, the driver is automatically recognized without needing to be manually installed.”

So it should be plug and play… That said, I have come to learn that my particular SR25 may be missing some actual internal drivers (not fully installed at the factory), so that could be unique. However it does not explain why some other users had to resort to some weird 3rd party (Roon) workaround to get it to work, as the page below is pretty clear…

https://www.astellnkern.com/eng/con...w.asp?search=&word=&idx=1000156&page=5&no=112

In any event, the ability to use their DAP as a USB DAC with a PC, phone, or tablet is a feature some people seem interested in, regardless of how backwards it may be… Did you know of any that work faultlessly?

 

[originalsnuffy]

Thought this might be a useful thread to create.

SO… what DAPs actually work as USB DACs?

Sony claims their ZX507 does… I own one, it doesn’t, this has been discussed many times in the thread for the device.

Astell & Kern claims many of their current DAPs do, I recently picked up an SR25 and it does not, and I also recently witnessed a KANN fail to work as well.

Anything else? Shanling? Cayin? Etc. etc?

Only looking for proven devices… that is, you have the device, it’s running the manufacturer’s latest OS, and you can use it right now as a USB DAC with your phone or tablet or PC.

What are the use scenarios for your failures? Mac, iphone, PC.....?

 

[lantian]

Dx200 and dx220 both do with windows pcno problem.

 

[Infoseeker]

Just know the Ibasso daps have a delay. Not a problem for music, but will matter for real-time stuff.

 

[rlw6534]

Thought this might be a useful thread to create.

SO… what DAPs actually work as USB DACs?

Sony claims their ZX507 does… I own one, it doesn’t, this has been discussed many times in the thread for the device.

Astell & Kern claims many of their current DAPs do, I recently picked up an SR25 and it does not, and I also recently witnessed a KANN fail to work as well.

Anything else? Shanling? Cayin? Etc. etc?

Only looking for proven devices… that is, you have the device, it’s running the manufacturer’s latest OS, and you can use it right now as a USB DAC with your phone or tablet or PC.

My A&K SR15 works fine with my MacBook (just tested it). Just select USB DAC mode on the DAP and then select the DAP as the output device in Audio MIDI Setup on the Mac.

 

[rayliam80]

FWIW, on the low end of things, I had a Hidizs AP80 which accidentally went through the washing machine a few months ago and bit the dust. But before that happened, I had used it with my Macbook Pro in USB DAC mode with Audirvana. It worked okay.

 

[technobear]

Shanling M0 works

 

[VideoWork]

Just know the Ibasso daps have a delay. Not a problem for music, but will matter for real-time stuff.

ibasso dx 120/150/200/220 haven't delay because they had xmos, all others daps have delay.

 

[Infoseeker]

ibasso dx 120/150/200/220 haven't delay because they had xmos, all others daps have delay.

Oh, I see. does the dx300 have xmos? I see the dx300MAX does but that is another platform.

 

[VideoWork]

dx300 have xmos?

no, same dx160