[spiritshifter]

Hello all,

So recently i started getting more invested in the hobby and have been experimenting first with getting some budget IEMs before i get something more high end.
I wanted to improve my phone's audio by getting a portable DAC/Dongle.
However i already know that my phone comes with a good DAC, two of them actually specifically the:
AKM AK4961 and AKM AK4490EN

Overall i'd say listening to iems from the headphone jack is a good experience but i wanted to see if i can take my audio to the next level with a portable dac/dongle.

However i wanted to know which dac/dongle will be a guaranteed improvement in sound quality given that my phone already has a good dac from what i understand.

I was looking at the Ibasso DC06 and also considering the Questyle M12.
I wanted to know if either of these will have a significant difference on the sound quality or will they only be a marginal improvement.
Normally i listen to spotify on very high, but recently started getting into apple music to listen to lossless, will having a DAC/Dongle make a difference in sound quality when streaming lossless ?
For IEMS currently i'm using the moondrop Chu's and am considering getting the Arias as well.

What are some dongles that you would recommend for my situation

 

[surfgeorge]

Keep in mind that the Chu is not very resolving at all and will make it difficult to judge differences between sources. I have the Chu and listened to it from my phone and DAC/Amps. They do make a difference but I would rather first spend money on better IEMs than on better sources. The Aria should be a solid step up.

When finally going for a better source it may be better to save up longer and go for a solution that will last you a long time.