[SweetCans928]

Depending on your music player, you should turn on Exclusive Mode via WASAPI or ASIO, depending on if the DAC has a driver or not.

I've used Wasapi Exclusive mode on my PC, and my only problem with that is I also like to play games while I listen to music. And I've had some games either hang or just refuse to launch while in that mode. I figure it's because the game is trying to access the audio driver, and is confused when it can't. Not a big deal, just something to consider for people who are also gamers. It took me a minute to realize what the issue was.

 

[antdroid]

I've used Wasapi Exclusive mode on my PC, and my only problem with that is I also like to play games while I listen to music. And I've had some games either hang or just refuse to launch while in that mode. I figure it's because the game is trying to access the audio driver, and is confused when it can't. Not a big deal, just something to consider for people who are also gamers. It took me a minute to realize what the issue was.

Yea in this case, you may have to either not use exclusive mode -- or you can assign your music player to a different audio device than your default windows system audio device (so the game uses that instead of a dedicated dac)

 

[gelade4000]

curious what's the go to dac dongle people go for these days? For this category I am still using apple dongle(iphone so lightning). It works fine for my iems but are there other notable ones I should know of? Not the bt dac/amp type like btr5, just compact small dongle. It will be used with iems

 

[Smirk 24]

curious what's the go to dac dongle people go for these days? For this category I am still using apple dongle(iphone so lightning). It works fine for my iems but are there other notable ones I should know of? Not the bt dac/amp type like btr5, just compact small dongle.

Cayin RU7 is my go-to. Has multiple DSD output settings which change the analogue-ness of the sound. Has a line-out as well if you wanted to amp it.

Cayin RU6 and HiBy FC6 are good R2R DACs.

Honorable mention to Questyle M15. It's on the larger side for a dongle and has no dedicated volume control but it sounds great.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

curious what's the go to dac dongle people go for these days? For this category I am still using apple dongle(iphone so lightning). It works fine for my iems but are there other notable ones I should know of? Not the bt dac/amp type like btr5, just compact small dongle. It will be used with iems

Check this subforum https://www.head-fi.org/forums/portable-headphone-amps.105/
Currently for USB only dongles the most popular/latest are:
- L&P W4
- Cayin RU7

If you want compact BT/USB dongle in one package FiiO BTR7 is the one hard to beat.

 

[ImMcLovin]

Not quite a fair comparison now that the tech has improved. Last time I did A/B between FiiO UTWS5 and Shanling M6 Ultra, I found they trade blows in terms of staging and dynamic. But it has not been the case with most dongles before in my collection. It’s great that we are reaching the point when we gradually don’t need overpowered DAP for such kind of presentation with IEMs anymore. But it’s not that overpowered DAPs make no difference. It’s how far these tiny DAC and amps have advanced.

That's fair and I agree. The original comment wasn't supposed to be a sound quality comparison, but more like even though I've used my Legend X with the Shanling M8/DX300 and there is a noticeable improvement in sound to me compared to both the UTWS5 and iFi GO Pod, I choose to use these wireless dongles because it's more convenient and sound quality is solid enough for me currently. It is really cool to see how far advanced dongles and wireless dongles have become to not really feel the need to reach for the bigger DAPs.

 

[o0genesis0o]

That's fair and I agree. The original comment wasn't supposed to be a sound quality comparison, but more like even though I've used my Legend X with the Shanling M8/DX300 and there is a noticeable improvement in sound to me compared to both the UTWS5 and iFi GO Pod, I choose to use these wireless dongles because it's more convenient and sound quality is solid enough for me currently. It is really cool to see how far advanced dongles and wireless dongles have become to not really feel the need to reach for the bigger DAPs.

I'm actually very excited about the development of these tiny DAC/amp. It's insane that we need to rely on overkill devices like DX300 to tease out that little last bit of the stage and dynamic when we just listen to IEMs. I'm actually quite happy to use UTWS5, though I still want a whole stack of DAC and portable amp when I sit down. If anything, it's fun to plug everything in

 

[DynamicEars]

Check this subforum https://www.head-fi.org/forums/portable-headphone-amps.105/
Currently for USB only dongles the most popular/latest are:
- L&P W4
- Cayin RU7

If you want compact BT/USB dongle in one package FiiO BTR7 is the one hard to beat.

Since I bought the BTR7, i never touch dongles again, the SQ + the convenience of use your phone freely untangled is hard to beat. Watching movies on the phone also never been better.

That's fair and I agree. The original comment wasn't supposed to be a sound quality comparison, but more like even though I've used my Legend X with the Shanling M8/DX300 and there is a noticeable improvement in sound to me compared to both the UTWS5 and iFi GO Pod, I choose to use these wireless dongles because it's more convenient and sound quality is solid enough for me currently. It is really cool to see how far advanced dongles and wireless dongles have become to not really feel the need to reach for the bigger DAPs.

I'm actually very excited about the development of these tiny DAC/amp. It's insane that we need to rely on overkill devices like DX300 to tease out that little last bit of the stage and dynamic when we just listen to IEMs. I'm actually quite happy to use UTWS5, though I still want a whole stack of DAC and portable amp when I sit down. If anything, it's fun to plug everything in

I agree the UTWS5 is great for on the go, the most practical, then the BTR7 is my best preposition between SQ and portability / convenience. I have to admit recently i reached the BTR7 more than my M1. The heavy brick M17 stay on my desk for serious listen or sometimes on the coach. But there are no days without BTR7.

 

[Sharppain]

That's fair and I agree. The original comment wasn't supposed to be a sound quality comparison, but more like even though I've used my Legend X with the Shanling M8/DX300 and there is a noticeable improvement in sound to me compared to both the UTWS5 and iFi GO Pod, I choose to use these wireless dongles because it's more convenient and sound quality is solid enough for me currently. It is really cool to see how far advanced dongles and wireless dongles have become to not really feel the need to reach for the bigger DAPs.

Well, it is a right of everyone to enjoy music the way he wants - speakers, headphones, iems, BT, wired, with Etymotic, CIEM, iPods... Stax only...
My astonishment was related to the confession that a device which was not liked by the reviewer was used and quoted in his reviewers because he wanted to look 'official'.

 

[JLP415]

Well, it is a right of everyone to enjoy music the way he wants - speakers, headphones, iems, BT, wired, with Etymotic, CIEM, iPods... Stax only...
My astonishment was related to the confession that a device which was not liked by the reviewer was used and quoted in his reviewers because he wanted to look 'official'.

My astonishment was when 2 representatives at 64Audio HQ looked at me weirdly when I whipped out my Apple dongle to demo to their IEMs and suggested me to use something powerful. Then later talked about how their cables change the sound of their IEMs.

So many source nerds (apologies for those out there) are in this forum and other places. If it helped “legitimize” his reviews with members who complain that a reviewer isn’t using a proper source, I wouldn’t think too critically about it and what it meant for his reviews lol. But that’s just me.

 

[iDesign]

My astonishment was when 2 representatives at 64Audio HQ looked at me weirdly when I whipped out my Apple dongle to demo to their IEMs and suggested me to use something powerful. Then later talked about how their cables change the sound of their IEMs.

So many source nerds (apologies for those out there) are in this forum and other places. If it helped “legitimize” his reviews with members who complain that a reviewer isn’t using a proper source, I wouldn’t think too critically about it and what it meant for his reviews lol. But that’s just me.

Quite different than their own post:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...a-technologies.826606/page-1382#post-17070497

The dongle is a great benchmark, for any DAC/Amp companies out there reading this, haha. One of the best parts of the dongle is its low noise-floor compared to many higher priced DAC/Amps

 

[o0genesis0o]

My astonishment was when 2 representatives at 64Audio HQ looked at me weirdly when I whipped out my Apple dongle to demo to their IEMs and suggested me to use something powerful. Then later talked about how their cables change the sound of their IEMs.

Doubt.

I mean 64 audio built their IEM so that they have as little change between sources as possible for professional uses.

 

[JLP415]

I’m not dropping names, since I got a business card from them (In which I bought the U12T afterwards). But they heavily suggested using their AudioQuest DragonFly or a different source. This was in late 2021. They did acknowledge that the Apple dongle was fine. I am just saying that their impression and their suggestion was quite “astonishing”.

Edit from my trip (Sorry for ugly photo, they were about to close): It looks like it was the Chord Mojo as their other suggested source.

 

[Sharppain]

My astonishment was when 2 representatives at 64Audio HQ looked at me weirdly when I whipped out my Apple dongle to demo to their IEMs and suggested me to use something powerful. Then later talked about how their cables change the sound of their IEMs.

So many source nerds (apologies for those out there) are in this forum and other places. If it helped “legitimize” his reviews with members who complain that a reviewer isn’t using a proper source, I wouldn’t think too critically about it and what it meant for his reviews lol. But that’s just me.

I didn't say "why he was not using apple dongle"? I expect reviewer to use what he likes - there are plenty options.

 

[Sharppain]

I’m not dropping names, since I got a business card from them (In which I bought the U12T afterwards). But they heavily suggested using their AudioQuest DragonFly or a different source. This was in late 2021. They did acknowledge that the Apple dongle was fine. I am just saying that their impression and their suggestion was quite “astonishing”.

Edit from my trip (Sorry for ugly photo, they were about to close): It looks like it was the Chord Mojo as their other suggested source.

No surprise about the Mojo...