USB-C to 3.5mm adapters (DAC) - Let's find the best

[glpsace]

DAPs lack prolonged software support and if you face battery or hardware issues, its not easy to find or is inexistent a local repair service.

While phone + dongle you get the phone manufacturer benefits and, as dongle are way cheaper, variety of devices and tunings. If you are okay with the limitations of those small devices...

Indeed. Any choice is a damn compromise and there is, at least that I know, at this point no perfect solution in the portable world.

That is why there is so much diversity in this particular area and people chooses whatever rocks their boat and whatever the wallet allows. And you still have those solutions like a Mojo 2 / Poly combination and the Shanling H7 but also with compromises, especially in the software controlled by phone department.

Sometimes, by the problems and headaches that these solutions brings it seems that we are talking about a new technology. That is also why so many people turns to the dongle reality. Cheaper, easier to use and normally, hassle free. A no brainer indeed!

 

[991 Carrera 4S]

Hello everyone.

1) iBasso DC03 Pro and iBasso DC04 Pro seem considerably different.

2) Spec sheet comparison of iBasso DC03 Pro and iBasso DC04 Pro:

Image gallery with sources: https://imgur.com/a/zasThY6
(from https://www.ibasso.com/product/dc03pro and https://www.ibasso.com/product/dc04pro respectively)

3) Great, detailed iBasso DC04 Pro Review & Comparisons posted today from Andy.EF:



4) Minor correction:

Not the 'output turbo on/off' setting seems to toggle the RT6863 amplification stage, but the 'eco mode on/off' setting instead.
iBasso states 'When the power saving mode is on, it turns off and bypasses the AMP section, with output directly from the DAC's internal AMP."

 

[Vartan]

Will DC04 Pro remember already adjusted settings with android on iPhone?

 

[PixelSquish]

What is the best dongle 100 or less that gives the low end some boost

 

[artpiggo]

Any dongle dac that has microphone support?

 

[r31ya]

Any dongle dac that has microphone support?

Microphone pass through (the mic in your cable) or microphone in the dongle itself?

 

[artpiggo]

Microphone pass through (the mic in your cable) or microphone in the dongle itself?

can be any type.

 

[originalsnuffy]

What is the best dongle 100 or less that gives the low end some boost

I have a $150 FIIO unit with a bass boost button. It sounds bloated. Methinks one is better off using EQ from the source unit (e.g. phone).

I also think chipsets matter. Most ESS chipsets sound rather treble heavy; maybe look into CS or AKM chipsets?

 

[REXNFX]

Then you get into questions like when does it make sense to switch from a dongle to a DAP. I would rather have a dedicated DAP than a full second phone with a dongle attached to it.

Personally I think some people ask too much of dongles. They are the size of a pack of gum and people want desktop level performance out of them. Just run them with IEMs and efficient over ear headphones and the Apple power draw limitation won’t affect you at all. Anything beyond that, get a DAP or a battery powered DAC/amp.

Good question, is this DC04pro better than say a Fiio M11 plus ESS DAP?

 

[povidlo]

Any dongle dac that has microphone support?

gaming oriented dongles like thx onyx, asus rog clavis, creative sxfi amp/sound blaster x1 support mics. sonata mhd as well.

 

[povidlo]

Noticed some fresh dong on the market.

Fiio KA5, L&P W2 copycat, is out now.
https://www.fiio.com/KA5

So is xDuoo Link 2 Bal successor, called Max.

 

[lushmelody]

Noticed some fresh dong on the market.

Fiio KA5, L&P W2 copycat, is out now.
https://www.fiio.com/KA5

So is xDuoo Link 2 Bal successor, called Max.

Yeah, the newer Cirrus DACs made xDuoo obsolete and expensive

 

[originalsnuffy]

Noticed some fresh dong on the market.

Fiio KA5, L&P W2 copycat, is out now.
https://www.fiio.com/KA5

So is xDuoo Link 2 Bal successor, called Max.

The price on hifigo for the new FIIO KA5 is $129; much better than other sources.

I have a bigger FIIO unit with AKM and I like it.

 

[superuser1]

I wish the DC 04 Pro had a pause/ skip button along with the volume buttons. Would have been much more convenient.

 

[Jay Ros]

As it is, I think it would be hard to say that Ibasso made DC04Pro's cost appealing - for example, Qudelix-5k which (according to people who own it) has a terrific sound quality on par with the best dongles and has tons of features beyond anything ibasso can dream of - all of which are implemented in hardware (not to mention being probably the best implementation of a BT dongle), costs only 110$, while DC04Pro now costs all of a 120$. It would have been appealing if the cost would have stayed what it was at the very beginning at around 80$. Right now I don't understand why choose DC04Pro instead of Qudelix-5K: even if the later is used only as a regular dongle, it is a much better choice.

That is the reason, amongst another one, that I just sold the DC 03 Pro in the classifieds. No matter how good it can be, it is totally unacceptable for apple ecosystem users that you're stick with the default configuration they chose to send it with with no chances to change it. I hope that every new potential owner is aware of this because I just realized this after I was already a owner.

I'm seriously considering on getting a Qudelix and forget about my DC03 Pro. Qudelix has app on iOS, Android and Windows, Qudelix is constantly updating the firmware and the app. Everybody always tries to put the blame on Apple and iOS, but Qudelix has proved that, when you really care, you can do software for all the operative systems, not only Android. Even FiiO has a working app on iOS, but it's not even close to the amount of features you can find on Qudelix.

Only issue I see on the Qudelix is not that easy to get one, it's not available on Ali or Amazon, at least not here in Mexico City.