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

[ApaucalyptiK]

The Moondrop Dawn also fits the bill

Yes but for ~80€ (including shipping)

Anyway, let the battle of tiny things begin !
smallest DAP vs smallest dongle with volume control vs smallest DAC/AMP

 

[TooPoorForHiFi]

Is there any dongle out there with dedicated Media control like Play/Pause, Next Track etc...?

Or a dual purpose Volume Rocker where you can Hold to skip a track?

 

[marekm]

Creative SXFI

 

[Shane D]

Is there any dongle out there with dedicated Media control like Play/Pause, Next Track etc...?

Or a dual purpose Volume Rocker where you can Hold to skip a track?

I just ordered a couple and they both have volume controls and I think track controls. They are:
the FiiO KA5 and the Fosi Audio DS1.

 

[khtd]

A question to Fosi Audio DS1 owners: when I first read about the device, reviewers said that it didn't have independent volume control (in other word, had only 15 volume steps, the same as in a typical Android). Did it change since then, maybe in the meantime there was firmware update that changed things (similarly to a firmware update in Colorfly CDA M1, which added a proper independent volume control with 100 steps)?

 

[Shane D]

A question to Fosi Audio DS1 owners: when I first read about the device, reviewers said that it didn't have independent volume control (in other word, had only 15 volume steps, the same as in a typical Android). Did it change since then, maybe in the meantime there was firmware update that changed things (similarly to a firmware update in Colorfly CDA M1, which added a proper independent volume control with 100 steps)?

This should cover all your questions:

 

[baskingshark]

I have owned the RU6 and the Ibasso DC03 Pro in the past, both used with my iPhone 13 mini.

I loved the RU6 but it would just drain my Iphone battery very quickly.
I also enjoyed the Ibasso but the lack of app for apple phones and therefore being stuck with the default configuration would piss me off.

So I´m now looking for another dongle that drains little power, delivers a good sound and does not rely on apps to change its configuration.

The Violectric Chronos came to mind. If only it was a tad cheaper. I'm not sure if it is worth the 200€ price tag.

Any other recommendation?

Cheers.

Questyle M15 doesn't drain battery as bad as the RU6. M15 is way more technical and detailed, save for a smaller soundstage.

Only thing is M15 has no independent volume controller, so something to note.

 

[someyoungguy]

I have owned the RU6 and the Ibasso DC03 Pro in the past, both used with my iPhone 13 mini.

I loved the RU6 but it would just drain my Iphone battery very quickly.
I also enjoyed the Ibasso but the lack of app for apple phones and therefore being stuck with the default configuration would piss me off.

So I´m now looking for another dongle that drains little power, delivers a good sound and does not rely on apps to change its configuration.

The Violectric Chronos came to mind. If only it was a tad cheaper. I'm not sure if it is worth the 200€ price tag.

Any other recommendation?

Cheers.

I'm certainly a fan of the Chronos, the lowest drain of the dongles I've tried so far. In my eyes worth the money. Another option might be the Questyle M15, in my testing it drew the same amount of current from my iPhone as the Ibasso DC04Pro. Great sound and also has a hardware gain switch, so no software needed.

 

[superuser1]

Is there any dongle out there with dedicated Media control like Play/Pause, Next Track etc...?

Or a dual purpose Volume Rocker where you can Hold to skip a track?

Shanling UA3 does

 

[glpsace]

I'm certainly a fan of the Chronos, the lowest drain of the dongles I've tried so far. In my eyes worth the money. Another option might be the Questyle M15, in my testing it drew the same amount of current from my iPhone as the Ibasso DC04Pro. Great sound and also has a hardware gain switch, so no software needed.

In terms of sound quality, in your opinion, which one is better? If you could only have one of the 2, which one would you choose?

Thank you for the answers!

 

[bithalver]

Is there any dongle out there with dedicated Media control like Play/Pause, Next Track etc...?

Or a dual purpose Volume Rocker where you can Hold to skip a track?

If double click is OK for you, then the Qudelix 5k could be good for you: https://www.qudelix.com/blogs/5k-dac-amp/button-led .
Needless to say this DAC knows a lot and not the cheapest one.

 

[someyoungguy]

In terms of sound quality, in your opinion, which one is better? If you could only have one of the 2, which one would you choose?

Thank you for the answers!

I think the true answer would be I'd keep both at a push, maybe, maaaybe the Chronos.

I love them both for their slightly different sound (and A&K HC3 as well). One thing Questyle's current mode amplification does well is dynamic swings, which sound realistic without a sense of harshness or congestion at the dynamic peak. In with that is also the relative volume or intensity of each instrument scales very well across swings and within different passages of music. M15 also has a great sense of space and background blackness for such a small device. There's a bit more of a grounded or deeper emphasis on the weight of each instrument - as if the lower fundamentals of a note's harmonics are more emphasized, giving some instruments and vocals a fuller body or more lower-mid focus than on other devices.

Chronos I love not only for the low power draw but also the very open sense of space and positioning it provides. Clear and crisp, with good speed, all while sounding natural. There's a hint of sweetness or romanticism in the timbre of instruments like guitars, which is how they should sound I feel (as a guitar player), that helps the sense of natural tone. It has a very versatile sound that just hits the right balance to be a great all-rounder across genres.

HC3 is slightly different again. I posted some impressions a few pages back. Sounds great but has the highest power draw of any dongle I've tested.

 

[rayliam80]

Has anyone tried the Antelope Audio Zeo dongle yet? Antelope Audio is from the professional audio world, like Apogee. Specs look interesting even at $249.

 

[ApaucalyptiK]

Specs look interesting even at $249.

It's quite a chonker though :
75 х 30 х 16 mm
Weight: 60g

 

[D1N0]

Specs look alsmost the same as the Truthear Shio except it is bigger, has no balanced and costs at least three times as much. But it has a 4th Generation Acoustically Focused Clocking (AFC™), 64-bit DDS. At best that makes it sound a lot better, at worst they just made that up to get you to pay three times a much.

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