20 Best Dac For Tidal Mqa (2023 Updated)

I am not an audiophile but I am fussy when it comes to listening quality. I run an old Denon RCD39 mini system through a pair of Q Acoustics 3030i speakers with a cheap Wharfefale sub. I love the old Denon (I am om my third, all through RS) but it does not have Bluetooth connectivity.

I made the mistake of using a cheap, but well reviewed, Bluetooth receiver and the drop off in sound quality was alarming. It was bad on my free Spotify service but worse still with my Amazon Prime subscription account which allows for Ultra HD.

I had to do something and started to look into DAC units. The prices I was seeing were eye watering but then I came across the Zen Blue V2. The reviews were great but I was a little dubious given how cheap it was.

Notwithstanding, I took the plunge. RS offered the best price and it was delivered for free the next day. Simple to look at and simple to install. Within five minutes I was up and running and back in a musical nirvana.

To my untutored ear the quality was at least as good as a CD if not better. I am now rediscovering lost gems and hearing elements of the music I had not appreciated before. Thank you iFi this is a gem and worth every penny!.

Hardware: 9/10 Software and drivers: 5/10 While I appreciate high quality audio, I would not call myself an audiophile mostly because I don’t have the money to spend. That said, I’m quite satisfied with the Apogee Groove because the hardware is rock solid and it fits my needs perfectly.

My Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee’s sounded great out-of-the-box connected to my laptop when they arrived right after New Year’s. But after breaking them in for a couple months, I wanted to discover their full potential.

To my pleasant surprise, Massdrop dropped the Apogee Groove, boasting a compact DAC/Amp with plug-and-play functionality. I appreciated the form-factor more than anything else: it’s small, portable, requires no external power supply, and has a built-in volume control.

Perfect for my needs. I find that it drives my 150 ohm HD 58X headphones VERY well. The Groove provides a comfortable listening level at 15%, a loud listening level at 50%, and a painfully loud listening level above 75%.

In other words, there’s lots of headroom and very little to no distortion. Surprisingly, the DAC/Amp performs just as well at very quiet volume levels, too. Bass and treble do not seem to vary as the volume is turned up or down.

I wouldn’t say the response is perfectly flat across different volumes, but at normal listening levels I have not experienced any ear fatigue. This may have more to do with the headphones I’m using (I have nothing else to go on) but compared to my laptop computer’s headphone jack, the sound quality is just as good while providing much more volume.

The only real downside is the Windows 10 drivers. First of all, Apogee requires you to register the product before you can download the drivers. It’s not a big pain in the ass, but it’s an extra hoop to jump through which I wouldn’t expect at this price.

Second, the firmware update program doesn’t work, it crashes with an error message. I chalk this up to inexperience on their part; Apogee makes hardware that works for Apple computers hassle-free while their Windows drivers are an afterthought.

None the less, once I installed the driver, the Groove worked almost flawlessly. My only real complaint is that the audio routinely stops on cue every 60 minutes. When this happens during a YouTube video, refreshing the page fixes it.

But when using a media player like foobar2000, I have to close the program and re-open it to make the audio work again. It’s inconvenient, to say the least. Still, this DAC/amp is almost perfect for me.

It’s solidly built, the soft rubber buttons have a satisfying click when pressed, the entire bottom surface is a grippy foam rubber pad that holds the device in place, and nothing else I’ve seen is as compact and portable.

The device itself does get fairly warm during use, but not hot. I have only minor complaints about the design (the micro-USB port is upside down, the LED’s are loosely mounted within the case, etc. ) but overall I expect the Apogee Groove to last me a long time, and if they ever fix the software/driver problems, I would give it 5 stars instead of the 4 I’m giving it now.

One of the greatest product from apogee. Light weight with no compromise on hearing. Drives large headphone without problem. The only biggest drawback will be it needs very complicate on making connection to iOS devices, though with some tricks and extra equipment can achieve that.

This is an early impression of the above combo. The Sundara is indeed a different class of headphone. For those who are yet to experience it you should save up and get one for sure! However, out of the box the Sundara needs a good amp dac to drive it to its true potential.

This is where the iFi hip dac 2 comes in. The hip dac 2 makes the sound stage a little wider, it’s sound signature is warm, when played with power match function it help the Sundara perform better.

Overall it will take your listening sessions to a trance like experience. One suggestion- Also invest in a good balanced audio cable set. I am yet to get one. Looking for a deal from Headphonezone! 🙂 Go for the iFi Hip Dac 2 if you have a premium entry level audiophile headset, you won’t regret it!.

Read too many reviews and suggestions that DAC is must for headphones. This one is actually very good. It greatly improves the sound of headphones , senn 650 sound lean from Samsung s20 plus. Vocal was sleepy , Lata sounded subdued but when I attached this hip dac suddenly the song ‘achcha tho hum chalte hai ‘ come to its original colour.

Sound especially the Vocal is fuller and body. Also the sound is a bit clean and clear with a little more shine, more pleasing to ears. It gives more joy and polish to the song and music. No hiss or any colouration.

It makes the music better for sure. Very nice build with metal and small solid form. Easy to operate and connect. Highly recommended.

Hip Dac 2 A beautiful & superb little Dac Amp from IFI producing a lovely wide sound stage with clear vocals and detailed instrumentals. Although the bass was not over powerful even with the bass button selected, I could still disern it’s presence in the background.

It had no problem driving my Shure 1840’s, my B&W P7’s, my Grado SR80X’s, and both my sets of IEM’s my Linsoul Plannar P1’s, and Shure 535’s. I also have to praise Richard from Audiologica who was friendly and informative with great communication skills when there was a small stock issue when I ordered the Hip Dac 2 online.

He was very up front about it and was great in contacting me on when it was due back in stock and also when it was posted out to me, so once again, thank you Richard.

This is an excellent little unit. It’s essentially a shrunk down version of the iFi Micro iDSD Signature that just runs off your phone. Xbass+ and X-Space are fun to mess around with and the IEMatch for sensitive IEMs is helpful, especially given it’s quite powerful for a dongle that runs off phone battery.

HYLA Sarda are my most sensitive IEMs and there is definitely hiss as soon as you plug it in, but IEMatch takes care of it. Build quality is superb. Nice included accessories. It does run a little warm, but nothing crazy.

Make sure you update the firmware as soon as you get it. There are a couple of quirks with the XMOS USB out of the box that the firmware update resolved for me.

Item arrived the day after ordering. Hooked it straight up to my iPhone 12 via the supplied lightning cable and the sound via the 4. 4mm balanced output is absolutely fantastic. Extremely smooth across all frequencies with no artefacts.

The go bar produces a wide soundstage and the x-bass and x-space options are quite subtle but very effective. Power output is exceptional driving both my Sennheiser IE600 IEMs and Denon AHD900 headphones to more volume than I will ever need.

For sure this is the best DAC dongle I’ve heard to date by some margin. 10/10 to Richard @ Audiologica for communication and customer service.

This little DAC and headphone amp is now, along with the ifi hip-dac2 are my goto inline DAC-amps, and this go-bar has actually exceeded the hip dac2 by me except that the hip dac2 has its own battery to drive it The go bar bass enhancement is fantastic and the unit works great on my Android phones with USB Audio player pro and also my Sony NW-A105 – just make sure your phone can output the ‘up to 4W’ of power if you want to really crank the volume and update the firmware when you get it, there are/were some good fixes.

Ive found that just about anything I try this with it improves the sound and power. I especially like the properties of the 4. 4mm balanced output-and thats what I really wanted. Highly recommend especially if youre an Android user running 4.

4mm balanced mainly like I am–i have no apple phones/ipods/ipads.

The ifi hip-dac is an excellent little piece of equipment for the price. It features a solid brushed metal body with a metal volume knob that are shaped to resemble a drinking flask. Maybe the connotation is that you can dial up how drunk you want to get on the sound, but I digress.

Its fairly lightweight and since it is designed for portability, its easy to carry around with you for that purpose. Its a little more difficult to slide in your pocket for a walk since you can easily bump the volume knob that way, so its better off sitting on a desk.

You can purchase scotch restickable dots or Velcro patches to place on the back side of your device case and the DAC so you can attach them to keep them from moving about. It has usb-c charging, a usb male port for connectivity, and a balanced and unbalanced jack for whatever equipment you might have that requires it.

The are several lights, one to denote the file type that is being played (differentiating between MQA, DSD, 44 etc. ) and one that signals battery life. It also features a x-bass button for an extra boost in the low end and a power match button that matches impedance for a pair of headphones (although too powerful for an IEM).

The sound is, simply put, incredible for the size and price of this device. I highly suggest you take a track you know well and compare with it on and off, and youll see that this DAC has a lot of capability.

The sound is much fuller and rich, highlighting intricacies of a recording and breathing new life into spaces where your headphones might lack a little oomph. Its more than just added gain – trebles are much sharper, mid range has more pronounced body and the low end receives much more recognition without getting carried away.

I certainly prefer it with the X-bass on. This isnt like a typical bass booster that turns the volume up on the low end and invades the rest of the track. It gives bass much more definition without overdoing it in any instrument or voice.

You can hear more of the body of an acoustic guitar or a violin, which gives the recording more characteristics than might normally hear it as. Of course, this depends on your equipment. If youre going to pay for the DAC, its best to enjoy it with nicer headphones or IEMs.

Thats where youll hear what this DAC brings to the table. As an on the go for the plane or at your desk, this works really well. The battery life is a few hours shy of whats advertised, but this will depend a bit on what headphones your driving and what your usage looks like, but it charges fast enough.

I highly recommend itto anyone looking to add another element to your secondary hi-fi setup. This certainly punched above its weight class and is a solid performer at this price level.

Having purchased the hip-dac I had to wait a few weeks for appropriate headphones, COVID made it difficult to sample a few audio-file types so went with HD560 but would have loved the opportunity to make a comparison with more expensive Richer Sound sourced ones.

Initial reaction to listening via Spotify (hi res) was okay but not quite quite what I’d hoped for. A subscription from Tidal hi-res together with MQA software is one route to hear any real difference.

I’m reluctant as that locks me in to an expensive subscription based service over and above one I already have. I think I’d rather pay for particular album favourites downloads but further research suggests MQA is just one format against many with pro’s and cons, there is another format called DSD as well as FLAC!!! VHS versus Betamax all over again I hear some saying? So you pays your money and takes your choice.

CD sourced music via iTunes/Music app using Apple Lossless format on my iMac I can hear a real difference so you could say the DAC is doing its job. I’m glad I didn’t spend too much money on the hip-dac and headphone combination as it’s just another gateway into another route that can be just as confusing when it comes to file format and device compatibility.

So my advice is go for it if you already have a Tidal account hi-res and use the MQA software. I’ll wait to see what the Spotify offering will be will be later this year. I wish you many hours of music enjoyment, the DAC is better than the ones installed in my iPad/iMac, it is good but.

:-).

A quick caveat: I’m relatively new to the world of high fidelity audio. I was introduced by a friend who let me try his JDS amp and Fiio DAC. I thought there was enough there to explore a little more, so I jumped in and bought this DAC/Amp for my set of AKG K702 headphones.

The performance with the iFi Hip DAC as opposed to being driven by my Macbook was night and day. Playing around with DSD files gave me some listening experiences that I’ve simply never heard anything like before.

While this combo doesn’t measure too well on the likes of ASR, it just sounds fantastic. It is a brilliant entry point and I’m glad that I purchased it. Now the bad. As simply a piece of tech, it’s finicky and irritating to operate and setup.

For some strange reason, you can only connect the thing using a USB A connection, which for a Macbook user means dongle time. Also, the bit-rate LEDs are not a great way to convey that information — especially for red-green colourblind person.

Finally, the battery is not great. It runs out within a few hours, and it isn’t powered by the USB it is plugged into. You can plug it in while using it, but that means another power supply, which defeats the purpose of a portable DAC.

All-in-all, I would recommend this for the price. Given the chance, I would still buy it again over the FiiO and Topping options.

As my wife and I downsize and her penchant for quiet, I purchased a pair of Sennheiser HD 820’s, to listen to my music. I needed a portable headphone amp to use at home and on the move so I could get the most out of what my Fiio’s DAPs can offer.

I was looking at the iFi Micro iDSD Signature Transportable DAC and Headphone Amp and just waiting to get one. Not sure why, but like I always do, I research over and over, so when I make the decision, it is the correct one! Well, in my search, I saw the Gryphon and everything I read was very positive.

Understand, I just don’t read one review, but many reviews, from many sources. So, I pulled the trigger and so happy I have! My 820’s have never sounded better and I have even used the Gryphon with my Sennheiser iem 800’s and again, wow! Music come alive and I hear so many things that weren’t as prominent through with my other amplifiers.

The Gryphon really drives both headsets and I am spending more time with my headphones then my stereo! This past weekend my wife asked if I was going to play some music through the stereo or just keep my headphones on! Thank you to the staff of Audio 46 who have been very helpful with any questions I have had for both of the Amplifier/DAC’s.

As with many audiophiles, the quest for even better sound continues and I am sure that Audio 46 will be part of any solution!.

I would consider this an audiophile-grade dac/amp. This review is based on about ten days of listening, a couple hours each day. I’ve tested the Gryphon out with my Focal Utopia headphones and my JH-13 CIEMs.

I’ve had the JH-13’s for about eight years, and I don’t remember them ever sounding this good. My listening was done with Tidal on my iPhone or Mac, and I compared the Gryphon to an older portable dac/amp I’ve been using for years, to the laptop’s headphone out, and the iphone’s own dac/amp via a lightning-to-headphone adapter.

They Gryphon improves noticeably on each of the other listening configuration I tested. Try this – close one eye and look around you. The scene is the same but it’s flat and it runs together. Open up your closed eye again and everything is just more distinct and vivid.

The Gryphon is like that. Nothing changes about the auditory scene, it just gets more dimensional. When I first started listening to the Gryphon, nothing stood out. This is why I think it’s an audiophile-quality device.

Whenever I’m impressed off the bat with a piece of new equipment, that usually tells me it has a sonic “character” to it. Whenver I say “wow the guitars really shimmer!” or “man, this thing’s got BASS!” that’s a device I end up eventually wanting to swap out.

I would say the Gryphon’s presentation is vivid and clear, with no aspect of the sound standing out. Exactly what I look for in a component that I know I’ll be happy with for a long while. Here’s another sign this is a great-sounding device.

If you switch to Bluetooth instead of USB, the sound is worse. Just a little, but discerinbly so. With some other gear I have, bluetooth sounds just as good as wired. In principle, it shouldn’t. (Not yet, at least.

) If Bluetooth is sounding just as good as wired, that’s a clear sign that the device could be doing better. (I’m happy to have the bluetooth functionality – eventually I will try using it as a streamer to my stereo.

) The Gryphon’s got plenty of power. For my IEMs the volume never goes above 70. For my Utopias the volume is around 90 max. I’ve ordered a pentaconn cable for the Utopias, and that should have even more power.

Who knows, it may further improve the sound too. There are cons. The cables really stink. They are too short. Like seriously, just 25% longer would have made them a lot easier to use. As it is, I’m going to want to buy longer cables.

Frustratingly, the apple brand cables don’t work with it. Also, you will want to buy a case for it. The case iFi makes doesn’t fit well, so I’m returning it and trying out a third-party case. The little bag they include with the amp is ridiculous, and really no substitute for a proper case, which you are going to want.

I get it how accessories can drive up the cost, but in this situation it just feels like far less thought went into the design of the accessories than into the amp itself. So, just be prepared to drop another $100 to get all the stuff you will want.

That’s still a great price for its sound quality!.

This nifty little dac/amp is pretty versatile. The sound is solid with many more features compared to its competitors. The price/value ratio is definitely in winning territory. Although there might be a better sounding device out there, it probably won’t offer the convenience of bluetooth.

The added x-bass/space feature are also quite simple and impactful. I use this piece to run IEMs primarily, and it’s beyond worth the expense for its portability, capabilities, and convenience. As always, HeadAmp offers unbeatable customer service and loyalty.

I’ve been buying from Justin for a couple years and have no plans to slow my business with this reputable shop. Please buy with confidence!.

I have been a huge fan of portable DAC/AMPS ever since I started using FIIO BTR5 which have ruled this market segment until now. Although the BTR5s are a feature juggernaut as compared to these where you get much more control for fine tuning the sound at a granular level, the Ifi GoBlu emphasises on simplicity.

No app, no confusing feature sets but pure powerful sound at your fingertips with minimal physical controls to fine tune. I love the Xbass that add just a touch of bass needed to change the entire spectrum of the music.

I’m a typical metal head and I love these with my Hifiman Sundaras and my Audeze LCD 2cs, both of which are not easy to drive headphones. And the best of all is the volume knob which is a bliss to have which I really missed with the BTR5s.

Overall a super tiny, light and powerful companion for your hard to drive audio gear featuring as good a sound as tbe BTR5s and even better with the addition of Xbass. And forgot to mention, Xspace is just mind blowing with QCODE podcasts.

I love em. ❤️❤️.

The iFi GO blu replaced a much larger and heavier portable Bluetooth DAC that was great in its day a few years ago, and is more versatile in terms of supported file formats than the GO blu. But the newer tech of the GO blu sounds better both with Bluetooth and when hard wired — so much so that you will question whether you need file resolution beyond 24-bit/96kHz.

Whether you do or not, the *quality* of file conversion is at least as important as the resolution of file conversion, and the quality of the GO blu for both Bluetooth and 24-bit/96kHz hard wired is excellent with IEMs (Etymotic) and efficient on-ear (Centrance) and over-ear (Austrian Acoustics) ‘phones.

I don’t have any hard-to-drive headphones, so that may be a different story. I also do not listen to MQA files, so I can’t comment there. But pairing the GO blu with IEMs and streaming Qobuz is a no-brainer solution that I think you’ll be very happy with.

Battery life is also superb.

Im really happy with my purchase! This little fellow is convenient to use, has great sound, strong signal (haven’t had any lags so far) and is tiiiny. I agree with other reviewers that it’s pricey especially since it doesn’t have an app, but compared with pricier Lotoo Paw2 (yes, it’s not a Bluetooth amp, but I’m talking about sound) it’s incredible and loud enough without a need to put 60-70% volume on it.

I wish they’d made a case for it though, because that little bag is a bit. out of place here. And you can’t clip the device on clothes, so I always need pockets on me haha. But overall, I really like the device.

Haven’t tried all of it’s functions yet, but as a newbie audiophile I love it straight from the box. Recommend it to everyone looking for Bluetooth amp/dac.

It has ample power as well as analog sound settings to personalize sound. I highly recommend it. I pair with an extremely source picky headphone in the HD800S, and with Xbass and 3D+ turned on with a minimal treble peak dip EQ on my laptop, the headphones sound incredible.

This is a great AMP/DAC that is super compact. You can use it normally on your desk or carry it around to use with you Android/Apple device. Works wonders for a laptop or tablet, which have trouble running 50Ω-150Ω impedance headphones.

Bass boost feature is also done in good taste, it doesn’t crush the mids or highs. It just gives a sizable bump to the bass without compromising the other frequencies. You will a good set of cans to pair with these however.

I’d recommend the Sennheiser HD599 (For Open-Back goodness) , Hifiman HE400SE (For Planar Magnetic Bass) or a Beyerdynamic – DT770 PRO (For isolated Closed-Back). These are all in 10k-15k inr range and pair well with the K3.

Using the K3 DAC (my first ever) with DIY built Overnight sensation speakers. The amp I am using is Sanwu TPA 3118 clone with Nichicon capacitor mod. I am unable to hear even a tiny difference in quality while playing 320 kbps files in foobar.

I am using Magicbook 15 for playing the files. Might be that my Speaker & Amp combo aren’t much resolving or the realtek DAC inside my notebook is just too good! Doesn’t seem like an upgrade at all for my system but i will be checking it in combination with other system if it improves any quality w.

r. t onboard audio. Wondering if DACs are indeed snake oil !.

I have a higher-end motherboard with good audio (ALC1220), so I did not expect much improvement in audio over it but I was pleasantly surprised. Pros: – Good improvement over a motherboard audio – Works fine with Dolby atmos headphones (I know some DAC’s don’t) – Non fatiguing, kind of warm sound signature.

Cons: – Low amp power output: I am using a relatively easier to drive HD599 and HE400i and I am on high gain with volume maxed out. – Limited input options: Only has USB c in, would rather have an optical in and coax in, the optical out doesn’t make sense to me.

Like many people who purchased this Mojo 2, I also had the original Mojo. To me, these two devices provide vastly different sound characteristics. The original Mojo was so amazing back when it launched as it provided a very clean sound, extremely silent noise floor, excellent sound separation with extremely fast attack (transients), providing dramatic improvement to smart phones with a big improvement in power to drive higher quality headphones.

Despite all of these improvements, the original Mojo had a very laid back sound. The Mojo 2, though, is far from laid back. It has even faster attack (at least, subjectively) but more importantly, the overall sound has a lot more energy, impact, with none of the laid back feeling that the original Mojo had.

Sound profile-wise, it’s much closer in “feel” to the Hugo2 than the original Mojo. The menu system is also excellent. The holographic sound works very well, pretty much identical to the H2. The eq, is very nice too.

The sound effect is a little different from other eq features. But it works very well, and the sound remains very clean. Raising the eq also stays very clean, never introducing distortion, at least in my usage.

For some music, I lower treble, for some I lower bass. On rare occasions, I raise bass. All in all, I’ve been very happy with the addition of lossless eq in the Mojo 2. The Poly works well with it, but the convenience of having a screen and physical control buttons has made me switch from using the Poly to using the Duoo X10Tii (a device that is strictly a transport, similar to a poly, and therefore has no dac, no amp hardware or functions internally).

I’ve enjoyed using the Mojo 2 with Focal Utopia, Stellia, Beyedynamic T1, Senn HD800, Campfire Audio Cascade, and Nighthawk. My absolutely favorite pairing is the KSE1200, which really shines with the Mojo 2 for classical and jazz music.

This combination is, truly spectacular in my opinion, and as a transportable device, for acoustical instrument focused music, it seems pretty a combination that is hard to beat. For portability, the IEM I’m using most often surprised me, as it’s the extremely inexpensive CCA NRA, a $25 iem.

The Mojo 2 is able to bring out the transient capability of the CCA NRA very well, especially for violin, light cymbal, and other higher frequency acoustic instruments. This IEM doesn’t do bass well, but for jazz and classical, it’s ideal, making it a surprisingly good combo with the Mojo 2.

Having said all that, the Mojo 2’s sound is so distinctly different form the Mojo 1’s more laid back presentation, that I think that a significant number of folks who purchase the Mojo 2 won’t be selling the Mojo 1.

It still has its place as a more relaxed sound signature with excellent sound separation/layering. While a lot of folks complain about the existence of USB-Micro, that doesn’t really bother me (well, the USB micro for power is a little slow, but c’est la vie).

I really love that coax has been upgraded and can now handle 768kHz, and the optical still remains. I’m using optical now, but have used coax before with the Mojo 2 and the Cayin N5ii (USB-C to coax) as well as the Hiby R6 (coax to coax) and they both work just fine.

What does bother me still, is the battery. The battery life has supposedly been improved and that’s great. Even better is the battery management being more like the Hugo2, with battery conservation while the Mojo 2 is plugged in.

But it’s still a LiPo battery. LiPo really sucks for longevity. Even if you never use a LiPo battery, its lifespan is pretty short compared to other battery technologies. It stores a lot of power in a small space, but who cares if the battery capacity drops to 60% in two years.

I would have much preferred some change to the battery tech used in the Mojo 2. I’ve replaced the battery in the original Mojo twice so far, and this third battery has already dropped to about 80% capacity, so will have to consider buying yet another from the CableCompany some time in the next year or so.

But, whatever. If I have to replace the Mojo 2 battery in a couple of years, so be it. All in all, the Mojo 2 provides a stunning sound in a very small package. Given how many of the characteristics that made the original Mojo so amazing no longer stand out in light of the slew of amazing DAPs and portable DACs that have emerged over the last 6 years from great manufacturers like iBasso, Cayin, Fiio, Hiby, Sony, iFi, and others, the uniquely transient focused, impactful sound of the new Mojo 2 is a refreshing and very welcome update.

I would recommend the Mojo 2 to anyone seeking better sound on the road.

Was looking for new DAC to replace my Arcam irDAC2. bought this for feature set and for sound quality. Doubles as headphone DAC/Amp and main system DAC for me. I stream from my Arcam CDS27 or Wiim Mini in main system using Audirvana Studio.

Sound from both through this Mojo 2 is excellent – lots of detail, separation and bass – noticably better than my irDAC2 with same setup. I like the equalisation modes – very customisable. and useful for my different headphones.

Also to increase / decrease bass or shoutiness from speakers in main system – This is an Arcam A39 Amp bi-wired (QED XT40i) to Dali Opticon 6 speakers. I had to buy new toslink & digital co-ax connectors and a new audio cable connector for the amp but easily available from Chord (£100 each though.

) Bear this in mind if using in a main system as the cheap cables I had originally did muddy the sound quality. The flexibility and primarily the improved sound quality outweighed this additional cost.

I would have gone for Audiolab MDAC+ or Cambridge Audio DAC Magic 200 if I hadn’t bought the Chord – both more expensive (even with new interconnects) and less flexible for me, albeit more connections – Also can’t speak about sound quality as not tried these after hearing the Mojo 2.

However, I now also have a fantastic sounding and compact desktop headphone setup for working in my office as well as superb DAC thats appropriate for my main stereo system too. Whats not to like?.

This is a nice unit but with a caveat. It has substantially more power than the Idsd signature however it uses the same battery. What this means is that when you drive power hungry phones at a loud volume it drains the battery fast.

One reviewer noted that it drives their Hifiman HE6-Se fine, well I own them too however I never bothered to test them because when using the Hifiman/Drop Edition XX, which require less power, at the level I like to listen at, it drains the battery in as little as a half an hour, or less in turbo mode.

These phones can take nearly full power in turbo mode. This unit is a must for me however because I like to listen very loud. This pairs best with my Audeze LCD-XC which I use on normal mode. Now I don’t mind the short battery life because I use an external battery pack strapped to the unit.

If you charge the Diablo first, which you should, it will basically run off the battery pack. My battery pack is about the same size as the Diablo which I originally used with the Idsd Signature because it too had a shorter battery life driving the Edition XX,more than a half hour though, and it lasts forever.

All in all the Diablo is much better than the Idsd Signature IMHO. It plays louder without breaking up and it is way more detailed. I don’t mind using the external battery and don’t care about the extra weight so for me the Diablo is a win.

I do think they should have used a bigger battery though. To sum things up, this is a great unit but if you have very power hungry phones and you like to listen very loud then the battery life will be unacceptable without using an external battery.

I recently purchased the Diablo for use with my Audeze LCD GX gaming headset as I knew my headset would also double as a great music listening headset when adequately powered. Likely the Diablo is more than I needed, however it is a really fun device.

Love the sound and power that I get out of this. This also allows me to switch easily between listening at my computer station and around the house from my iphone. Battery is more than adequate for my purposes.

Spent considerable time researching this before purchase due to the cost. I feel it fits my needs well, as I am not the type of person to want to fiddle with settings and various bass adjustments, etc.

If that is you, I hear the Ifi IDSD signature may be an option which allows for these things. Build quality is incredible and out of the box it comes with plenty of bonus items like the carrying case (which I love).

The Diablo focuses on doing one thing really well, and the sound is incredible. I consider myself a beginner audiophile, and now I am very excited to eventually pair this with a better headset that I can afford to pick up down the line.

If you have some extra money and don’t already have a dedicated dac amp I think this is an excellent choice.

I have been waiting for the release of this DAC / amp for a long time and finally it happened, I pressed the button and made the purchase of this cherished DAC / amp. I wanted to have just such a DAC / amp – balanced, class A amplifier, with many inputs and outputs (the latest firmware from IFI makes it possible to use this DAC / amp as an amplifier, bypassing the built-in DAC.

This greatly expands the capabilities of this wonderful product). What attracted me was that this DAC/amp can be used as a desktop DAC/amp and a mobile DAC/amp. Besides the fact that this DAC/amp has so many amenities and features, it has great sound + I can listen to MQA in master quality.

For the price there is very little to complain. I have given four stars, why not five? In terms of absolute sound quality it does not get five but does get a very good four. It is nothing short of amazing what DACs can do today for this little money, a decade back you could not imagine the refinement in DACs at this price point.

If you are starting out or perhaps a little lost in your path dabbling with Headphones in the region of 10 to 15K, look no further than this. It will suffice and some more. Serious audiophiles, if you are one you probably are looking at products of a different league.

I do not mean more expensive products, yes, you do kind of get what you pay for but if you can not afford the true top end offerings then there is always the DIY community to help you out. I will not get into too much detail on the sound, at this price-point they generally sound decent.

I have admired Fiio over the years for what they offer for the money, this is no different. Sound is dynamic, not clinical but neutral. The ‘digital glare’ that audiophiles talk of, you will find it here but definitely not to the extent of ruining your music.

As I have mentioned earlier, you are not going to feel you are missing something as long as you pair this with similarly priced headphones. Go higher though and then the itch starts. It struggles to drive my Hifiman Edition XS to its full potential, you know it when you play complex compositions with expansive sound stage and ambience.

For example Hans Zimmer or John Williams. You come away with the distinct impression that there is more to be had, that bassoon could sound more tuneful or that cello could tear into you a bit more. No I do not dream of these things, I have enough experience to know when it is missing.

So in conclusion, amazing device for the money, very little to complain. Beautiful sound for the money. Seasoned audiophiles, you will want more.

Simple design and small form factor are also nice. Also no background noise as far as I can tell with my 43 year old ears. So I’m happy. Left off one star just because I don’t have a real comparison in this field although I did compare it for a few days with an FX audio MKIi dac/amp which also worked well but the Fiio sound was much better.

Build quality is best as usual along with the features provided. Pricing is on higher side if you consider Zen can v2 but this one provides more power.

I dedicate this DAC+Amp next to my Yamaha KX-10 cassette deck. It only takes a small space to perform multiple functions in my already crowded computer bench. It is my headphone amp for listening to the deck on my highly sensitive T1, and more critically, it serves as the DAC to the cassette recording deck for converting FLAC and also the converter from my D-303 Discman’s SPDIF output.

Of course occasionally I would listen to my computer or cellphones via its DAC function. K5 Pro is almost one for everything. I am hoping its next gen could get a balanced output then that’ll be perfect for my usage.

DSD is okay. Just please do not add Bluetooth.

Like a prophet with the vision, I finally see the light. From West Coast song by OneRepublic I finally understood the importance of soundstage after hearing thro this amplifier. Works fantastic with my ATH M20X.

I was having this headphone for last 2 years, but it came alive once connected to fiio q3. Now I recommend connecting amplifier to hear real music from phones. Everything from rock, pop to Western classical sounded fantastic.

Could hear the accompaniment with much more clarity and could appreciate the different harmonies. The muddled music i was hearing till today have come apart and now each track gives me much pleasure.

One of the worthiest purchases i have made. Thanks fiio and headphone zone!.

I wish i could post pictures but if you go to fiio q3 n you take a picture of the wire diagram. Go to specs look for chips used this is the only way to disclose what thxAAA chip they used. Its a thx-AAA28 they really didn’t cheap out on this amplifier, but more studying they actually use 2 of these.

Now following the diagram if u use a 3. 5mm in the standard out headpjones jack you only utlize 1 chip and not only that you only receive half the line out. This should be mentioned. The balance post utlizes both thx chips.

And both lines. Meaning aux alone is 50% and half your amp gone. This dac does support aux input but it only activates if you have 3. 5mm and a 2. 5mm or 4. 4mm in both outs. The balance post will revert to a input.

Sad cuz 14 cents for a secondary 3. 5mm input rly hurt my idea behind the solidness and leaves me feeling rather unfinished. Now fiio is directed more to apple despite global support i do apperciate,because aux port died in that brand this device extreamly emphises on usb connection.

E17k also actually can do 24bit it wont do 32bit hifi but 24 bit users are good, but suffers the same flaw to accept 24bit the dac must be utilized through the usb. But you get an equlizer. So this between e17k is u get a little less filter 8db less gain but you get a bass equlizer which can boost the base but not as substatially.

Things to consider. Q3 really should have a independant aux input. Iet me explain my mobile detects if an aux is put in and enables a hi-fi dac thats built in. Only uses it for aux. So i just need the amplifier sad i looss half of it, and i also miss out on the filter which is ok for me, but fr my mobile not so many other devices.

Usb types are a great option i do apperciate that.

I really enjoyed the Fiio Q3. It provided a great bass boost and the gain function completely transformed listening. My CIEMs do not have particularly high impedance, so I can’t really speak to that, but using the 4mm with bass boost and gain on really was a treat.

Unfortunately though, my Q3’s USB-C port stopped working after less than 3 months, which was very disappointing considering the price and sound. Mysteriously it still charges, but can not play music.

For that reason alone, I can’t personally recommend the Q3. You can’t justify a 3 month life span for any electronic device.

I bought this item following all the positive reviews. The item was delivered on time, as usual, from Richer sounds but i was disappointed to see the box was crushed at both ends and the internal plastic tray containing the firefly was back to front and upside down.

I got the feeling the item had either been returned or had been used for display purposes. Glad I wasn’t giving it as a present. Now, the positives, I am using the firefly red with an iPad and AKG reference headphones which are quite difficult to drive and I find the volume goes just loud enough.

The sound quality however is beautiful, offering up extra, airy headroom and superb definition. I’m hearing details in my favourite tracks that I have never heard before. I would heartily recommend this item, especially if you are using good quality headphones.

Just a pity about the packaging.

The DAC comes very well packed with a colourful box with specifications and a list of accessories, out of the box you will get the DAC and a leather carry case, you will need to buy an extra cable to use it with mobile devices, it works out of the box with USB devices.

Music is greatly improved on all devices, I used it on my MackBook Pro, the set up is very easy and it only takes a couple of minutes, most of my music is hight resolution MP3 at 320kpbs only a few FLACS, but with the MP3 files you can see a big different in sound, the sound it’s much more detailed and louder.

I use it with Sennheiser IE80 and Klipsch X11i, both sound amazing. Better to have some good headphones. I use it with an iPhone 6 with the lightning connector, the USB camera adapter it works quite well, this cable is quite expensive but it’s probably better get the Apple one as it works very well, most of cheap lightning cables don’t work well with iPhones.

The DAC will improve all audio coming from the device/Phone regardless of what App you are using, so music from Spotify, Tidal and Even from Youtube will sound much better.

In my use case I generally use DAC as a desktop DAC. So the Dragonfly Red is no exception and fits in my system as a MQA Renderer. I use the DAC with my computer connected to a stereo amplifier via rca.

I mainly use Tidal, Foobar2000, Youtube and Plexamp, Plex to listen to music. The dragon fly is immediately recognised in these software and shows its prowess in performance. Tidal desktop software has special settings for the DAC and MQA can be played in full glory by this method.

First unfold my the tidal desktop software and the second unfold by the dac. This bring forth beautiful music which you can enjoy without much headache over settings and technicality. Its the simplicity of the small dongle coupled with its bombastic sound output that is a killer.

This can also be used in mobile devices like iPhone and I have tried in that configuration. But I am not a fan of having a extra wire and dongle out of my phone so I do not use in a mobile setup. Though in this setting it sounded many times better than the iPhone.

I really like the iDSD BL. I bought it so that I could try DSD512 with Roon and HQPlayer. I have to say, this little device takes computer audio to another level in my system. It want make a bad recording sound good, but if you feed it quality hi-rez files, it has a very wide soundstage and decent depth.

What I really like is the air around instruments and the pace of live music. An example of this is the Keystone Corner Stan Getz, Moments In Time DSD128 file converted to DSD512. Stan’s sax has the bite and breathiness that you expect from this instrument.

The beginning piano accompaniment has a natural ring and decay of the notes and chords. When the bass and drum come in, you get the wood of the bass and the shimmer at the intro of the drums. The bass has good depth and you get the resonance of the bass cavity, but the bottom end is a little loose as compared to my Mytek Brooklyn.

But the Brooklyn is also 4X more than what I paid for the iDSD BL. I have not been able to get the iDSD BL to work with HQPlayer, but I am able to use the DSP in Roon. I have a ticket with iFi to resolve this.

Bottom line, if you are looking for a reasonably priced device to play all of your hi-rez files, the iDSD BL is a great choice. Very highly recommended.

I love this DAC. I bring it everywhere with me. There’s really nothing like this available anywhere else. The micro iDSD BL makes the music in my library sound almost like analog. Don’t even get me started on the XBASS and 3D plus features.

Xbass makes the music thump musically and the 3d plus makes the music sound more holographic and immersive. I’m not sure how iFi did this, but the Audio Advice review mentions that it’s all analog components.

Get the micro iDSD BL and never look back. It’s that good.

I have a denon desktop dac amp that runs my computer speakers. It’s great for my speakers but couldn’t sufficiently run my Audio Technica m70x 50 ohm headphones. The Micro ISD does it with ease in echo mode with the gain less than half way up.

Using it as an amp and Dac it sounds great running hi res files off my computer. Hooking it up to my Astell & Kern AK70 didn’t work out for me. I tryed hooking it up through usb to us the AK as a media player & the IFI as a dac amp.

No sound. Hooked it up through analog out to use as an amp. Distorted sound. It’s probably no fault of the IFI though, the AK is finicky. I just thought I’d mention it in case someone wanted to buy it for that setup.

Overall I’m very happy with the micro DSD.

The DAC sounds great. What does great mean when compared to another DAC? The Signature sounds analog and more natural than the three other DAC I compared it to. I notice it when I’m listening for a few hours as it never sounds fatiguing.

The better your amp/speakers/headphones the more you’ll appreciate it. Headamp ships really quickly, I’m Amazon quick. I order on Monday, July 5th, and figured it would process on Tuesday the 6th. Someone must have been in the office as I got a shipping notice a couple of hours later.

That’s what I call FAST! These folks have definitely made my shortlist for future toys.

The Monolith USB DAC is likely the only alternative to the Cirrus 4206 in my MacBook Pro that I will be able to acquire – resource scarceness precludes any other alternative’s acquisition. The 4206 is the Apple-specific version of Cirrus’ 4207 – a fairly well-respected DAC.

I understand there may only be a subtle improvement from the Mac. The difference is subtle – and that said or typed – this is how I describe what I hear. The headphone port gives clear sound, but not the intricate, delicate details the Monolith USB DAC reveals.

Additionally, the Monolith gives a more-forward presentation and a more complete, fuller sound. I find this difference noticeable on any musical piece I play through my MacBook Pro, and I enjoy it immensely.

I hear all this through my Grado GS2000e (a gift from a dear friend). Now, my hearing is and has always been quite acute – even when I was a ‘little guy’ I recall this being the case. Accordingly, I can notice and enjoy hearing the subtle differences in sounds and music.

Herein lies the chief reason I enjoy the Monolith USB DAC so much. Are there other solutions that may perform better than this Monolith (including from other manufacturers)? Possibly, and I will never know – resource scarceness precludes their acquisition here.

Given this review’s positiveness, why only four stars? Because I can imagine the sound could be even better, so I deduct one star – but only one, and only for that reason. The ‘bottom line’ is the following: Even for a Mac user, this Monolith beats it, but perhaps only if your hearing is as acute or nearly as acute as mine.

I hope my thoughts and perceptions communicated here are helpful. Good Day. :).

There are two main reasons I bought this: 1). It works with iOS devices, and 2) price. My car had bluetooth, but the sound quality and volume is much lower than it is through the AUX port. I wanted to see if there would be more to gain from using an external DAC compared to just using a dongle to convert the lightning port of my phone to AUX cord.

The answer is YES! Not only is there an increase in overall quality and bass frequencies, but it also boosts the signal a bit like a preamplifier. I also use this unit occasionally when connection my phone or iPad to a stereo.

For my computer, I usually use my AudioEngine D1 DAC, which has both USB and TOSlink inputs. However, it will not work work with iOS devices since it draws too much power. The Monolith DAC will work.

I do prefer the sound coming off the D1, but it was also $100 more than the Monolith, so that’s to be expected. A nice DAC for the price, especially since it works with iOS and other portable devices.

The FiiO K9 Pro is a decent product capitalizing on the THX technology from the company that burned down (literally) and Chinese manufacturing is unfortunately coming alive in the K9 Pro. The output power is enough to drive the Abyss Diana V2, but there is no much headroom available, since the output power is not very big.

I liked the sound that I got when pairing it with my HD800s, it cut some of the edges on high frequencies and it made it very pleasant to listen to (the HD800s peaks are still there but it was more enjoyable than when using my AAA THX Decamp) – (HD800s sounded nice with the knob at 12 o’clock) I returned it because of this specific reasons: 1.

The volume knob. It felt great! It is BIG! BUT. in less than a day of use, it started to make a squeaky sound. I always treat my gear with care, and I was surprised that the K9 was doing this already within a day.

So, I wanted to say the build quality is great for the price, but I can’t say that when the knob is behaving this way. Also, the adjacent buttons are flimsy like on the THX Decamp from Monoprice. Also, I had this thoughts: 1.

Many headphone reviewers don’t mention the fact that THX company that used to make those awesome AK4499 burned down in 2020 and all the remaining stock are now “collectors” items. Therefore, if your AK4499 turns out to be defective.

it might be virtually impossible to replace since the company won’t be making more AK4499. 2. I wanted to replace my THX Decamp that is now a discontinued product for the K9 Pro, due to the better sound quality.

However, it could not feed my Diana V2 with enough headroom available. If you don’t mind any of those issues, the K9 Pro sounds sweet and powers most headphones well Apos was excellent at working with me on the return of the item.

I’m a multiple purchase customer from Apos and I’ve never been disappointed with their products or customer service. I bought a Topping D90 (AKM4499) a few years ago and was very pleased with it. Apos was quick and courteous when I had to return jt for service when it just kinda died after nearly a year.

I then tried the D90 with ESS9038 Pro, but returned it when I really found no real differences from my first D90. I gave my D90 to my nephew when he went off to college, so it was time to find a new dac.

This K9 Pro ESS is a different story from anything I’ve heard before. I’m so impressed with the sound it produces. I use it as part of my PC audio system (KEF LS50 Metas, Crown XTi 2002, SVS 3000 Micro).

I’m not a headphones guy, so can’t comment on that function. This K9 does a superb job with games, music, and streaming video. The sharpness typically associated with ESS dacs isn’t there at all, at least not to my ears.

My neighbors probably ain’t too pleased when I blast Nine Inch Nails for hours, but that’s their problem. As far as I’m concerned, my endgame dac is sitting on my desk now. Big shout out and thanks to Shiela and all the gang at Apos.

They were great keeping me posted on my order’s progress. Shiela always answered my questions quickly, too. I can’t recommend Apos and this amazing dac highly enough!.

Sound, it has a very slight warmish tint, yet also the upper frequencies seem to be just slightly elevated as well giving it a smooth yet detailed experience. Build quality is exceptional, features that it has is awesome.

It pushes my Edifier S880DB speakers with ease, and it’s super simple to switch from speakers to headphones with a simple switch. I do have two problems with it, one is the inscriptions next to the buttons, I can barely read them which is a pain, the other is the power.

It will power mostly everything I have, but if you have a higher Ohm headphone you might want to connect an amp to it for those occasions, I ended up attaching an iFi Zen Can to solved this problem without sacrificing the sound somewhat.

Overall I’m pretty much happy with this setup, cleared all the other amps/dacs off my desk and this is my main setup.

I chose NAD C658 because of its price plus all the reviews that I have read gave a very high rating. When I got the unit, I have to admit that the reviews were very accurate and the performance of the unit was better then I had expected.

An excellent unit plus the price did not break my bank account. I am extremely please. I do highly recommend to anyone who is looking for a similar device.

Excellent unit and understated. I have not owned a more enjoying piece of audio gear! Streaming, dac, preamp all in one. This company built this to meet the greatest expectations. Wonderful!!

This is a GREAT streamer. It has numerous inputs (analog and digital) works seamlessly with BluOS, and sounds fabulous. The Dirac Live HiFi feature makes it even better.