What is a DAC, and why would you need one?

If you ’ve ever listened to an MP3 , watched a motion-picture show on Netflix , or jump off on a Zoom call , you ’ve used a DAC . Digital - to - analog converter ( or DACs for short ) are the unsung heroes of the digital audio old age . They ’re everywhere : in smartphones , television , soundbars , wireless earbudsandheadphones , and without them , these devices would be perfectly silent .

But what exactly is a DAC , how does it work , and why would you ever want to grease one’s palms a consecrated DAC , when it seems like they ’re already in all of our favorite gadget ?

The bad news : this is a technical theme that can get ultra - nerdy at times . The full tidings : we ’ll go through it footstep by step , making indisputable we excuse all of the nitty-gritty concept as we go . Ready ? Here ’s everything you take to have sex about DACs .

What is a DAC?

As the name imply , digital - to - analog converters are dedicated chip - based interpreter that take the cypher and ones of digital audio and turn them into the electric pulsing that allspeakersor headphone need to give you audible auditory sensation .

Though they ’re extremely sophisticated , DACs are simply the latest version of audio technologies that have been with us for more than a hundred years .

vinyl group recordsstore sound waves as lilliputian grooves on the vinyl . When aturntable‘s needle ( stylus ) runs through these grooves , it vacillate , creating a tiny electrical signal that can be discover as sound once it passes through an amplifier and loudspeaker .

When audio cassette tapes are played , they move across the surface of a playback head that can read the unlike magnetic charge on the tape ’s open and once again convert them into speaker - well-disposed signal that only need to be exaggerate .

While it might be an simplism , a DAC can be thought of as the digital audio equivalent weight of a turntable ’s stylus .

So a DAC is a microchip? Why would I buy a chip?

Yes , the actual task of converting nix and ones to analog signals is performed by a chip . And no , unless you ’re an audio product designer or engineer , you would n’t buy a DAC poker chip on its own . Like an internal combustion locomotive without the respite of the machine , it would n’t be very useful .

When we blab about buying a DAC , we ’re referring to dedicated equipment design to give you unspoilt audio timbre than you ’d get with all of those merchandise that already have their own built - in DACs ( the smartphones , TVs , wireless headphone , we referred to at the beginning ) .

These dedicated twist come in a panoptic mountain range of soma , size , and prices ( we ’ll discuss many of them in a minute ) , but since they ’re all built around a DAC chip as their core group technology , we often refer to the whole gimmick as a DAC .

Who needs a DAC?

Truthfully , few peopleneeda DAC . For most of us , the DAC that ’s already progress into the machine we employ every daytime will be more than enough to let us hear good quality audio .

If you have a laptop , the internal DAC is ok for the sound recording coming out of the laptop ’s utterer . And if it has a earphone jack , the internal DAC will let you listen with your pumped up headphones — reckon on the laptop computer and your audio source it can go really honorable . Same thing goes for telly , CD player connected to stereoscopic picture , or your best-loved Bluetooth speaker unit .

This is also very important : even the best DAC wo n’t make a poor stage set of headphones or earbuds sound significantly better . To value the dispute a consecrate DAC makes , you ’ll need high - quality cans and/or speakers .

Thus , DACs are for folks who require somethingbetterthan fine , or who have specific data formatting compatibility needs . We often advert to these people as audiophiles , but that label carries with it visions of masses pouring K of dollars into hugely complex audio setup . It ’s more accurate to say that DACs are for people who want their audio experience — at whatever level of investment they ’re willing to make — to be as good as potential .

Here are just a few example scenarios where it could make sensation to buy a DAC :

itch your head over that last one ? Every iPhone since the iPhone 7 has infamously miss a headphone jack , leaving iPhone users with two option : buy a band of wireless earbuds or headphones , or buy a Lightning ( or USB - C ) to 3.5 mm adaptor for pumped-up hearing .

Bluetooth earbuds and headphones , when used with an iPhone , always receive “ lossy ” audio frequency due to the iPhone ’s special support for Bluetooth codecs . So the only agency to learn unadulterated lossless audio is with pumped-up headphones via an adapter . Inside every transcriber — from the tawdry $ 9 dongle to those that cost hundreds — is a DAC .

Wait, does that mean DACs are always wired?

Yes . If you want your DAC to perform at its better , it needs at least a wired output so you’re able to connect it directly to headphones or to your hi - fi gear , whatever that might be . Once a DAC has done its job , you ’re working with an parallel sound recording sign . If you attempt to send that signal to another gadget wirelessly , it must first be commute back to digital , which kill the whole compass point of buy a consecrate DAC in the first place . Once you ’re analog , you need to stay parallel .

A DAC ’s input is more pliable . Some DACs have their own establish - in music streaming capability — like theWiim Ultra . In this vitrine , the DAC can receive its digital audio over Wi - Fi , or even Bluetooth .

But a more typical DAC scenario practice a pumped-up stimulant as well as a wired output . That stimulus could be an optical connection from a atomic number 48 player , an HDMI connectedness from aBlu - ray playeror TV , or a USB connection from a telephone , laptop computer , desktop PC , or tablet . What these wired inputs all have in common is they ’re digital . If you happen to amount across a DAC with analog inputs , that signify the twist also has an ADC ( analog to digital converter ) , but we ’ll leave that theme for a different clause .

What do I need to know about DACs and audio formats?

Digital audio comes in lots of flavor . MP3 , AAC , WAV , FLAC , ALAC … and many more . It ’s tempting to reckon that your DAC need to understand them all , but the the true is really far simpler .

Most DACs can only process one type of formatting : LPCM .

LPCM brook for Linear Pulse - Code Modulation , and it ’s the basis for almost all digital sound recording . It ’s the uncompressed format rule on audio CDs . It does n’t matter whether the medicine you ’re try on to play is a lossy MP3 , a stream from Spotify , a CD you ripped to FLAC , orlosslessALAC from Apple Music — it all gets converted to LPCM before it ever touches a DAC .

So while your DAC does n’t need to interpret those other data format , your chosen music app does need to realize them so that it can convert them to LPCM . Good ol’ iTunes , for instance , does n’t realise FLAC . If you judge to play a FLAC file in iTunes , it would n’t solve . Not because your DAC does n’t understand FLAC ( no DACs understand FLAC ) , but because iTunes ca n’t convert FLAC to LPCM .

However , there are two other digital sound recording formats that must be process now by a DAC if you want to learn them in their wide quality : DSD andMQA .

DSD is the hi - atomic number 75 audio format used by Super Audio Cd and many digital music fan consider it to be the best format . you could find software that will commute DSD to LPCM , but that ’s a peck - circuit breaker for DSD aficionado . To play these files natively a DAC needs to be DSD - compatible .

MQA is standardised to DSD in that it ’s potential to meet the MQA format using software system alone . But MQA has several layers known as flock , and only the first flexure can be handled by software system and win over into LPCM . If you require to in full extend an MQA stream , you need a DAC that can do it .

For several yr , MQA - compatible DACs were in need becauseTidalused MQA as its exclusive format for its gamey - tone streams . However , Tidal has sinceswitched over to FLAC for its entire lossless music catalogue , and no other streaming table service has added MQA support .

Lenbrook has said it will launch a newstreaming service with HDtracks that will offer MQA , but for now , there ’s little reason to look for an MQA - compatible DAC .

Bits and samples

OK , so if you do n’t intend on playing DSD or MQA file , wo n’t any DAC do the trick ?

Once again , it come down to how serious you are about getting the best potential audio caliber .

LPCM has two main characteristics : flake - depth and sample charge per unit . If you ’ve ever seen an clause refer to CD quality as “ 16 - bit/44.1kHz ” it ’s because that ’s the bit - profoundness ( 16 - bit ) and the sample distribution charge per unit ( 44.1kHz ) that ’s used for the LPCM sound recording on stock CDs .

If you want to learn more about bit - depth and sample rate , we have a handyguide to hi - res audiothat should reply your questions . For our purposes right now , all you involve to know is that LPCM can live at higher ( and grim ) bit - depths and sample rates , all the way up to 32 - bit/768kHz .

This is where garden - variety DACs usually fail a key essential : They ca n’t equate the bit - deepness and sample pace of some hi - res audio . In this case , you ’ll either get word nothing ( the stream simply wo n’t play ) or you ’ll get analog audio that has been resampled . Resampling , if you ’re a purist , is to be avoid .

Some built - in DACs can wield up to 24/48 , others may go as gamy as 24/96 . And while 24/96 is considered an excellent layer of resolution , there are plenty of hello - res tracks and record album that exist as 24/192 — Apple Music , Tidal , Qobuz , andAmazon Musicall maintain 24/192 collection . To work these tracks without any loss of fidelity , you want to appear for a DAC that can work them natively .

DSD is a little different . It ’s always the same scrap - depth ( 1 - bit ) , but its sample rate can vary from 64 prison term as fast as CD quality ( DSD64 ) up to a banging 1024 times as fast ( DSD1024 ) . DSD1024 is very uncommon — distinctive DSD files are DSD64 , DSD128 , and DSD256 . But the same dominion applies : to stave off resampling your DSD tracks , your DAC should natively support the DSD sample distribution rate you need to toy .

Beyond formats

fuck off a DAC that stick out your trust data formatting , spot depths , and sample distribution rates is crucial , but it ’s also just the start point in terms of actual audio character .

How DACs are design and build can have a big impingement on what you learn , which is why there ’s such a huge range of DAC brands , models , style , ( and price ) .

Noise , distorted shape , and jitter — these are just some of the undesirable side burden of the digital - to - analog changeover cognitive process that can be palliate ( to a greater or lesser extent ) by the engineering science pick made by a DAC ’s intriguer . If your DAC is primarily designed to labor in - ear monitor ( IEMs ) or headphones , that introduces further consideration like elaboration power , impedance matching , and the availability of balanced outputs .

Any one of these areas could fill entire articles . Whether you need to worry about them depend altogether on your listening appurtenance and your opinion in your ability to hear the deviation from one DAC to another .

Choosing a DAC

Since DACs amount in all shape , sizes , and prices , picking the right DAC is all about combining your budget with the way you heed ( or need to listen ) to medicine .

Starting small with a DAC/amp dongle

By far the easy and most affordable agency to get in the world of DACs is via DAC / amp dongle . We call these piffling gimmick dongles because they ’re strictly plan to be used as add - ons to computers or smartphones / pill . You would n’t utilize one with a hi - fi system of rules , for instance , but they ’re perfect for win over your phone into a hi - res ball of fire . They ’re priced anywhere from $ 10 to $ 450 , which should give you an mind of the huge range of capabilities and quality you could expect .

We also refer to them as DAC / A because they not only convert digital audio to analog but they also amplify that output signal so you may hear it via wired earbuds or headphone . Most have just a single 3.5 mm phone diddlyshit , but increasingly , we ’re seeing model that rollick a second 4.4 millimeter balanced yield for IEMs / headphones that stick out this sort of cable .

There are two main expressive style of DAC / amps : those that get along with multiple input cables and/or adapters , and those that just have one kind of input ( commonly USB - C or Lightning , but at times USB - A too ) . Multiple input DAC / A tend to be a morsel more expensive due to the compromising nature of their innovation , but the trade-off is that they influence with almost every twist and political platform .

You ’ll also discover that within each style , there may be a variety show of index number light-emitting diode . Some have a unmarried light-emitting diode that just confirms great power and correct operation , some have a single LED that glows in dissimilar colours to show the various formats and/or sample distribution rates it ’s currently playing , and some have multiple LED for more detailed info .

Keep in mind , these LEDs are there to give you a ocular indication of what the DAC / amp is doing , but they are n’t ask . You could have a highly able DAC / amp that only has a exclusive LED for power , or perhaps no light-emitting diode at all . Internally , it ’s still doing what it needs to do .

Also deserving memory is that even though you could buy a $ 9 Apple Lightning - to-3.5 mm arranger ( which is technically a DAC / amp ) , it ’s a very limited gadget . It ’s maximal spot - depth / sample rate is 24/48 , and it does not handle MQA or DSD . The same is true for many of the USB - C - to-3.5 mm adapter you ’ll find on Amazon . Always read the specification and ideally , read professional brushup too .

example of DAC / amp dongles :

Portable DAC/amps

These are a step up from dongle in size , toll , and often performance . These DACs usually have a build - in rechargeable battery because they take more power than a smartphone or laptop can allow .

you could wait to receive more inputs and output ( some double very effectively as desktop DACs — see below ) and they sometimes have advanced feature like selectable filters .

case of portable DAC / adenylic acid :

Desktop headphone DAC/amps

DAC / amp dongles are perfect for on - the - go , but if you ’re going to do most of your listening at rest home a desktop DAC / amp might offer you a cracking choice of options for both inputs and end product . You do n’t require to pass a fortune here either — decent background unit start at around $ 50 , but also go as eminent as $ 5,500 for those who need the ultimate .

These gimmick typically involve their own power supply ( dongle take their tycoon from the attached playback equipment ) and they ’re larger , with a footprint sizes that range from a deck of cards of cards to that of a pocket-sized computer like an Apple Mac miniskirt .

You ’ll usually find multiple wired digital inputs ( USB - A / USB - degree centigrade for computer audio , and optical / coaxial for other source like CD players ) and some models summate wireless digital remark like Wi - Fi , AirPlay , and Bluetooth to the mix . But the biggest reason people opt for a desktop DAC / amp is magnate . The internal amplifiers on these equipment can be much bigger and more powerful than dongles , which lets them drive a greater variety of IEMs and headphones , especially high - impedance models , which need more power .

Look for production that have a sort of phone outputs , in summation to at least one line - level outturn ( usually a set of left / veracious RCA Jack-tar ) so you could send the convert analog sign to a hi - fi ingredient or powered loudspeaker system .

Examples of desktop DAC / amps :

Dedicated hi-fi DACs or DAC/amp

If your ambition is to up your hi - fi game , nothing beats a dedicated hi - fi DAC or DAC / amp . They ’re designed to fit with component arrangement that may have a potpourri of existing devices like CD actor , A / V receivers , merged amps , and consecrated adenylic acid . Some of these products are stringently DACs — there ’s no phone turnout and no A of any kind . But in some cases , these devices are essentially the same as desktop DACs , just title and shaped to be a well fit with component systems . Prices can vary wildly , from $ 100 to thousands .

Like desktop unit , you could expect to find a mixture of stereophonic digital stimulus ( both wire and wireless ) , but some also come withHDMI ARC / eARCfor use with a television receiver ’s multichannel output . reckon on the modelling , it might have a round-eyed set of RCA analogue output jacks , or it might also let in balanced XLR outputs for use with very - gamy - end downstream components .

If you be after to practice one of these DACs with swarm music services and you do n’t own a consecrate internet medicine streamer , view search for a model that support DLNA , AirPlay , andGoogle Castover Wi - Fi or Ethernet .

Examples of Hawaii - fi DACs