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Bang for your buck king in the budget space?

D4v3

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Nov 6, 2020
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Hi all,

I'm looking for a cheap but descent dac/amp. I just got a pair of Hifiman Edition XS's. I was hoping that my AVR would be ok to run them. It sounds way better than my motherboard audio or something like a game controller but it still seems a bit distorted and almost glitchy. Plus I don't feel like it's getting the most out of them.

Can't afford a ton right now, maybe up to $200cad. Is there that would work well with these at this price? In the future I'll get something better but I'd like to get the most I can out of these until then.

Something that pairs well with a PC would be nice also.

Trying to put together a short list but it keeps getting longer.
SMSL D12
Quadelix 5k if I can find one but does it really have much more going for it other than the parametric eq?
Fiio K11 (Is R2R worth the extra?)
SMSL C100
Fosi SK02
ifi Zen Dac Air
Dac-X6
 
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This does look like a great option. Is there anything that trades the Bluetooth and remote for better performance? I can't imagine I'll use either. Would you say this is better than other options at this price like the Fiio K11? I was also looking at the Topping DX1 as it's it a tempting price point. There's also the ifi Zen Dac Air I've been considering.
 
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Qualcomm Bluetooth 5.3 aptX/HD/LL Audio Adapter 3.5mm Aux R/L Wireless Stereo Receiver Transmitter

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I got this yesterday and it works really well. Cost £11.29
 
At that price I'd definitely give it a try but it's just BT or RCA in right?
It has RCA and 3.5mm on the back which can be inputs or outputs. Also the USB-C can be just for power or can supply a digital signal as well. In the photo here I'm using 3.5mm output to my amp. You get a full set of cables with it, too.
IMG_20241231_150947.jpg
 
I just came across the Fosi SK02. How would it compare to the SMSL D12? It's a fair bit cheaper. I'm finding this is a really crowded space in the market, almost too many options. I'm just itching to get to use these headphones. The Dac-x6 is tempting at the price too but I don't think it got much love from Amir. Also the SMSL C100 seems like a good option, better featured than D12?
 
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Topping L30. Still the best SINAD of any amplification stage.
 
Topping L30. Still the best SINAD of any amplification stage.
Can't find the original but the L30 II looks great, wish I could find it on sale somewhere. The other thing is it's just an amp, so I guess I'd have to do 3.5mm to RCA out of the pc, which I suppose would be ok.
 
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Can't find the original but the L30 II looks great, wish I could find it on sale somewhere. The other thing is it's just an amp, so I guess I'd have to do 3.5mm to RCA out of the pc, which I suppose would be ok.
The L30 II has more amplification than the L30 and the difference in noise/distortion is inaudible. 3.5mm to RCA out from the PC would be fine.
 
The L30 II has more amplification than the L30 and the difference in noise/distortion is inaudible. 3.5mm to RCA out from the PC would be fine.
The only issue is that I think my motherboard uses the crummy ALC897 codec. It just says it's the Realtek Premium 7.1 codec but I'd bet its ALC897. I tried it with the headphones and while it sounds clear it didn't seem to have much detail. Very rounded over sounding. Feels like it would be a waste to connect an amp to it.
 
The only issue is that I think my motherboard uses the crummy ALC897 codec. It just says it's the Realtek Premium 7.1 codec but I'd bet its ALC897. I tried it with the headphones and while it sounds clear it didn't seem to have much detail. Very rounded over sounding. Feels like it would be a waste to connect an amp to it.
I am not sure about this at implementation per se, but the only audibly obviously bad headphone / analogue outputs I've heard were built into computers. Might be worth a few $$ to get peace of mind that you have a competent DAC in your system. Even a $15-20 dongle will do the job.
 
I am not sure about this at implementation per se, but the only audibly obviously bad headphone / analogue outputs I've heard were built into computers. Might be worth a few $$ to get peace of mind that you have a competent DAC in your system. Even a $15-20 dongle will do the job.
I'm using the Topping E30/L30 combo with excellent results.
 
That topping L30/E30 stack looks fantastic but it's more than I can afford right now.

Happy New Year, everyone, all the best to you and yours.
 
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