Best Portable dac

[nike1212]

Hi everyone,

I need some advice on choosing a good DAC that can be used for everything. I have Logitech z906 speakers, a car, and a pair of B&W P7 S2 headphones. I also want to use Bluetooth.

I have tried Mojo 2 and FiiO BTR7, but I was not satisfied with either of them.
The Mojo 2 was too pricey for the sound quality it delivered. It had a weird bass response that I did not like.
The FiiO BTR7 was decent, but the battery life was poor and it sounded too flat for my taste. I prefer a warm sound and a wide soundstage.

I have done some research and found two DACs that seem promising: Topping G5 and iFi Audio xDSD. They both have good reviews, and they both support bluetooth.
However, I am not sure which one would suit me better, or if there are other options that I should consider.

Has anyone here used these DACs or have any recommendations for me? I would appreciate any help.

• It should work with my Logitech z906 speakers, my car stereo, and my B&W P7 S2 headphones.
• It should support Bluetooth for wireless convenience.
• It should have a warm sound and a wide soundstage.

Thanks in advance!

 

[staticV3]

I believe the Qudelix 5K is the best option all around.
Nothing comes close to the quality and number of features that it has.

 

[nike1212]

I believe the Qudelix 5K is the best option all around.
Nothing comes close to the quality and number of features that it has.

Hi, Thanks for your advice.

If we compare the Fiio Btr7
Does it have better soundstage and warmer sound?
How would you describe the diffrence?

 

[staticV3]

If we compare the Fiio Btr7
Does it have better soundstage and warmer sound?
How would you describe the diffrence?

The Qudelix 5K has built-in Parametric EQ and Crossfeed, so you can make the sound as warm as you want and customize the soundstage to your liking.

 

[nike1212]

The Qudelix 5K has built-in Parametric EQ and Crossfeed, so you can make the sound as warm as you want and customize the soundstage to your liking.

I'm kinda new with EQ, but does it sound better out of the box also?

I also see that the stats are not that good only for Ldac "https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...qudelix-5k-bluetooth-dac-headphone-amp.17386/"

 

[staticV3]

I'm kinda new with EQ, but does it sound better out of the box also?

I don't know.

I also see that the stats are not that good only for Ldac

Crossfeed and EQ will have a greater effect on sound quality than SINAD.

 

[raif71]

You can try IFI Hipdac 2. I have the 1st gen and it has a warm sound.

 

[nike1212]

You can try IFI Hipdac 2. I have the 1st gen and it has a warm sound.

Okey, thank you!

But it dosn't support bluetooth what I can see.

 

[raif71]

Okey, thank you!

But it dosn't support bluetooth what I can see.

ooops, mojo2 doesn't have bluetooth either

 

[nike1212]

ooops, mojo2 doesn't have bluetooth either

True, thats one reason I didnt keep it also.

 

[JLGF1]

Does it have better soundstage and warmer sound?

When did "warm" become a good thing? I hear that a lot and I still don't get it.

A DAC shouldn't even have a sound signature on it's own. If it does it's miniscule, imo.

And if it's not "warm" whatever that is...that's what the EQ is for.

 

[Chrispy]

Warmth and soundstage from a dac? How does that work?

 

[nike1212]

When did "warm" become a good thing? I hear that a lot and I still don't get it.

A DAC shouldn't even have a sound signature on it's own. If it does it's miniscule, imo.

And if it's not "warm" whatever that is...that's what the EQ is for.

You right, I'm new to all this. But I heard about tubs that make sound warm.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

True, thats one reason I didnt keep it also.

If you didn't like the sound of Mojo2, it is difficult to recommend anything, as M2, regardless of all else, has a sound quality second to none, also the price has dropped recently.
Not knowing your headphones (if you have one) is another problem.
At any rate, for little money, the mentioned Qudelix is a good one, BTR7 is good too, but you didn't like it.
ifi stuff are good too.
Just a suggestion, why do you need BT?
BT is for wireless audio, once you get a portable DAC, then you are wired! BT becomes irrelevant in my opinion.
I just as well get a good pair of BT head/ear phones and bypass the bulky DAC.

 

[JLGF1]

I'll listen across tubes for a particular "warm" sound I grew up with. I'll chase that sound forever. You can listen across your graphs. It's fine. You do you, boo.

Distortion is cool.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

Warmth and soundstage from a dac? How does that work?

Subdued treble and phase issues between channels.
That ought to do it.
Or use a DSP and a proper DAC.

 

[Chrispy]

Subdued treble and phase issues between channels.
That ought to do it.
Or use a DSP and a proper DAC.

So broken?

 

[nike1212]

If you didn't like the sound of Mojo2, it is difficult to recommend anything, as M2, regardless of all else, has a sound quality second to none, also the price has dropped recently.
Not knowing your headphones (if you have one) is another problem.
At any rate, for little money, the mentioned Qudelix is a good one, BTR7 is good too, but you didn't like it.
ifi stuff are good too.
Just a suggestion, why do you need BT?
BT is for wireless audio, once you get a portable DAC, then you are wired! BT becomes irrelevant in my opinion.
I just as well get a good pair of BT head/ear phones and bypass the bulky DAC.

Mojo 2 did sound good but not enough for the money, the reason I want bluetooth is because I want to be able to stream Ldac to my speaker when I use my phone. What do you think about "ifi audio xdsd gryphon"?

 

[Ken Tajalli]

Mojo 2 did sound good but not enough for the money, the reason I want bluetooth is because I want to be able to stream Ldac to my speaker when I use my phone. What do you think about "ifi audio xdsd gryphon"?

That's twice the price of a Mojo2 !
If you really need one for your speakers, get a Topping DX3 pro+. For £200, its got everything.
For portable, you don't need BT.

 

[b7676]

That's twice the price of a Mojo2 !
If you really need one for your speakers, get a Topping DX3 pro+. For £200, its got everything.
For portable, you don't need BT.

Mechanical stress and assured shortened life of the critical single port is a silly sacrifice for fidelity on-the-go.