Cheap and portable USB DAC for Android.

[vext01]

I'm new here, so hi!

I've recently been looking for a super-portable DAC for Android and (sadly) bought an Audioquest Dragonly Black. It was on sale, so I thought i'd give it a shot.

Now... I'm no audiophile, but I know crap when I hear it. It has a hiss and crackle when you are not playing anything! What a let down! (I had started to suspect it would be junk even before it arrived when I later saw the ASR post on Audioquest's placebo dongle: the Jitterbug). We live and learn. Moving on...

So my question to this fine forum is: what is a decent cheap Android DAC? Good sound for <= $50.

Reasons I would have liked the Dragonfly, if it had sounded good:
- Small.
- Detachable, and thus replaceable cable which plugs in to a robust USB A connector (USB C is good too).
- Solid construction / premium feel.
- Low power consumption - works with a phone.

I've tended to stray away from those cable style DACs as the cable will surely fail, and I'd have to get the soldering iron out to fix it.

I don't really care for sample rates > 44100. I doubt I could hear any difference.

The Fiio K1 looks close. I'm just sad it has a micro USB socket. Any other recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[mansr]

The $9 dongle DACs from Apple and Google both perform better than anything AudioQuest has ever made. There are reviews of both on this site.

 

[vext01]

The $9 dongle DACs from Apple and Google both perform better than anything AuduoQuest has ever made. There are reviews of both on this site.

Is that what's recommended in that budget then?

 

[vext01]

I just received the cable I'd need to connect the Dragonfly to my Nokia 8. The only difference I can hear between the built-in DAC and the Dragonfly is a hissy noise floor on the Dragonfly

 

[Vincent Kars]

Have a look here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...hifi-pro-usb-c-phone-dongle-dac-review.10423/

 

[bravomail]

Have a look here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...hifi-pro-usb-c-phone-dongle-dac-review.10423/

that meizu dongle is nowhere to be found.

get Apple USB-C from Amazon.
Try your luck with Chinese sellers on Meizu dongle.

 

[Veri]

Have a look here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...hifi-pro-usb-c-phone-dongle-dac-review.10423/

Yeah the Pro is no longer made. I use the original non pro and it sounds very good. It has synchronous data transfer though so every now and then it can have a little blip or hiccup.

 

[MattH5]

The problem with most of these dongles with Android devices is that Android lacks hardware volume control over USB so most of these dongles are stuck at a low volume unless you use a workaround like USB Audio Player Pro.

Until Google finally fixes this issue that has been around since the beginning on Android, the best solution is to get one that has physical volume control.

I found the xDuoo Link from some searching
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/.../xduoo-link-portable-headphone-dac-amp.11823/
But Amir's testing results weren't great.

This guy seemed to like it and did some basic measurements but not as detailed as Amir:
https://medium.com/bedrock-reviews/xduoo-link-review-a16d1ab22efb

Anyone know any better options? Or are there ones that at least initialise with a high volume setting?

Edit: They have a Link2
https://www.xduoo.net/product/link2/
It's... bigger and more powerful. But is it better? Also not cheap...

 

[flyzipper]

Portable usually equals, "out in a noisy environment"... car... subway... street... are you sure you need a better DAC than the one that's in your phone?

 

[MattH5]

Portable usually equals, "out in a noisy environment"... car... subway... street... are you sure you need a better DAC than the one that's in your phone?

Or just wanting to chill on the couch or outside the house, or travelling and in a hotel without the PC

Also, modern phones tend to not have a 3.5mm adaptor so you need something like this now if you want to use your wired stuff.

But... I'll probably just revert to the wireless headphones for these cases.

 

[flyzipper]

fair points, but they don't diminish mine... better than average DACs are rather pointless in many situations (and are often the last thing that should be considered). Given the low budget, it sounds like saving money is currently important to the OP, so realizing their exiting phone might be good enough may be a benefit.

We also don't really know the OP's requirements (problem they're trying to solve) since they've jumped right to a solution (needing a DAC).

Maybe environmental noise isn't the only reason a DAC isn't the best solution. Maybe, as @MattH5 suggested, wireless headphones are a better solution because they're less cumbersome and have greater usability. Maybe OP's got some really great headphones, but they're difficult to drive, so a portable headphone amp is the right solution. Maybe their headphones are too bright, so installing free EQ software on their phone solves the problem. Maybe the OP hopes a good-measuring DAC improves the bass in their car, but that's best addressed with a subwoofer.

Dunno ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[vext01]

We also don't really know the OP's requirements

I'm due a new (Android) phone and many manufacturers have (for some reason) ditched the 3.5mm jack. So initially I was pondering whether external DACs are decent. If they are I needn't limit my options to only models with the jack socket.

Use case: listening with cans when away from home but not on the move (when I'm walking I just use cheap BT earbuds).

From reading the reviews on this forum, I think we can conclude that, yes, even cheap google/samsung dongles work well with Android phones. What I now wonder is whether I will notice a difference between dongles and the in-built jack on my rotting Nokia 8. I've never explored this new world of DACs, so it's somewhat an experiment to me.

 

[MattH5]

I'm due a new (Android) phone and many manufacturers have (for some reason) ditched the 3.5mm jack. So initially I was pondering whether external DACs are decent. If they are I needn't limit my options to only models with the jack socket.

Not sure where you're based but in most countries if you pre-order the Galaxy S21 you get their Galaxy Buds Pro for free, and review indicate they have excellent sound quality...

As for using your headphones... are they a power hungry model? The dongles work well for IEMs and efficient headphones but for some high end headphones you might need something with more power, like the Link 2 I linked above (I don't know of it's good though). Or the Topping NX4 - that's been covered somewhere on this site and it's apparently quite good, has a battery as well so it should be able to power just about anything without draining your phone battery.

 

[vext01]

I'm in the UK.

I've had Samsung phones before, but I'm always put off by their customised versions of Android.

About headphones, I have Audio-Technica M50x at the moment. I think they are not very demanding, as I've not yet found a device that couldn't handle them. They are very practical in terms of portability, but I'm not "wowed" by their sound. Perhaps they will be a limiting factor...

I don't listen to my headphones very loud. For example, when I still had the Dragonfly Black, I found 18% volume to be right and anything above about 20% to be uncomfortable. When I'm on the train and I can hear other people's music from their earbuds 10 metres away, I just think "ouch, enjoy your tinitus!"

Thanks for the recommendations! I'll check them out!

 

[vext01]

I should also add: I find the volume increments on my Nokia 8 to be too coarse. I often volume N to be too quiet and N+1 too loud. Why do they do that?

 

[flyzipper]

I'm due a new (Android) phone and many manufacturers have (for some reason) ditched the 3.5mm jack.

I've had Samsung phones before, but I'm always put off by their customised versions of Android.

Pixel 4a review
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...oogle-pixel-4a-smartphone-audio-review.16251/

Amir didn't recommend it because of low output voltage, but I haven't found that to be an issue with mine.

I don't listen to my headphones very loud.

I have Audio-Technica M50x at the moment. I think they are not very demanding, as I've not yet found a device that couldn't handle them.

... and it sounds like you wouldn't either.

 

[max8]

Samsung USB-C Headphone Adapter Review | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum

That seems like the most obvious usb dac for android.

 

[vext01]

Agreed! I ordered one a few days back. Just waiting for it to arrive.

 

[max8]

I literally also just ordered one . I was about to get the Apple one until I read of compatibility issues with Andoird.

 

[vext01]

Yeah, same.

I also ordered a couple of other cheapy ones, including the Luscia Fever one. It will be interesting to see if I can hear a difference.