Is it safe to use an additional power cable for a portable DAC?

[solar_sustem_s_user]

To save battery power on your phone when the portable DAC is connected, it is suggested to use a “Y” cable Type-C -> Type-C + Type-A.

I have a question, will this option of power supply for the amplifier be useful and safe? For example, if you use a power bank for this.

 

[RayDunzl]

If the power bank outputs 5V, I don't see why you couldn't use it.

Somebody else may disagree, which is the nature of these conversations.

 

[staticV3]

Safe - Yes if the cable is configured correctly, with no 5V wire between host and slave.

Useful - Also yes as a correctly configured cable will prevent any current to flow from the phone's USB port to your DAC, preserving battery life.

Whether it's useful for sound quality, depends entirely on the DAC's current draw and the phones current supply capabilities.

If the phone didn't struggle to power the DAC in the first place, then substituting an external supply won't change the sound.

 

[HaveMeterWillTravel]

Safe - Yes if the cable is configured correctly, with no 5V wire between host and slave.

Useful - Also yes as a correctly configured cable will prevent any current to flow from the phone's USB port to your DAC, preserving battery life.

Whether it's useful for sound quality, depends entirely on the DAC's current draw and the phones current supply capabilities.

If the phone didn't struggle to power the DAC in the first place, then substituting an external supply won't change the sound.

I have been curious if any of the combo DAC +headphone amp devices would show any benefit with connecting a PD voltage commander. e.g. run it at 12V instead of 5V. Well, on a PD port on a laptop at least.

Thou I suspect they did not spec the various capacitors, etc. to handle the higher voltages.

 

[DVDdoug]

I bought one of these gizmos for my Android tablet. I don't know if it's any safer than a basic splitter but I assume it has some "electronics" in it.

 

[solar_sustem_s_user]

Safe - Yes if the cable is configured correctly, with no 5V wire between host and slave.

Useful - Also yes as a correctly configured cable will prevent any current to flow from the phone's USB port to your DAC, preserving battery life.

Whether it's useful for sound quality, depends entirely on the DAC's current draw and the phones current supply capabilities.

If the phone didn't struggle to power the DAC in the first place, then substituting an external supply won't change the sound.

I tried this splitter. Indeed, it takes power only from the power bank, and the audio data from the smartphone. If you disconnect the power from the power bank, the DAC stops working. i.e. the power is not duplicated there. My worries about this disappeared. The analog signal itself did not become any worse or better.

 

[solar_sustem_s_user]

If the power bank outputs 5V, I don't see why you couldn't use it.

Somebody else may disagree, which is the nature of these conversations.

everything worked well. your advice was helpful. thank you.