Portable DAC/Amp with parametric EQ - what's out there? Needs USB input - Under US $600

[Music1969]

Well, you can run the ADI-2 DAC off of 12Vdc and it has 5 to 7 band EQ depending on how you use the configurable tone controls, which is why I brought it up.

I already have an ADI-2.

It's too big. It can be used portably with huge powerbank but the combo is too big and heavy.

Something the same of ADI-2 would be fine if it had built-in battery, so in that regard the size of one box isn't a concern for me.

But 12Vdc powerbanks that can power an ADI-2 for 6 hours for example, don't come small.

I know because I have ADI-2 and 12Vdc powerbanks. I rarely take those for portable use.

 

[Music1969]

As for DSP, you may use in upstream any of PC (or Mac) DSP software, such as JRiver, Roon, EKIO, etc., etc.

I know I use software on PC at home. We all know many ways to do PEQ. I can't take my i9-12900K portably

In post #1 these devices I mentioned have built-in parametric EQ, with DAC + amp all built-in.

In reasonably small package.

That's what I am seeking more examples of. More devices like listed in post #1

 

[Music1969]

As I mentioned, if miniDSP box had a USB in and USB out box, small and powered by 5Vdc I could pair that with any DAC/amp.

But such a device doesn't exist ?

I also updated thread title and post #1 - to draw a line in price - under US $600

 

[dualazmak]

I know I use software on PC at home. We all know many ways to do PEQ. I can't take my i9-12900K portably

OK, now I understand well.

BTW, JRiver + EKIO works perfectly even with my rather "old" very light notebook PC with Intel Core i7-3517U (2-core) @1.90 GHz, Mem 4 GB, m-SATA SSD 2 TB, Windows 11 Pro 64 bit.

(as for my audio dedicated completely silent [rather old but very stable] PCs, please refer to my post here; they are not portable.)

 

[Music1969]

OK, now I understand well.

BTW, JRiver + EKIO works perfectly even with my rather "old" very light notebook PC with Intel Core i7-3517U (2-core) @1.90 GHz, Mem 4 GB, m-SATA SSD 2 TB, Windows 11 Pro 64 bit.

Understood. I have an Intel Atom laptop also that can do PEQ.

But as I mentioned in post #9 on page 1, I want to connect my iPhone/iPad to a "box" that does PEQ + DAC + headphone amp.

I can't connect iPhone/iPad to my laptop to do this.

If you look at the list on post #1, they do this. But it is not a big list.

This issue would vanish if iOS/iPadOS had built-in PEQ for all apps.

 

[dualazmak]

I want to connect my iPhone/iPad to a "box" that does PEQ + DAC + headphone amp.

OK, fully understood! Hope good luck for you...

 

[Music1969]

It looks like we'll need to wait for Qudelix to make a bigger/better follow-up to their own great 5K

 

[staticV3]

It looks like we'll need to wait for Qudelix to make a bigger/better follow-up to their own great 5K

What are you missing with the 5K?

 

[Music1969]

What are you missing with the 5K?

The objective performance (noise, distortion, power) say of a Topping G5 ?

Wouldn't that be great with parametric EQ ?

 

[staticV3]

The objective performance , say of a Topping G5 ?

Ah I see. There is a 109dB SINAD dongle with PEQ, the miniDSP IL-DSP: https://www.l7audiolab.com/f/measurements-of-minidsp-il-dsp-headphone-amplifier-equalizer/

You should be able to plug that into an iPhone using a Lightning to Micro USB "OTG" cable, like the one included with the Sonata HD Pro:


Downside is only 1Vrms output and configurable only via Mac or Windows.

 

[Music1969]

There is a 109dB SINAD dongle with PEQ, the miniDSP IL-DSP

Yes it's mentioned in Post #1 in this thread already

Not quite the power of a Topping G5 (there's more important things than just SINAD as you know)

 

[FrantzM]

It looks like we'll need to wait for Qudelix to make a bigger/better follow-up to their own great 5K

I am in this situation...
Let me explain :
I am fully in the Apple prison err.. ecosystem. I like it, the Apple UI experience, except for a few strange (and un-Apple like) quirks related to Apple Music. more later.
I need something lossless, small with DAC+amp+PEQ , portable, for my iPhone Pro, iPad Pro with Lighting connectors. Would like to avoid BT connections because of FOMO and other audiophile idiosyncrasies ...
What is in there for us Apple people? Can this be done with the Qudelix 5K? A few monsths ago, I was about to order one but cancelled the order...

While writing this, I saw this post from @staticV3

Ah I see. There is a 109dB SINAD dongle with PEQ, the miniDSP IL-DSP: https://www.l7audiolab.com/f/measurements-of-minidsp-il-dsp-headphone-amplifier-equalizer/

You should be able to plug that into an iPhone using a Lightning to Micro USB "OTG" cable, like the one included with the Sonata HD Pro:
View attachment 264061

Downside is only 1Vrms output and configurable only via Mac or Windows.

Elicited more questions...

Peace

 

[khensu]

I just picked up a Qudelix 5k several days ago and am also in the Apple ecosystem and, so far, have been extremely happy with it. The biggest issue is that you do need a specific type of lightning to USB-C cable in order to use the 5k wired (with an iPhone). The cable I already had doesn’t do the trick. For now, when not connected to my MBP, I’m using it over BT, and even with that, I am not experiencing the FOMO

 

[Music1969]

It gets hot, is too noisy for IEMs (for me), is not easy to plug into external Amps, and the PEQ has an annoying issue where the center frequency of each peaking filter gets shifted by a set percentage, depending on what sample rate you're sending to the DAC:
View attachment 244225

"Beat-tones" refers to a setting in the companion App, which helps get rid of a high-pitched whistle noise. Some units have that noise with this setting enabled, others with it disabled.

On the flip side, the way you work the PEQ is really fun and intuitive.
Here for example you see me overlay a preset from AutoEQ and trace it by dragging and pinching the filters around. (YouTube link)

The app is called HPToy. It's free for iOS and Android and connects to the PDv2.1 via Bluetooth, but you can explore all features without owning the hardware.

I for example use it quite often to design PEQ filter presets, just because of how easy it is.

How is PowerDAC 2.1 now , in terms of reliabilty ? @IVX

Have firmware updates improved things?

And still noisy with IEMs ? What is SNR at 50mV ?

 

[IVX]

How is PowerDAC 2.1 now , in terms of reliabilty ? @IVX

Have firmware updates improved things?

And still noisy with IEMs ? What is SNR at 50mV ?

shortly, it is not for IEMs. This is a very unusual DAC which is digital up to the output low pass filters(passive one), no any feedback is there.
For the no-feedback topology, PDv2 has a phenomenal THD and noise but if we compare that with conventional DAC using tones of feedback, as the new coming 9039S, then PDv2 is noisy.

 

[Music1969]

shortly, it is not for IEMs. This is a very unusual DAC which is digital up to the output low pass filters(passive one), no any feedback is there.
For the no-feedback topology, PDv2 has a phenomenal THD and noise but if we compare that with conventional DAC using tones of feedback, as the new coming 9039S, then PDv2 is noisy.

Is new coming 9039S going to have parametric EQ ? This is much needed

Even 5 bands would be amazing

 

[IVX]

no, nowadays we can use the software EQ.

 

[Music1969]

no, nowadays we can use the software EQ.

We cannot do that with just an iPhone with Apple Music Hires or Spotify :-(

With PowerDAC you can, but unfortunately not good IEM headphones.

This is really unfortunate no EQ coming