What is the best value for money/cheapest DAC which measures well? £ for £ / $ for $ and lowest cost.

[Westsounds]

The Topping D90SE is the king of the list as far as I can see but value for money, does anyone know off the top of their head just from studying the test results which DAC in the results list gives the ultimate performance per cost?

And is there a DAC under £40 for instance that can get near the higher end well designed and measuring well DACs but do it at a much lower cost?

 

[Willem]

What kind of input(s) and do you want a volume control with it?

 

[Westsounds]

What kind of input(s) and do you want a volume control with it?

Nothing just a basic dac, optical toslink and coax that's it.

 

[bogi]

The question is what is for you enough good. It may mean something different for you and for me.
For me Topping E50 is price/value king. I don't listen to graphs and I don't belong to "all DACs sounds the same" local initiative.

 

[RichT]

Tempotech Sonata HD Pro

 

[Westsounds]

The question is what is for you enough good. It may mean something different for you and for me.
For me Topping E50 is price/value king. I don't listen to graphs and I don't belong to "all DACs sounds the same" local initiative.

Yes but if they are doing their job right they should all be doing the same thing. Once all the 0s and 1s are converted as they should be all dacs shouldnt be a million miles away from each other. The rest is perhaps the components colouring, changing or adding to the sound. And tonality is a personal preference.

 

[NiagaraPete]

Apple dongle $10.00

 

[Westsounds]

Apple dongle $10.00

Is that a real dac though or just a connector, isn't the dac on the phone, and some have decent on board dacs on iPhones I'm led to believe.

 

[NiagaraPete]

Review: Apple vs Google USB-C Headphone Adapters

This is a review, detailed measurements and comparison of Apple's USB-C adapter to the current and last version of Google Pixel headphone adapters. The Apple adapter costs just $9 including one day shipping for free. The Google dongle costs $12. Not that any of these are large by any stretch...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Westsounds]

Review: Apple vs Google USB-C Headphone Adapters

This is a review, detailed measurements and comparison of Apple's USB-C adapter to the current and last version of Google Pixel headphone adapters. The Apple adapter costs just $9 including one day shipping for free. The Google dongle costs $12. Not that any of these are large by any stretch...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Thats interesting actually. I don't have a apple phone though

 

[Ninjastar]

Nothing just a basic dac, optical toslink and coax that's it.

Schiit Modi 3+ maybe?

Schiit Modi 3+ Review (Stereo DAC)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Schiit Modi 3+ DAC. It was kindly sent to me by the company for testing and costs US $99 from the company direct. Externally there is not much that indicates the new revision of the Schiit Modi series of DACs: The back side is the same as...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Schiit Audio: Audio Products Designed and Built in Texas and California

www.schiit.com

 

[SMc]

Check out the review index! The cheapest recommended DAC doesn't measure well but costs next to nothing. Not $4 anymore but still under $15 for something that functions:

Amazon.com: EASYCEL Audio Digital to Analog Converter DAC with 3.5mm Jack, Optical SPDIF Toslink Coaxial to Analog Stereo L/R Converter with Optical Cable and Power Adapter for PS3 PS4 Xbox Roku : Electronics

Amazon.com: EASYCEL Audio Digital to Analog Converter DAC with 3.5mm Jack, Optical SPDIF Toslink Coaxial to Analog Stereo L/R Converter with Optical Cable and Power Adapter for PS3 PS4 Xbox Roku : Electronics

www.amazon.com

Check out the dongles if your computer is your source.

 

[bogi]

Once all the 0s and 1s are converted as they should be

That's not so easy. Each delta sigma DAC contains delta sigma modulator. That modulation (which also occurs in the case of PCM to DSD conversion) is not a bitperfect reversible operation and can be of different quality. When you convert PCM to DSD and then back ot PCM, you never get the same file again. Not so easy. Similarly, digital interpolation filters of a DAC can be of a different quality. Then the D/A conversion stage itself, which is in principle a low pass filter, do you think there is only one 'ideal' implementation? If yes, show it us. And then there is level of noise rejection mainly from digital inputs and power source, this topic is beyond the capabilities of the "all DACs sound the same" local initiative.

 

[krabapple]

Demonstrating the existence of convincing and routinely-occurring audible differences in normal listening situations, seems to be beyond the capabilities of DACophiles.

 

[Zim]

Thats interesting actually. I don't have a apple phone though

Don’t need an Apple device to use it. As long as your device has a USB-C port, it should generally just work.

 

[Snarfie]

The first version Topping D10 payed something like 75,- euro. After 3 years still no urge to buy something ells. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...iew-and-measurements-of-topping-d10-dac.2470/

 

[JSmith]

just a basic dac, optical toslink and coax

Topping D10s USB DAC and Bridge Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Topping D10s USB DAC and S/PDIF plus Toslink bridge. It was kindly sent to me by the company for testing. The D10s has a retail cost of US $99. Let me start by confessing that the original D10 was one of my favorites with its cute orange...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Should be less that 80 pounds over your way.


JSmith

 

[NiagaraPete]

Don’t need an Apple device to use it. As long as your device has a USB-C port, it should generally just work.

Or Lightning port

 

[Atanasi]

For me Topping E50 is price/value king.

This probably works if you use USB. I am worried about the S/PDIF reliability of post-AKM Topping DACs.

 

[Zensō]

Apple dongle, JDS Labs Atom, Schiit Modi, Topping D10S.