This is when external DACs for your phone are worth buying
External DACs aren't necessarily for everyone, but they can be an essential smartphone accessory for those interested in high-quality audio.
When searching for the best audio experience from your smartphone, an external DAC is a worthwhile investment. With audio streaming services now offering advanced features like Dolby Atmos and lossless audio, CD-quality or higher audio is now accessible on smartphones. However, simply streaming this high-quality audio is not enough. To truly enjoy lossless and high-resolution audio, you'll need a pair of wired headphones and an external digital-to-analog converter (DAC).
The DAC's job is to convert the digital audio signal, which is stored as 1s and 0s, into an analog signal your headphones can reproduce. The bit depth and sample rate of this signal impact the precision with which it corresponds to the sound wave's amplitude. High-resolution audio typically has a 24-bit sample rate of 192kHz, but even this may not be enough for some audiophiles.
When choosing an external DAC, compatibility with your phone's port is essential. Most external DACs connect via USB-C or Lightning. Ensure the DAC supports the bitrates and file formats you want, such as FLAC, WAV, or DSD. If you prefer wireless headphones, consider an adapter that improves your Bluetooth connection via better codecs.
Quality external DACs can be affordable, with capable units like the FiiO KA11 available for as low as $32. On the other hand, premium DACs like the Chord Electronics Mojo 2 can cost near $600. For more information on choosing the right DAC, consult Engadget's comprehensive review of the best DACs currently available.
Written by urgent.news from Engadget's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
