Amps, DACs, and Audio Interfaces
Updates
- 11/12/20
- 1/10/21. New Image.
Hey there friend!
Navigate the Site!
- Headphone Reviews & Comparisons
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- Amps, DACs, and Audio Interfaces (You Are Here)
- The Budget Kings Series
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- Resources
Current # Demoed: 45
- Amp/DAC Combos (Bluetooth included): 26
- Standalone Amps: 11
- Standalone DACS (Bluetooth included): 6
- Audio Interfaces (Amp/DAC combo): 2
- Own: DragonFly Red, FiiO K3, FiiO E10K, FiiO K5 Pro, iFi hip-dac, FiiO BTR3K, iFi Zen.
- Currently Demoing: Topping E30/L30, iFi Zen CAN Signature 6XX Stack, Neo iDSD, Topping A50s/D50s.
Contact me if you would like to send something for demo. I’m always looking to test new products out! Just use the form “All other Inquiries & Questions”!
Audioengine
- Audioengine D1 Review (Demoed)
AudioQuest
- Audioquest DragonFly Red Review (Own)
- AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt Review (+ Comparison to Red, Chord Mojo, and DACport HD)
Audeze
- Audeze Deckard Review (Coming Soon!) (Demoed)
Bottlehead
- Bottlehead Crack Review (Coming Soon!) (Demoed)
Bravo
- Bravo Audio Ocean Review + Desktop Shootout (Zen, K5 Pro, ATOM) (Demoed)
Bryston
- Bryston BHA-1 Review (Coming Soon!) (Demoed)
Cambridge Audio
- Cambridge Audio DAC Magic 100 Review (Coming Soon!) (Demoed)
CEntrance
- CEntrance DACport HD Review (Demoed)
Chord
- Chord Mojo DAC Review (Demoed)
- Chord Hugo 2 Review + Mojo Comparison (Demoed)
- Chord Poly Review (Coming Soon!) (Demoed)
Creative
- Creative SoundBlasterX G6 Amp/DAC Review (Demoed)
- Creative SoundBlaster G3 vs. G6 (Demoed)
FiiO
- FiiO Q1 Mark II Review (Owned & Sold)
- FiiO E10K Review (Own)
- FiiO A3 Review + Shootout with E10K & Q1 (A3 Owned & Sold)
- FiiO K3 Amp/DAC Review + E10K Comparison (Own Both)
- FiiO K5 Pro Review + K3 Comparison (Own Both)
- FiiO BTR3K Review & Shootout
iFi
- iFi micro iDSD Black Label Review (Demoed)
- iFi xDSD Review (Demoed)
- iFi xCAN Review + Shootout (Mojo & xDSD) (Demoed)
- iFi Zen DAC/Amp Review (Demoed)
- iFi Zen DAC/Amp vs. Zen CAN Signature 6XX
- iFi Zen Blue Review (Demoed)
- iFi hip-dac Review (Own)
- iFi Neo iDSD Review (Demoed)
JDS Labs
- JDS Labs cMoyBB Review (Demoed)
- JDS Labs Objective 2 Headphone Amp Review (Demoed)
- JDS Labs Element Review (Demoed)
- JDS Labs ATOM Review + Objective 2 Comparison (Demoed)
Klipsch
- Klipsch Heritage Headphone Amp (Coming Soon!) (Demoed)
M-Audio
- M-Audio Fast Track Pro USB Audio Interface (Owned & Sold)
Naim
- NAIM DAC V-1 Review (Coming Soon!) (Demoed)
Oppo
- Oppo HA-2 Review (Owned & Sold)
Schiit
- Schiit Magni 2/Modi 2 Review (Owned & Sold)
- Schiit Fulla Review (Coming Soon!)
- Schiit Magni 3 Review (Coming Soon!)
Sony
- Sony TA-ZH1ES Review (Coming Soon!) (Demoed)
Topping
- Topping NX4 Review (+ FiiO Q1 MK II Comparison) (Demoed)
- Topping E30 + L30 Combo (Demoed)
- Topping A50s/D50S (Demoed)
DAPS
- FiiO M3 Pro (Coming Soon!)
Topping Mini-Series
A look at some Amp/DAC stacks and how they compare to other products! More to come.
- Topping E30/L30 Review – Just How Good Is It?
- Topping E30/L30 vs. iFi Zen CAN Signature 6XX
- Topping A50s/D50s Review (With E30/L30 & Zen CAN Signature Sound Comparison)
Amp/DAC Comparisons
& Shootouts
- Schiit Magni 2 vs. Magni 2 Uber
- Audioquest Dragonfly Black vs. Red (Popular)
- Chord Mojo vs. Hugo 2 (Popular)
- FiiO K3 vs. E10K (Popular)
- FiiO K3 vs. K5 Pro Review & Comparison (Popular)
- JDS Labs Element vs. Objective 2
- Topping E30/L30 vs. iFi Zen CAN Signature 6XX
- Topping NX4 vs. FiiO Q1 MK II
- iFi Zen Amp/DAC vs. Zen CAN Signature 6XX
- Creative SoundBlasterX G6 vs. G3
Shootouts
- AudioQuest DragonFly Red vs. Cobalt vs. Mojo vs. DACport HD (Popular)
- Audioengine D1 vs. FiiO E10K vs. DragonFly Red (Popular)
- Audioquest Dragonfly Red vs. Chord Mojo vs. Oppo HA-2
- FiiO A3 Amp Review & Shootout [E10K & Q1] (Popular)
- FiiO Q1 vs. DragonFly Red vs. Audioengine D1
- FiiO Q1 vs. E10K vs. DragonFly Red
- FiiO BTR3K vs. BTR5 vs. DragonFly Red
- iFi xDSD vs. xCAN vs. Chord Mojo
- iFi Zen vs. FiiO K5 Pro vs. JDS ATOM vs. Bravo Ocean (Popular)
Audio Interface Comparisons
- Audient id14 vs. id22
- Komplete Audio 6 vs. Scarlett 2i4
- Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 vs. 2i4 (Coming Soon!)
Best
Interface
Best
Amp/DAC
Newer or Updated
- The Best Budget Headphone Amplifiers & DACS (Updated 11/12/20)
- The Best Portable Headphone Amps & DACs
- The Best Desktop Headphone Amplifiers
- The Best Headphone Amps & Soundcards for Gaming
Older (Probably needs updating)
Best
For Headphones
- The Best Headphone Amp for the Sennheiser HD 600 & 650
- The Best Headphone Amp For The Sennheiser HD 800
- The Best Headphone Amp for the AKG K701 & K702
Thanks for stopping by!
All the best and God bless,
-Stu
Be sure to check out my Resources page for more helpful and informative articles!
8 Comments
Stu, I finally bought a Philips Fidelio X2HR on sale. I am starting to listen to classical music especially but I have a low budget and I wanted to ask you what things produce the most significant improvements:
1) with a headset of sufficient sensitivity and low resistance, is a dac or external amplifier necessary? I read this (https://www.soundguys.com/do-you-need-a-dac-13488/) and it left me with doubts, is it possible that smartphones have improved their technology and the difference with a dac is small?
2) To have a neutral and more analytical sound, is it convenient to equalize? If so, towards a flat curve or better aim at the Harman curve? (guided me in these recommendations https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq)