A DAC, or digital-to-analogue converter, is an essential part of any modern audio-listening system, but how does it work? And do you really need to shell out a ton of money for a new or upgraded DAC that promises to deliver better sound from your speakers? Before we answer those ...
In the context of this site, we will most likely be talking about Audio DAC devices. With the introduction of smartphones like the LG V20 and its Quad-DAC in October 2016, it is likely that moreOEMswill introduce similar capabilities to compete in audio playback. DACs are present in a ...
What is a DAC? What does it do? The sounds we hear on a day-to-day basis – traffic, instruments, that baby screaming on your otherwise peaceful commute – are transmitted in soundwaves, which travel through the air to our ears in a continuously varying analogue signal. Analogue audio re...
High-fidelity audio — or HiFi, for short — is audio that’s reproduced from the original recording with as high a degree of exactness as possible. Short of staging a live show or concert in your living room, a HiFi audio setup should deliver the best sonic quality you can experience at...
What is a DAC? A DAC simply converts a digital audio signal into an analog one so that you can play the sound over headphones or speakers. It’s that simple! DAC chips are found in your audio source component, whether it’s a laptop, a portable music player, or a smartphone, though...
receive Bluetooth and transmit the sound in high resolution formats. So, although you’ll still be attached via wire to your DAC, you’re free to roam around without your phone or computer, while still enjoying high-res sound. TheFiiO BTR 5(shown below) is an example of a Bluetooth DAC...
The DSD audio format has been back in fashion for a few years now. Most new digital products (from DACs to music streamers) boast DSD compatibility, and the music catalogue is now big enough to command respect, especially if you’re into jazz and classical music. But what exactly is DSD...
Additionally, certain interfaces — like the iD14 (MKII) — can serve as amplifiers for high-impedance headphones so you don’t need to get a separate, dedicated device to handle that. Overall, in every input and output on an audio interface, a conversion of signals is happening. Also, a...
As you compare different motherboard audio solutions, you’ll find the word “codec” featured prominently. Codec is a mashup of the words Coder/Decoder, and in the hardware space, it refers to the integrated circuitry responsible for converting analog audio signals into digital signals, and vic...
Thanks for this. So there is no hardware inside a stand-alone streamer (other than the SoC) which differentiates it from any other streamer? It's all about the software and any additional components such as DAC, power supply etc. Is that right? In which case what is the purpose (and ...