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April 12, 2018 3 min read 2 Comments
A good DAC is the easiest way to upgrade your headphone experience (assuming you already have good headphones and a good source). Unfortunately, there are many people who will never experience the sound improvement of a DAC because they don’t know what to buy. We’d like to help with that.
To learn more about DACs, here's a good place to start: What is a DAC? or our post on using DACs and AMPs with computers.
Here are 3 incredible DACs under $200 that will make a huge difference in your listening experience.
Good for: Super portable, crazy performance, MQA, harder to drive headphones
Audioquest is best known for their premium cables that can run into $1000s per meter. They have taken their expertise to the world of DACs and developed what we think is the ultimate sub $200 audio upgrade. You will be able to hear the difference the DragonFly makes instantly.
It’s just a bit larger than a USB stick and the DragonFly Red brings huge performance for its size. It works with any Mac or PC computer and also works with Android and iOS phones (you have to buy a dongle for both).
SPECS
Good for: Portability, cost to performance ratio
The DragonFly Black is a more cost-effective DAC/AMP from Audioquest that still provides a huge performance boost. It’s half the price of the Dragonfly Red, but in our opinion, it gives 80% of the performance.
SPECS
Good for: Functionality to cost ratio
British-based iFi has been making a huge splash in the DAC/Amp market. This DAC is up to date with the latest technology and for the price packs a ton of functionality.
The Nano is not as portable as the DragonFly’s and the form factor looks a little old-school compared to the competition. However, it’s the features that get us excited.
It handles MQA natively, decodes PCM up to 32BIt/384kHz and comes with a lot in the box:
SPECS
Those are our favorite USB DACs under $200. They combine portability, price and performance into a package that is very accessible. If you want to upgrade your computer or cellphone listening experience without dropping a ton of cash, one of these USB DACs is a no-brainer.
If you have any questions about the right DAC for you, fire us an email at info@headphones.com
January 28, 2019
I sure appreciate your presence on the internet. I need help (I believe) because I have a Beyerdynamic T1 Gen2 headphone on the way and “heard” I would need an amplifier to benefit fully when connected to my laptop computer. Well… I started investigating amplifiers and found great comments and an attractive price of $79 for a FiiO E10K … which is also on its way! My question now is whether these two will be compatible or if I’ll need a more powerful amplifier than the FiiO to help me with the Beyer T1.2. Thanks for your reply.
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Louis Wood
January 28, 2019
I sure appreciate your presence on the internet. I need help (I believe) because I have a Beyerdynamic T1 Gen2 headphone on the way and “heard” I would need an amplifier to benefit fully when connected to my laptop computer. Well… I started investigating amplifiers and found great comments and an attractive price of $79 for a FiiO E10K … which is also on its way! My question now is whether these two will be compatible or if I’ll need a more powerful amplifier than the FiiO to help me with the Beyer T1.2. Thanks for your reply.