Reddit reviews SMSL IDEA SABRE9018Q2C DSD512 Mini DSD DAC (Black)
We found 3 Reddit comments about SMSL IDEA SABRE9018Q2C DSD512 Mini DSD DAC (Black). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Ultra low phase noise low clock jitter phase locked loop circuitVolume control functionIntegral cutting process
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y1WFT4W/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
SMSL Idea. $85 and requires a little googling / firmware update but it works great. Noticable difference over the standard dongle.
It does use battery faster than normal... but I think any sizable DAC without it's own power supply will do so.
Motherboard outputs are rarely clean, so yes a DAC would solve it. The SMSL IDEA is cheap and does the job, and use the same cable I linked earlier.
I've been researching portable dac/amps and here are a few to check out.
Fio K1- Its one of the most popular and well reviewed portable dacs at the moment. 24-bit/96khz dac/amp that is supposed to be well balance with a low noise floor for about $40.
Dragonfly Red / [Dragonfly Black] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F7L3I14/ref=dp_sp_detail?psc=1) . All the reviews and impressions I've read for these devices are that the Black not bad, but Red completely blows it away in terms of sound quality but is also about double the price at around $200.
SMSL IDEA / Sabaj Da2 - Made by the same factory and using the same chipset under different brand names. These have also been getting rave reviews due to being sub 100 dacs but have the sound quality of much more expensive dacs. Also both come with usb-c otg cables. Both seem to be more favorited than the Dragonfly. Both can be found on amazon with the IDEA being a little more expensive than the Da2.
Things to keep in mind are that there are some glitches when some of theses are connected to android phone which have work arounds.
*Hissing or screeching when plugging into phone: Start music first and then plug in dac. Changing the usb mode to midi works for some people as well.
To take full advantage of have a usb dac alot of people recommend this app: USB Audio Player PRO
Also the inline remote controls and mic on headphones won't work with these.