In any process of life, whether it is driving a car or cooking, there are both amateurs and scrupulous professionals. Meticulous and hungry for the highest quality in their business. The same goes for listening to music. There are those who simply enjoy the melodies in inexpensive headphones that come with the phone, and someone buys expensive amplifiers and golden section cables. They listen to every note, look for flaws in the sound and hate the MP3 format with all their hearts. Alas, it will not work to constantly sit at home with your favorite acoustics, but you want to listen to music in good quality. For these purposes, portable amplifiers have been created that can be connected to the phone, thereby achieving a higher sound quality. Today's article is dedicated to this category of people. Here is a brief overview of portable USB-DAC amplifiers for headphones and compact speakers.
Creative Sound Blaster
Creative has repeatedly pleased fans with high-quality audio equipment and continues to do so to this day. The Sound Blaster E5 is an updated USB DAC amplifier for headphones and small speakers. This model is equipped with a quad-core DSP-processor and a proprietary equalizer for spot tuning.sound. When connected to a computer, Sound Blaster functions as a full-fledged sound card with its own driver, mixer and other delights that "audiophiles" of all stripes love so much. This DAC can even be used as a headset. For this, two microphones and a Bluetooth module were built into it. By the way, this is the only model from Creative, which is not only equipped with a powerful “stuffing”, but also boasts well-tuned drivers. Therefore, you should not worry about the sound quality, it is more than worthy here, especially considering the cost of $200.
Reviews
Creative's previous developments were often criticized for the fact that the company's engineers are trying to cram everything into their devices, but more, without looking back at the quality of individual components. This portable USB-DAC amplifier is no exception in terms of features, but with a big caveat in terms of quality. Users appreciated it and called it the best development of the company in its price segment. Critics from IXBT called the Sound Blaster E5 the perfect combination of price and quality.
It's ironic, but the users themselves influenced this course of things. Pressure from the audience and professional musicians took its toll. Creative engineers have largely rethought their device and created a successful product. Negative reviews touched only on the case design. These types of USB DAC amplifiers for headphones and speakers are usually smaller and more ergonomic.
Oppo HA-2
Chinese company Oppo, with mixed success, tries itself in newdirections, be it sound or smartphones. With smartphones, they somehow did not work out, but in terms of sound, everything is fine. The Oppo HA-2 is the ultimate audiophile external USB DAC amplifier. The role of the DAC in this gadget is played by the ESS Sabre32 9018 mobile DSP processor. This is the best processor of its kind, found only in expensive amplifiers and other Hi-End equipment. Record performance is only half the battle. Chinese engineers have done the impossible and made it sound like no other product from competing brands in the same category could. At the same time, Oppo fit all the “stuffing” into a compact and stylish case, which immediately stands out from the competition thanks to the leather coating over the metal. This is without a doubt the best Chinese external USB DAC amplifier.
Reviews
The opinion of professionals is confirmed by the townsfolk. Oppo HA-2 is the most desired gadget in the class. A lot of tests were carried out, both on budget equipment and on Hi-End-class speakers. The verdict was the same: you have to take it! Fans of high-quality sound are deeply imbued with Oppo's developments in this area, although they did not expect such a stunning success. Those who understand at least a little what the ESS Sabre32 9012 DAC is, appreciated the work of the engineers from Oppo and called it virtuoso, because getting this processor to play as it should is not an easy task. This fact is confirmed by the general dislike for Chinese crafts running on the same processor, but giving out a completely faded and uninteresting sound.
Denon DA-10
Greetings from Japan. The Denon DA-10 is a typical USB DAC amplifier from the Land of the Rising Sun. As is the case with other models of the company, the TI PCM1795 chip has become the heart of the amplifier. The chip is capable of converting analog audio at a frequency of 192 kilohertz using pulse-code modulation. The body of the device is made of plastic with decorative aluminum inserts. Nothing interesting, looks too simple and even a little tasteless. It's also bad for damage resistance.
As for the sound, everything is much better. The ASIO driver is configured perfectly. And although this device is slightly limited in its capabilities and not assembled as soundly as other models from the Hi-End class, it copes with its main task much better than its competitors, and Denon can only be praised for this.
Reviews
Amplifier owners confirm the words of professional critics. Denon DA-10 is very simple, but at the same time reliable and convenient. The sound of this USB DAC amplifier is often compared to that of expensive devices. Moreover, many in all seriousness put them in a confrontation, where Denon often wins. Users also noted the manufacturer's concern for a potential buyer and love for Apple. The amplifier comes with a large two-piece case with a pocket for a smartphone and a set of wires for iPhone and iPad. Provided that such devices are usually used with smartphones and mid-range headphones, one can regardcomplete set of Denon DA-10 as successful.
FiiO E18 Kunlun
Another Chinese. This one is not so impressive in terms of sound. Yes, the same chip is installed here as in the Denon DA-10, but the sound, alas, is not the same. Indeed, the FiiO E18 does not sound as "juicy" as its competitors, but otherwise it is simply excellent. The first thing that catches your eye is the design. The exterior design is truly impressive. The body of the device is completely made of black metal.
At the same time, it remained very thin and easily fits in a jeans pocket, for example. Every detail, even the smallest, looks beautiful and confident. Nothing creaks or crackles. In a word, perfect. The volume is controlled by the brand's wheel-shaped mechanism, which gives the device even more elegance.
Reviews
In general, as expected, the owners of the gadget and professional critics are more shocked by the design decisions than the engineering ones. Considering this model, in general, few people talk about the sound, because it does not stand out much from the competition. This does not mean that he is bad, he is just like everyone else. Much more attention deserved the fact that FiiO E18 does not work with devices from Apple. The amplifier was specially designed for Android phones and even knows how to charge them. Yes, this is not only a sound amplifier, but also a sound card and a portable battery for a smartphone. One way or another, the amplifier has already found its audience, and you just have to decide what is more expensive: sound or design.
Venture Craft Go DAP BXD
But this is not just an amplifier, but a whole constructor. It's also very weird and scary at times. Let's start with the less terrible, with what is under the "hood". Here we have a PCM5100A converter - an unusual solution, but tolerable, no one will be very upset. As an amplifier for headphones, the MAX9722A is used - a time-tested and loved by everyone amplifier, a frequenter of expensive Hi-End-class audio equipment. Then some contradictions begin.
Firstly, the device has a USB port, but you cannot connect a player to it, for this you must use a coaxial or optical cable. Secondly, the amplifier is configured using printed circuit boards. That is, you can change the damping factor of the amplifier by opening the case and replacing one of the boards or rearranging one of the jumpers. The solution is extremely non-standard and clearly made for loyal fans who have not played Lego enough.
Reviews
As it turned out, there are many such fans. Fans who want to plunge headlong into the world of music were really "hooked" by such a strange development. Users understand that this is far from convenience, but there is a kind of romance in this design that attracts both home-grown engineers and people who live in electronics. Surely this was the bet. Such asceticism is rarely present in modern devices. For many, this is like a breath of fresh air. The only thing that confused some amplifier owners was the discrepancy between the characteristics thatdeclares the manufacturer, and real. And it's not even that the manufacturer overestimated them, as is often the case. Everything is quite the opposite. Tests have shown that the amplifier hardware performs even better than VentureCraft claims. It is likely that this fact scared away a dozen or two potential buyers.
Results
That's about it. The above models of USB-DAC amplifiers are the golden five, which can be seriously considered for purchase even today. The most interesting in the class were: Creative Sound Blaster and Oppo HA-2. The first amplifier pleases (for the first time) with a competent balance between the capabilities of the device and the sound quality that it can give users. The second impresses with incredibly advanced technical equipment and cool design. It is on these two models that you should pay attention first of all. If you want to save money, then order the brainchild of Creative without looking, if quality is still a priority, then fork out for a model from Oppo. Either way, you won't regret it.
