Fiio D3 DAC?

[Dave2002]

This DAC has been recommended elsewhere - http://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-Digital.../dp/B005PWPUW6 - and if it really is good, then at under £30 it's probably a bargain.

Apparently it'll cope with hi-res audio up to 192k/24 bit resolution, and can also be run off USB battery packs.

For me I'm not sure if it's a great thing to have, but it could be good for hi-res files - if I had any or decided to go that route. I'd probably like to have a headphone output, which the unit doesn't have. There could be a cable solution for that, though most seem to be 3.5mm jack to 2 x phono, rather than 3.mm socket. In any case some of the cheap cable solutions are probably not too great, so would undermine any quality benefits which the gadget offers.

There are clearly much more expensive DACs out there, but this one has come with the range of my radar.

Setting this up to work with (say) a Mac might require the output to be forced to a particular sample rate and bit depth, otherwise it may automatically reduce to a lower rate - say CD quality 44.1kHz/16 bit, or 48kHz/16 bit. Some software tweaking might be required, particularly if different source files are to be played without too much fuss. I think that's where BitPerfect and Audirvana come in.

[Nevalti]

Hello Dave. I have three Fiio products with DACs - an X5, E10K & E17. One or all of them is likely to have the same DAC chip as the D3. All are very competent and will comfortably out-perform a PC/MAC sound-card.

They are not anything like as good as a top-end DAC so are not ideal for critical listening. They are absolutely fine for computer speakers of course. That is what I use the E10K for. The E10K, also known as the Olympus 2, DOES have a headphone socket.

With a (Windows 7) PC you DO have to select the output bit-rate etc in the Control Panel (I don't know about a MAC). I have mine set continually on 24/96 and the computer sends everything at that rate to the DAC regardless of whether it is internet radio, a CD or a hi-res track. Talking of which, I very much doubt you will hear ANY difference between a hi-res track and a 16/44.1 track with ANY cheap DAC. I also have a Dragonfly V1.2, which is much better than the Fiios, but it still cannot reveal any difference with hi-res.

You may recall that I was unconvinced but open minded about the possible benefits of hi-res. I have recently accepted that there is an audible improvement. That is due to the purchase of a Benchmark DAC2. It is noticeably better than my old DAC1, despite the DAC1's excellent reputation. Only NOW can I hear the difference but don't expect to with a Fiio. Perhaps it has something to do with £1,700 v £30?

[Pianoman]

Only NOW can I hear the difference but don't expect to with a Fiio. Perhaps it has something to do with £1,700 v £30?

Err, no - that would be expectation bias - you know, I've paid all this money so it has to sound better, right...

[Nevalti]

Oh ye of little faith.

[Cockney Sparrow]

Err, no - that would be expectation bias.....

Brave man !

As to DAC quality - for example the DAC in an airport express (AEX) is also rated very highly (I'm sure it's a different configuration than the Fiio DAC (which I agree has also received high praise)).
Plenty of detail here about the AEX at:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/airport-express-audio-quality-2014.htm

You might also care to read the iPhone 6+ review where he rates the DAC and audio quality as good as high priced DACs.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/index.htm

(Also, to note if your browser shows a "please try later" message, try a different browser. I queried the message with the man himself as I got it in an up to date Chrome browser, but then in Internet explorer it accessed the page contents. I like his style, he tells it straight as in my redundant APS system camera

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/aps.htm

[richardfinegold]

I am unfamiliar with the DAC. What is the purpose of the DAC. Is it to be the main DAC for getting computer files into your primary music playing system? If so, I suspect that you will shortly find it wanting, given it's low price and limited functionality . If it is for portable listening or a second system, then it may suffice.

[richardfinegold]

Brave man !

As to DAC quality - for example the DAC in an airport express (AEX) is also rated very highly (I'm sure it's a different configuration than the Fiio DAC (which I agree has also received high praise)).
Plenty of detail here about the AEX at:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/airport-express-audio-quality-2014.htm

You might also care to read the iPhone 6+ review where he rates the DAC and audio quality as good as high priced DACs.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/index.htm

(Also, to note if your browser shows a "please try later" message, try a different browser. I queried the message with the man himself as I got it in an up to date Chrome browser, but then in Internet explorer it accessed the page contents. I like his style, he tells it straight as in my redundant APS system camera
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/aps.htm

Airport Express won't play High Res files. And most users upgrade the DAC because they find it wanting.

[teamsaint]

I'll put this question here rather than starting a new thread.

For playing youtube/ Spotify through my Marantz MCR 610, i usually plug in a cable from the headphone socket.

Would I get much better results using a cheapish DAC such as a Cambridge DACMAGIC xs v2 ?