

If you’re serious about audio, these two figures are important. Should I care about sampling rate and bit depth? Your everyday gaming headset, in comparison, is rated at a much easier-to-drive 32Ω. For example, Sennheiser’s HD800 headphones are rated at 300Ω and, if the DAC isn’t designed to cope with this, the sound may be very quiet. But note that some DACs are more capable than others at driving high-impedance headphones. Will a DAC make my headphones louder?Īll the DACs we’ve recommended below include a built-in amplifier, so you can plug your headphones straight into them and pump up the volume. This isn’t a standard feature, but some DACs support Bluetooth aptX, while others support both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. For the ultimate convenience, look for a wireless connection. It depends on your setup, but you can’t go far wrong with a USB input from your PC, laptop or console. Larger units do, however, have space for more inputs and outputs – the main benefit of choosing a bigger DAC. Most DACs are compact little things, while still delivering top-notch quality. High-end audio gear doesn’t have to be big. How to choose the best DAC for you Does the physical size of the DAC matter?

A dedicated DAC can make all the difference, with a cleaner sound and better effects processing. However, the sound quality from these integrated chips is often quite disappointing.

You can listen to music without investing in a standalone DAC as your various audio sources will all have their own built-in converters. Best cheap headphones 2023: The best budget earphones, earbuds, on-ear and over-ear headphones
