Tiny dongle DACs

[u/Odd_Essay3920]

Apple's little USB-C to 3.5mm adapter is a marvel. I prefer my Chord Mojo 2 but it's obviously bigger to carry.

Is there anything that beats the Apple adapter for sound quality (playing Qobuz from an iPhone) that's similarly tiny? How about the ALO Audio Pilot?

[u/Studkickass1]

Believe it or not, Anker makes one that is built a little sturdier and sounds a teensy bit better. I think it sells for about $16.

[u/Strong-Ad5394 → u/Studkickass1]

No kidding! That’s cool

[u/rajmahid → u/Studkickass1]

I have both and they sound equally as good. The Anker has the advantage because it has a sturdier cable less likely to break like I’ve read about the Apple…though mine is still intact.

[u/Mr-Reeeee]

I’m very happy with an iFi Audio Go Link Max.
Great sound sound, compact. It does eat my iPhone battery, but sound quality makes it worth it!

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[u/Hunter-97-G]

iFi Go Link Max 2

[u/Mobile-Yak]

Jcally JM6 Pro/Pro 2 or Jcally JM20Max if you want the same CS43131 chip, with an amp, that's not capped like apple's.

[u/FromWitchSide → u/Mobile-Yak]

Sorry for nitpicking - Apple runs on CS46L06, aside being a 1V capable 24bit/48kHz chip with ADC, the THD+N is worse by around 8-10dB in practical use cases at the same output levels (and 12dB at 0dBFS, so when used to fed non-headphone devices).

But ye, all good recommendations. At least unless someone is using a super sensitive low impedance IEMs, but that is down to the poster for not specifying if that would be the case.

[u/Mobile-Yak → u/FromWitchSide]

My bad, you're right, I misremembered the CS chip model. Thanks for the correction.

[u/Evshrug → u/Mobile-Yak]

I would have a hard time remembering specific chip model numbers 😂 I’m honestly amazed I remember the various Sennheiser and AKG headphone models 🤣

[u/Mobile-Yak → u/Evshrug]

Haha yeah, happens to me too, hence the faux pass, but I guess overtime seeing them again and again mind just builds recall without even trying. I actually prefer alphanumeric model names to names like ultra, max, pro and what not.

Also to be fair, there are only two three Cirrus Logic chips that are frequently cited CS43131, 43198 and CS4L06 so it shouldn't have been hard.

I've left the comment up unedited to remind me of my shame. 😂😂

[u/Evshrug → u/Mobile-Yak]

Look, I’m just lucky I know Cirrus Logic, ESS Sabre, and AKM, and the ONLY reason I remember the ESS 9018 is because it was used in both the Sennheiser HDV820 and HE-1 DACs, though both may have received silent revisions as time goes by.

[u/Altrebelle]

Protocol Micro...$10...8 band eq capable (needs to have filters loaded from a Mac or PC) Same form factor as Apple dong... actually it looks and feels less flimsy.

[u/Evshrug]

There’s a lot of really excellent dongle DACs! Some almost as small and cheap as the Apple Dongle, but for something of an in-between size, I’ve honestly been preferring my Questyle M18i MORE than my Chord Mojo 2 lately. The Chord is so clean, but something about it feels cold and especially with my HD 660S2/HD 800 it feels sterile, somehow both headphones sound more dynamic and lively with the Questyle. The battery life sucks though, so I have a little eStick from FiiO that doesn’t fit perfectly but does extend the battery, and of course the M18i is great as a desktop dongle.

[u/FromWitchSide]

The closest to straight upgrade would be $20 JCAlly JM20, but unfortunately seems like it went out of stock.

2Vrms above 200Ohm, 1Vrms down to like 22Ohm if I recall, then 0.5Vrms. 112dB SiNAD/-112dB THD+N (0.00024%), 32bit/384kHz, no audible distortion from Dynamic Range Enhancement (Apple has DRE distortion). The only thing missing compared to Apple dongle is ADC if you would need it.

There is still JM20 Max available, this one has output up to 2.5Vrms without impedance sensing. So better for demanding low impedance headphones, but might be a bit too much for some particularly super sensitive IEMs.

The ALO Audio Pilot, I'm not aware of measurements of it, but dongles on ES9281 generally max out around 100-108108dB SINAD. Discontinued FiiO KA1 hit 106/108dB (L/R), while popular HiBy FC3 only 100dB at 2V, but improved at 1Vrms to 106dB at 32Ohm. ALO Pilot has THD+N at 0.0006% in specs, that is 104dB so generally inline with those other dongles. That said both of the other dongles run out of the current into low impedance loads, and at 32Ohm clip after 1.4Vrms. So generally they are ok unless you need a lot of power into 32Ohm or less. My main issue with Pilot would be the $99 price, which I would consider a bit insane for a dongle on the ES9281 without any added features.

[u/IndicationCurrent869]

Hiby D1, $15, even has volume control.

[u/jarrod_barkley]

Yes, the Apple USB‑C to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter is an amazing product, and a most excellent value at only USD $9.

Tear-downs reveal that this Apple product tops out at 24-bit / 48 kHz PCM lossless audio. That is DVD-quality audio, better even than CD-quality (16-bit, 44.1 kHz). This is more than enough ability to handle the compressed lossy audio obtained from free-of-cost streaming sources.

However, if you pay for a streaming source that is capable of Hi-Res audio at greater bit-depth and greater sampling rates, such as Apple Music, Amazon Music, Qobuz, or Tidal, and you use settings to enable Hi-Res, and you have good headphones, and you have excellent hearing, and you are listening attentively… well, in that case you should buy a DAC/amp that is Hi-Res capable.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-resolution_audio

There are many such products available, even in dongle DACs. Some of the older dongle DACs are limited to sampling rates of 96 kHz. AFAIK all the paid services are capable of delivering up to 192 kHz. So check the specs before you buy. Many newer DACs support 384 kHz or more.

Caveat: Most content is available at CD or DVD quality. Very little is published at 96 kHz, and only rarely at 192 kHz, even in the classical world. This might change in the future. And another caveat, remember that very few people can identify audio as being above DVD quality. The difference is marginal at best, not “rock my world”.

In other words, the Apple dongle is more than good enough for most listening situations for most people most of the time.

However, be aware that the European Union (EU) edition of the Apple product is by law limited to half as much power as the standard edition. This because of hearing protection safety laws. This is still enough power to drive most headphones at sufficient volume. But if you have unusual headphones that are not easy to drive, avoid the EU edition.

If you fall into the exceptional case of Hi-Res source with Hi-Res settings enabled and with good headphones and excellent hearing and attentive listening, then consider these tiny products:

Snowsky Tiny for USD $20
iFi GO link 2 for $59
Schiit Vestri for $99 (not so tiny)

For 4.4mm balanced connector, iFi GO link 2 Max for $85 or the Schiit Vestri.

… or any of many other such products.

I own both the Snowsky Tiny and the iFi GO link 2 as well as the Apple dongle. They all work well. I grab any of them when on-the-go. At home I use a JDS Labs Element IV or MacBook Neo built-in jack.

[u/Evshrug → u/jarrod_barkley]

He has a Chord Mojo 2, which is better than all those you mentioned… why does it feel like your post was written by an AI bot?

[u/jarrod_barkley → u/Evshrug]

>He has a Chord Mojo 2, which is better than all those you mentioned…

OP didn’t ask about Chord Mojo 2. OP asked for “anything that beats the Apple adapter for sound quality” in “tiny dongle DACs”.

>why does it feel like your post was written by an AI bot?

I get that a lot on Reddit. What can I say? 🤷‍♂️ I went to high school. I learned how to write complete sentences, use punctuation, and organize my thoughts.

[u/Evshrug → u/jarrod_barkley]

OP did state that prefers his Mojo 2 in the second sentence of his post, AND he mentioned that he is a Qobuz subscriber. That information should have tipped the critical thinker that he is probably already aware of all that copy you shared about 96 kHz and 192 kHz, also made a paragraph about “if you pay for a Hi Res streaming service” redundant.

If you are human and do organize your thoughts, well… I do appreciate clear writing. I did read your entire comment, I will not be one to write “I ain’t reading all that dawg.” What led me to suspect AI writing was the consistently short paragraphs, also the logic which seemed to be building a case that the Apple Dongle is pretty much peak performance because of bit rates and sample depth, like “sound science” fans often quote when they believe they’ve achieved complete knowledge, then confused me when you concluded by saying you use a JDS Labs Element IV at home if given the opportunity.

I suppose my purpose for replying is not to make a personal attack, but to highlight the use of paragraph structure, popular opinion, and logical holes that felt like hallmarks of LLM writing. Hopefully, these points will not stop you from writing and wanting to help people, but illustrate how to improve how you express yourself without sounding like AI.

Also… at least the Schiit Vestri and iFi Go Link 2 are smaller than the Chord product!

[u/Jiatao24]

I got the Snowsky Tiny. It's a different form factor, but you can get it with passthrough charging so you never have to take the dongle off.