DACs are everywhere – in your smartphone, TV, Xbox, PC – you probably use one every day, even if you’re not aware of it. They are the omnipresent tech of the 21st Century.
But what is a DAC?... Literally, it's a Digital-To-Analogue Converter. It turns a digital audio signal – a string of 1s and 0s - into an analogue one – a continuous waveform.
Why do you need one?
Because the music you play at home or on the go – Spotify, Apple Music, CDs, YouTube, Netflix et al is digital. Our ears only hear analogue, digital information is gibberish to them. Likewise, loudspeakers and headphones. It must be converted to analogue to hear… by your DAC.
Now the but: not all DACs are created equal. Nor is all digital audio. DAC quality has a massive influence on audio quality. A superior DAC will output more accurate analogue waves, hence truer to the original recording.
Digital music comes in different formats too. mP3 files contain around 10 times less information than CDs, which contain 6-7 times less than a studio master recording. That’s a lot of complex data, and some DACs are just not up to the job.
The good news is, it’s easy to find one that is. Which in turn will make you sing louder, dance longer and stay up later. Or just enjoy the music more.
If your music’s coming from a phone, PC/Mac, wireless speaker or CD player, you’ll likely be using its internal DAC. These work ok, but are often inefficient, poor quality and suffer interference from surrounding processes.
However, you can bypass internal DACs by redirecting the digital signal to a higher quality DAC. One that transforms the 1s and 0s into a wave more accurately, more completely, so you don’t miss a beat. Here’s a great example:
Audioquest’s Dragonfly USB - A tiny USB portable DAC with headphone amp that connects to your phone or laptop to vastly improve your music. It handles hi-res music and fits in your pocket too, perfect!
Better again, something like Chord Electronics Mojo or Qutest – bigger, more robust cases which improve isolation and superior components, so the all important analogue output is more precise and sounds better.
Source is important
Any DAC can of course only decode what it’s given – even the best DAC will not make an mP3 sound great. At the other end of the quality scale, feed your DAC studio master files and you’ll feel like Taylor Swift is right there beside you!
If Taylor being in your room isn’t an option and headphones are your game, there’s a wealth of choice. Several excellent systems cater for you.
Naim Uniti Atom HE is one. A hi-res streamer, DAC and headphone amp that sounds phenomenal.
Or, all-in-one Linn Selekt DSM has 3 DAC quality levels to choose from – standard, Katalyst or Organik. And we can play you them all.
Speak to us
We have DACs at all levels in Peter Tyson stores – integrated, portable and standalone; with integrated music streamers, headphone amps or both, from budget through to the absolute cutting edge of DAC technology – Linn Organik – a whole other world of quality. And the expertise to explain exactly which is best for you and why.
The benefits of using a quality DAC are audible. Your decision on which to use will depend on how and where you listen, and your existing system. Just call our experts or visit our stores to discover more.
Carlise – 01224 546756
Newcastle – 0191 285 7179