Top Five Portable USB DAC/AMPs In The Market!!

In 2020 many famous Smartphone brands have ditched the traditional 3.5mm headphone output port in their smartphones. Now they offer a USB Type-C interface for earphones that offers average quality output at their best. While the USB Type-C adapters included in the box offers no performance improvements, we audiophiles are dependent on the USB DAC/AMP’s available in the market. There is a long list of USB DAC/AMPs when we search on the internet, but which one should we get for? Which is the best one among them? Well to ease your confusion, we have arranged a list of the top five USB DAC/AMPs in the market.

>Lotoo Paw S1.

>iBasso DC03.

>E1DA 9038D.

>xDuoo Link 2.

>Hidizs S9.

Technical Comparisons:-

Lotto Paw S1:-

When it comes to HiFi audio gears Lotoo leads the industry with its premium quality audio gears. Lotoo released its first USB DAC/AMP the Lotoo Paw S1 earlier this year and ever since then the PAW S1 is bagging a lot of praises under its sleeves.

The Lotoo PAW S1 is a very elegant and powerful device equipped with a high-performance DAC chipset paired with standalone OPA1622 operational amplifiers to deliver an unmatched experience. It supports PCM decoding up to 32-Bit/384kHz and DSD up to DSD128 natively. The PAW S1 not just excels in the sound department, it has exceptional looks with an OLED display on the front. It has a detachable connector cable design available in both USB Type-C and Apple Lightning variants. You can pair the PAW S1 with Android Devices, iOS devices, Windows PC, and MAC systems. The Lotoo PAW S1 has a price tag of 165$, You can grab it from our store here.

E1DA 9038D:-

E1DA changed the game for Hi-res portable music enjoyment with the E1DA 9038 series of USB DAC/AMPs. Quite recently they released the latest E1DA 9038D with a 3.5mm headphone output port. They also offer the 9038S series with a 2.5mm balanced headphone output.

The audio circuitry inside the E1DA 9038D houses a high-performance ES9038Q2M decoding chip that is usually found in mid to high-level DAC systems. The decoding chip is paired with OPA1622 and OPA1602 amplification chips to deliver a crisp and detailed sound output. It supports PCM decoding up to 32bit/384kHz and DSD up to DSD256 natively. For output, the E1DA 9038D produces a super clean background with an output power of about 180mW at 32Ω of load, it can power up your headphones with ease. And all this comes at just 99$, yes you heard it right, you can get a super crisp high-resolution sound experience with your smartphones for just 99$.

iBasso DC03:-

Thanks to the international presence of iBasso products, their "DC" series of USB DAC/AMP's became a darling of many audiophiles around the globe. The series currently has three products in the market, DC01, DC02, and the recently released DC03.

iBasso DC03 is actually the finest portable USB DAC/AMP from iBasso featuring a powerful dual DAC chipset housing two CS43131 high-performance DAC chips from Cirrus Logics. It can decode PCM up to 32-Bit/384kHz and DSD up to DSD256 natively. The DC03 produces a super clean dark background with a high SNR value of up to 127dB. It outputs around 80mW @ 32Ω of load, more than enough to power your IEMs and low demanding cans with ease. The device is equipped with a non-detachable Type-C cable. It supports Android and Windows devices. You can grab this feature-rich portable DAC/AMP to drastically improve the sound experience with your smartphone for just 59.99$.

xDuoo Link 2:-

xDuoo has been excelling in the audio industry with its wide range of products, especially in the portable sections. They offer a brilliant range of portable USB DAC/AMPs like the XD-05, XD-05 Pro, and more. Around last year xDuoo released their first portable USB Type-C DAC/AMP, the xDuoo Link. It received many positive reviews for its amazing performance and attractive price(around 60$). This year, they have launched many new products including the highly awaited, xDuoo Link 2.

The xDuoo Link 2 features a superb sound clarity with ultra-low noise floor and ultra-low signal distortion. The DAC/AMP is equipped with a powerful ES9118 DAC chip inside its precisely crafted aluminum alloy body. It features a bass boost and a soundstage enhancement switch to adjust the output according to their preferences. The Link 2 features a detachable connector cable design and comes bundled with Type-C, Lightning connector cables. It can be used with Android, iOS, Windows, and MAC devices straight out of the box delivering an amazing sound experience. It is available for just 99$, grab it to improve your listening experience.

Hidizs S9:-

Hidizs recently released their latest portable USB DAC/AMP, the Hidizs S9. Equipped with a Velvet Sound AK4493EQ DAC chip, the Hidizs S9 is one of the only few portable Type-C DAC/AMPs in the market that decode PCM up to 32Bit/768kHz and DSD up to DSD512 natively. The Hidizs S9 is a cute little device that to the size of a AA battery. It features two headphone output ports on its CNC machined aluminum body, one 3.5mm single-ended and another 2.5mm balanced. The S9 outputs up to125mW of power through its 2.5mm Bal port and up to 90mW through the 3.5mm S-E port. It can be grabbed for just 109$.