Apple's USB-C DAC adapter for $9.99 is actually a good DAC. Read my written reviews with scores at iiwireviews.com/
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00:00 Intro
01:55 Problem!
03:39 That's more like it
05:04 vs 7Hertz 71
07:04 vs Hilidac Audirect Beam 3 Pro
09:35 Final thoughts
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#hifi #audiophile #dac #stereo
I forgot to mention this - Apple's DAC is very moderately powerful (especially the EU version) and I recommend it only for IEMs or other very sensitive headphones. It can't drive properly any model with high impedance or just power-demanding.
yes is not as loud as the Samsung DAC dongle which imo bests the apple overall for that reason.
Extra medium.
Yea, EU vs US versions, or just use Linux instead or maybe Windows.
Is there any free app same sound quality as USB Audio Player Pro?
@@STAYCBias I have issues with UAPP on my device, and Neutron Player (trial) is free and seems to "unlock" the Apple dongle in the same way as UAPP.
2:25 It actually depends on the phone Some phones that run Android don't have this issue, but many do. As a side note: If you have an LG Android phone still, don't get rid of it, use it as a DAP. LG for whatever reason decided to bypass the DAC inside of the Qualcomm SoCs and used ESS Sabre DACs instead.
They'll have to pry my LGV30 from my cold, dead, hands.
@@5theband5 Same with my lg v20 and lg v30. V30 does have a finnicky fingerprint sensor because I accidentally cracked the back glass
I have an LG V40 that I absolutely love. I was very disappointed when I got my iPhone14.
I was searching for this info for like 3 days, and couldn't find a comprehensive info like yours. Then suddenly KZhead recommended this. Thanks.
HAHA I Love that track! I think I appreciate the pointing out of that track "Bass & Drum Intro" as much as the review itself. This is my 3rd video of yours I'm watching. So far it's great & appreciated.
Your brilliantly brutal, honest and playful reviews are soooo fantastic to watch.... THANK YOU!! 😁😁😁
Thanks, you just produce such great content, smart, easy to understand and unbiased :-)
Hey Soul, Thanks for this information ,i bought 3 Hidiz day recommended by you and 7Hz dac for my friend as i asked him to buy apple dongle for his android as it was sound amazing on my iPhone but we didn't know about UAPP app back in September 22 thanks again keep up the good work.
Much needed review/explanation, thanks.
Such content is really rare! Thanks
Ah! Great. Love your reviews and overviews. Thanks for all the hardwork. 😁
What a superb video. No bullshit, just facts. Thank you brother. Peace and Love from Manchester, England.
I enjoy your review style sir
I bought one and mainly use it with some easy to drive "cheap" headphones for listening to Podcasts via my old iPAD. For that it works well enough.
Very good because well detailed review. Thumbs up
Excellent info. Super!
It’s actually very good. So cheap that I own 4 of them so they’re always readily available. I tried five external dongles and they were OK. I use it exclusively for my iPhone.
You mean the lightning dac
@@jcap8391 the hardware inside is still the same, I didn't notice any meaningful difference between the lightning adapter I used on my 13 pro and the USB-C one that I started using on my 15 Pro Max
It's not that good apple just handicaps all others so that they don't work as they should .
@@nitrobear The type-c one measures better
@@clickbaitpro I use it as desktop DAC too and it’s amazing how good it is for the money. Probably the best value in audio there is. Nothing comes close for so cheap.
I have an ifi go bar, I use it at home occasionally when I am away from my main system or on vacation. I don't use it when I am out and about because its fiddly and the lightning > usb cable is stiff and fragile. I have 2 of the Apple dongles - their strength lie in small size and low cost, I use them, especially when I am skiing with FiiO FF3 earbuds and a bluetooth button to control the music player. The Apple dongle is a step down from the go bar but, but I still get excellent sound in this environment.
Thank you for the vid. Interesting and informative. Reg issues with audio on android : if you are using Tidal, their app does same as the one you've used for fixing low volume issue. Android without some workarounds (via apps) has awful solution for audio processing out of the box 😅
I was going to get the apple dongle for my Samsung but luckily I saw some reviews mentioned the power reduction. I ended up getting the CYBERDRIVE USB-C Audio DAC on Amazon and I have to say I'm super impressed. It sounds just as good as any fiio product I've used being the new k3 and the btr5 dare I say the k5 too
Your reviews are so good I’m surprised you don’t have 100k subs
The DAC that came bundled with the Razer Phone II is the best Phone DAC! I have it, along with the Apple, Google, and Samsung and the Razer is the only one that will push my Sennheiser HD 6XX and Fostex T50RPs.
Excellent helpful video. If you ever get into comparing affordable switch mode power supplies, I hear from PassionforSound that the Apple one is also pretty good. I think iFi makes one as well. That would be interesting.
This hits home. I just bought a schiit modi+ to hook up to a wiim mini instead of using iphone + apple dac. I have to say that I’m considering returning the wiim and schiit and just hooking up the Apple dac to and an old ipad or laptop for streaming. The schiit is good but I feel that the apple has a bigger soundstage and is close enough otherwise that it isn’t worth 13x the price for the schiit.
Tell me more…
You could "air parrot" your iPhone to the iPad+DAC streamer for the wireless airplay functionality you'd be losing if you returned the mini.
The apple dongle doesn't support anything higher than 48kHz (no DSD, no 96kHz, etc.). Might not matter to some people, but it's still a limitation.
@@rboy91lmfao
@@rboy91 Or maybe someone with more revealing equipment than you have... 🤔
@@mgseecope
The theory is that it matters how many times the sound is sampled per second, even at significantly lower frequencies
some believe that it should be bite perfect. so that it is the same quantization frequency as the recording is made in or streamed in. so choose the Lossless mode on Apple Music and not the hi-res mode. If you use the cheap adapter from Apple
Wow - *excellent* video! I would not have suspected that the USB C version of the Apple DAC would be neutered - though if I am cynical, I can think of why ...
Thankfully Roon ARC also now successfully circumvents the android USB DAC SRC etc issues too, not only USB Audio Player Pro. So I guess that'd work with this apple item too.
Thanks for all your info on these dacs. I have an android s22ultra and have been using the apple dongle. Ok sound, but no real power,not enough volume. Trying the Anker usb c to 3.5mm..omg the difference! More volume than one would need with wired iems or buds. Thanks for the heads up with the Apple product.
Actually I use Lightning dac to drive my campfire andromeda, I prefer this over any other dongle that I have, apple Lightning dac tamed andromeda’s crazy mid bass and I’m really enjoying them now
I actually found a few low cost ear buds that sounds great with the apple dac as-is on Android and it's really clear... Just kinda low. But its a non fatiguing sound and you can actually still hear everything. I listen to it for long listening sessions and if you stick with it, it seems like my brain makes it sound louder over time. Ijs
Thanks, you just saved me some money.
Thanks for the info - I bought the Apple USB C DAC for my Samsung Galaxy S20 and wondered why it was so quiet - I'd given up on it, and thought I'd just buy a set of USB C earphones instead, since it was only for casual use. Are there any budget USB C earphones you'd recommend?
I own Apple dongle + IPhone 12 and IBasso DX240 DAP. Totally agree about thin sound of Apple dongle. This is not hi-fi device but it is sufficient in on the go scenario. I use it with Moondrop Aria. It’s great for my to work commute.
would the seeaudio rinko run well on this apple dongle dac on my iphone ?
Just get the moondrop dawn pro dac and you’ll get the best possible sound for only 50$
Great review. I have the Apple dongle and use it with my iPhone, it works well, but if I need balanced output and need more refinement, better soundstage and gut, I use other devices.
Which other devices are better?
The apple dongle sounds good with PC USB output. Also, the USA version of the dongle has more power than the European version, even if you are using the app.
Great topic
Then a question what source do you use when you test them. I hope it wasn't mp3 files. but at least flac in 16 bit and best of all 24 bit which is also available as WAV and AIFF
Good information for us Android users.
Hello, I just discovered your channel. I want to buy a pair of headphones for video editing. I'll mainly use them on my PC with a 3.5mm jack, but occasionally I'd like to use them on my iPad with USB-C and on my iPhone with Lightning. I'm considering the classic earpods. Since they cost 15 euros, do you suggest buying all three types of connections or to avoid unnecessary complications, is it perfectly okay to get the ones with a jack and the two Apple adapters at 10 euros each? How do they perform in terms of latency? I also have the 3rd generation AirPods, but I'd like to avoid latency issues. Do you suggest any other good headphones under 30 euros? Thank you very much.
I'm using my first USB dac, $20 cheap BlasterX, from my PC to Amp and 2 speakers...sounds gud to me.
does the moondrop dawn has more bass and body than the apple dongle (as you described with beam 3 pro) ? thanks
Would a Fiio K13 dongle out of iPhone benefit sound with efficient 30 ohm/100dB Phillips X2HR headphones? Currently using Apple dongle.
Great video, hvala! For android, do the cheap dongle dacs usually allow spotify to play and use the full power or do we also need the other app?
So without the tidal app dac powerr is at 50% on galaxy phones? I have the s20 ultra. What if I'm playing youtube via galaxy is the dac power reduced to 50%? Is it only audio via tidal with is full 100%?
Nice topic. Actually there is a video from Crinacle with that dongle called :”this is fine”
yeah, and unlike Crinacle's video, this one goes into how it differs from pricier DACs rather than just go "it's fine/you don't need anything more expensive". Looking at other comments here, it seems like Crinacle's video was focused on general consumers that don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on each piece of sound equipment.
Apple uses the same chip across its line-up since 2020 it’s a 32 bit floating point up to 96k Cirrus Logic chip made exclusively for Apple devices. Mac, iPhone, iPad, anudio donglesand so on use the same ad/da chip so to keep overloading distortions down in apps like FaceTime. The chip is Cirrus Logic CS42L84A-CWZ Audio Codec. Cirrus Logic make a 32 bit fixed point version of this same chip but make a floating point version exclusively for Apple products.
would the seeaudio rinko run well on this apple dongle dac on my iphone ?
5:20 compare BOTH in the app? How about comparing apple dac in app to the 7hhz DAC without app?
I! I am about to buy a Lightning to HDMI adaptor from apple to connect my iPad Air 2 to. Denon AVR 1611 in order to listen music with tidal. I think by this way I will use the Denon internal DAC and would work fine. Did you ever tried this? Thank you!
Hi I compared the DAC plugged in between my Lenovo laptop (I already changed the setting to DAC USB C cable output sound) and my iPad Air 5th; there is a significant difference between them. Are there any ways, like how you showed it on the video with an Android phone, that the DAC would be sufficient for all its power on my laptop?
How does it compare to the SMSL M500 mkII :D
Will you at any point make a crinnacle style ranking list for amp and dac gear?
If I can recall it correctly, I think Tidal on android allowed since somewhere last year or so to access a DAC output directly and use exclusive mode on such output device. I confirmed it back then by using the iFi device I owned and seeing it display the MQA indicative light.
So without the tidal app dac powerr is at 50% on galaxy phones? I have the s20 ultra. What if I'm playing youtube via galaxy is the dac power reduced to 50%? Is it only audio via tidal with is full 100%?
There is another possibility lighting to USB adapter. so you can connect it to a DAC or, for example, to another audio device
Can you please confirm if you can use shazam to detect songs after UAPP takes control over the dac ?
Thoughts on Dell USB Type C - 3.5 mm jack which is a digital/analogue converter?
some believe that it should be bite perfect. so that it is the same quantization frequency as the recording is made in or streamed in. so choose the Lossless mode on Apple Music and not the hi-res mode. If you use the cheap adapter from Apple
High sensitivity headphones recommended. (such as K361) to get acceptable sound, much better than that available from the 3.5 mm jack. Relatively power hungry headphones (HD600, Sundara, etc) NEED an amplifier dongle. There are similar 10$ devices with USB-C instead of Lightning. They work much better than the internal dac in MY XiaoMi A1 :-). AND the Wavelet EQ app is amazingly good. It uses a vast database of parametric EQ profiles for most hp. The result is a cheap, cheerful, no clutter, weightless solution when you want to travel light. Quite amazing! (for the price) Android resamples to 48 kHz. An app is available bypassing this limitation. Nice, but it's not an audible must.
i own a pair of k361's and wonder if it would be worth to use this dongle for my pc instead of onboard sound (ALC1200)
would the seeaudio rinko run well on this apple dongle dac on my iphone ?
11:42 "those [tests] really cannot tell you the full story about how something sounds", can you make a video explaining why?
Tip for limited volume from a dongle. Go to your phone's audio settings and see if you have an equaliser with Samsung UI, (Settings > Sounds and Vibrations > Sound Quality and Effects > Equaliser), you can boost or cut everything by 10dB.
Bad idea . Doing that you get massive clipping and skyrockets THD and noise
The Apple dongle DAC is a no brainer for almost everybody, because it Works perfectly in the ubiquous Windows, It sounds wonderful in my laptop and still have some use in my Android phone with some free tweaking. Simgot EW100P plus that ilttle thing and you got the a great sounding affordable setup.
would the seeaudio rinko run well on this apple dongle dac on my iphone ?
You use tweaking by root and magisk modules ?
Apple dongle is great when u have warm tuned iems however i have a reference balanced armature iem and this iem is mostly mid to upper mod focused so when i use apple dongle, my iem becomes too forward and sharper in unpleasent way. So im buyin ibasso dc03pro and see how it works
doo you know where this difference in sq of apple dongle between android (13 and under) system audio (16 bit 48khz) vs uapp direct bit and full volume control is coming ?
Ahhh that explains why the Apple dongle was so quiet when I tried to use it with my Pixel...I had to get one a few weeks ago cause I lost my old pair of headphones and the store only had the Apple dongle
On android uapp or root can be solution,with pc it work great as is
all devices are just super low voltage so they’re run quieter. like turn tables.
My experience with it is that it sounds ok, but not good enough for a “quality” hi-fi setup to be viable sonically, is void of flexibility, and was not able to supply enough signal and maintain its “best” audio quality. The difference between this one and spending a couple hundred bucks is like night and day, but then you can argue that when comparing spending a couple hundred bucks to spending a couple thousand bucks, it doesn’t feel like such a value/dollar depending on your situation. Most people really don’t need any DAC’s in 4 or 5 digit prices. Schiit and Topping dacs in the $150-$450 range is all that is usually needed, and an accompanying headphone amp, if headsets are your passion.
The thing is it sounds ok for 9 bucks - Better than most audio soundcard in PC and laptop. Bravo Apple!
@@mifugaming7435 I definitely agree. Can't beat it for the price from anything I've seen.
I miss the headphone jack so much.
Hi , How about Spotify in Android and Apple music when connecting with FIIO btr7 Via Bluetooth ? TIA
You shouldn't see which cable is attached for reviews. It can influence your opinions. Thanks for your video.
2:16 exactly why i came to this video. USB AUDIO PLAYER PRO, hmmm? Direct access to DAC in the Apple adapter. The same 5:45 ?? 10:25 Others better but $79?
Is there any application that can unlock Apple DAC to use with KZhead Music on Android (Honor Magic 5 Lite Phone)?
so simply it works awesome with iPhone andriod with that app annndd pc as i read the 50% reducing of the power is only with phones with pc its 100% power which is tbh great
I thought poweramp pro had the smarts to overcome Hardware tricks like you described ?
Thx😊👍
Does a type-c IEM activate 24bit or 32bit on Samsung devices ? Ofc by using third party apps.
Love the review, but I have read that the lighting dongle is a tad better than the USB version.
What about the official samsung usbc to 3.5 dac? It's about $30, or there a better alternative?
You tried any Fiio dongle dacs? A suggestion to add some specifications as not all dacs are equal. I opted for the Fiio K3 and also use a separate headphone jack for desktop use and iPad mini 6 and Apple Music with Hi-res Lossless
I just got an APPLE Dac for my new IEMS and honestly idk bout the powerr thing... Idk if it's changed in the last year but this thing is LOUD. Like I reach my max listening volume at 25%
I kept wondering how you even connected it to your Phone until I realised it was a USB-C version and not lightning. I think Apple dit something proprietary to it so I doesn't work at full power on Android Phones. I actually have Apple Dongle that I found in the street, but can't use it because Lightning. Instead I use a Sharkoon Mobile DAC that has a nifty equalizer settings button on it.
Very informative. Earn a follow.
Poweramp app it works perfect too and it does recognise the usb dacs :-) I found poweramp better to use.
is the volume controls expected to work for andoird phones with this DAC? I tested on 2 android phones and a single press of the up/down vol button sends a hold command that maxes out or mute the volume.
Mine worked just fine with volume control. Can't say why is behaving like that.
That’s a very nice and informative video, i have all Apple devices and I have used this dongle for years but only when I play games never for music 😝 Btw - can you recommend something better than ifi Go bar? Same sound signature but more details and spacial accuracy?
I run the IFI Go Blue…just don’t like the tangle of bullshit cables to run an attached dongle.
Please make a comparison of venture electronics abigail pro vs other dacs
Can you use the adapter on the MacBook instead of the built in 3.5 mm jack?
Yes. Your audio will sound better too.
I've had the apple dongle and believe me it's not worth it because I love my movies and music so having a dongle with a d.a.c built inside makes all the difference to me
Could you please try to use it on a PC computer and tell it sounds fine and loud or is it also limited in power on Windows or Linux PC ?
On PC it work good, no compatibility issues with volume control. But US dongle is 1V RMS and EU limited to 0.5V RMS - this is a EU law regulation. So use it with low impedance and high sensitivity. I use EU dongle and low impedance (8om) planar headphones without any preamps and it's great. But with higher impedance it can be worse
With Kato I tried btr 5 as dongle compared to the dongle provided with kinera Freya, using IPhone and Qobuz as source. Very little difference
Single ended in btr5 of course since btr5 has also 2.5 balanced besides 3.5
You are right. The piece that comes with Kinera Freya I do not know if there is an adaptor or dongle
I need a cheap passive dongle but I can't find any in us anyone got any suggestions where to get
Is there an alternative to usb audio player pro?
Hi, am new to this but would like to enjoy music with deep and crystal clear sound on my iphone 12 using apple music lossless audio. So, which DAC would you recommend considering a deeper bass and surround sound ? I have also ordered Bose Noise Cancelling 700 Bluetooth Wireless Over Ear Headphones with Mic (with cable).
Yeah I'm wondering if Bose even need a DAC. Most of the people who like dacs have iems or other headphones that require power
I agree that with IEM s this dac is super effective, but with 32ohms headphones and higher, Apples dac sounds very weak. It’s very noticeable. I have more power directly from iPad or MacBook jack
Yes, because US version have only 1V RMS and EU limited to 0.5V
Type c to rca does it sound better than airplay ?
It depends what it is. There are plenty of android flagships with a DAC inside the phone to send over USB-C. Of course they have an internal DAC, because they have speakers. Of course if it's not designed for high resistance headphones, it won't sound good. There is also a root hack to increase the sample rate for external audio. Clearly this app is sending a higher sample rate or something.
I have extremely low impedance headphones that stil need alot of power (so very current limited) is there something for this or is there a set limitation of what the lighting connection can allow?
This is USB-C version. I use EU (0.5V RMS, not US 1V) with low impedance (8om) planar headphones on pc without preamps and it works surprisingly good
I have the non-Apple version of that dongle for 5 bucks, and it connects my aux headphones to the phone via Bluetooth. The sound is terrible. So I guess it's the dongle issue?
Does this dongle work with a usb hub?
There are headphones with a built-in DAC, so connect them to the lighting input. There are also those that are based on USB
Let me be doubtful that it would be as good at sound image. Contours around instruments detailing ability and so on. the difference with dacs Can also be about the sound character, is it somewhat warm, bright, or towards the neutral
Did you check the DAC on a windows laptop or Mac? Thanks
It work good
So how to use the apple dac correctly? 10:30
thsi tiny thing is a DAC plugged it into my pc and new audio driver instantly works eaven microphone