How does this compare to the Dragonfly 1.2 Dac in terms of sound quality?
495394
I've never heard the Dragonfly, but the online equipment review I saw all rated the Microstreamer higher. I've been quite please with how it performs.
1625786
The best audio quality would be with a separate headphone amp. I assume this is what you are after if you have the MF DAC
539673
The sound over the internet is better than FM; however, FM reception in my 'hood is not good. Sorry, I don't know what DAC stands for (I'm e impaired).
2021299
I just bought a Mcintosh MHA100 DAC/AMP and it is brilliant with the HD600. It completely changed the performance and took it to a level that in my opinion was better than $1800 cans I tried. If you like tubes Woo Audio WA7 has some excellent feedback
899459
It will work but given the impedance of the headphones (62ohms) the volume will be a problem. The dragonfly does have an amp.
177318
if u can... i suggest u go for the audioengine d1. its performance is superior to this. but if ur using it for headphones only.... this wil def. do the job.
539671
All digital devices (iPods, iPhones, MP3 players, etc.) have to have a DAC -- otherwise you couldn't hear the music. But there are Chevrolets and Cadillacs and Ferraris among them. And the quality of the DAC obviously will determine the quality of the sound you hear. On the Sangean the internet feed will not sound as good as the actual FM signal. But on the other hand, on the Magnum Dynalab MD807 internet tuner (Google it!) which I prefer to listen to, the sound is as good or even better than the actual FM signal. Why? Because of the high-quality DAC and its tube output. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for!
939314
My two cents..I'm not sure how good the internal DAC/AMP in the Macbook is, but as for my HP DM4, I found the FiiO E7 to be of lesser quality than the sound card I already had in this laptop.
899461
Well to be clear, it is a very strong USB DAC, with 1000mW (4.3vrms) and 2 outputs 0.47Ohms / 47Ohms sounds amazing on this headphones!
1325756
It all depends on what you're comparing it to. If your computer is a $35 RaspberryPi... the DAC in it is admittedly really cheap. You should definitely notice a difference. If you have a Mac, you probably won't notice much difference. I have a late 2009 Mac Mini and I notice a very slight difference. It sounds like greater channel separation and a little more dynamic range. Definitely need to use the RCA outs from the DAC rather than the headphone output. I bought it to experiment with and it's fun to say that I run a separate DAC.
168729
I'm no audiophile, so I can't vouch for the quality of the audio, but it sounds quite good to me. And yes, if you have headphones hooked in, you can listen to the audio as it is being captured. Just to let you know, I own the DS-40, but I think the only difference between that model and this one is the memory.
78101
I would go with DAC unless you're interested in more clear lossless formats like FLAC.
183674
To be honest I really don't know, I basically sent it right back, I've ended up with Asus muse edition way more expensive but between its dac & headphone amp,it's worth every penny for its mind blowing performance under $1000, happy hunting for your sound!Regards Heriberto
1146602
Much better. You won't be disappointed. There are tons of sound presets to suit your tastes, plus 4 presets that you can fully customize. Even without any enabled the sound quality is still better thanks to the Wolfson DAC in the device.
107555
I notice a reduction in noise, but no discernable difference in sound quality. I use it as a DAC from my Windows pc with great results for music listening. And I use it with my Note 3 via a OTG adapter and usb and get dramatically reduced noise to headphones and external speakers.
1981094
I bet the Arcam doesn't sound ten times better (than the PAR21) and a couple of those reviews reveal some behavior I wouldn't tolerate on a high powered audio system. A quality audio cable will usually deliver the best sound but lacks the bluetooth convenience.
1923502
This is just an amplifier so you can use it with or without a DAC. your laptop has a DAC in it which it will call a "sound card" but, for all intents and purposes the words "DAC" and "sound card" mean the same thing. I use a Macbook Air running straight into mine and it sounds great. When I also use a high end USB DAC (a Simaudio D500), it sounds incredible but that starts running into a lot of money.What I would recommend, though, is that you get the Ocean Mini version of the amp. It's about $20 more than the V1 and it's a pure tube amplifier rather than just a tube pre-amp with solid state amplification. This is just an amplifier so you can use it with or without a DAC. your laptop has a DAC in it which it will call a "sound card" but, for all intents and purposes the words "DAC" and "sound card" mean the same thing. I use a Macbook Air running straight into mine and it sounds great. When I also use a high end USB DAC (a Simaudio D500), it sounds incredible but that starts running into a lot of money.What I would recommend, though, is that you get the Ocean Mini version of the amp. It's about $20 more than the V1 and it's a pure tube amplifier... » Read More This is just an amplifier so you can use it with or without a DAC. your laptop has a DAC in it which it will call a "sound card" but, for all intents and purposes the words "DAC" and "sound card" mean the same thing. I use a Macbook Air running straight into mine and it sounds great. When I also use a high end USB DAC (a Simaudio D500), it sounds incredible but that starts running into a lot of money.What I would recommend, though, is that you get the Ocean Mini version of the amp. It's about $20 more than the V1 and it's a pure tube amplifier rather than just a tube pre-amp with solid state amplification. « Show Less