▷ What is a dac and what is it for?

If you have reached this article it is because you want to know what a DAC is and what it is for. Today we will teach you everything you need to know. And, as you know, the world of audio and music is full of acronyms and anglicisms, and it is one of these that we will address in this article: The DAC ! Let's start!

If you are a music lover, but still listen to it through the built-in audio output on your computer, please note that unless there is a very unlikely exception, the built-in sound card of electronic devices It is usually of very poor quality, so it is worth replacing it with a quality dedicated DAC.

The speakers we have in our home process analog sound. The problem is that the most modern sources (CD, DVD, audio files, etc.) are in digital format.

These digital media come in the form of a sequence of 0 and 1 (unlike traditional media from a few years ago: vinyl records, cassettes, or magnetic tapes) that came in analog format. Understanding this, it is necessary to convert the digital signal of the music file into an analog signal before it reaches the speakers and we can listen to it without problems.

50 years ago, we didn't need DACs to produce an analog signal. The microphones inside a recording studio captured and stored the sound as analog signals, generally in reel-to-reel tape form. The analog signal was pressed into recording slots. Whenever you wanted to listen to a song, the turntable needle played those grooves and created an electrical analog signal. Finally, it transmitted the signal through the preamplifier and, ultimately, to the speakers.

Today, recording engineers convert analog signals into a bit stream of numbers (ones and zeros). That series of numbers is a digital audio signal. In order to listen to it, it is necessary to convert it back to an analog signal.

So we need DACs. Without them, we could not enjoy the portability and comfort of digital audio.

Index of contents

What is a DAC?

DAC is therefore the acronym for “Digital to Analog Converter”, that is, a digital to analog converter: it is present in all devices with sound output that use a digital source such as a CD, a miniDisc, a mp3 player or other medium.

To make it even clearer, let's take the case of CD players. They consist mainly of 2 parts, the reader part that collects the information fixed in digital format on the CD holder, and the conversion part that transforms this digital information into an analog stream.

This part of the conversion is provided by a converter built into your board. All digital sources have a built-in converter, but it is often of very poor quality. This is why high-end CD players often consist of two cases, one exclusively for the reader base (called the Transport or Drive) and the other for the converter. The advantage of a dedicated DAC is that it takes over from the built-in converter at source and ensures better conversion for an optimized end result.

The role of the DAC is essential because the speakers and our ears only work in "analog mode" and without this component, it is not (yet) possible for us to listen to music in digital format, so an intermediary here called DAC must do the translation for us..

If you have already had the experience of communicating with a foreigner with the help of an interpreter, you already know that the language skills of the interpreter are crucial to ensure good communication. In this case, your interpreter would be the DAC.

Although it is a very important part, the DAC is still a lower priority than the speakers / headphones: if you want to improve the quality of the music, you will probably get better results investing in them instead of a DAC. Although in order for them to give their full potential, the speakers also need a very good DAC, so it's a matter of balance!

The resolution and sampling frequency of a DAC

The role of the DAC is therefore crucial in the music reconstruction chain and it is important to carefully choose the DAC that you will use in your music chain.

Each DAC has its limits in terms of sampling rate and resolution: an entry-level DAC will be limited to 16-bit and 44-kHz frequencies (the CD format), while mid-level and high-level DACs will allow playback of 88-kHz files. / 96 khz or 192 khz 24 bit.

What do all these figures mean? This is simply the frequency with which the music is recorded, which is not recorded “continuously” but every 0.00001 seconds. For example, the lower this number, the shorter the time between two recordings and the more musical information there will be, so (theoretically) the better the sound.

Although frequency is an important element when choosing a DAC, it does not do everything, far from it: just as there are excellent 5 megapixel cameras and very bad 12 megapixel cameras, so you should not base your choice alone in this criterion.

The difference between a good and a bad DAC

A good DAC is, first of all, something that is not a cheap component, such as those that are incorporated in Smartphones, the integrated sound card of your computer or a tablet (although at this level, it seems that Apple products, LG, HTC are not that bad).

A good DAC will better reproduce the sound spectrum and in a more faithful, more defined way, the details, the specialization of the instruments will be better heard, and the result is a dynamic and emotion that is sometimes much greater.

Therefore, to correctly choose a DAC, it is necessary to take into account not only the frequency with which it works, but also, among other things, its types of inputs:

• USB : The DAC must be connected to a computer, which recognizes the DAC as a sound card. This is the recommended mode because it allows the highest resolutions to be reached and allows the DAC to be powered. You can connect an MP3 player, a hard drive, a USB memory, for example, and the DAC processes the source data internally instead of the small integrated printed circuit board. It is evident that the sound quality of the signal sent to the amplifier will improve significantly, if we use good quality files. Toslink or Coaxial : Can be connected between any compatible device (including a computer) but is more restrictive in terms of power supply and sample rates, with the Toslink standard limited to 24/96.

Another important element to consider is asynchronous DACs. These have their own dedicated internal clock and generally allow better results than synchronous DACs: for simplicity, it is the DAC that defines the duration of one second (in asynchronous mode) and not the PC (synchronous mode). It may seem useless, but it is not because PC clocks are sometimes less accurate due to the components used (in a DAC it is the priority, in a PC it is not).

Which DAC to choose at the best price?

Obviously, everyone is looking for the best possible DAC at the best price. It is difficult to answer this question.

If you are currently listening to music with the sound output (3.5mm Jack) of your computer (laptop or fixed) iPod or tablet, it is very possible that the investment in a DAC significantly improves the quality of your music. It all depends on how demanding you are, if it is true that the DACs carried by computers, mobiles, etc., are not of very good quality, but sufficient for most users.

Nowadays, any modern computer board easily moves high-end headphones (DT 990 Pro for example). Most understand that you need a DAC because the new studio headphones that have been purchased will not do well or will sound weak with their board, but as we mentioned before, this is not 100% true and depends on how demanding you are in sound.

Another issue to keep in mind in this world of DACs, is the pairing with certain headphones, not all dacs offer improvements when used together, this is because some DACs modify the frequencies of the headphones, for example, The Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro have somewhat exaggerated mid / high frequencies, a DAC that combines very well is the Fiio E10K, since it brings warmth to the sound and counteracts that exaggeration of the mid / high frequencies.

At this point we propose two options, if you have proposed to buy high / medium range headphones, we recommend that you read our post on headphones, your budget allows it and you want to take full advantage of it, if the purchase of a DAC is recommended quality. If you are on a budget then you better buy a headset for the maximum you have and in the future you invest in a DAC, before buying a cheap one.

In accordance with different budgets, we have selected for you these DACs unanimously recognized for their quality / price ratio:

• With a budget between 70-90 euros: we have the SMSL M3 and the Fiio E10K, some DACS / AMPS quite good for what they cost, it is the minimum recommended if you have high-end headphones. With a budget of 150-200 euros: Entering the mid / high range we have the Audio Engine D1 and the SMSL M6, designed for a demanding user.With a budget of more than 300 euros: the AUNE X1S is one of the most recognized DACS / AMPS in the high-end, designed for the audiophile user.

Obviously, these options are subjective and you can argue for or against one of the products selected indefinitely, there are many models apart from these, it is best to leave us a comment mentioning the headphones and the budget you have, in order to offer you the best option suitable for you.

How to integrate a DAC into a computer

We are going to see how to integrate a DAC in a few steps in a computer to obtain better quality in the audio that we listen to.

Necessary materials:

• A digital cable A converter or DAC A pair of mod cables and RCA connectors

XLR connectors can be used if the DAC and amplifier are equipped with these connectors.

Making the connection:

1. Connect the DAC and turn on the computer to log in as Administrator. Connect the DAC to headphones or an external amplifier via stereo cable or RCA, respectively. From the back of the DAC, insert the corresponding colored cables, and do the same with the cables to the audio input from the rear of the amplifier. Connect the amplifier to an external speaker using stereo cable. Install the DAC driver installation CD that the CD-ROM drive should have provided. Follow the on-screen instructions. However, there are many other DACs that do not require installation CDs and can be used immediately. It tests the DAC's operation by playing an audio file.

If it doesn't work, go to the "Tools" menu of the audio application and select "Options" or "Preferences". Go to the tab that contains the audio preferences and set the audio output device, which in this case would be the DAC you connected. Click "Accept".

It should be clear that a low quality ultra compressed file will not magically become a superb file when the DAC is processed.

On the other hand, an uncompressed MP3 file (256 or 384 kbit / s, for example), or even in FLAC, WAV, ALAC or DSD format, will be transfigured: the bandwidth will increase, the sound will flow more naturally, the sound scene will unfold in space, all subject to the use of a good quality DAC.

5 good reasons to choose a DAC

For these 5 reasons, DACs have become essential to get the most out of a digital music library, but also from music streaming services.

Unlocking the potential of HD digital audio files

MP3s are everywhere, but the compression process used for this codec is so destructive that many audiophiles have opted for other, more qualitative formats. The purpose of these HD formats is to obtain a file as close as possible to the original recording, to be able to reproduce native files. Thus, the Flac, the WAV and other archives have seduced a large audience, often passionate, eager to consume music with respect and fidelity to the work. To take full advantage of the quality of these HD files, a DAC converter is required.

Make the most of online music services

And yes, online music services are flourishing at a frenetic pace, and it would be a shame not to exploit the quality of some platforms, such as Qobuz in particular. With its CDs recorded in WAV or Flac, this service has seduced music lovers who want to live in tune with the times. Therefore, it would be a shame to restrict the audio performance of these files, sending them through a conversion interface that would only degrade them.

Bypass the integrated converter in a CD player

Probably, and without realizing it, you have several DACs in your house. Here, let's take your CD player: to convert the digital information written to a disc, this player uses a built-in DAC. This DAC is one of the main elements that define the sound of the player. Therefore, if you give special importance to your discs and the player shows its limits, the purchase of an external DAC is highly recommended. This DAC will bypass the built-in converter as long as the player has a digital output (optical, coaxial, or other).

Improve the audio quality of a computer (or music platform)

The same goes for a computer or a music platform: Integrated converters often show their limitations when listening to uncompressed music. Thus, a simple external DAC converter can simply transform the sound of your computer, ensuring a more qualitative conversion of the digital stream. Generally, Macs and PCs do not have coaxial or optical outputs, so you will have to choose a DAC with a USB input.

Enjoy oversampling, native resolution, and connectivity

But not all DACs are identical: in fact, some models have more advanced converters than others. So sometimes you'll find pretty cool specs, like oversampling (44.1kHz / 16Bit stream is resampled at 96kHz / 24Bits, for example), or higher native resolution (for example, 192kHz instead of 96kHz).

Connectivity is also important. From there, you will have to choose your DAC according to the desired use. For a PC, a USB input is almost mandatory. For a CD player, NAS, or amplifier, choose a DAC with an optical or coaxial input.

Generally speaking, a DAC converter tends to improve the sound quality of a device by providing a more accurate conversion of the digital stream. When listening to audio, this results in improved timbre, dynamics, precision, and volume of the sound scene. So many contributions will delight audiophiles and seduce lovers of beautiful sounds.

Recommended Models

We leave you a small list with recommended models. From cheapest to most expensive? Any questions you can ask us here and in our forum.

Fiio E10K - - Headphone amplifier, black Output amplitude: 200 mW (32 / THD + N; Volume control: ALPS potentiometer; Gain: 1.6 dB (GAIN = L), 8.8 dB (GAIN = H) 79, 65 EUR AudioQuest Dragonfly Black USB - Sound Card (24-bit / 96kHz, USB, PIC32MX, 1, 2 V, Black, 19 mm) Asynchrone Class-1-USB-Datenbertragung per Streamlength-Protokoll; Mittlerer Leistungsbereich (1, 2 Volt) treibt eine groe Bandbreite an Kopfhrern 88.00 EUR Sennheiser GSX 1200 Pro - Audio Amplifier for Video Games, Color Black and Red Dual USB for a separation between the sound of the game and the audio of the communication; Volume wheel Aluminum and high-quality materials for superior performance EUR 199.44 SMSL M632bit / 384khz Asynchronous USB DAC Decoder Inputs include USB, fiber optic and coaxial; Products include RCA analog products and 6.35 headphone jack 209.91 EUR Sabaj D3 - Audio Amplifier and Headphones with Optical Coaxial USB Input, Black Color gives USB / optical / coaxial and 6.35mm / RCA output with volume control; Nice compact aluminum enclosure design, LED signaled sample rate 69.99 EUR Cambridge Audio Dac MagicPlus - Audio Converter, Black Digital to Analog Converter: Wolfson's 24-bit WM8742 DAC; Frequency response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz (0.1 dB) 399.00 EUR

And what do you think of the DAC ? Do you think it is worth investing in one or is the integrated computer / mobile enough for you? Tell us in the comments! We thank our forum comp YoniGeek for their help. A crack!