If thou hast ever partaken in the symphony of an MP3, gazed upon a moving picture on Netflix, or engaged in discourse via Zoom, thou hast encountered a DAC. Digital-to-analog converters (known as DACs in the common tongue) are the unsung heroes of the digital audio epoch. In every corner they dwell: within smartphones, TVs, soundbars, wireless earbuds, and headphones. Without their presence, these devices would be naught but void of sound.
But what manner of contrivance is a DAC, and for what purpose should one procure a dedicated DAC when it appears they are already present in our beloved devices?
The somber truth: this matter doth sway towards the realm of technical discourse, delving into realms of profound and cryptic knowledge at times. Yet fear not, for we shall traverse this path step by step, elucidating all core concepts as we proceed. Art thou prepared? Behold, all thou must know of DACs.
## What is a DAC?
As the title doth suggest, digital-to-analog converters art devoted microchip-based translators, converting the digital realms of zeros and ones into the electrical impulses requisite for all speakers or headphones to melodiously rend the air.
Though their workings be intricate, DACs art but the latest iteration of audio technologies that hath graced us for over a century. In the days of yore, vinyl records called upon grooves to enshrine sound waves upon their countenance. When a turntable’s needle traverses these grooves, it vibrates, birthing a minuscule electrical signal which, once amplified and conveyed through speakers, may be heard as sound.
So too, do audio cassette tapes journey across a playback head, divining the magnetic charges upon their surface. These charges art transfigured into signals fit for speakers, requiring naught but amplification.
Though it be a simplification, a DAC may be likened unto the digital audio equivalent of a turntable’s stylus.
## So a DAC is a microchip? Why would I procure such a chip?
Indeed, the very essence of transforming zeros and ones into analog signals is performed by a chip. Yet unless thou art an artisan of audio products or an engineer, the purchase of a DAC chip alone would prove futile. Like an internal combustion engine sans the remainder of the chariot, it would serve little purpose.
When we speak of acquiring a DAC, we speak of dedicated apparatus designed to bestow upon thee superior audio quality than that procured from all those devices already graced with built-in DACs (the smartphones, TVs, wireless headphones, referenced aforetime).
These specialized devices doth manifest in a myriad of forms, sizes, and prices (of which we shall discourse anon), yet, as they art built around a DAC chip as their very core, the entire device is oft deemed a DAC.
## Who hath need of a DAC?
Perchance, few souls truly require a DAC. For most of us, the DAC nestled within the devices we frequent on a daily basis shall suffice to offer us quality audio.
Shouldst thou possess a portable computer, the internal DAC shall serve admirably for the audio issuing forth from its speakers. Yon also, shouldst it possess a headphone port, the internal DAC shall grant thee the delight of listening through thy wired headphones — depending upon the computer and thine audio source, the sound may indeed prove of high caliber. The same holds true for TVs, CD players linked to stereos, or thine favored Bluetooth speaker.
Let us now emphasize a crucial point: even the grandest of DACs shall not transmute a subpar set of headphones or earbuds into something markedly superior. To discern the boon a dedicated DAC bestows, thou shalt necessitate headphones or speakers of superlative quality.
Henceforth, DACs art intended for those who crave aught superior to adequacy, or possess special needs in terms of format compatibility. Whilst we oft refer to those individuals as audiophiles, such a term conjures visions of souls pouring forth multitudes of gold coins into vastly intricate audio configurations. Verily, ’tis more apt to declare that DACs are for those who pine for their audio voyage — at whatever level of investment they be willing to make — to be as splendid as possible.
Listed below are but a few circumstances wherein it might be deemed prudent to acquire a DAC:
1. Should access be granted to a fount of hi-res digital audio — say, the Qobuz streaming service — yet thine laptop or phone’s built-in DAC be incapable of processing said audio at its native sample rate, e.g. 192kHz. Instead, the audio is resampled to a lower rate, thereby impairing sound quality.
2. Should access be granted to digital audio in esoteric formats such as MQA or DSD, which a conventional DAC may not natively decipher. In a breath, we shall broach the topic of audio formats.
3. Shouldst thou have recently enhanced thy amplifier/speakers/headphones, and dost suspect the DAC nested within thine antiquated receiver or other apparatus to be the frail link in thy chain of audio excellence.
4. Shouldst thou possess an iPhone and simply yearn for the undiluted audial beauty of lossless audio.
Perchance a quizzical look doth cross thy visage at the final point? Since the iPhone 7, each iPhone hath notoriously lacked a headphone jack, leaving iPhone denizens with the choice betwixt wireless earbuds or headphones, or the procurement of a Lightning (or USB-C) to 3.5mm adapter for wired listening.
When employed with an iPhone, Bluetooth earbuds and headphones doth eternally receive “lossy” audio due to the iPhone’s limited propinquity for Bluetooth codecs. Hence, solely through wired headphones and an adapter, doth one captivate unadulterated lossless audio. And lo, within each adapter — mayhap a lowly $9 bauble or one of princely sum — doth a DAC reside.
## Wait, doth this imply DACs art always tethered?
Indeed. For thine DAC to perform at the zenith of its capacity, verily, it doth require a wired output that thou mayst directly connect it to thine headphones or thy hi-fi gear, of whatever ilk it may be. Once a DAC hath finished its labor, thou art now in possession of an analog audio signal. Shouldst thou endeavor to dispatch this signal to another device through the conduit of wireless means, ‘twould needs be converted back to digital, thus nullifying the very purpose for which a dedicated DAC was procured. Once thou art become analog, remain thus, favoring the analog realm.
The input of a DAC doth possess a degree of flexibility. Certain DACs boast an inbuilt music streaming prowess — akin to the Wiim Ultra. In such a case, the DAC mayst receive its digital audio via Wi-Fi or perchance Bluetooth.
However, a customary scenario for a DAC engageth a wired input alongside a wired output. This input mayst assume variegated forms: an optical link from a CD player, an HDMI communiqué from a Blu-ray player or TV, or perchance a USB connection from a phone, laptop, desktop PC, or tablet. What these wired inputs hath in common is their digital nature. Shouldst thou chance upon a DAC bearing analog inputs, ’tis a sign the device doth also bear an ADC (analog to digital converter), yet that topic we defer to a future tome.
## What knowledge should I possess of DACs and audio formats?
Indeed, the domain of digital audio doth present itself in myriad forms. MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC, ALAC … and diverse others. One might be tempted to think that a DAC needs understanding of every format, yet the verity is far simpler.
The majority of DACs art capables solely of processing one format: LPCM.
LPCM, that monolith, stands for Linear Pulse-Code Modulation. ‘Tis the bedrock of nearly all digital audio, the uncompressed format found upon audio CDs. It matters not whether the music thou seekest to delight in be a lossy MP3, a stream from Spotify, a CD thou hast ripped into the embrace of FLAC, or the lossless ALAC from Apple Music — all these art converted to LPCM ere they gaze upon a DAC.
Thus, whilst a DAC need not comprehend these sundry formats, thy chosen music application doth possess this knowledge, that it may convert them into LPCM. Lo, iTunes hath no understanding of FLAC. Shouldst thou endeavor to play a FLAC file within iTunes, it shall naught succeed. Not for lack of understanding on thine DAC’s part (no DAC comprehends FLAC), but for the incapability of iTunes to transfigure FLAC into LPCM.
Yet two other digital audio formats doth demand direct processing by a DAC shouldst thou seek to savor them in their fullest grandeur: DSD and MQA.
DSD, that high-resolution audio format gracing Super Audio CDs, is oft regarded as the pinnacle of formats by many an aficionado of digital music. Software mayst be unearthed that shall transpose DSD into LPCM, yet such is considered unacceptable by devotees of DSD. To indulge in these files in their native form, a DAC must exhibit compatibility with DSD.
MQA, akin to DSD, doth present the opportunity for playback using solely software. Yet MQA be possessed of several strata, known as folds, with software capable of handling solely the initial fold ere transmuting it into LPCM. Shouldst thou seek to expand fully an MQA stream, a DAC capable of rendering this task is essential.
For many a cycle, MQA-compatible DACs commanded desire, for Tidal adopted MQA as its solitary format for the loftiest echelons of its streams. Howbeit, Tidal hath since transitioned to FLAC for its entire catalog of lossless music, and no other streaming service hath added support for MQA.
Lenbrook hath spoken of a planned partnership with HDtracks, producing a new streaming service offering MQA. Yet for the nonce, little reason doth exist to seek an MQA-compatible DAC.
Bits and samples
Verily, should thou not harbor intent to play DSD or MQA files, doth any DAC suffice?
‘Tis yet again a matter of your dedication to procuring the grandest audio quality.
LPCM boasts of two primary attributes: bit-depth and sample rate. Shouldst thou e’er see an article referencing CD quality as “16-bit/44.1kHz,” ’tis due to this being the bit-depth (16-bit) and sample rate (44.1kHz) used for LPCM audio upon standard CDs.
Shouldst thou seek further understanding of bit-depth and sample rate, we possess a guide to hi-res audio deemed most useful to untangle your quandaries. Herein, aught thou need to comprehend is that LPCM mayst exist at heightened (or diminished) bit-depths and sample rates, ranging up to 32-bit/768kHz.
At this juncture, congregational DACs art wont to fail in a crucial aspect: their inability to match the bit-depths and sample rates of certain hi-res audio. Shouldst this come to pass, either naught shalt issue forth (the stream simply refuses to play) or thou shalt receive analog audio which hath been resampled. For a purist, resampling is a practice to be shunned.
Some built-in DACs mayst manage up to 24/48, whilst others may climb as high as 24/96. Though 24/96 be esteemed as a superlative level of resolution, yon exist many hi-res tracks and albums formatted as 24/192 — Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuz, and Amazon Music maintain collections at such noble heights. To play these tracks devoid of any loss of fidelity, seek out a DAC capable of processing them in their native state.
DSD doth differ slightly. Constant in its bit-depth (1-bit), yet its sample rate mayst fluctuate from 64 times the rapidity of CD quality (DSD64) unto a prodigious 1024 times the celerity (DSD1024). DSD1024 be a rarity most sublime — the commonality be DSD64, DSD128, and DSD256. Yet the same rule prevails: to abstain from resampling thy DSD tracks, thy DAC must boast compatibility with the DSD sample rates thou yearn to savor.
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