Best DAC under 200: Buying a perfect USB DAC could be a really confusing task since the markets today are filled with plenty of duplicate ones. There are ample of audio products promising you a high-quality sound, are available in the markets.
Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) is used to convert digital audio signals from the computer to analog signals for the amplifiers and speakers in order to provide superior conversion and better sound quality. Read about it on Wikipedia here.
It leaves you outright intimidated looking at that variety of products. But what you actually need is a USB DAC to amplify your audio quality and give you a better sound.
Audio devices come attached with their own DAC but these are of very poor quality designed to do a very small part of the job. To enhance your experience you can use a high-quality DAC directly connecting it with your laptop or phone.
Adding a DAC with the speakers makes it really worth as the sound quality that you get would be completely different.
Best DAC under 200: Audiophile-Grade Sound
These are available in a wide range of prices and sizes depending on the quality. Here, we have shortlisted the best five Best Budget DAC for Audiophile below $200.
#1 Nuforce uDAC3
This sturdy product is well designed and has a metal body construction. It is not more than the size of a Zippo lighter to feel very weightless and is portable.
The fine product looks very clean and is available in three different colours namely Black, Silver and Red. At the front side, it features a volume control knob and a headphone jack. At the back, it contains a micro USB port through which it can be connected to the computer.
There is also a coaxial and an Analog input available there on it although it remains to protrude out of the device. The Nuforce uDAC3 comes with very minimal packaging and comes only with a USB cable.
The packaging keeps the cost down and it is available for $125 online or in the market. The users have been giving the best reviews for this product as the sound quality that you get within this price is extraordinary.
It easily supports 24bits/96KHz audio files and also powers up headphones having an impedance of around 300 ohms.
#2 Creative Sound Blaster E5
This is a completely portable device offering you the best solution for all your audio problems. It acts as a headphone amplifier alongside being a 24bit/192KHz USB DAC. It can power up to two headphones having an impedance of 600 Ohms.
It tops the list of all the other DAC with an exciting feature that if offers. Here are a few of the best features :
- Bluetooth Pairing
- Volume controller knob
- Two headphones jack
- USB host
- Micro USB port
- Optical Line In and Out
- SBX button
- signal to noise ratio 120DB
Creative Sound Blaster has a Studio software for this particular DAC, which allows you to make changes in Sound quality according to your own needs. However, the company advises the user to keep this feature turned off while playing lossless audio files.
The gain switch available on this DAC allows the users to toggle between 5DB to 15DB consequently supporting speakers and headphones of impedance more or less than 1200 Ohms. It is available online for $194 dollars.
It is deemed to be the Best Headphone DAC.
#3 Micca Origen+ : Best DAC under 200
The brand is not popular among people in household audio equipment but it is known for its excellent quality audio products with a very pocket-friendly price. The DAC and The Micca Origen costs around $100.
It looks like some kind of sturdy machine but is very light and portable. There is a big volume controller knob at the front side of the device.
It features both 3.5mm audio output jack and 6.5mm audio output jack as well which is very rarely seen in such devices. Micca Origen+ has a very simple and high-quality construction made up of steel chassis and on the top, it is covered with an aluminium plate to make it looks more elegant.
At the front side, it has two audio output jacks, 3.5mm and 6.5mm and two toggles switches.
The toggle button indicates switching over to SPDIF from the headphones and to gain of range -10db to 0db. It supports headphones up to 600 Ohms. This is the best budget DAC, although not advisable for high-end setup.
#4 Meridian Explorer: Best DAC under 200
It is another pocket-friendly device price under $200. It is an ultra-portable DAC that fits into your pocket and can be carried to anywhere. It supports very high-quality audio and gives you an enthralling experience.
It is an exceptional device to convert digital signals into analogue and is a British premium audio brand. It has an excellent rating of 4.5/5 on online shopping sites which symbolizes how good it must be.
It has a completely oval design and features an audio headphone output and an Optical output. At the back side, it features a micro USB port. At the top of this device, you can see three different lights which show the type of audio inputs.
The first indicator light up with an audio input of 44KHz to 48KHz while the second light up with an input of 88KHz to 96KHz.
When all the three indicators glow up, the audio must be 176KHz or 192KHz. It is very light and weighs around 1.8 Ounces. It can be connected to the computer easily without any complications. It can support headphones up to 300 Ohms easily.
#5 AudioQuest Dragonfly v1.5
With an updated version of Dragonfly v1.2, it is already very famous device among the audio lovers. It shows extreme excellence in high-quality audio and Digital to Analogue conversion prices under $200.
It has a size of not more than that of a pen drive and is portable, weighing around 0.77 Ounces.
On Amazon, it holds a rating of 4.5/5 and is very popular.
The audio quality can be well distinguished when listening to 24bit/96KHz audio and 16bit/44.1KHz audio file. Dragon fills life into your audio and enriches the quality giving you an enchanting experience. This could be the Best DAC under 200 for PC available today in the market.
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