Wanna buy my first standalone dac

Equipment / Electronics / Gear / Accessories DACs
1

So I wanna buy my first standalone dac. My requirements are:

Around 100$
Able to be powered and receive signal through a single usb connection
Nice sounding and powerful

2

The Schiit Modi is a great place to get started. It was the first DAC I bought for myself.

3

I was considering the topping d10 but when I saw that they use nighthawks in the product image I was immediately SOLD cause that’s what I use lol. Thanks for the recommendation :+1:

4

I have another question: with the apple cck adapter, does the Modi 3 require external power from an ac adapter or can they be power and receive signal through the one usb port?

5

If I remember correctly, it should have an AC adapter to a wall wart, which is actually preferred.]
If it was USB powered, you’d actually need to use up two USB slots. One for signal, the other for power.

6

Is there any solution to use only the usb and nothing else?

7

I don’t think such a thing exists. You’ll find plenty with a single usb for data and a separate power supply (battery in the case of portables). If it’s powered by USB, there will be separate ports and cables for power and data.

8

just to check…you have an amp already? you can’t plug headphones into a DAC…you need an amp.

9

Topping d10 which is usb only is still good ol’ reliable as long as you get a real one. I’ve heard some great to negative stuff on the d10s. I tend to steer people away from the modi 3 it’s honestly kinda old and doesn’t sound as good as newer dacs. Other dacs to consider is the atom dac which sounds pretty great but more expensive than the d10, and the liquid spark dac which I have yet to hear I’m sure @j.fopps can chime in

10

Liquid spark dac is a solid option for the price, good sound quality and build for $100, although doesn’t meet your requirement for a single usb connection.

11

a couple of other details that would be good to know is what headphones you currently have and what kind of music you like to listen to.

1 Like
12

Here’s some more info:
I have an aune b1s class a amp
I use audioquest nighthawks
Im even ok if it’s battery powered, I just don’t want to have to plug it into a wall.

I listen to very sub bass heavy orchestral music, 70s prog rack and just rock in general, mashups, so the mastering quality won’t be the best.