AliExpress is a great alternative to buying products that have a high price in other stores. We’ve already told you about many audio products worth buying on AliExpress, such as Bluedio speakers and headphones. Today we are talking to you about a very interesting device that we can find very cheap on AliExpress and that you will love if you are a big music fan: DACs that are very fashionable with those who want to achieve the best audio quality.
What is a DAC?
Before you can explain what a DAC is, you need to have the Difference between “digital signal” and “analog signal”. Our music is usually stored in digital format in the form of 0 and 1, unless we are using vinyl or tapes which store the music in analog form. But our ears only process music in analog format. So when you normally listen to music from your computer or cell phone, there is a device in between that converts the signals from one format to another.
The abbreviation DAC stands for “Digital-to-analog converter”In other words, this little box is responsible for converting a digital signal to an analog signal. DACs are in most CD / DVD / Blu-ray players as well as in cell phones, computers an external DAC helps us to improve the sound quality that comes to us via headphones or loudspeakers.
On top of that, however, they have another great benefit, namely that they allow us to enjoy all of the sound quality that high-resolution encoding formats can offer, and which are often incompatible with the DACs on our common devices.
In most DACs we find at least digital signal inputs: mainly USB, optical and coaxial. Its outputs are of course analogue like the cinch or jack outputs.
5 Cheap High Quality DACs You Can Find on AliExpress
FX AUDIO
We started with Fx-Audio, the brand with the best-selling DACs on AliExpress. The most prominent is its X6 model, which uses the CS8416 + CS4398 chips (same set as Fiio X3-2 and xDuoo x3) + OPA213. Supports files up to 192 kHz / 16 bit and 96 kHz / 24 bit. Its design is compact and robust. It has several audio inputs (USB, coaxial, fiber optic) with a practical selector switch for switching between the two, as well as cinch and 6.35 mm jack outputs. The best is undoubtedly the price, which is around 60 $. In short, it’s a cheap DAC with good features.
ALIENTEK
Alientek came in second with the “Alientek d8” model, a powerful device that, in addition to its function as a DAC, also functions as an amplifier. It has a USB, optical, coaxial and RCA input as well as an output for headphones or speakers. It can support sound quality up to 192 kHz / 24 bit. We have a choice between the XMOS chip (which offers excellent sound quality) or the PCM2704. In this case, the commands to change the input source are on the same wheel to increase the volume. It includes a remote control and an OLED screen, very useful when we want to control it remotely.
Tmusic
This AliExpress store specializes in high quality audio equipment such as amplifiers, DACs and headphones, where you can find quality products from various Chinese brands. We have found a little gem among its DACs: this mini DAC with XMOS chip and PCM5105, which can play music up to 384 kHz / 32 bit. It only has a single USB input and a coaxial, RCA or 3.5 mm jack output. However, the price, which is slightly higher than other models we’ve seen so far, speaks against it.
SMSL
If you are looking for a brand that can offer you a DAC with features superior to those previously seen and at a reasonable price, we recommend that you look at the devices of this brand, which have such interesting models as the amplifier with a built-in – in DAC SMSL AD18, which can also connect to our devices via Bluetooth 4.2 or the SMSL M8, which contains an XMOS chip and can play music up to 384 kHz / 32 bit. But we can also find other cheaper and more interesting devices like the portable DAC SMSL Idol +, which supports up to 96 kHz / 24 bit and thanks to its small size, can enjoy better music quality everywhere.
Breeze audio
Finally, we’d like to tell you a little bit more about this brand, Breeze Audio, which offers very cheap and simple DACs. One of the bestsellers is its SE1 model, which costs less than 30 dollars. The secret? It doesn’t have as many inputs as other DACs, it only has a USB input and an RCA output and a 3.5 mm jack. In addition, it is charged with the USB itself, so it does not have to be connected to the power. It’s ideal for connecting to a laptop or desktop.
