Audioengine D1 32-bit Desktop DAC and Headphone Amp, Preamp, Laptop, Amplifier, Gamers and Musicians

This is my 3rd DAC over the past few years. It is the smallest of the bunch and a nice package. I've learned a lot about sound sampling and how Apple Music does it. It gets complicated and confusing, but I prefer to just listen and enjoy now. The Dac3 design is simple, two ports, USB C to feed the source material (phone or computer/tablet) and an analog output to your phones or speakers. The volume is a simple rocker switch that I sometimes find difficult to use. Still, you can vary the volume from the source, or if your speakers are powered, you can change the volume on them. The indicator light is where I got my education. The light will change color to show the resolution of the source material. It works well, especially when using an iPhone. On a Mac running Apple Music, however, the indicator does not change automatically, (The company should explain this in their literature). If you use 3rd party music apps like Tidal or Roon, you can see the indicator light change automatically according to the source input signal. Apple Music is unable to do that on the Mac for reasons I won't go into to. However, on the iPhone, things work as you would expect. So, I restrict using the Dac3 with my iPhone (14 Pro). I listen through UE CSX 18+ and Westone W60 IEM's and Beyerdynamic DT990 headphones. Each has their own sound signature, with the Dac3 sitting in between feeding them pure converted analog signals. All I can say, is it sounds just great, and there is plenty of amplifier power for them. I have an Ifi Zen dac connected to my Mac Studio driving Audioengine 5+ speakers. Those speakers (and a subwoofer) are my main source of musical appreciation while in my office. Now, with the Dac3, I have a great way to have a quality MOBILE music system that I can enjoy just about anywhere. The price is fine, considering what you're getting.

DAC stands for digital-to-analog converter, a device that turns the ones and zeros of digital music into electrical signals for reproduction by amplifiers and speakers. The Audioengine D1 is an outboard DAC, i.e., a component that resides in a box outside the computer, rather than on a PCI card or on the computer's motherboard. The purpose of an outboard DAC is to bypass the computer's cheap audio circuits and process digital audio directly from USB or optical ports. The advantage of an outboard DAC vs. one on a card is that you can take it with you and it's easier to hook up gear. So does the D1 best my Mac's audio?BUILD: Out of the box my first impression was it's tiny. However, it's well made with metal case, gold plated connections and great fit and finish. Hook up was easy: a pair of RCA/TRS cables to my M-Audio BX5 D2 monitors and the included USB cable into my Cinema Display. My Mac Pro (OS 10.5) immediately recognized the new device and switched system audio to Audioengine D1. However some apps can override system audio preferences and you may have to select D1 from within the app, especially if you have multiple DAC units online.SOUND: I have tracks of me playing classical guitar, so I listened to those first since I knew exactly how they should sound. And what a disappointment: bright, harsh, random clicks and a wee bit of distortion! I was ready to return the unit but decided to read the manual: "give it 40 to 50 hours break-in before doing any critical listening." Hmm, I have other components that definitely sounded better--smoother--after a week or two or burn-in so I engaged iTunes shuffle and left the house for the day. The next day I was shocked at the improvements: smooth natural and transparent and easily besting my Mac's DAC. Incidentally, the D1 has a much hotter signal than my Mac and I had to turn down the volume to avoid burning my ears.Besting the Mac's build-in DAC was expected but a relief after the initial harsh tones at hookup. With half the burn-in period under my belt I would describe the sound as detailed and fairly smooth with no hint of harshness. And the detail is almost overwhelming: zaps, scrapes, coughs, etc., in the background of live concerts are extremely vivid whereas they were barely audible with my iPod or computer DAC. Also, the reverb tails of studio reverb are much more prominent--almost too prominent (will be going easier on the wet mix). So, yes, lots of detail you normally miss with a cheaper DAC. While that's great for a clean studio recording, it may not be so enjoyable for noisy stage and club recordings.I compared it side by side with my MOTU Ultralite ($600 recording interface) and was pleasantly surprised. I auditioned both DACs with M-Audio BX5 speakers. I can't say the D1 sounds better than the Ultralite but it's in the same ball park sonically. The Ultralite is a little more dynamic, smoother (sweeter mids) and has a flatter EQ profile whereas the D1 has a wee EQ bump in the bass and slightly more edgy treble. Both are highly revealing of background detail compared to the built-in Mac DAC. However the Ultralite has a lot more gain in the preamp section albeit the D1 is no weakling. The D1 is not ideal DAC for mixing but perfect for what I bought it for, causal listening.RFI RESISTANCE: I live in the inner city and am surrounded by cellphone and radio station transmitters. RFI is a major problem in my condo and every piece of gear needs shielding or it becomes a classic rock station. I am happy to report the D1 greeted me with complete radio silence and is well shielded. Good show Audioengine designers!IO: Digital audio may be routed to the D1 either through the USB input or the optical (SPDIF). The USB is more universal and closer at hand on most desktops. The optical input requires an expensive cable and, for me, a very long one as my Mac Pro is under the desk! Most users will be happy with the convenience of the USB hookup, and that is fine long as your audio source is 24-bit and 96KS/s or less. If you are one of the rare individuals requiring 192KS/s, you will need to use the optical input.The D1 has a good quality headphone output via a mini (3.5mm) stereo output jack. It has no problem driving my Sennheiser HD580 headphones although I mainly use it with Shure 400 series earbuds. The volume knob works fine for adjusting the volume of my M-Audio BX5 D2 monitors but a tiny twist of the knob causes volume to go from soft to painfully loud with many earbuds.Finally, I found the D1 short on outputs: a pair of RCA and a mini stereo jack and that's it. Also, it can only handle a single input source (the USB input is disabled when an optical cable is plugged in). A second USB input would have been handy for a visiting iPod or Tascam portable.GOTCHAS: There are a few minor gotchas. First, as mentioned above, finer gradations of volume control would be welcome. Also, system volume and mute controls don't work from the keyboard or Apple IR remote and must be controlled directly from the D1. Audioengine could easily write a driver to fix that if they wanted to. MOTU allows Core Audio volume control with their devices (or you can use device controls). I miss being able to mute with a simple button tap. And, finally, that bright LED light on the front panel needs a filter or disable switch (other than turning it off).LAST BLURB: A solid unit that's easy on desktop space and has great sound and sturdy construction.