Recommend a dac for my IPad - which one?

[gbhsi1]

Hi,

As per subject which dac do you recommend for my iPad? I'm looking for a small unit that preferably does not need a power cable...any ideas?

Thanks,

H

 

[quadpatch]

Is this for headphones or speakers? In other words do you need a head amp included with the DAC? And more importantly what is your budget?

I just dug this list out (thanks to ccfoodog of head-fi - ori post here (http://www.head-fi.org/t/507559/list-of-dacs-that-work-with-ipad). I will paste the main list below.

There's more info on the above link about power. I'm sure I heard somewhere that the Audinst HUD-MX1 works, which is not on the list. I have that one but I don't have an iPad so I can't test it.

[ Last update 11/28/2010 ][/b]

Confirmed works

- Nuforce uDAC [Skylab, Headphoneaddict, uofmtiger, torcik; BryanP reports too much power error]

- DacMagic [uofmtiger]

- Xitel Pro Hifi-Link [deadie]

- Predator [jc9394, HeadphoneAddict] (have to put the volume to 100%)

- iBasso D4 [Headphoneaddict (see post #59)]

- iBasso D1 [trickywombat]

- iBasso D3 [hypoicon]

- iBasso D10 [qusp - doesn't work; HeadphoneAddict (see post #59), rhw - works (charging off)]

- iBasso D12 [dsissitka]

- Pico DAC [Headphoneaddict, warp08]

- Micro II usb/digital [kredmore]

- Headroom Total BitHead [qin]

- Headroom Desktop Portable amp w/DAC [muski]

- TTVJ Portable w/DAC [grawk]

- TTVJ Slim DAC/Amp [gopack87]

- Fiio E7 [Jack-Micca, feiao]

- C&C F1U USB DAC/Amp [phytonix]

- Meier Corda Symphony DAC/Amp [Noumenon]

- Little Dot Dac1 [uofmtiger]

- devilsound v2.1 dac [decur]

- Music Hall DAC 25.2 [Skylab]

- Vivid Technologies V1 USB DAC HD AMP [ccklone]
- Valab NOS USB DAC [ccklone]
- Aune USB DAC/AMP [ccklone]

- Sigtone h1 - without any trouble [rhw]

- USB monica NOS DAC - no problems [rhw]

- DACport (works after flash update, needs external power plugged in) [HeadphoneAddict, shigzeo]

- HA Info NG Coax USB to SPDIF Converter [rhw]

- maverick audio D1 [Mavwong]

- Keces DA-151 USB DAC [maogua]

- Hot Audio DAC Extasy (plug USB cable into DAC and Camera Kit First, then into iPad) [grokit]

- HA NG98 [roymor]

- Firestone Libby (headphone amp) and DAC [shigzeo]

- Firestone Rubby (power amp) and DAC [shigzeo]

- Musical Fildelity V-DAC [Dwaalspoor98]

- Buffalo32S [erd]

- Headroom Desktop Amp [Durandal]

- PS Audio DAC Link III [DjAmTraX]

- Little Dot DAC mk II [alysony]

- 3MOVE [HeadphoneAddict - see post 59 for instructions]

- XM5 [HeadphoneAddict - see post 59 for instructions]

- Vivid Audio Tech V1 [HeadphoneAddict]

- nuForce Icon Mobile [yukster doesn't work; HeadphoneAddict - works, see post #59 for instructions]

- Beresford 7520 [Bazzman]

- Project USB Box [Bazzman]

Issues(?):

- Headphonia DAC cable [qc98, shigzeo - works; utdeep - works but seems "lifeless"]

- PopPulse PCM 1796 DAC [rhw - first an error message, but after reconnection works fine]

Doesn't work

- MobilePre (legacy) [porieux]

- iQube V2 portable [Skylab]

- Yulong D100 home DAC [Skylab]

- PWD [jc9394]

- uDAC-2 [headphoneaddict]

- Hot Audio DAC-Extacy USB DAC [ccklone - dialog box;too much power]

- M2 Hiface USB stick [ccklone - not really a DAC, but didn't work feeding a "known good" DAC]

- Superpro 707 USB [jankovic]

- Soundprime de-jitter box/DAC (24/96) [shigzeo; WORKS with iOS 4.2! - shigzeo]

POWER WORKAROUND: A number of people have noted that a simple workaround to DACs that draw too much power is to plug into a powered USB hub.

 

[quadpatch]

Interestingly this list seems to be similar to the ones that are compatible with the new Samsung Galaxy phones. It's a shame that the iPod / iPhones don't support standard USB audio. You'd think that the standard USB audio format would support everything that would work on a computer.