HP-DAC1 Digital to Analog Converter/Headphone Preamp DAC with S/PDIF, Line, USB Input for PC/Laptop

EDITED 05/15/2021:I meant to edit this a while ago. I contacted Soundavo about my wonky unit, they told me that this isn't normal and I definitely have a defective unit. Gladly sent me a new one without charging shipping, provided a free shipping label to send the defective unit back, and the new unit performs MUCH better. There is still hissing, but not until whatever you are using is far too loud to listen to without your ears suffering damage. There is also still some distortion when changing volume but ONLY while something very loud is playing such as music, and I don't find that to be an issue.The big issue for me originally was the creeping distortion that would set into the DAC in usb mode while nothing was playing, and that is gone entirely in this unit.I think Soundavo's Quality Control may not be 100%, but their customer service is incredible. This unit still sounds stellar for the price, and I'll live with the quirks of it.ORIGINAL 2 STAR REVIEW:I purchased this DAC/AMP in May 2020 on a whim, it seemed to have everything I need.-Decent DAC. USB and SPDIF input, pretty good options for the price!-Decent Headphone Amp, not incredibly powerful but pretty clean. Until it isn't.-PREAMP OUTPUT! This is the big one for me. Used the pre-out to a Subwoofer that had a High Pass Filter, then connected that to a power amplifier, and then that to my speakers. This proved to be a pretty darn good desktop 2.1 system for a while!-USB to SPDIF converter? I didn't use this feature, but it's pretty neat to see on a budget device. Allows you to use this device- Sound wise, this is pretty darn good. It doesn't do anything exceptional, but it DOES have an incredibly wide soundstage. Noticeably wider than anything I've used, and I'm addicted to it.Here's where the negatives start.- The unit I received has weird dark scuffing on the top. Doesn't affect performance, but it's certainly not aesthetically pleasing.- with the USB connection, after a few minutes of no sound playing, the sound seems to start to slowly distort? I once left it on for an hour while I cooked, and I went to play some music through my headphones after and it was nothing but distortion. Unplugged, then re-plugged in the USB cable and it was fixed. Very weird behavior, no USB DAC i've used before does this.- The DAC itself isnt super clean, with the pre-out it gets hissy at around 2 o'clock on the dial.- I don't believe the Headphone Amp is as powerful as the specs suggest. I have a pair of 300 ohm headphones that just doesn't get loud before the amp distorts. Disappointing.- A new problem that has developed is that the Dial is now VERY noisy. Every time i change the volume, even with nothing playing, there is very loud static playing. Not sure what the deal is.- This is a very small issue, but the headphone jack is very tight. This is actually really good for build quality, but trying to plug in and take headphones out of the unit causes it to move around a lot on my desk. Slight annoyance, not even a real issue.If Soundavo could work the bugs out of this unit, make it Black, give it a more powerful/cleaner amp, i would gladly pay $200 for this. I wanna recommend it for $129, but my unit is just too odd. Not a bad unit, but something here is off. Proceed with caution!

[11-month update at the end of the review]My Schiit Modi II was showing signs of malfunction (wouldn't be recognized that it was connected via USB for a few minutes, and sometimes would disconnect on its own after it was) so went looking for a replacement.The HP-DAC1 has effectively replaced my Schiit Modi and Magni combo unit. Both this and the Modi/Magni sound very identical with both my Fostex TH-X00's (25 Ω) and HD650's (300 Ω). They both get plenty loud with the knob turned around the middle of its travel on the HP-DAC1.Speaking of volume knob, thats the one things i wish was improved. Its VERY light to the touch. We'll see how its quality is in a years time if its holds up or not.Absolutely love the myriad of connection options it has. One's with * have been tested by me. You could:-*Connect via USB in from a PC and use on-board amp to listen to headphones-*Connect via USB in from a PC but use this purely as a DAC and use the Analog RCA output to another amp (volume pot will control volume of this output btw)-*Connect via USB in from a PC but use this purely as a DAC and use the Optical output to another amp (you don't need the supplied wall-wart to do this as well, USB 5V is sufficient to power the unit alone [but only in this mode])--When doing USB in, you cannot output via RCA output and Headphone output at the same time. However you CAN output via Headphone output and Optical output at the same time. Volume pot does not affect volume of optical output however.-Connect via Analog RCA inputs and use on-board amp to listen to headphones-Connect via Analog RCA inputs and use this purely as a volume control and use Analog outputs to another amp-*Connect via Optical input and use on-board amp to listen to headphones-*Connect via Optical input but use this purely as a DAC and use the Analog RCA output to another amp (volume pot will control volume of this output btw)--*You can do both the above at the same time (note that volume knob will affect Analog RCA and Headphone out simultaneously, so watch out if you use the RCA outputs to record anything)NOTE: A reviewer mentioned that the Optical input are pass-through'ed to the Optical output and from what I can tell this is not possible.NOTE: This is a DAC, not a ADC. Will not convert Analog RCA to Optical output.In essence, the Optical output is ONLY used for USB input (as scripted on the rear of the unit)There's a "CLIP" indicator on the front of the unit. According to the manual when this is active you should set the REC.GAIN on the back to -6dB or -12dB.All this in a (relatively large) aluminium box. I wish it came in black but the sanded-silver looks good too.The front panel buttons feel quite good and chunky to depress, are illuminated nicely but aren't too bright (i had to put tape over the Modi/Magni white LED's to sleep at night so this is a nice change for me). Also importantly for me there is a power button on the unit. (see Note under this paragraph for updated info) The Modi didn't even come with a power switch, not only that but my PC's USB ports would stay active even after shutting down so the Modi would almost never actually turn off (probably why its failing, it would stay on practically 24/7). But now i can extend the life of the HP-DAC1 with its power switch that actually functions (and lights a dim red when on standby or USB-powered mode).(Note: The power button turns the headphone amplifier and related electronics (RCA input, Optical input, headphone amplifier) inside on and off. However as i mentioned, my PC even when off will send power via USB. And this HP-DAC1 will still be "on" when getting power via USB in. No matter what the power button on the front is set as, the USB in will output via Optical output. Which means my earlier assumption that the power button turning off everything on this unit is incorrect. I was hoping it would but sadly there are still electronics inside the unit that will be powered on as long as there is a USB input signal. The power button will be illuminated red in this mode.)For the price listed on Amazon, this thing is a steal. Even at retail price of about USD 150 this thing is very, very good.The manual it comes with could be more detailed and better written. It doesn't tell me exactly how the inputs and outputs work. It just says that it can digitize this or that signal, but in the most vague way possible. Eg. the first point it says "Connect an analogue signal source whose signals you want to digitize AND/OR listen to via headphones to the Line IN jacks". This would leave you to believe that the HP-DAC1 is capable of using the analog RCA input and "digitize" it to the optical out, but again this is not possible no matter what combination of settings i tried.On a personal note, i wouldn't mind spending double if this was made in the USA. But that's just me.I will try to update this review in about a year if i find anything else new or if this unit otherwise fails prematurely.PS, here's the specifications that are listed in the manual:S/PDIF playback resolution : 24 bit / 96 kHz (max.)USB playback & recording resolutions : 16/24 bit @ 32 / 44.1 / 48 / 96 kHzFrequency response : 20 Hz - 20 kHz (+/- 0.5 dB)SNR : -95 dB (A-weighted) / line our (RCA)Max. line output level : 7.5 Vrms (THD <1 %)Line output impedance : 100 ΩTHD : Line input < 0.01 % / Digital input < 0.05%Headphone output level : 1% THD @ 1 kHz (max.), 224 mW (32Ω), 241 mW (56Ω), 130 mW (300Ω), 76 mW (600Ω)Operating Voltage : 15 V DC / 0.4 A / 6 W[Update after 11 months 3/2021]It hasn't been exactly one year since ownership but its been close. I have nothing new to add in terms of reliability, it has thankfully survived every night of playtime and work.In my original review I had mentioned the volume pot being very light to turn and it still is the case. But it otherwise hasn't changed much (I was afraid it would start to sound scratchy when adjusting it by now).The one negative I have noticed so far while using this product is that I had to use a black Sharpie to mark where the physical volume knob was pointing to. There's a small detent pointing to where the volume is but its just a small divot on the knob and extremely hard to tell in almost any light condition beyond perfect. At the very least you can tell by touch since it is a physical detent.Also of note, you have to understand that while this product works as described, it wont be powering headphones that need beefy amps. My HD650’s (300Ω) are about the limit of what the HP-DAC1 can handle comfortably before the volume is only adequate. It is much happier with headphone below 100Ω~150Ω as it would allow the user more headroom for wanting to play it loudly from time to time. My HD650’s get plenty loud but if I want to play it loudly the knob is almost pegged (however with the Fostex and HD-DAC1 near max volume, its un-listenably loud). I will say though that the sound has never distorted at any volume level.

The DAC is much better than the built-in soundcard in my computer. It makes the surround sound system sound a lot better for music, movies, and especially games. So far, I have only used the DAC to feed a 5.1 surround sound system and drive a pair of headphones. It does a great job at both. I can't wait to add a power amp and really see what it can do.

The audio card from my workstation PC was creating some noise into my amplified speakers so I decided to try this DAC. I was surprised about the build quality, much better than I expected, it was also very easy to install and connect, the audio trough the USB is amazing much better than the analogue audio output from the PC. I also connected an analogue source into the Line In connection, the audio quality is also excellent. Very happy with my purchase and yes, I would buy it again.

Wow Wow Wow!!! About 10 mths in and still finding things to be impressed about. got this after another well reviewed brand had 2 headphone jack failures. (i.e. speakers stayed on when plugging in...a first for me) i was completely blown away by the space each instrument was given esp. drums an bass which i think are usually under-recorded. not boomey as i think someone else mentioned, but well placed and balanced like the bass in Miles Davis' "You're Under Arrest" or some great solos by Marcus Miller. listening thu a computer with a mix of flac and mp3 and even the mp3's sound much better. just about every song in 7G of music was a new experience. also using audio technica BX50 (?) headphones. even stuff way in the background is just ringing out. love this product and glad i took the chance. they're not kidding when they say they have musicians on staff. this is how i'd like my music to sound if i was so inclined. get yourself some wow, now!