Headphone DACs
Headphone DAC dongles and desktop DACs on AliExpress
9 picks
Small dongles and desk boxes that feed wired headphones from a phone or computer, often called DACs. Handy for phones with no headphone jack.
The cheapest here is $15.
TOPPING E30II LITE Desktop DAC for a computer speaker setup from , over your budget 
FiiO KA11 Headphone dongle for phones and laptops from , over your budget 
HiBy FC1 Tiny headphone dongle for phones and laptops from , over your budget 
TempoTec Sonata BHD Pro Headphone dongle with two headphone jacks from , over your budget 
HiBy FC3 Headphone dongle for phones and laptops from , over your budget 
Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini Cheap headphone dongle with a 4.4 mm balanced jack from , over your budget 
TRN Black Pearl Headphone dongle with two jacks and an EQ app from , over your budget 
FiiO JA11 The cheapest headphone dongle here, with EQ and mic support from , over your budget 
Fosi Audio K5 Pro Desk box for a gaming headset on a PC or PS5 from , over your budget Questions
Do I need a headphone DAC dongle?
You need one if your phone or laptop has no headphone jack, because a dongle adds a 3.5 mm output to the USB-C port. Some also have more power for harder-to-drive headphones: the TRN Black Pearl lists 320 mW at 32 Ω from its 4.4 mm jack, against 30 mW per channel for the FiiO JA11. These are the makers' figures.
What is the cheapest headphone DAC here?
The FiiO JA11 at $15 is the cheapest. It has a 3.5 mm output, supports a headset mic and in-line remote, and has a parametric EQ in the FiiO Control app on Android. Next up are the HiBy FC1 ($20), Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini ($24) and FiiO KA11 ($25).
Which dongles have a 4.4 mm balanced output?
The Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini ($24), TRN Black Pearl ($36) and Tempotec Sonata BHD Pro ($48) each have both a 3.5 mm and a 4.4 mm balanced jack. It only helps if your headphones have a balanced cable or a 4.4 mm plug.
Which DAC is for a PC speaker setup or a console headset?
The Topping E30II Lite ($99) is a desktop DAC with RCA line out for speakers or an amp, and it has no headphone jack. The Fosi Audio K5 Pro ($54) is a desk box with a headphone jack, RCA out and volume, bass and treble knobs, and its maker lists PC, Mac, PS5 and Switch.
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