Is there a difference between cheap no brand dac / amp vs a branded one ?

Submitted by rank_dont_matter t3_yfrjk8 in headphones

Like so far i know a dac just remove static sound , amp boost the volume of headphone.

For me branded dac/ amp are like topping , fiio , jds atom , the drop dac amp , etc

where no brand name for me is like ayima , suca audio , duoox , fosi audio , fx audio.

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The difference between no brand name and branded name pricing is abit huge. In my country.

like tbh is there any diiferent? like even no brand name their dac/amp or amp , preamp etc. can go as much as branded one. Which is alot .

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Has anyone even try to compare a no branded one vs a the listed branded one and is it really a big off a difference ? Is worse? is it better? Is it more expensive and branded better?

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I saw some fiio one has xmos usb , dsd , etc and support up to 32bit etc . And i also saw a fiio dac using a ess 9038q2m chip and a no branded one also using the same dac chip other component is different . But the price is like difference over $100 USD if converted. Its crazy.

So far i only see branded one being review china dac / amps all the branded one got reviews. Where all the others no brand literally nobody reviews them. I mean fiio also made in china the others are the same too. Just wondering does it sound any different.

Maybe there are some decent dac / amp or preamp a no brand one can come very close to a branded one for a fraction of the price. I think its an interesting topic . Just wondering if u guys have any experince at all with all of these no branded dacs.

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As far as i know from what i see in my country The no brand dacs usually inside of it comes with an amp chip and op amp chip ? while their preamp also come with an dac chip or something . So yea so its functional imediately similar to fiio brands etc. If can save money why not ?

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GamePro201X t1_iu4ve5h wrote

I would not say xDuoo is a no name brand. They're actually quite popular and make some great stuff

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rank_dont_matter OP t1_iu4whmp wrote

What about fosi audio , FX audio, ayima etc. Heard of this brand before?

I saw a fiio k5 pro using a ess 93082qm DAC chip which cost 600 . Where am ayima DAC using the same DAC chip but have 2 of them. It cost 200 . Like the ayima don't have like DSD , xmos but it has the same DAC chip. Which at the seller there advertise as a powerful chip etc.

How can a no brand one have 2 of that DAC chip and said it has 2 channel? I don't even understand the chip but I know it's like not even half the price. Is it the fiio sound way and miles better? That's why so expensive. I also did saw some people review the ayima a5 pro. Too it's more expensive. But in the ayima website the a3 is more expensive it's so weird.

This one ayima DAC a3 https://shopee.com.my/product/30095187/9933570725?smtt=0.364139984-1666972596.9

Ayima DAC a5 pro https://shopee.com.my/product/30095187/6349419270?smtt=0.364139984-1666972717.9

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kazuviking t1_iu4yjg8 wrote

The two you posted is not being made by aiyima just rebadged. The K5 uses way better HP amp and dac output stage's. The aiyima a5 pro is not that far off as a dac but as a HP amp its trash.

Fun fact, Sabre said said their dac chips should be used in cheap/affordable products.

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Randolph_Carter_666 t1_iu57vt6 wrote

I have and I am currently using a Fosi Audio DS1. It's my first DAC, so I can't speak to comparisons. I will say that it is an improvement over my laptop/tablet headphone jacks.

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tetrix994 t1_iu5av8u wrote

Some of the money goes to research and development, whereas the unknown brands can just copy things. Also you get higher quality control with the more popular brands.

Another thing regarding the price is that it depends where the product is made. In some countries the labour is cheaper than in others.

With that said, it doesn't mean that with an unknown brand you will get worse quality product.

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Fine_Land t1_iu57jzo wrote

I can't speak for all the brands but I did once buy a DAC from Fosi and there was a lot of static in the left ear no matter what headphone or earphone I used. I returned it and went with a different brand that provided a much better experience.

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moxeir t1_iu4u596 wrote

A DAC and an amp is required to listen to digital music period. But to answer your question, maybe. Probably not enough to justify spending a ton of money

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MyNameIsRay t1_iu5acnv wrote

This is akin to asking "Is there a difference between that pen you stole from the doctor's office, and a Bic you bought at the store?"

The answer will always be "maybe?"

Maybe that free pen sources their tubes/tips from Bic, and it's literally the same thing in a different shell. Generally speaking, these companies will straight up tell you their chip/part numbers, to show they're using the same stuff.

Maybe they sourced their parts from high end manufacturers in Germany/Japan, and actually have superior quality. Rule of thumb for these: They'll provide verified test results, like Schiit showing off APx reports.

Maybe they use cheap chinese crap, and it'll be a piece of shit in comparison. You already know the red flags for this stuff. Wish/Alibaba listings, no specifics on hardware, no verified specs, and a focus on claims/features rather than stats/figures.

Point is, without digging deeper into the specifics, there's no way to know.

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matefeedkillrepeat_8 t1_iu631rb wrote

Dacs actually improve the sound and make it possible to listen to the audio

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Toronto-Will t1_iu6kunk wrote

There are two kinds of Dacs and amps: good and bad. The good ones all sound nearly identical and the bad ones cause problems.

I think the overwhelming majority are “good”, including some that are very cheap, like the Apple dongle that’s $10. Within “good” there are some more powerful than others (amps, specifically), but whether that matters depends on how power thirsty your headphones are.

As for “bad”, I’ve seen people on this sub talk about blowing out headphones with a dodgy amp. And bad quality control can introduce every
kind of problem. So my suggestion would be to get something from a reputable brand, or get nothing at all and just use the headphone jack on your computer. If you get something from a brand you don’t trust, that just increases the odds of getting something bad, which will be a waste of money no matter how cheap it is.

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hurtyewh t1_iu5t0p7 wrote

Depends. Selling volumes say a lot about how good parts they can use at a given price so more established brands should have the edge. With RnD as well.

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Suvtropics t1_iudb3ck wrote

I wouldn't buy non brand dac amps, unless they have excellent feedback.

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PutPineappleOnPizza t1_iu68hed wrote

I'm guessing there won't be too much of a difference. Xduoo is great btw so idk, getting something from them might be a good idea if they have what you're looking for.

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