Audiolab Portable Headphone Amplifier Audio Powered USB DAC Headphone Amp for Phone (Android,USB-C Port)

My biggest fear came true with this P-DAC ! It works as advertised, that's for sure. You simply plug it into your USB-C port on your Android, plug in your earphones and it plays. However as feared, none of my DSP or EQ functions on my phone work with this unit. It takes the raw digital signal before the DSP on my phone, decodes and amplifies it. The only thing on my phone that works with this DAC is the volume slider. While this may be fine for many people, I really like to tweak my sound. Audiolab is a UK outfit and this thing delivers a very British sound. Very forward vocals and really nice, punchy bass. As well, this unit amplifies REALLY well. If lack of volume is your biggest problem. this unit will fix that big time. I listen to a lot of Spotify and this unit sucks every bit of detail that is available from a somewhat compromised streaming medium (320kbs). However, I do like to EQ Spotify and this unit will not let me do that. I was thinking about returning it but I am starting to warm up to this punchy little DAC. And for what I paid for it, it's really not worth the bother of returning it. So, if you are an audio purest and don't mess with EQ and want something that will offer you considerably more resolution and volume than your phone can deliver, this unit will deliver.****UPDATE**** I originally tried this P-DAC with my new 1More triple driver over the ear headphones, which are 'V' tuned and the results were less than desirable. The DAC literally sucks the 'V' tuning out of the headphones. However, I recently tried this unit with my old Grado SR 80's and this P-DAC and the Grado's get along very well......... VERY WELL.......if you know what I mean!! This P-DAC can deliver stunning quality sound when used with the right headphones.***UPDATE*** I recently switched phones and now have an LG G8 ThinQ and the EQ and DSP functions work fine on the LG with this P-DAC. Glad I did not return it. This P-DAC rivals the quad DAC inside the LG and gives me all the power I need to run my power hungry over ear Headphones.

3/5 for quality when it works.1/5 because it rarely ever works.Maybe I got a lemon but it constantly disconnects and struggles to reconnect (I've tried it on 4 different devices with the same result). It only got worse with time - and now it struggles to stay connect for longer than 2mins.Massive disappointment - much better cheaper options available.

I like how compact, small and the fact that the product is a USB C DAC and headphone amp that you just just plug into your phone. I use it with my OnePlus 6T, and it's been a very nice upgrade to the stock dongle. You can tell it does amplify as vs. the stock dongle as the volume is louder and I have to turn the volume down to get it to my comfortable volume. It heats up a little, but not any hotter than comfortable for you to hold in your hand.I have been using it for more than a year, and it works well most of the time. The general build is very good, but the cable is quite fragile, because I have issues with the sound at certain bends of the cable, where it seems to disconnect. Using the P-DAC while walking around can wear out the cable a little faster, because I noticed the disconnects being more frequent after about 4 months. I rarely do so as I have V-Moda Crossfade 2 Wireless headphones and only connect them to the headphones when the battery dies.The V-Moda Crossfade 2 Wireless have Hi-Res certification while wired, and I can also hear improvements vs. when I used the internals of the V-Moda. They are 32 ohms so they aren't the hardest to drive but they can also drive my 300 ohm headphones as well. Because of COVID-19 I have been using these at home more often as well with my Massdrop X Sennheiser HD6XX (the 300 ohm headphones) open-back headphones. In comparison to even headphone amplifiers included in some integrated amps and AV receivers I've tried it with (NAD T747, Rotel A14), the P-DAC is much better in terms of smoothness, resolution and overall sound-stage imaging. This is quite the bang for the buck at $50 when I had bought it.My critical listening was mostly made using the HD6XX as I know it is a headphone that has a sound characteristic that depends a lot on what components drive it. What you call a revealing headphone. Overall it has a sound that kind of accentuates the bass a little, with just the right high frequency brightness to present a nice realistic sibilance to vocals, so everything sounds nice, quality and full. When listening to music that has a lot going for it, such as rock music, you can hear separation in the instruments, so you can separate the electric guitar, drums keyboard/piano, and vocals, all in a spacious sounding stage. If I move back to the included dongle with my phone the sound can be harsh and the sound constrained, close together vs. the P-DAC. I have access to Qobuz and it's 24-bit 192kHz resolution library, it does as advertised and is able to play songs at that resolution, but I don't have a dedicated headphone amplifier to compare this to. Vs. playing a song available on both Spotify (premium with the full 320kbps MP3 resolution) and Qobuz, I can notice more overall resolution with 24bit 192kHz in that accuracy in playback is improved. Just means that for example, if playing the same song, violins and vocals seem to be more refined and more realistic vs. playback on lower resolution via Spotify. Even if I don't have a dedicated headphone amplifier to compare, with what I could compare with, this is a very good DAC and headphone amplifier for the price.Even at $89.99 (at the time of writing) I think it's a great buy for anyone looking for on the go high-res music with a modern phone with USB-C. I had no issues with the P-DAC not working with my phone (NOT considering the cable connection issues) and recognizes the device all the time when I plug in. I personally use this a lot more when I'm stationary, so I naturally don't actually run into the disconnection issue, but it is a little annoying when it happens. Not considering that, this is a very good buy in terms of sound on the go.

When I switched from my LG V20 to the Note 10, I was worried that I will miss the headphone jack and the infamous LG Quad DAC. The Quad DAC sets LG apart as the cell phone for audiophiles trying to soothe their longing for their home system. So instead of getting angry at Samsung for pulling the plug on the headphone jack, I treated it as an opportunity to find a USB-C DAC to further improve the sound quality of my phone.I tested the Hidizs Sonata HD and the Audiolab P DAC with my collection of Smooth Jazz (Botti, Acoustic Alchemy, Taylor, R. Lewis, et al) from my Bose QC25.First I tested the lossless files with the Note 10 and the Hidizs. I was left unimpressed. Yes, the sound quality comes close to my V20 QUAD DAC, but the music just didn'tcome alive. Then just for giggles, I tried the Hidizs with my V20. First test was with the V20+Quad DAC via standard 3.5 mm connection. Then V20+DAC via USB-C connection. The sound comes more naturally with the built in DAC. But what a difference when I switched the Hidizs with the Audiolab. It blew the Quad DAC away by a mile. Then I switched the Audiolab to the Note 10 and I was sold. At $70, this Audiolab P DAC is a WINNER and a keeper.For those who couldn't make it work with Android Pie, go to the Developer Option and set your Default USB config to "File Transfer."Good work Audiolab engineers. You brought back the smile of this audiophile.

Sounds good as I expected. The issue I'm having is that for some reason it keeps pushing out my aux cable from the hole. I have to force in the cable and not move it so it won't push out. Even then it bounces out. it's so irritating!! Is this normal? I really want to like this little amp but I'm starting to think about returning it. Let me know if I just got a faulty item pls. If not look somewhere else.Update: so it's been a few days now and the headphone jack won't stay inside at all, it just keeps pushing it out. Now I have to wrap a piece a tape around the dac and wire and pull it very tight to keep it from popping out Very annoying. Also got msgd from customer service. Sent them video proof of my issue and told me they will send me a replacement. Said they'll tell me when it's shipped. Been 3 days Haven't heard back from them yet. Probably being impatient here but I just want a functioning dongle that I paid $67 for. Still appreciate them reaching out to me, will tell you if I receive a new unit.LAST UPDATE: they sent me a replacement! Works perfectly. So it was just an issue with my first unit. Really great customer service. highly recommend buying this aux, not only for the quality of the product but also the exceptionial service they provide. Thanks iag! Will be looking forward to Future products.