Where's the DAC? Everything you need to know about digital-to-analog converters

You're probably using a DAC right now — you just don'tknow it. JR and Huffy kick off this episode with a game of "Where's the DAC?", a series of scenarios where you try to identify which device in the audio chain is handling the digital-to-analog conversion. From there, JR walks through the surprisingly interesting history of how standalone DACs went from a niche audiophile topic to a full product category at Crutchfield — and what the wave of early returns taught the team about setting customer expectations. The big takeaway: a better DAC will reveal how good your music sounds, not fix how bad it sounds. Garbage in, garbage out still applies.

The guys also get into bit rates, sample rates, and whyyou probably shouldn't lose sleep over which DAC chip brand is inside your gear — but you should know what to look for when it matters. JR discusses three noteworthy standalone DACs worth knowing about: the Cambridge Audio DacMagic200M, the iFi ZEN DAC 3, and the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt. If you have questions or want to tell JR which DAC chip brand you think sounds best, send an email to podcast@crutchfield.com

Links from this episode of Crutchfield: The Podcast

Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M (Silver) Stereo DAC/headphone amplifier/preamp with built-in Bluetooth® (Silver) at Crutchfield

iFi ZEN DAC 3 Desktop USB DAC and headphone amplifier at Crutchfield

AudioQuest DragonFly® Cobalt Plug-in USB DAC/headphone amplifier, compatible with Apple® and Android™ mobile devices at Crutchfield

DAC buying guide

Guide to high-fidelity computer audio

Intro to high-resolution audio