Listen! A Tiny Audioengine Amplifier Makes The Music On Your Phone Sound Extraordinary!
Preparing for the unexpected is now expected.
I’m listening to U2’s “It’s A Beautiful Day” on my phone and the song is so on the mark right now thanks to the tiny Audioengine DAC3 amplifier that connects between my phone and headphones. Now why would you need an amplifier like this? While most people think that amplifiers are just about making the music louder, it’s really about better fidelity at lower volume levels. I’m listening to U2 with the volume bar at just below the halfway mark on my phone, easily adjusted by a volume control on the DAC3. Amplification allows me to enjoy the subtleties of the music. My bet is that you’ll hear sounds you never heard before. If a phone is your primary music source, the Audioengine DAC3 is a must-have.
The Audioengine DAC3 is just under two inches long but it performs like a device that yards on in size. The DAC3 is housed in a durable aluminum casing so it will take some rocking. The DAC3 is a dongle powered by your phone so you don’t have to worry about charging it—it powers down once you disconnect the headphones. The DAC3 includes cables for connecting either Apple or Android phones. The DAC3 works with every currently existing streaming service. Another sonic upgrade idea is to insert the DAC3 between a laptop and desktop speakers.
Audiophiles often argue that wired headphones sound better than Bluetooth-enabled wireless headphones because they think something fishy happens to the music when it undergoes the required compression required for transmission. For many, though the wireless option wins out due to the untangled freedom of movement, noting with a shrug that modern popular music digital files are often compressed to begin with. It all depends upon how much of a music hound you are. (There’s an argument that you shouldn’t be?) These days, streaming platforms offer “lossless” uncompressed audio, usually for a higher fee. Faster internet speeds also are helping to deliver better audio. (One reason uncompressed vinyl is enjoying a comeback!)
I lean toward wired headphones so I was delighted that the DAC3 allowed me to use wired headphones with my Apple phone—the absence of a convenient headphone jack still mourned since its disappearance in 2016. I dug out a pair of older Monster over-ear cans and it’s like the DAC3 breathed new life into them. And I caught myself exhaling a sigh of relief in that the DAC3 means I have one less recharging thing to think about. My future headphone recharging worries will be limited to the noise reduction cans I use on airplanes. But you can be sure the DAC3 will be in my travel kit as well. The DAC3 is proof once again that good things often come in small packages. $149. audioengine.com