

The units with batteries usually have more output power to drive demanding headphones. Some pull power from the source via USB, while others have a rechargeable battery inside, and can be used with sources that don’t have enough power to run the DAC.

They have advanced digital conversion circuitry designed to add dimensionality and detail to your music. That’s where the external digital-to-analog converters come in.

While many sources already have a DAC built-in, they are usually rudimentary and don’t have the best sound quality.
