Twenty bucks for a complete DAC solution? How good could it sound?

[redjr]

I recently purchased the FiiO D3 for $30. It uses the Wolfson WM8805. I also bought an AD8656 opamp to replace TI LMV358. Haven't changed it yet. The device sounds great to me.

Here is a review: Inside FiiO D3 H i F i D U I N O

After reading this thread I decided to buy one of these. Never saw until you mentioned it here. I thought for $30 bucks why not? The thing is so tiny it could be used just about anywhere, or even tucked inside an existing transport, or other DIY enclosure. I love the net (and Google) for uncovering gems like this and their potential possibilities.

Haven't done any critical listening to it yet, but it certainly doesn't sound awful to my ears anyway. 😀

 

[dangus]

I got around to opening up the $20 DAC and ADC:

"Digital to Analog Audio Converter"
SU1 CIRRUS LOGIC 8416-CZZ - 192 kHz Digital Audio Interface Receiver
SU2 SGM8054 - quad op-amp
U4 SE8119AKN - low dropout voltage regulator, 3.3V
U3 (not used)
U1 344C (10 pins) - CS4344 or copy, 24b/192k DAC


"Analog to Digital Audio Converter"
U17 Cirrus 5340CZZ - 101 dB, 192 kHz Stereo ADC
U21 CS8427-CZ - 96 kHz Digital Audio Transceiver
U22 EM78P153SNJ - microcontroller
12.288 MHz crystal.
U23 431 - maybe TL431?

I haven't taken the drastic step of actually plugging them in and listening to them or doing an RMAA test.