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Audirect Atom3 HiFi Portable DAC Amplifier
01 / 07
Audirect Atom3 HiFi Portable DAC Amplifier
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Product Description
When smartphones started doing away with headphone jacks, it brought into focus a new necessity for audio dongles—which opened the door for high-fidelity options like the Atom3 Portable DAC Amplifier from Audirect. This tiny little blue box packs in a ton of audiophile awesomeness into a form factor that fits right in the palm of your hand Read More
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keyboard_arrow_downMath_Happy
5
Keyboard Club Member
Dec 31, 2022
Newb question:
Assuming I just use 3.5 earbuds and Spotify/similar is this beneficial, and if so how and how perceptible to audio newbs?
Evshrug
4130
Keyboard Club Member
Jan 3, 2023
For one, years have gone by since the last Apple portable has included a 3.5mm jack (sad face), so you'll be able to use your 3.5mm headphones.
Considering you're using earbuds instead of in-ears, on-ears, or over ear headphones, the 'buds will limit the sound quality substantially (poor extension into sub bass and super treble performance). Even Apple's 3.5mm EarPods and bluetooth AirPods are hybrids between buds and in-ears, to improve their bass performance.
With that said, even with a cheap $18 pair of Koss KSC75 on-ears or $30 BLON BL-03 in-ears (both great budget values!), a dongle like this would improve over other common options like the Apple dongle with less congestion during busy music passages, perhaps less glare in the highs. Spotify Premium should be enough to start hearing these benefits to clarity, though of course all improvements add up.
SuperFlyEDSguy
62
Feb 17, 2023
EvshrugSuch words of wisdom! I have to agree. I will still like to add that I own the BLON BL-03 and they’re quite nice, but if you up your price range ever so slightly the Tin HiFi T2 will still cost you a modest $50, which is a steal as your getting (1) a wider frequency response, (2) a 50% lower impedance, and (3) the speaker arrangement includes a tiny tweeter alongside a larger dynamic driver! Now, you can’t go wrong with either of these, but let’s go over why these points are significant enough to justify spending an additional $20.
The TL;DR version is BOTH are great IEMs, and I’d go with the Tin HiFi T2 if I was forced to pick just one, but thankfully I wasn’t forced to choose and bought the BLON BL-03 too! I enjoy BOTH of them on a variety of amps and the reality is that you can’t go wrong either way!
@Math_Happy The DAC is a very nice one (read: Yes! I have it too!) and will yield very good results provided a clean source and listening with IEMs! Generally, regarding hardware, you need the core three to get better quality sound. Those three things are (1) a dedicated DAC like this one, (2) an amp, and (3) IEMs or quality cans — this last one is arguably the single most important hardware consideration! BTW, the single biggest software consideration is the source of the audio, e.g. higher bitrate = better sound! Don’t worry, you’ll have fun learning while enjoying your music! The pivotal moment is going to be the first time you hear a nuance in a song that you’ve heard a thousand times, and will be like “whaaaaaat the hell was that? Have I ever heard this?!” Audio is meant to be enjoyed the way the artist and studio mastered it, these more untouched files, masters, are what you want to hear! Feel free to ask any questions. Be safe and be well. ✌️ P.S. I did NOT mean to write THIS MUCH when I started! 😂
- Most entry level headphones, earbuds, and the like come with speakers capable of working in the 20Hz to 20kHz range, which does cover all the bases of adult human hearing and then some, but to get HD sound, you simply gotta go wider. The Tin HiFi T2 is capable of doing 12Hz to 40kHz, and though it’s well beyond what we could technically hear, HD audio works by filling in the blanks by adding what you may not hear and allowing your brain to handle putting that missing something together. Some argue this theory, but it’s widely accepted, and even if you’re not interested in the extra treble, this handles bass very nicely!
- The Tin HiFi T2 has a 16 ohm impedance vs the 32 ohms on the BLON BL-03. Though a higher impedance is usually found on higher-end audio equipment with some devices going all the way up to 600 ohms [sic], you will gain some extra loudness from the lower impedance. It will also not be distorted, as long as the source is clean, as the SNR on the DAC is so high! You also probably will want to stick with lower impedance cans until you get some amps that push out enough signal to justify the increase.
- The last one is simple. By adding a dedicated tweeter the dynamic driver doesn’t have to work as hard and cover those higher frequencies. It could focus on its specific low to mid-range, which will limit distortion. In case you’re not familiar, you could use crossover circuitry that will forward everything above or below a specific frequency to one speaker while leaving the rest for another speaker. This is also how low/highpass and bandpass filters work. A very simple circuit could forward everything above/below a cutoff frequency or even within a designated frequency range to a specific speaker. Remember, speakers are tuned for specific frequencies, so having a separate speaker for bass and/or treble could really help out!
The TL;DR version is BOTH are great IEMs, and I’d go with the Tin HiFi T2 if I was forced to pick just one, but thankfully I wasn’t forced to choose and bought the BLON BL-03 too! I enjoy BOTH of them on a variety of amps and the reality is that you can’t go wrong either way!
@Math_Happy The DAC is a very nice one (read: Yes! I have it too!) and will yield very good results provided a clean source and listening with IEMs! Generally, regarding hardware, you need the core three to get better quality sound. Those three things are (1) a dedicated DAC like this one, (2) an amp, and (3) IEMs or quality cans — this last one is arguably the single most important hardware consideration! BTW, the single biggest software consideration is the source of the audio, e.g. higher bitrate = better sound! Don’t worry, you’ll have fun learning while enjoying your music! The pivotal moment is going to be the first time you hear a nuance in a song that you’ve heard a thousand times, and will be like “whaaaaaat the hell was that? Have I ever heard this?!” Audio is meant to be enjoyed the way the artist and studio mastered it, these more untouched files, masters, are what you want to hear! Feel free to ask any questions. Be safe and be well. ✌️ P.S. I did NOT mean to write THIS MUCH when I started! 😂
(Edited)
SuperFlyEDSguy
62
Feb 18, 2023
Math_HappyYou’re quite welcome!
BTW, I somehow missed that @Evshrug also recommended a Koss option. I’d like to point out that even-though Koss products are dirt cheap, they sound phenomenal! If you haven’t got into headphones yet, Koss is arguably the number one best way to get your hands on quality cans without breaking the bank!
I’d personally take a look at the $25 Koss KPH30i Headphones as they sound just as good as many headphones in the $100-range! Though I do of course personally own a KPH30i in Rhythm Beige, please don’t take my word for it, a quick Google search will yield countless reviews saying that these are in the top 10 headphones under $100! Basically, if there’s one decent set of cans to get situated into the hobby, I’d swear by Koss, and then swear by the KPH30i in-particular! (Now, if money is truly no object you could go with something by Sennheiser and/or Beyerdynamic, but the Koss KPH30i are still convenient and that alone justifies the mere $25 price tag!)
Headphones as a hobby will take you down a variety rabbit hole where you’ll primarily want to experiment with:
- On Ear vs Over Ear, and
- Open Back vs Closed Back.
- Wood Construction vs Standard Construction — A wooden body allows the sound to present more naturally, have some nice reverb, and give it a unique tone all its own. I’d strongly recommended finding a pair that won’t break the bank (Hint: You could get a solid pair manufactured by E-MU or ESS for under $100, sometimes well under that price!)
(Edited)
Evshrug
4130
Keyboard Club Member
Feb 18, 2023
SuperFlyEDSguyLol, you do have a tendency to let your passion show in the form of short stories, but I am fond of your equally unending passion to try and help people 😁
SuperFlyEDSguy
62
Feb 18, 2023
EvshrugYou got it! 👍 I have always enjoyed writing and even did my graduate studies in social media marketing (lots of writing there!), but you’re so right, I always had an innate passion in life to help others, however it may be. It simply makes me feel good knowing that I have added some positivity to a world that has a ginormous deficit. Now, when my interests are piqued on a subject that I enjoy, I do tend to go quite overboard. 😂 In retrospect, it’s kinda cool thinking that I have so many stories to integrate into pretty much anything being discussed. You see, when my EDS got bad enough to throw me into retirement in my very early 40s, I did grieve as I initially lost a lot in a very short period of time, but I was able to quickly overcome a majority of said grief with the knowledge that I lived life to the max. I wasn’t reckless, but I rolled the dice often, e.g. starting businesses and going all in, only applying to Oxford for my undergrad with NO backup plan, joining the Navy while we were in combat with the knowledge that I’ll go overseas, you get the picture. 😅
(The best part about having my specific weaknesses is that they were actually the perfect recipe to put my hubris in check, and I came out a much stronger individual in many ways! The odd part was that I made it a point to never compete against others, it was always about outdoing my personal best, so I’m not really sure where the hubris originally sneaked-in from, but trust me, it was there… but, not anymore!) 😊
As always, thanks for the kind words, it’s always appreciated! We do tend to collaborate well when topics come up that I can’t help myself from chiming-in on. It’s kinda cool to see how our thoughts on those subjects highlight what we personally enjoy or thought would be most beneficial to bring up.
On that note, I keep saying this, but I reeeaaallly want to write something that breaks down audio science and engineering for the masses. This is one reason I like to give LOTS of information to the totals newbs as there’s so much disinformation already out there. It’s only fair to start them off right (and to be super-friendly to them, so they may get a good taste for the hobby!) The funny thing is that even seasoned audiophiles would appreciate the science if presented in a logical, fun, and non-threatening way. That’s the other side of those rather lengthy comments of mine as I try to explain things so anyone from a day-one newbie to someone in the hobby for two decades could appreciate.
Wow! It’s after 3am, have a great night/day/whatever-it-is, and I hope you’re feeling better too! ✌️
(Edited)
TaylerS
279
Buyer
Jan 1, 2023
@Math_Happy Hello!
The Atom 3 can automatically identify earphone impedance. The internal system will know the identification impedance and adapt to the corresponding gain. Overall, it is a great product for audio beginners!
TVAdept
0
Feb 28, 2023
This gets you the 3.5mm jack but because Spotify is bit rate limited I don't believe anyone will hear a real difference as compared to an Apple dongle. The real benefit would become apparent when listening to higher bit rate services like Tidal.
JonG9
0
Jan 2, 2023
Previous version atom2 had an issue that it can get very hot. Doesn’t the atom3 get very hot like atom2? If not can you compare it with atom2?
TaylerS
279
Buyer
Jan 3, 2023
@JonG9 Hello! The Atom 3 has an upgraded DAC Chip, ESS9280 AC PRO, whereas the Atom 2 had a ESS9281 AC DAC Chip. The Atom 3 also has a higher SNR, and is slightly lighter in weight. This product will not overheat and get hot.
manny-d
1
Dec 31, 2022
Is there a way to use this with the USB C connection on the majority of Android phones? Thanks.
BunniPlz
4
Feb 14, 2023
Can you use a trrs jack on this? Will there be any issue? Will it pass the mic input back to the phone?
BunniPlz
4
Apr 13, 2023
I got one from AliExpress and tested this with a redragon headset, it does pass mic input through.
KickRoxEatDust
0
Jan 2, 2023
Will this have any impact on a cars stereo system? Thinking of buying but I spend most of my time driving.
Evshrug
4130
Keyboard Club Member
Jan 3, 2023
Depends on how you connect to the car stereo.
If you use bluetooth, then no. But if you use an "AUX" jack (with that 3.5mm plug, the most common type you see on headphones), then yes this should help with clarity.
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