Amp vs. DAC | What’s The Difference?

Are you a music lover who is newly venturing into high-end audio equipment to experience the best quality of music? Then you’ve probably heard the terms Amps, Pre-amps, DACs, and Power supplies. Some say, “all you need is a DAC for your headphones” while others say, “an amp is the first place to start.” Things can get confusing if you throw yourself down the rabbit hole of Amp vs. DAC without fully understanding what they are and what they do.

The quest for Hi-Fi (High Fidelity) sound reproduction through headphones and speakers has been present since the early days of sound recording. If this desire is a tad bit more than “normal”, you can call yourself an audiophile.

Getting the right equipment, be it headphones or the electronics associated with high-quality audio such as DACs and Amps, is very important. In this guide, we will understand the differences between an Amp and a DAC. We will also try to answer some important questions concerning these two devices such as “does an amp or DAC improve audio quality”, “what do I need, DAC or amp” and many more.

What Is An Amp (Amplifier)?

An Audio Power Amplifier, also known as Amplifier (or simply Amp) is an electronic device that takes a low-power audio signal and boosts its power so that the headphones or speakers can play it louder. The power levels vary from a few milliwatts for headphones/earphones to a few watts for TV or computer audio and even hundreds of watts for high-end home theaters and car audio systems. The source of the audio signal can be a CD/DVD player, a mobile phone, a media player, a turntable, or even another tiny amplifier known as a pre-amplifier.

Amps are available in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and form factors. Your smartphone has an integrated amplifier in the form of an IC (integrated Circuit) to drive its speakers. Home theater systems have large power amplifiers with several discrete electronic components that can drive multiple speakers. There are also bench-top amplifiers that work with computer speakers. Headphone amplifiers specifically cater to headphones (usually high-impedance ones e.g. 32 Ohms) rather than speakers. It is clear that irrespective of their shape, size, audio source, etc., an amplifier is basically a speaker driver.

One of the important requirements of any audio amplifier is to have minimal distortions (absolutely no distortions would be even better). Audio signals are usually a collection of different frequency sounds. If the amplifier can increase the amplitude of all those frequencies by the same factor, then it doesn’t cause any distortion. This characteristic of an amplifier is known as Linearity (which is very important for the clean reproduction of audio).

Classes Of Audio Amplifiers

The “Classes of Power Amplifiers” represent the characteristics and performance of an amplifier. We have several classes of power amplifiers including Class A, Class B, Class AB, Class C, Class D, Class E, Class F, Class G, Class H, and Class S. Out of these, Class A, Class B, Class AB, and Class D are quite popular in the audio domain.

• Class A: One of the simplest types of audio amps are Class A amplifiers. In this, the active element (transistor or MOSFET) is always conducting irrespective of the level of the input signal. While this increases the linearity of the amp (better audio quality), the efficiency is very poor.
• Class B: This type uses two active elements, one acting on the positive half of the signal while the second one on the negative. Such designs are known as Push-pull amplifier topology. The efficiency is much better than Class A but has a distortion at the crossover point.
• Class AB: If you want the sound quality of a Class A amp and the efficiency of a Class B amp, then the result is a Class AB amplifier. It is one of the popular types of amplifier designs for driving hi-fi speakers, portable media players, etc. Class AB amps are slightly less efficient than Class B but the audio quality is close to that of Class A.
• Class D: For those seeking maximum efficiency, Class D amplifiers are the ideal choice. Instead of depending on the input signal, Class D amplifiers use pulse width modulation (PWM) to control the active elements. Due to their high efficiency, Class D amps are very popular in battery-operated devices (mobiles, MP3 Players, etc.).

What Is A DAC?

You plugged in your hi-fi headphones to the smartphone and started playing music from a streaming service like Apple Music or Spotify. Ever wonder how your favorite tunes, originally just digital data (a series of 1s and 0s), transform into the sound you hear? This transformation is the work of a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC). It seamlessly converts digital signals into analog sounds, bringing your music to life.

DAC is short for Digital to Analog Converter. As the name suggests, it is an electronic component/device that converts the ‘1s’ and ‘0s’ in a digital audio file into an analog signal so that speakers can play it (either directly or through an amplifier).

The world has gone digital. All the data we store, analyze, and process is just a collection of ‘1s’ and ‘0s’. This even applies to our audio (and video) files thanks to the PCM or Pulse Coded Modulation technique. But sound is analog and so for the speakers to play sound, we need to somehow convert the digital PCM audio data into an analog signal. This is what exactly a DAC does.

Did you know that all the latest electronic devices that are capable of playing audio have a DAC in them? Smartphones, computers, tablets, TVs, media players (CD, Blu-Ray), etc. use DACs to play music/audio through their speakers.

The motherboard of your PC already has a decent DAC that can drive speakers and headphones. But the advantage of an external DAC is you will be taking the data conversion (digital to analog) outside of the motherboard and reducing/eliminating potential noise/interference from the rest of the electronics.

Types Of DACs

There are several types of DACs in the market with different specifications, features, sizes, and applications. When choosing a DAC, consider how you typically enjoy your music, the type of device you use for listening (such as headphones or IEMs), and where you plan to place it—be it on a desk or as a portable option. Additionally, assess whether the DAC includes an integrated amplifier and other relevant factors that align with your audio needs.

Portable DAC

If you want to experience high-quality audio without worrying about the size of the DAC, then portable DACs are the way to go. As the name suggests, you can essentially fit them in your pocket and enjoy high-res audio on your high-end headphones.

Most portable DACs have a built-in amp that can drive/power a pair of headphones or IEMs without breaking a sweat. They might struggle to power high-impedance headphones though. The most common connectivity option in portable DACs is a 3.5mm headphone jack. But you can also get some models that support Bluetooth connection as well.

Standalone/Desktop DAC

Whether you have some expensive high-impedance headphones or want to drive studio monitors (or passive speakers), you will be looking at a more capable standalone DAC that sits on your desk. They usually have a bunch of connectivity options (3.5mm, 6.5mm, XLR, RCA, and Bluetooth). Some other features of desktop DACs include balanced output (to reduce crosstalk and noise and improve audio quality) and enhanced bass and treble controls.

DAC Without Amp

If you are a true audiophile who likes to tune and tinker with sound, you might be looking at DAC-only devices that simply convert digital audio data into analog sound. This gives you additional flexibility in choosing the amplifier of your choice for additional customization.

Amp vs. DAC: Differences

From the previously mentioned definitions, it is clear that a DAC is completely different from an Amp. In fact, they are a part of the system that helps in the reproduction of sound from digital audio files through headphones and speakers.

A DAC takes the digital audio in PCM format and converts it into an analog signal. The amplifier takes this low-power analog signal and boosts its power so that it has enough juice to drive speakers (or headphones).

The following table lists some of the other differences between an amp and a DAC.

Can Amp Or DAC Improve Audio Quality?

Amp

Let us begin with the amp. If done properly, an amp just boosts the power of the audio signal without messing with the “properties” of the audio including its quality. However, no amp is perfect. And every amplifier adds some level of distortion to the signal.

The level of distortion depends on the type or class of the amplifier and the overall design. So, there is a chance that the amp you choose might interfere with the overall audio quality.

DAC

Things are a little bit different with DACs. Let us try to break it down. We know that audio or sound is analog data that is continuous in time with varying amplitude. In order to represent analog audio in digital format, we use Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) where we measure the amplitude of the analog data at regular intervals and represent it using 1s and 0s.

The source of digital audio is usually a CD, an MP3, a FLAC, or any other PCM-based audio format. Each of these digital audio files has two important parameters; Sample Rate or Sampling Frequency (more commonly known as bit rate) and Sample Depth.

You might’ve heard about 16-bit, 24-bit, etc. These are the sampling depths or bit depths of the digital audio file, which indicates the number or length of those 1s and 0s for every amplitude measurement. How often we take these measurements is represented by the bit rate. Common values include 44,100 times per second (or 44.1kHz), 48kHz, 96kHz, and 192kHz. A higher bit rate means more digital data is packed per second of the audio analog signal. This usually results in better audio quality.

Basic high-res audio nowadays consists of 24-bit/192kHz recordings. Now, a capable DAC that can take such highly-packed data and convert it into analog signals, will produce high-quality audio. So, to answer the question “whether a DAC can improve the audio quality?”, the answer is yes, it can. However, don’t expect some sort of voodoo or magic from a DAC when you throw an entry-level MP3 file with a mediocre 128 kbps bit rate.

If you play high-res and lossless audio (CD-Quality, FLAC, WAV, ALAC, etc.), then an external DAC will definitely enhance the listening experience.

Amp vs. DAC: Which One Do You Need?

We have seen the basics of both amplifiers and DACs and also looked at the differences between them. Coming to the important question that many beginner audiophiles have “What Do I Need, an Amp or a DAC?”, we will take some possible scenarios and try to give appropriate answers.

Start With An Amp

Almost all the modern electronic devices such as PCs, laptops, smartphones, and tablets already have a built-in DAC. But if you bought yourself a nice pair of expensive high-impedance headphones, chances are the integrated amp in those devices cannot properly power/drive through headphones.

Even if you power them, the sound will be very less and the quality will be worse. The solution is simple, get a decent quality headphone amplifier that can actually power those headphones. This will instantly improve your listening experience. Later, you can add a DAC to the signal chain.

When To Buy A DAC?

Some situations where you’ll need an external DAC is if the internal or built-in DAC produces a lot of noise or if it can’t handle/play high-res audio formats. The chances of getting noise through internal DAC is very less but possible. A decent external DAC will do the job for you as it takes the data conversion outside the system.

If you have a high-quality audiophile-grade headphone or IEMs, you will usually play high-res lossless audio. While most internal DACs are more than capable of playing such audio files, you might experience poor audio quality or jitters (timing errors that add distortion). A hi-fi external DAC with accurate clocks can play most high-res audio formats without any issue and doesn’t contribute to any sort of distortion.

What about gaming? This again depends on your current setup. If you have any of the previously mentioned issues, then an external DAC and Amp will definitely improve the audio quality. Moreover, if you like to stream while gaming, DACs will definitely improve the sound input from your microphone.

What Kind Of DAC/Amp To Get?

Looking for a compact all-in-one solution, get a DAC/Amp combo unit. You will get them in small portable/USB styles for connecting with your smartphones or laptops and can drive high-end audiophile IEMs and headphones. Just throw them in your pocket or backpack along with the headphones and enjoy high-quality audio on the go. You don’t need to worry about an external power supply as your smartphone or laptop/tablet will provide the power over USB.

Alternatively, standalone or desktop models are slightly larger units suitable for, well, placing on a desk with a PC or laptop as a permanent setup. This might lack portability, but if you don’t plan to move your setup, desktop DAC/Amp combo units are very powerful and come with a plethora of connectivity options.

Note that some DACs do not have an integrated amplifier (or come with a low-power amplifier). In that case, you will need a separate amplifier.