The very best DACs for Apple Music Lossless in 2026

Fiio’s affordable KA11 dongle accommodates a DAC with a most decision of 32bit/384kHz — which is effectively above Apple Music’s top-tier “Hello-Res” lossless format (24bit/192kHz) — so you may make certain that you’re getting each final little bit of high quality out of no matter you’re listening to. Better of all, the KA11 is highly effective, too, with a better quantity output than Apple’s on headphone adapter (extra on this beneath). At round $30, this dongle is the very best bang on your buck in the case of upgrading the audio expertise in your iPhone, Android, PC or Mac. There’s even a Lightning model out there for these with older iPhones and iPads.

We significantly just like the simplicity of Fiio’s KA11 because it’s plug-and-play without having to cost it. It’s solely barely larger than a typical headphone adapter and it comes with a rugged, woven cable, so it might deal with loads of put on and tear. There’s even a small LED on the entrance that allows you to know for those who’re listening to plain, excessive, or higher-resolution information so that you could be assured you’re getting probably the most out of your music in actual time.

Sure, it’s the Apple headphone adapter and (perhaps) love, nevertheless it’s value contemplating if you need one thing tremendous light-weight and much more reasonably priced. Apple’s dongle doesn’t assist the bigger, Hello-Res information out there on its music service, however it might deal with the usual lossless (24bit/48kHz) format no drawback. As you’d count on, it’s out there in Lightning and USB-C variations relying on which Apple gadget you’re connecting it to.

Certain, probably the most demanding listeners may lament the shortage of assist for the upper resolutions, and it may be a bit of quiet with some headphones which might be high impedance (usually costlier “audiophile” fashions). For the overwhelming majority of customers, although, Apple’s dongle will do the job. In the event you’re undecided, examine the guide on your headphones and search for Impedance (typically listed as Ohms) — something beneath round 150Ohms and you ought to be superb. Something above that, and also you may wish to think about Fiio’s dongle as a substitute.

Whereas this information is primarily centered on Apple Music, many of the gear right here will unlock lossless audio regardless of the place you hear. If Tidal is your platform of selection, you is perhaps conversant in the MQA codec, which the corporate used for its high-resolution audio till ultimately switching to FLAC in 2024. MQA won’t be as frequent in streaming anymore, however for those who nonetheless wish to be sure you can hearken to music from shops or providers that present it, the iFi GO Link may have you coated, together with the usual Apple Music excessive decision audio codecs, and the rest, as much as 32-bit/384kHz.

Sennheiser’s BTD700 is a wi-fi adapter that plugs into your telephone, upgrading its Bluetooth capabilities with the most recent high-resolution codecs akin to Aptx Adaptive and Aptx Lossless. iPhones don’t assist any of those natively, however with this small dongle, you may unlock the complete potential of Bluetooth audio and the upper bitrates (and in concept audio high quality) Aptx Lossless affords. There’s a small caveat, although: you have to Bluetooth headphones that additionally assist certainly one of these codecs such as these or these (or examine the product web page of the set you personal or are contemplating).

The BTD700 is easy to make use of, simply plug it in to your telephone’s (or different gadget’s) USB-C port, pair your headphones to it and off you go. An LED on the dongle lets which of the six completely different Bluetooth “qualities” (codecs) you’re having fun with so you’ll know whenever you’re listening to lossless audio. The useful half? When you’ve paired your headphones with the dongle, you gained’t must re-pair for those who join the BTD700 to a PC or Mac. This little adapter successfully provides something with a USB-C port an audio improve, and there’s even a low-latency mode for gaming. Notice, there’s no Lightning possibility right here, so for those who’re on an older telephone you might need to reside with utilizing an adapter.

In the event you’re seeking to take issues to the subsequent degree with out spending “high-end” cash, there’s rather a lot to like concerning the Melody DAC from Snowsky. In contrast to a easy dongle, the Melody has onboard controls and two headphone jacks. A type of is for normal 3.5mm headphones, however the different is for 4.4mm “balanced” headphones, which implies the Melody can develop with you in case your audio journey takes you deeper into the world of audiophilia.

The wooden end provides it an aesthetic really feel and though it’s gentle, it nonetheless delivers that high quality “Hello-Fi” really feel. As for sound high quality, there’s assist for 384K/32bit pattern charges, which covers all the things Apple Music can ship. The built-in amplifier can simply go louder than it’s best to in all probability ever hear and there are different luxuries, too, akin to assist for inline microphones — so you may nonetheless deal with calls and take conferences in your telephone. We additionally love which you can tailor the sound to your choice by way of the Fiio Management companion app.

Whilst you can squeeze a formidable quantity of audio tech right into a headphone adapter, a barely larger gadget affords an honest step up in each specs and options. Moondrop’s Moonriver T2i DAC is barely bigger than a pack of gum, and it has a classy design that doesn’t appear like a boring, generic dongle.

Importantly, the Moonriver T2i builds on the success of the corporate’s Moonriver 2 DAC. The “2” partly refers to using twin DAC chips right here, which delivers a “balanced” sign. Every channel can deal with as much as 32bit/384KHz decision and there are two headphone ports. One for traditional 3.5mm headphones and one other for 4.4mm connections — making use of that balanced output. If that is your first step into the world of Hello-Fi DACs, you’re completely superb with 3.5mm headphones, however some desire the 4.4mm connector because it offers extra energy and potential sign advantages, particularly for those who’re utilizing a headphone amp.

With the Moonriver T2i you’ve a pair extra sensible benefits. For one, there are bodily quantity controls on the gadget itself. In the event you ever felt that the 16 ranges of loudness on the iPhone (I simply counted) weren’t sufficient, then the 100 steps of adjustment on the Moonriver T2i (by way of companion software program) remove any worries about setting the music to the right degree. In case your headphones have an in-line microphone, the excellent news is that this dongle will go that by way of to your telephone or PC so that you gained’t want a separate gadget for calls.

Most significantly, the sound that comes out of the Moonriver T2i is brilliant and daring. You’ll hear audiophiles discuss sound stage, element and width, all you might want to know is that this DAC ticks off all of the buzzwords and serves up brilliant, strong sound that’s going to make any lossless/hi-res music actually shine.

Who stated a DAC must be a dongle? In the event you’re searching for one thing a bit of extra all-in-one then the SP3 BT active speakers from Fiio are an excellent possibility. We like that, for a similar worth as many standalone DACs, you’ve all the things you might want to decode high-resolution music from virtually any supply with USB-C and Aux inputs for telephones together with normal Hello-Fi connections akin to optical, RCA and coaxial.

These audio system didn’t make it to our testing bench, however the SP3 BTs recurrently obtain reward for his or her sound and premium construct high quality at an inexpensive worth. For Bluetooth listening, there’s assist for each Aptx Adaptive and HD together with Sony’s rival LDAC making these audio system one thing of an audio swiss-army knife. Whereas these audio system will make an ideal companion to your own home workplace or workspace, they will simply discover a residence in your lounge or den connecting to another music gamers you might need (for vinyl you’ll nonetheless want a pre-amp).

In the event you’ve had some expertise with DACs and wish to ratchet issues up a notch or three, then the Mojo 2 from British firm Chord desires to have a phrase. At $650, that is undoubtedly within the high-end worth vary, however the expertise and options it affords make it value contemplating for critical audiophiles. However the brains behind the Mojo 2 have been making digital to analog converters just about since there was digital music to even convert. That have is what makes the Mojo 2 a favourite amongst music followers.

Most choices on this information are designed for cellular gadgets first, the Mojo 2 is extra of a hybrid gadget. The cellular dongles above all take their energy from the participant you join them to, which is handy, however clearly is much less form to your telephone’s battery life. The Mojo 2 has an inner cell so gained’t tax the one in your telephone or laptop computer. It’s sufficiently small to be moveable, however substantial sufficient to reside in your desk.

In contrast to most DACs that use off the shelf chips to deal with the digital-to-audio conversion, the Mojo 2 makes use of subject programmable gate array (FPGA) expertise to create its personal customized “chip.” It’s additionally highly effective sufficient to behave as each a DAC and a preamp, driving even power-hungry headphones with ease. We’ve seen FPGA acquire reputation in gaming circles for its capacity to mimic numerous consoles, however that very same flexibility is what makes it attention-grabbing to the audio engineers at Chord.

In the event you want one thing that’s capital L loud, then the Mojo 2 won’t disappoint. Proceed with warning right here. It’s truly highly effective sufficient to drive two pairs of headphones on the similar time and has two 3.5mm ports so you are able to do precisely that. The curious round buttons may also be used to vary sound profiles with an excruciating degree of element.

The Mojo 2 has normal USB-C, microUSB, optical and coax inputs so it’s extra versatile than loads of its competitors on this regard. Though it’s value noting which you can solely cost the Mojo 2 by way of microUSB. After all, there’s a cable offered for this, however for those who’ve totally made the swap to USB-C, it’ll imply you must guard the charging cable carefully.