# External DACs can improve hi-res music with wired headphones

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/this-is-when-external-dacs-for-your-phone-are-worth-buying/
- Published: 2026-11-07T13:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-07T13:47:57+00:00
- Original publisher: Engadget
- Original article: https://www.engadget.com/2304952/when-external-dac-worth-buying-for-phone/
- Topics: Gadgets, Technology

## Key points

- External DACs can help phones play hi-res audio through wired headphones.
- Check port, headphone jack and audio format compatibility.
- Apple’s hi-res audio support via USB-C is capped at 48 kHz without a DAC.

## Summary

The article explains when a phone user might benefit from buying an external digital-to-analogue converter (DAC): mainly when using wired headphones for lossless or high-resolution music. Streaming services now offer higher-quality audio, but the phone, connection and headphones all need to support it for listeners to hear the benefit.

A DAC converts digital audio into an analogue signal and most phone models include an amplifier. When choosing an external unit, check that it matches the phone’s USB-C or Lightning port, has the right headphone connection, and supports the audio formats and rates you want. The article notes that Apple’s USB-C connection for AirPods Max supports lossless audio, but hi-res audio above 48 kHz requires an external DAC; Apple Music offers up to 24-bit/192 kHz. Wireless listeners can instead consider Bluetooth adapters supporting higher-quality codecs.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.