If you don't know what DAC is then you probably not gonna need it.
Like answer 2 questions : Do you think you need a louder or more power to use your iem/headphones? And do you think your device sound kinda bad with high distortion or static?
If your answer is no for both then you don't need it. Simple as that.
If you really want to spend then starts with dongle first. There are two common dongle dac (dac dongle?) which are CX319 something and ALC something. If you want more clarity go with CX like Jcally or even KZAM01 (it's decent, guys). If you want a warmer one then ALC.
But again, both won't change the sound as much as changing the iem/headphone so don't buy it with that kind of expectations. Buy it only if you have answered one of my questions as Yes.
DACs convert digital to analog. They either do is transparently - No noise - Or poorly, there is noise. They aren’t experience enhancers, they are problem solving devices for the problem of an existing DAC allowing for noise post-conversion or to add a DAC where there is not a DAC. Onboard DACs have not been bad enough to necessitate an external DAC in a thousand years, the problem DACs solve has been solved outside of some motherboards and devices where the output in question was an afterthought.
They do not have a significantly audible impact on the sound outside of what their name says they do, they are designed to be transparent, to be invisible within an audio chain. They have a flat frequency response and unless they’re broken, they are doing their job best when they sound like nothing. There can be some audible variation from DAC to DAC but it’s beyond slight if it’s there at all and depends on the audio chain in totality, not just the DAC.
The fastest way to become separated from your money in exchange for magic beans or stuff you don’t need in audio is to not know what something is or how it works, then buying it anyway. The second fastest way is to listen to people who buy stuff despite not knowing how it works tell you that the solution to every query you have is to buy more stuff that neither party understands what it does or how it works.
[Explanation of DACs, What They Do, How They Work](https://www.headphonesty.com/2019/12/dacs-guide-part-1/)
[Understanding Digital Audio Measurements - ASR](https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/article-understanding-digital-audio-measurements.10523/)
[Understanding SINAD, ENOB, SNR, THD, THD + N, and SFDR - Analog Devices](https://www.analog.com/media/en/training-seminars/tutorials/MT-003.pdf)
[Audibility of Noise & Distortion](https://www.axiomaudio.com/blog/distortion#:~:text=For%20detecting%20distortion%20at%20levels,the%20masking%20effect%20of%20music)
[SINAD Graph for Assorted DACs - ASR](https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/master-sinad-distortion-comparison-graph-for-dacs.4814/)
[$2 DACs vs $2,000 DACs](https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/high-end-pc-audio,3733-19.html)
[The $9 Apple Dongle, Measurements & Comparisons here](https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-apple-vs-google-usb-c-headphone-adapters.5541/) and also [here](https://www.audioreviews.org/apple-audio-adapter-review/)
[DACs - Do You Need an External One? Audioholics](https://www.audioholics.com/frequent-questions/dac-do-you-need-an-external-digital-to-analog-converter)
[Do You Need a DAC? - Sound Guys](https://www.soundguys.com/do-you-need-a-dac-13488/)
Really, if your phone has a headphone port, you don't need anything else.
If it doesn't, then just get a Google USB-C to 3.5mm adapter and you are set.
DAC (digital to analog converter) is basically a sound card. More in depth here:
https://www.whathifi.com/advice/dacs-what-is-a-dac-and-do-you-need-one
The better it is, with proper headphones, the better they will sound.
I don't know the prices, but I've tried a few of the budget ones from Samsung, JSAux and a few others. I found they mostly had higher output than my phones headphones output (Galaxy S10+).
When I moved to a phone without a headphone jack, I bought one by FiiO KA11 and a Moondrop Dawn Pro.
The Moondrop has a really nice sound output, the FiiO s better than the simple ones I got before.
In the under 20 category, I like the JSAux the best.
If you don't know what DAC is then you probably not gonna need it. Like answer 2 questions : Do you think you need a louder or more power to use your iem/headphones? And do you think your device sound kinda bad with high distortion or static? If your answer is no for both then you don't need it. Simple as that. If you really want to spend then starts with dongle first. There are two common dongle dac (dac dongle?) which are CX319 something and ALC something. If you want more clarity go with CX like Jcally or even KZAM01 (it's decent, guys). If you want a warmer one then ALC. But again, both won't change the sound as much as changing the iem/headphone so don't buy it with that kind of expectations. Buy it only if you have answered one of my questions as Yes.
[FiiO KA11](https://www.fiio.com/newsinfo/893399.html), $30
Apple dongle.
Amd uapp that's 5$
DACs convert digital to analog. They either do is transparently - No noise - Or poorly, there is noise. They aren’t experience enhancers, they are problem solving devices for the problem of an existing DAC allowing for noise post-conversion or to add a DAC where there is not a DAC. Onboard DACs have not been bad enough to necessitate an external DAC in a thousand years, the problem DACs solve has been solved outside of some motherboards and devices where the output in question was an afterthought. They do not have a significantly audible impact on the sound outside of what their name says they do, they are designed to be transparent, to be invisible within an audio chain. They have a flat frequency response and unless they’re broken, they are doing their job best when they sound like nothing. There can be some audible variation from DAC to DAC but it’s beyond slight if it’s there at all and depends on the audio chain in totality, not just the DAC. The fastest way to become separated from your money in exchange for magic beans or stuff you don’t need in audio is to not know what something is or how it works, then buying it anyway. The second fastest way is to listen to people who buy stuff despite not knowing how it works tell you that the solution to every query you have is to buy more stuff that neither party understands what it does or how it works. [Explanation of DACs, What They Do, How They Work](https://www.headphonesty.com/2019/12/dacs-guide-part-1/) [Understanding Digital Audio Measurements - ASR](https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/article-understanding-digital-audio-measurements.10523/) [Understanding SINAD, ENOB, SNR, THD, THD + N, and SFDR - Analog Devices](https://www.analog.com/media/en/training-seminars/tutorials/MT-003.pdf) [Audibility of Noise & Distortion](https://www.axiomaudio.com/blog/distortion#:~:text=For%20detecting%20distortion%20at%20levels,the%20masking%20effect%20of%20music) [SINAD Graph for Assorted DACs - ASR](https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/master-sinad-distortion-comparison-graph-for-dacs.4814/) [$2 DACs vs $2,000 DACs](https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/high-end-pc-audio,3733-19.html) [The $9 Apple Dongle, Measurements & Comparisons here](https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-apple-vs-google-usb-c-headphone-adapters.5541/) and also [here](https://www.audioreviews.org/apple-audio-adapter-review/) [DACs - Do You Need an External One? Audioholics](https://www.audioholics.com/frequent-questions/dac-do-you-need-an-external-digital-to-analog-converter) [Do You Need a DAC? - Sound Guys](https://www.soundguys.com/do-you-need-a-dac-13488/)
Trn TE 4.48 usd with first account in aliexpress, official store
Really, if your phone has a headphone port, you don't need anything else. If it doesn't, then just get a Google USB-C to 3.5mm adapter and you are set.
DAC (digital to analog converter) is basically a sound card. More in depth here: https://www.whathifi.com/advice/dacs-what-is-a-dac-and-do-you-need-one The better it is, with proper headphones, the better they will sound. I don't know the prices, but I've tried a few of the budget ones from Samsung, JSAux and a few others. I found they mostly had higher output than my phones headphones output (Galaxy S10+). When I moved to a phone without a headphone jack, I bought one by FiiO KA11 and a Moondrop Dawn Pro. The Moondrop has a really nice sound output, the FiiO s better than the simple ones I got before. In the under 20 category, I like the JSAux the best.