Which DAC to get for Pi B+ ?

I have a RaspPi B+ and am looking to match it to a DAC which will give me good performance. I’ll be connecting to an amplifier. I’ve reviewed lots of threads including the list of I2S DAC in this forum, however it’s not helping me choose due to my lack of knowledge.

  • I don’t want to do any soldering so would like a DAC that either fits onto the Pi B+ or connects via USB - what’s best?
  • It should be as close to plug and go / out of the box ready as possible, am happy to do a little tinkering in Linux, however do not want to compile kernels
  • I have no preference on audio connection types, either 3.5 jack or phono output, unless someone tells me that I should
  • Price is flexible, perhaps around $100 US, more or less is fine, however $200 and I’ll need to ask permission from the wife. $500 and I will be sleeping in the spare room
  • I see all kinds of different DACs for the Pi, some have big colorful things on them, others don’t. The HifiBerry Digi doesn’t look to have lots of parts, The BerryNOS 1543 has all kinds of lumps and bumps and there are ones in between. Is this something I need to be aware of, which is “best”?

I also read that a few companies are bringing out new B+ compatible DACs in the next few weeks (e.g. Elements 14). I’m happy to hold off if something good is on the horizon.

I guess my question can be :

Is there a real leading DAC for the B+ that is considered the one to go for which stands out for all the right reasons? If you could only buy one Pi B+ friendly DAC, which would it be?

Looking forward to hearing your feedback and ideas :slight_smile:

Alan

Hi,

i’m using a Hiffyberry DAC+ (kiwi-electronics.nl/modul-9/ … et-spacers)
sounds verry good.
No soldering, just plug on the RPi b+.
I can’t compare with other DAC’s…

Just get my hands on the last ES9023 (Sabre) for B+, works the same way (nothing to solder) :wink:

To answer your question… (but I’m biased)

“Is there a real leading DAC for the B+ that is considered the one to go for which stands out for all the right reasons?”

That’ll be the IQaudio.com Pi-DAC+

gordon

I have the IQaudio.com Pi-DAC+ made by Gordon. It’s a HAT, which means it simply plugs on. Get the IQAudio matching case for totally hassle free hardware installation.

Software-wise I’m running Volumio. Wrote it to an SD card, configured the network and NAS parameters and it all worked out of the box after that. Using MPDroid on my Android phone to control it. And occasionally streaming music from my Macbook using Airplay. Although that can be a little shaky now and then. Maybe because I’m using a wireless network.

Just got my B+ up and running with Volumio. Love it. As expected from everything I’ve read, the on-board audio is less than stellar, and I too am searching for a DAC. I really want the HiFiBerry DAC+, but it appears that shipping to the United States will take a few weeks. I’ve not been able to find a US distributor for HiFiBerry. Then I found the Wolfson. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like they make a board for the B+ yet, and they haven’t published a time frame for when one will be available, although they say they are working on it. The IQAudIO looks great, but it’s $18 shipping to the US.

Does anyone know of a US distributor for the IQAudIO or the HiFiBerry? Or when the Wolfson will be available for the B+

If not, can anyone recommend a good USB DAC? Not an ideal solution, but perhaps a good temporary one until I can obtain a good HAT DAC.

Thanks!!

Go for the IQAudio and the case from Gordon. I’m very happy with mine. Sounds great and just works.

Shipping from the UK was fast and took about 7 days, 3 of which was the package bouncing around the local USPS locations :unamused:

Why get a USB DAC, instead use the money for the shipping for the one you want…