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The final 5 years have seen the removing of the trusty 3.5mm jack from most telephones, and whereas it began out with flagships, you will discover many mid-range telephones that do not have the ever present jack. On the identical time, the audio trade has pivoted to the true wi-fi class, delivering wi-fi choices that provide extra freedom.
Nowadays, you will discover earbuds that sound good and supply first rate battery life for as little as $30, and one of the best wi-fi earbuds sound almost nearly as good as their wired counterparts from half a decade in the past — whereas providing just a few further options. Whereas the wi-fi audio phase has matured, we’re now seeing a resurgence in wired audio, largely pushed by the rise of lossless music streaming providers.
With Hello-Fi gear largely restricted to the wired phase, one choice can be to choose up a USB-C to three.5mm dongle to attach wired earbuds to your cellphone. However a more sensible choice can be to go together with a conveyable DAC. We have seen just a few USB-C DAC/amps break floor within the final two years, and Helm Audio’s Bolt DAC is among the most enjoyable choices on this class.
At a excessive stage, the Bolt is a $99 DAC/amp that connects over USB-C to your cellphone. You may discover a USB-C connector at one finish, and on the different finish, you get a 3.5mm jack for plugging in your wired audio gear. Its diminutive profile means it is not that a lot bigger than a dongle, however you are getting a number of options in that miniature chassis: it has 32 bit/384kHz PCM and DSD128 decoding, and it really works as an MQA renderer, providing you with the choice to stream Tidal Masters straight out of your cellphone. Oh, and it additionally has THX certification.
All the {hardware} for the DAC is housed inside an oblong shell that options Helm Audio branding on one aspect and the MQA label together with a tiny LED indicator on the opposite. The LED provides you a visible indicator of supply high quality; blue is for audio below 48KHz, crimson is for supply audio over 48KHz, and magenta is for MQA audio. Each the USB connector and the three.5mm jack characteristic gold plating, and the 5cm cable connecting the 2 ends is of a top quality and constructed to final.
The DAC weighs simply 7.1g, making it one of many lightest and most moveable choices you will discover in the present day. Due to its measurement and the truth that it is simple to lose, the packaging features a leather-based pouch. You additionally get a USB-C to USB-A plug that lets you use the Bolt with different units.
The Bolt is designed in such a manner as to isolate the ESS Sabre 9281A Professional DAC and the USB {hardware}, so there is no interference, and you will not discover any hiss when utilizing the DAC with delicate IEMs just like the Fiio FA7S. It additionally delivers an influence output of 1.1V over 150 Ohms, so you need to use most IEMs and headphones with this DAC.
Though designed to work along with your cellphone, the Bolt DAC pairs simply wonderful with any supply machine, together with Home windows and macOS machines. It’s a plug and play choice, so you do not have to fret about putting in drivers. I used it for the final six months with over a dozen Android telephones, and it had no issues in any way. I take advantage of Tidal for streaming and USB Participant Professional for taking part in my native audio assortment, and in each conditions, the DAC was in a position to go Android’s built-in USB decoding for its personal {hardware}.
The Bolt delivers a impartial sound that is stuffed with presence and character. It’s missing in low-bass, however makes up for it with a vigorous mid-bass that shines via. Mids are equally vigorous and detailed, and the DAC handles excessive frequencies with the identical quantity of gusto, managing to ship clear notes with none harshness. It manages to faithfully recreate supply recordings with out lacking out on any key traits, and that makes the Bolt a real powerhouse on this class.
Due to the truth that it runs off a USB-C cable, it is not straightforward to make use of the Bolt with an iPhone — you will want a Lightning to USB-C dongle after which pair the DAC. Most dongles value $20 to $30 on their very own, so I can see why there is not one bundled within the field — it could have pushed the retail value to over $100.
There is a rising listing of moveable DACs lately, and in case you’re out there for a high-quality choice that’s simple to make use of and delivers glorious sound, the Bolt DAC is a stellar selection. The truth that it really works as an MQA renderer provides it a definite edge on this class, and its diminutive profile means you need to use it wherever.
The Bolt DAC delivers highly effective sound in a tiny package deal, making it the best choice in case you’re on the lookout for a conveyable DAC to make use of along with your cellphone. It has a sturdy design, renders MQA recordsdata with none points, and the impartial sound attribute permits your music to shine.
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