FiiO has launched a small and affordable digital-to-analog converter designed to complement a smartphone or tablet. The new Tiny Dongle DAC comes in two versions and costs around 25 euros.
FiiO Tiny Dongle DAC
The Tiny Dongle DAC from the Chinese company FiiO is a so-called ‘T-Bar' USB-C DAC and headphone amplifier. It is marketed under the Snowsky sub-brand. The Tiny can be placed on the bottom of a smartphone, connected to the USB-C port, and should then deliver a significant improvement in sound quality. Android resamples all PCM streams to 48 kHz, while iOS does not, so an iPhone can play music signals up to 192 kHz. The Tiny's LED indicates the resolution of the music signal: blue for 44.1 kHz and 48 Hz streams, yellow for 96 kHz and 192 kHz, and green for DSD.
FiiO Tiny Dongle DAC Tiny A and Tiny B
The Tiny Dongle DAC comes in two versions. The Tiny A has an analog 3.5mm jack and a USB-C input for slipstream charging. This is convenient for anyone using an iPad to access high-resolution audio from Apple Music.
The Tiny B ditches the USB-C charging port for a balanced 4.4mm port. However, a closer look at the specifications reveals that the balanced connection doesn't yield an increase in output power. It's only 34mW at 32 ohms, identical to the unbalanced 3.5mm port. Both versions have an output impedance of less than 1 ohm, which is beneficial when using low-impedance headphones.
The Tiny features a DSP engine with 10-band parametric EQ, accessible via the FiiO Control app. Each device has a robust, all-metal housing. The Tiny A weighs 7 grams and the Tiny B 10 grams. Buyers can choose from three housing colors: black, cyan, or gold.
The Tiny Dongle DAC costs between 20 and 25 euros, depending on the version and the store/webshop.
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