[Kirby64]

The 3.5mm adapters that Apple makes absolutely include a DAC themselves. Not sure where you get the idea that they don't.

Both the USB-C and the Lightning versions are all digital on the port side.

There are very few USB-C analog -> 3.5mm adapters, strictly because there is so many compatible issues (i.e., you need to support the alternate mode, AND you need to map the pins correctly).

[danieleggert]

There’s a real DAC inside the Apple one: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Apple+Lightning+to+Headphone...

[tazjin]

I got an official Apple one and couldn't get it to work with any of my devices (I don't have any other Apple devices, so maybe they do have a DAC but it only works with their devices?). It exhibited the same behaviour as the DAC-less adapters (i.e. just, well, nothing).