[AnthonBerg]

I thought it was all mostly similar with some difference between annoyingly unsatisfying and workable on one hand, and fine/good on the other hand. My upper-midrange Asus motherboard and Apple lightning-to-headphone-jack adapter being in the latter category; Fine! Good! Music is enjoyable!

Then I got a Fosi Audio DS2 out of curiosity after coming across some measurements and discussion over on audiosciencereview.com

and

it is MILES better than any audio device I’ve ever had

There is a difference. (Also when driving speakers.) The difference is very, very clear. This particular device isn’t the only one that makes this kind of difference. It was like $50.

[musicale]

> Apple lightning-to-headphone-jack adapter being in the latter category

Apple's adapter seems pretty good for $9:

https://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/lightning-adapter-audio-qu...

Also Macs since 2021 can drive high-impedance headphones from the built-in audio jack.

Interestingly enough old Macs (and Apple TV and AirPort devices) used to have mini-toslink output, but USB and HDMI are probably more useful in 2025.

[AnthonBerg]

It is good for $9! It would still be good if it cost more.

It surprised me that the jump to devices like the Fosi DS2 that have modern DAC and driver chips with higher design aims was big.

Specification-wise, I’d have expected that noise floors and distortion levels and, idk, the amount of current flowing were in both cases more than enough to sound practically the same, especially in the context of driving line-level devices rather than headphones.

Nnnnope!

I got the little Fosi device for two purposes: To better drive headphones I have – more volts, more current flow – and to kind of disprove to myself that there was a difference working with line-level signals.

Very surprised at the difference with the latter. Surprised that there was a difference. –And it’s not a loudness difference!, which can be deceiving.

It’s a bigger-than-$41 difference, I find.