Audioengine D1, D1P and DAC3 Reviews from Top Publications
What are the differences?
The Audioengine D1, D1P, and DAC3 each offer a distinct approach to enhancing your music. The D1 is a classic choice for desktop setups, transforming ordinary computer audio into something rich and clear. It’s designed for those who want to elevate their home listening without the hassle of complex equipment.
The D1P takes the D1’s strengths and packs them into a more portable form. It’s ideal for those who need high-quality sound on the go, without sacrificing performance. The D1P’s compact size makes it easy to carry, but its sound remains powerful and precise.
Then there’s the DAC3, the most advanced of the three. It delivers studio-quality sound in a sleek, portable package, perfect for those who demand the best audio performance no matter where they are. The DAC3 is versatile, connecting easily to modern devices while ensuring every note is captured with perfect clarity.
Each model serves a purpose, whether you’re setting up at home, traveling, or simply wanting the best sound possible. Audioengine has designed these DACs to meet the needs of every listener, ensuring that your music always sounds its best.
On this collection page you'll find detailed reviews from industry experts and major publications that applaud Audioengine's D1, D1P, and DAC3.
These reviews collectively affirm the top-tier performance and reliability of our digital-to-analog converters and headphone amplifiers. Each piece is celebrated for its precision engineering and outstanding audio fidelity, offering users an unrivaled listening experience.
Audioengine D1 vs. D1P: Key Differences
The Audioengine D1 and D1P are both 32-bit digital-to-analog converters designed for outstanding audio performance, but they cater to different preferences and use cases.
Audioengine D1 is equipped with the PCM5102 DAC chip, making it a robust choice for desktop audio setups. It features USB and S/PDIF optical inputs and provides outputs for headphones and powered speakers. This makes the D1 an ideal solution for users looking to enhance their home audio systems.
On the other hand, the Audioengine D1P is built for portability without compromising sound quality. It features the ESS ES9219C DAC chip, supports high-resolution audio formats, and offers MQA rendering. The D1P includes a toggle switch for easy switching between headphone and line-out modes and is powered via USB-C, ensuring compatibility with various modern devices like laptops and smartphones. This makes the D1P a versatile choice for audiophiles who seek premium sound quality in a compact design.
By offering features tailored to different applications, both the Audioengine D1 and D1P maintain the brand’s commitment to providing high-fidelity audio solutions, whether at home or on the go.
Audioengine D1P Professional Review:
NEW Audioengine D1P DAC and Headphone Amplifier
For those demanding the best sound quality, the D1P enhances music streaming to high-fidelity, exceeding the capabilities of traditional audio equipment.
It bypasses the limitations of standard device sound cards, ensuring that your favorite tracks from platforms like Tidal, Apple Music, or Spotify are delivered in studio-level quality. Supporting high-resolution audio formats — including PCM up to 32bit 384KHz, DSD up to 256, and MQA files — the D1P allows you to immerse yourself in the full depth of your music, unveiling every note with clarity and detail.
Audioengine DAC3 and Headphone Amplifier
Professional Review by The Honest Audiophile
More Professional Reviews:
Best DAC and Headphone Amplifier of 2024: Audioengine D1
C-Tech by CalCalist
"The D1 by Audioengine has been honored as the "Best DAC and Headphone Amplifier of 2024" by C-Tech by CalCalist. This prestigious accolade highlights our dedication to excellence and innovation in audio technology. The D1 is praised for its superior sound quality and advanced features, making it the preferred choice for audiophiles seeking the ultimate in audio performance and convenience."
Audioengine HD3 - Hi-Fi Stereo Desktop Speakers w/ Built-in 10K OHM Headphone Amplifier
Reddit R/Headphones
"The HD3 features a PCM5102 DAC and a OPA2134 headphone amp that's separate from the main speaker amp...The 3.5 mm headphone output does exactly what it's supposed to do: power your headphones without coloring the sound.
There was no noticable hiss or distortion at either end of the volume range. All you get is clean power with no coloration.
At $399 -- $319 refurb -- the HD3 is an awesome value that rolls 2 channel powered speakers, a DAC, a headphone amp, and Bluetooth receiver all into compact and attractive package."
DAC type
USB and Optical
Inputs
USB Audio
S/PDIF Optical
D/A converter
ESS ES9018
USB transfer mode
Asynchronous dual clock
USB controller
CT7601CR USB streamer
USB device class
Type 1.1 or above
Input bit depth
Up to 32 bits
Input sample rate (USB)
32kHz-96kHz native playback
188.2kHz & 192kHz re-sampled to 96kHz
Input sample rate (optical)
32kHz-192kHz native playback
Outputs
Analog RCA L/R stereo
Analog 3.5mm mini-jack stereo
Full-scale output level
2.0V RMS
Output impedance
2 ohms
Recommended headphone impedance range
10 ohms to 600 ohms
Headphone amplifier
ES9601C SABRE
Optical receiver
CS8416
Frequency response
10Hz-25KHz (+/- 0.5dB)
SNR
(DC to 20 kHz) >110dB
THD+N
(1kHz FS 96kS/s) <0.0025%
Crosstalk
-85db
Power requirement
USB 5V DC, 200mA
USB power filtering
2-stage redundant regulation
Product dimensions
3.5" (8.9 cm) x 3.75" (9.5 cm) x 1" (2.5 cm)
Shipping weight
1.0lbs (0.5kg)
Environmental
Operating Temperature: 32 to 95 degrees F
Non-operating Temp: -4 to 113 degrees F
Relative Humidity: 5% to 95% non-condensing
Included accessories
USB cable
Setup guide
Microfiber bag
D1 DAC
The D1 uses the ESS ES9018 DAC, which is well regarded for its low noise and high fidelity. Due to the high signal-to-noise specs of the ES9018 and the added benefit of double redundancy power source conversion and filtering, the D1 presents impressive low noise and low distortion characteristics. The D1 can process digital audio at any bit depth up to 32-bits and any sample rate up to 96kHz (192kHz using optical)
D1 Headphone Amplifier
The D1 includes the ES9601C SABRE headphone driver amp with circuit protection and is designed for a wide range of headphones that will satisfy even the most critical listeners.
D1 Power
The D1 is powered directly from the USB input and passed through two stages of regulation to ensure no USB power variations affect the audio quality. Because of the efficiency of the D1, it can even be powered by a phone or tablet.
D1 Preamp
The audio line-out preamp connects to powered speaker systems, amplifiers, or other external decoders with an analog or optical output.
D1 Volume Control
Volume for headphones and line-out is controlled directly from the D1 front panel via the digitally-controlled analog potentiometer. Smoothly adjust volume levels at fine increments without any undesirable noise or channel imbalance at lower volumes.
Audioengine operates two websites, audioengine.com and audioengineeu.com. If you go to any other site but these, they are not an Audioengine site. For Canada, Mexico and most of Europe and the UK, we only sell through Amazon. There are also a host of authorized retailers and sites across the US, and they can be found here. For international sales, we have distributors that operate independently, and they can be found here.
What happens if I buy from an authorized site claiming to be Audioengine? Unfortunately, there is not much we can do. We are taking all the action we can to make sure those sites don't get indexed, but we recommend you work with the provider of the card you used to make payment to get your money back.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Open Terminal:
- You can find Terminal in your Applications folder under Utilities, or you can use Spotlight by pressing Cmd + Space and typing "Terminal".
- Execute the Command:
- In the Terminal window, type the following command and press Enter:
bash
Copy code
sudo pkill bluetoothd
- Enter Your Password:
- After pressing Enter, you will be prompted to enter your password. Type your Mac's administrator password and press Enter.
- Note that when you type your password, it won't be displayed on the screen (not even as asterisks). Just type it and press Enter.
By following these steps, you should be able to reset your Bluetooth service on your Mac, which can help resolve connectivity issues with your Audioengine devices or any other Bluetooth peripherals.
The Gen 1 24-bit D1 requires a USB 2.0 cable to work properly. If your computer has USB-C inputs, use a 2.0 USB cable with a type C-to-A USB adapter.
All Optical audio is considered a "fixed" output, meaning volume will not attenuate from the TV remote. If you have an HD5/HD6 you can use the Audioengine remote for this. Fo
We take great pride in our products, and go through great lengths to ensure consistency and quality. For that reason, this item was randomly selected for an additional step of Quality Assurance.
No, there are no firmware updates or special drivers needed unless you own our A1-MR multi-room speakers or our B-Fi multi-room wireless streaming device.
If a firmware update is released for the A1-MR or the B-Fi, you will be notified of the update the next time you open the Audioengine Control App. If an update is needed, simply click "update" on the DEVICES page next to the product that needs to have the firmware update applied. The app will handle the rest of the process from there!
Standard plug-n-play drivers that are provided by your computer's OS are utilized when using the USB input on our A2+, HD3, and HD4 speaker models.
And all of our Bluetooth speakers/products are compatible with any device that supports Bluetooth, and the A2DP profile for streaming stereo audio. This includes most smartphones, tablets, and computers. For computers that don't include Bluetooth support out of the box, you can simply add a USB Bluetooth adapter.
When using the optical input of the D1 DAC or the HD6 speakers, you'll need to make sure your TV's audio output is set to PCM (not Dolby, DTS, or 5.1/surround). Special hardware is needed to process Dolby audio signals. If your TV is set to Dolby, it's likely you'll hear some audio but it will be intermittent in nature with dropouts. Once the output is set to PCM, this should resolve the issue. Check with your TV manufacturer for directions on how to make this adjustment.
The D1 includes a headphone amplifier based on the ES9601C SABRE low noise opamp.  This headphone amp is able to provide low-impedance, high-fidelity audio to a wide range of headphones.  We've found the sweet spot for the D1 is headphones that measure between 20 and 300ohms. The resistance of a pair of headphones can tell you a little bit about how much power they need, though other variables do have an impact as well. We have heard from customers with headphones measuring as much as 600ohms who say they're happy with the output of the D1.
Try removing all other USB devices temporarily, and try each USB port on your computer one at a time to see which one works best in your setup. USB audio needs quite a bit of bandwidth, so for best results ensure your D1 is on a "High-Speed" bus and not a "Full-Speed" bus.
In the Foobar control panel, under Preferences->Output, set the buffer length to minimum. A few customers have mentioned that WASAPI mode is more stable when used under WinAmp, so try that as well.
Your D1 will sound great out of the box and will get better over time, however, it's best to play music for 40 to 50 hours first before doing any critical listening.