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Comment by sneak | Hacker News Reader

You can use the DAC on the pi itself; you will not be able to tell the audio quality difference on any equipment you own (your ears included).

There is a stereo mini jack audio output on the pi. Just use that and don't waste your money on audio woo.

(This is also a standing bet of $5000 to anyone who can pass an ABX in front of me to discern the difference between the two in headphones of their own choosing. You pay if you lose.)

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Sorry, but I did try this, and it sounds absolutely awful. There's a ton of noise. I don't know if my Pis (and I've tried 3 of them) are different from yours, but a cheapo $20 USB sound adapter already has a much better noise floor than the built-in one. This is regardless of what I connect them to.

There's "audio woo" where you spend $1000 for a USB to SPDIF adapter that literally does almost nothing, and spending $50-100 for a decent DAC that doesn't have an audible hiss.

I've never heard the pi DAC... I wonder how good it is. I have some great headphones and great ears. But yeah I agree the built in DAC should be fine for what people seem to be using this for (playing music in a group setting, or while doing chores).

If you plug headphones into the Pi's minijack and turn the volume down to a comfortable listening level, the noise floor on the Pi DAC is very, very obvious. It sounds like hell. Try it yourself before you lose your $5000. :)

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