If you own a Raspberry Pi computer, then you know that you will need a sound card to get an audio output from it. Today, we will discuss about the DAC+ PRO sound card from HiFiBerry. It is a digital-to-analog converter with a high resolution which is designed for various Raspberry Pi models like A+, B+, 2B, and 3B. Here, we will provide you the HiFiBerry DAC+ Review including its features, specs, design, cost, setup time, and comparison with the other popular sound cards. Read on.
HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro Review
The HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro is specially designed for the use with Raspberry Pi. As made for the Pi, it has one specific and optimized use, and that is, to provide the best sound quality to your Raspberry Pi device.
Specifications
- It has a dedicated 192KHz, 24-Bit Burr-Down high-quality DAC
- Based on Texas Instruments PCM5122 chip
- ‘Alsamixer’ hardware gives you the control over the volume
- Two different clocks; one generates 44.1/88.2/176.4 kHz sample rates, and the other generates 48/96/192kHz
- It has measurements of 2.2×2.6×0.4 inches and weight of 0.6 ounces
- It comes with a pair of gold-plated RCA jacks
Features of HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro
- It directly plugs into your Raspberry Pi and does not require soldering
- It is a HAT (Hardware Attached on Top) board which can be mounted on your Raspberry Pi in less than a minute
- Any application that supports ALSA mixer controls can be controlled for the output volume through its ‘alsamixer’ hardware volume control
- To provide an automated configuration, it comes with an integrated EEPROM
- It will be powered from your Raspberry Pi device, so you do not require to get an additional power source
- It provides an optimal audio performance with its ultra-low noise voltage regulator
- All tools required to mount the sound card comes with it which will fix the card on your Raspberry Pi board
- It can also act as an I2S interface
- It is the most hackable HiFiBerry DAC+ till the date
Design and layout of HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro Compared to the other DACs
The HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro comes in a traditional green color. To give you optimal connections, it comes with gold plated RCA connectors. It comes with a dual domain clock circuit which has a functionality of two separate clocks.
The JustBoom DAC HAT comes in a reddish color which suits its name. Excluding the connectors, it comes with 60 components. It uses the exactly same headphone amp chip as used by the IQaudIO PiDAC+. The justBoom DAC HAT does not use a header. Instead, it uses spring connectors to join with the amplifier board.
The IQaudIO PiDAC+ comes in gold and black color. The underside of the board has very few tracks and those present are very short. It has a symmetrical design and comes with 73 components excluding the connectors.
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Cost, Setup time, and Availability
The HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro is available under $50 on Amazon. You can set it up in just a few minutes with the included mounting tool on your Raspberry Pi device. You can use it on your home automation audio systems, multi-room sound systems, and other small music playback devices. This sound card is available on the HiFiBerry site as well as other online stores like AMAZON. You can also contact your local distributor for the availability.
Conclusion
From this review of the HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro sound card, we can conclude that though it has lesser components than other popular sound cards available in the market, it provides excellent sound quality on the Raspberry Pi. And the price for which it is available at, more users will be motivated to choose it over other highly rated sound cards.
