HP-DAC1 Digital to Analog Converter/Headphone Preamp DAC with S/PDIF, Line, USB Input for PC/Laptop

EDITED 05/15/2021:I meant to edit this a while ago. I contacted Soundavo about my wonky unit, they told me that this isn't normal and I definitely have a defective unit. Gladly sent me a new one without charging shipping, provided a free shipping label to send the defective unit back, and the new unit performs MUCH better. There is still hissing, but not until whatever you are using is far too loud to listen to without your ears suffering damage. There is also still some distortion when changing volume but ONLY while something very loud is playing such as music, and I don't find that to be an issue.The big issue for me originally was the creeping distortion that would set into the DAC in usb mode while nothing was playing, and that is gone entirely in this unit.I think Soundavo's Quality Control may not be 100%, but their customer service is incredible. This unit still sounds stellar for the price, and I'll live with the quirks of it.ORIGINAL 2 STAR REVIEW:I purchased this DAC/AMP in May 2020 on a whim, it seemed to have everything I need.-Decent DAC. USB and SPDIF input, pretty good options for the price!-Decent Headphone Amp, not incredibly powerful but pretty clean. Until it isn't.-PREAMP OUTPUT! This is the big one for me. Used the pre-out to a Subwoofer that had a High Pass Filter, then connected that to a power amplifier, and then that to my speakers. This proved to be a pretty darn good desktop 2.1 system for a while!-USB to SPDIF converter? I didn't use this feature, but it's pretty neat to see on a budget device. Allows you to use this device- Sound wise, this is pretty darn good. It doesn't do anything exceptional, but it DOES have an incredibly wide soundstage. Noticeably wider than anything I've used, and I'm addicted to it.Here's where the negatives start.- The unit I received has weird dark scuffing on the top. Doesn't affect performance, but it's certainly not aesthetically pleasing.- with the USB connection, after a few minutes of no sound playing, the sound seems to start to slowly distort? I once left it on for an hour while I cooked, and I went to play some music through my headphones after and it was nothing but distortion. Unplugged, then re-plugged in the USB cable and it was fixed. Very weird behavior, no USB DAC i've used before does this.- The DAC itself isnt super clean, with the pre-out it gets hissy at around 2 o'clock on the dial.- I don't believe the Headphone Amp is as powerful as the specs suggest. I have a pair of 300 ohm headphones that just doesn't get loud before the amp distorts. Disappointing.- A new problem that has developed is that the Dial is now VERY noisy. Every time i change the volume, even with nothing playing, there is very loud static playing. Not sure what the deal is.- This is a very small issue, but the headphone jack is very tight. This is actually really good for build quality, but trying to plug in and take headphones out of the unit causes it to move around a lot on my desk. Slight annoyance, not even a real issue.If Soundavo could work the bugs out of this unit, make it Black, give it a more powerful/cleaner amp, i would gladly pay $200 for this. I wanna recommend it for $129, but my unit is just too odd. Not a bad unit, but something here is off. Proceed with caution!

NOTE: This is an edited reviewI strongly recommend that you do not overlook this Soundavo HP-DAC 1 because as time goes on, you will become addicted to the sound qualities of this remarkable budget DAC.As is the case with most audio components (other than tubes), it is often recommended to keep the gear on all the time. The power consumption is minimal, and the sound will mature and warm as time goes on. Such is the case with the Soundavo DAC. After a period of time - a few weeks - the Soundavo came into its own, with audiophile level qualities. I've had the Soundavo now (edited) for well over a year now, and I must say that what I'm hearing eclipses most of my other DAC's which happen to be the iFi Zen DAC (both versions I and II), the Fiio K3 and K5, the Micca OriGen G2, the FX-Audio DAC X6 Mk II, Sabaj D3, and the Schiit Modi 3 (both I and II). I now find that the overall sound qualities of the Soundavo (after a good warm-up/burn-in) resembles the characteristics of good "tube" sound - that is smooth and silky (provided you have good source material). The sound staging is very wide on my powered Presonus speakers (and all the headphones I use), the mids and highs are much smoother, have more depth, and the "air" around the instrumentation can be uncanny at times.Other audiophile qualities that come into play are:1. A smooth, yet dynamic sound with impressive bass capabilities (when bass is present in the source material).2. Exceptionally musical sounding with a realistic sense of presence (these qualities alone are key).3. No listening fatigue (of course, this is also dependent on other equipment such as your speakers or headphones, etc.).Now do note (and I'm repeating myself here), this is a DAC that "may" (or may not) appear unexceptional at first. However, as time goes on, it begins to punch far, far above its weight. The sound I'm getting now is something I'd expect from DAC's costing well over $200 - $400. It is well constructed with a multitude of inputs, and can drive most headphones without any issues at all. My previous personal reference standard in the budget to mid-priced DAC category was iFi ZenDac, but that has since changed because this Soundavo with its tube-like sound qualities, while remaining dynamic, accurate, with punchy bass, and a superb sound-stage, has sprinted to the front of the line.The Soundavo HP-DAC1 comes highly recommended, and I strongly suggest you pick one up - and then do the following:1. Yes, the DAC will sound nice upon first listening, but initially, some of you may prematurely believe that there may be nothing exceptional about the sound. Have patience folks!2. Keep the DAC on all the time, playing as much music as you can through it. What I did was to plug in a set of new headphones, put on a demonstration/burn-in piece of music lasting 8 hours, and just let it run. This killed two birds with one stop - burning in both the DAC and new headphones. I did this for several days and what a remarkable difference it made. As I mentioned, I leave my DAC's (well, all of my audio gear for that matter) on all the time.I give it an easy 5 stars given how inexpensive it is and how it sounds (high price vs performance ratio).