This $19 Gadget Is an Affordable Hi-Fi Upgrade for Your iPhone

It’s extremely portable and promises to breathe new life into your wired headphones.

Published 4 hours ago

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You likely know that your smartphone and laptop don’t have the greatest built-in DAC (digital-to-analog converter) and headphone amplifier. Thus, when you plug your wired headphones into them, they won’t sound their best.

The primary reason for this is cost and space constraints. Plus, given that most people use just use wireless headphones anymore, it doesn’t make sense for manufacturers to go all out on premium audio components.

The good news is that there are external DAC/amp dongles available for purchase that can take over the audio responsibilities from your device, effectively breathing new life into your wired headphones.

Many of them are quite affordable, like the AZLA A100.

AZLA A100

A DAC and headphone amplifier

AZLA is an audio company known for its premium memory foam eartips, which are meant to improve the fit (and sound) of many of today’s most popular wireless earbuds, including AirPods Pro.

Now the company is branching out into the world of portable DAC/amps with AZ100. It’s a USB-C to 3.5mm dongle that allows use to use your traditional wired headphones with your current iPhone or Android smartphone.

It also comes with a USB-A adapter, so you can use it with your laptop (in case you’re already using its USB-C ports).

Supports high-res playback

The AZLA AZ100 is a portable DAC/amp that supports high-resolution playback. It’s capable of playing audio up to 32-bit / 384kHz playback.

This makes the AZ100 a good fit for anybody who subscribes to a lossless streaming service — including Apple Music, Amazon Music, Qobuz and Tidal — and listen to the maximum resolution audio when paired with a pair of wired earbuds.

Additionally, the AZ100 has a premium woven cable that combines Kevlar reinforcement with silver-plated oxygen-free copper (OCC) conductors. According to the brand, this helps minimize added noise and ensures an “ultra-fast, transparent signal transmission” so that the music sounds as accurate as possible.

Price and availability

The AZLA A100 DAC and headphone amplifier comes in two finishes: black or silver. It’s available now for $19 and can be purchased on Amazon.

AZLA A100

About the Author:

Tucker Bowe has been on Gear Patrol’s editorial team since 2014. As a Tech Staff Writer, he tracks everything in the consumer tech space, from headphones to smartphones, wearables to home theater systems. If it lights up or makes noise, he probably covers it.