ESSSabreDAC
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Essential will restore your headphone jack for $149
Did you say you would pay anything to put a headphone jack on a phone where it was painfully absent? Essential wants you to prove it. The startup has released its long-discussed magnetic headphone jack adapter (now called the Audio Adapter HD) for a staggering $149 -- nearly a third the cost of the Essential Phone at its standard price. It's more than just a plug, of course. There's a built-in ESS Sabre DAC and an "audiophile-grade" amp that, together, promise 24-bit/96kHz audio for your high-end headphones. Still, you have to be very, very committed to pristine sound to spend this much on a new accessory instead of making do with the included USB-C dongle.
SteelSeries' gaming-friendly DAC is now available by itself
SteelSeries' GameDAC has been a solid way to boost the quality of gaming audio (and virtually any other audio), but there's been a catch: to use it, you've had to buy an Arctis Pro headset rather than bring your own cans. That won't be an issue after today. The company is now selling the GameDAC by itself for $130 (€150), letting you plug in virtually any 3.5mm headphone set to use with your PC or PS4. You'll want a high quality set if you're going to make full use of the device's fidelity. If you have one on hand, though, the ESS Sabre 9018 DAC inside promises more distinct sounds, tighter bass, better positional sound (through DTS Headphone:X 2.0) and 24-bit/96kHz support from compatible sound sources. An OLED screen and physical controls let you fine-tune the output on a PS4.
Essential's second smartphone module adds a headphone jack
Despite rumors it's up for sale, Essential is still operating as if everything is just fine. After releasing a new beta for Android P, the company has just launched its second modular accessory. The Audio Adapter HD packs a pre-amp and an ESS Sabre DAC that can handle high-resolution MQA (master quality audio) used by Tidal and other services. More importantly for most Essential PH-1 smartphone owners, it has a 3.5mm headphone jack, so they can soon dust off their favorite cans or earbuds.
