Review on 🔊 Enhancing Audio Quality: Introducing IFi Desktop Digital Converter Outputs by Steve Hauck

I have a MacBook Pro with a nice set of AudioEngine A5 speakers. I was hoping to improve the audio quality by using the iFi Zen DAC V2 as the main audio output. While it sounded great when playing music, it caused some annoying issues: 1) When using this DAC, it's not possible to adjust the system volume from the keyboard. The volume keys on the keyboard don't work, the volume control on my Logitech keyboard doesn't work, and the volume control in the menu bar doesn't work either. All volume adjustments must be made using the volume control on the DAC. Some people have told me that all external DACs behave like this. However, this is definitely not the case. DragonFly DACs don't, and neither does AudioEngine D3. 2) Sometimes short tones don't play at all when using this DAC. For example, system alerts, sounds from Xcode, and other applications will not play. As if the DAC takes a moment to process sounds, and if it is very short, it does not have time to reproduce it. There were times when I didn't hear any sounds at all or the beginning of the audio was cut off. This is only a problem with short tones, such as when a text message arrives. Music playback works great. I've seen this with other DACs, but not all. For example, DragonFly DACs have the same problem on an even greater scale. However, the AudioEngine D3 does not have this problem. Anyway, I'm still looking for a DAC that gives me the ability to control the volume with the keyboard and not clip short tones. AudioEngine D3 doesn't have these problems, but sometimes it doesn't work with Mac OS Big Sur. Next I think to try Shia Modius. Maybe he will solve all these problems. Hopefully!