Audiolab D8 -

~$150 / £130 / €160

A brilliant line-level DAC in a cute, flawed package. Just don't plug in hungry headphones. audiolab d8

You get optical, coaxial, and USB inputs. This makes it a fantastic bridge between a TV, a CD transport, and a set of powered speakers. The 3.5mm headphone jack also doubles as a variable pre-out, meaning you can plug it directly into a power amp. ~$150 / £130 / €160 A brilliant line-level

What are your thoughts? Have you tried pairing the D8 with a dedicated headphone amp? Let me know below. This makes it a fantastic bridge between a

While it drives IEMs and efficient on-ears (like Grados or Sennheiser HD 599) beautifully, it struggles with high-impedance cans (e.g., Sennheiser HD 600/650, Beyerdynamic DT 880). You’ll hit the volume ceiling quickly. This is a line-level DAC first, a headphone amp second.