Schiit Fulla 3 Gaming DAC/Amp - D to A Converter and Headphone Amplifier with Microphone Input

So I bought this little device since my Sennheiser PC37x were missing in details and clarity. Be it work or home, the on board audio was just garbage and I didn't realize how much audio clarity I was missing until I fixed the DAC/AMP problem. I did order a DragonFly Cobalt as well as a comparison, and if you don't need the power from the DragonFly then the Fulla 3 is perfect. The DragronFly Cobalt is now relegated to cell phone and on the go/travel use only now. Since I'm using a USB switch for work windows to my personal machine and often booted up into linux, the Fulla 3's linux support is astounding (PulseAudio)!! If you have a KVM or just a USB switch and want your music and mic to come along; YOU CAN'T BEAT THIS DEVICE!!!Another tasty morsel I've found is if you're looking at other Schiit products like the Hel, Magni 3+, Magni 3 Heresy I have learned something that factors into whether or not this product is a good fit for someone. The Hel will drive 50 to 75 ohm impedance headphones without a problem. Between a 75 ohm and 100 ohm, it might get a little weaker but still in the "loud enough" category. If you're driving more than that (up to roughly 400 ohms) then you'll want the Hel, but it requires an external power supply and isn't as portable. IF this is a start to your audiophile stack and you're digging the Schiit marketing enough to fork over money, spend the $10 more and use the Fulla 3 + Magni option. If you want the "audiophile pure" amp design with traditional design, Magni3+. IF... you enjoy the Fulla 3 and just want MOAR power and like what you got, get the Hersey as it's the most powerful of the options mentioned. Best part, Fulla 3 is cheap and the Magni options can be purchased later if you really see the need for essentially the same price. No use in paying for you what you don't need.Now, if you're a budding audiophile and need the mic input no matter what your setup will be, the Fulla 3 is perfect. USB power and a mic input that is noticeably better than on board and just works. As your stack grows around your digital setup, the Fulla 3 will always be there working as reliable as ever.Power Configuration Note: I recommend a not crap separate power supply to power the Fulla 3 seperately if using a USB switch, otherwise it seems to run just fine if signal and power come from the host.Noted complaints in reviews: A marking to using the DAC out is mentioned that nobody can seem to find. Well... if they read the manual, it says "Turn to the 3 o'clock position". That position happens to have a screw there... thus the screw is the designated marking for the DAC out.Volume knob noise: Sometimes happens, it is not that noticable. If that really is bothersome then just set the volume once on the knob and use your computer to adjust the volume.TL;DR: Great sound. Will scale with you. Works/Linux works great no drivers needed. Need more power? Magni 3+ for a classical approach, Hersey for more Op amps than the Hel. Best option(s) up to spending $250.Future note: If the Modi dacs include a mic input at a similar price point then this review is obsolete.

So after a few days, I am confident this is the best bang for buck. I currently use Phillips SHP9500 With a V-Moda Boom Pro Mic. I was using a SoundBlaster Z Sound card, then it died so I went to on-board. After a while I could only put up with it for a bit. I had no idea this was just released, I didn't even do much research as the company Schiit is just flat out top quality. So far I have been playing FPS games, MMO's, and anything I own. I listen to a lot of music. This amp/dac has far exceeded my expectations, the mic quality is out of this world. It turned my microphone into sounding like a proper XLR set-up. The power it puts out is awesome, for a loud listening level, I only need to turn it to about 60% on the amp/dac. Any more I'll destroy my ears! I am hearing things I never heard before in songs, and video games. It's about the size of my palm.It's super compact, very very well built, has three rubber feet on the bottom, I would have liked 4 as it does wobble a little with very little touch. There is no crackling when adjusting the volume as I have heard some have issues with. It comes with a 3ft Mini USB to usb cable, I ended up ordering a 6ft for $5 off amazon, as 3ft didn't cut it. I am blown away by this, absolutely love it.

Using for running my AKG headphones at the office.Positive. MSRP of $99.00 is pretty darn reasonable for what you're getting.Plug it in, install the software, select the audio source and goSounds pretty good. The volume control feels substantial, doesn't crackle or make any noise.Background hiss is hard to noticeHas an headphone output, a mic input, aux in aux out, USB in, USB power.The aux out is switched with the headphone out jack. Plug in the headphones and the aux out is disconnected. This is very useful for me in that I am able to run either my powered speakers and my headphones. I can crank it up with the speakers when no one is around, plug in when the colleagues start showing up. This feature is very useful to me. No need to wire up a switch. Also, the volume control runs the headphone volume, or the aux out depending on which is selected.No wasteful owners manual, warranty card, driver disk included. We all download latest drivers right? PDF's work for me. Why make more plastic and paper waste? Kudos for taking the leap.The less than stellar:The MSRP is not what you are going to pay on amazon. The Amazon price is ~ $20 more. On top of that, when I bought mine, I got nicked for shipping. Not the end of the world, but It's worth noting.The sound is good, not great. It just doesn't pack a whole lot of grunt. This I think is an unavoidable consequence of meeting the price point. If you want grunt, you need a heavy power supply to supply prodigious dynamic current.The function icons on the various ports are tiny. It looks good, but I needed to look at the owner's manual to see which USB was for sound and which was for power, which aux was out vs in.Schiit refers to Win7 as antique and I needed to download the drivers off their website. Hey it worked, so no harm no foul. Thing is, I have no choice over the OS on my work computer. I feel luck it worked because when I bought the discrete D/A and Heresy amp from the same company earlier, the DAC didn't work. Same computer, this one worked where the previous one didn't. Weird. Looked like the same chip set. Who knows. Point is, a little heads up from the maker if some particular OS might not work would be appreciated.

This item should get 10 stars out of 5. It is an incredible value for the money and probably the best audio purchase I have ever made at any price. The sound quality improvement is amazing. It looks great and is made with high quality materials in the USA! It is just plug and play for my windows pc so it is extremely easy to use. The volume control knob is very smooth and the feel of it is what I would expect from a far more expensive piece of hardware. If you are considering this, just buy it. You will not be disappointed!