Q11 Digital to Analog Audio Converter, HiFi USB DAC Adapter ESS9038 + AK4493 with Coacial/Optical/PC-USB Inputs & RCA/AUX Outputs DSD256

This DAC really punches above its weight. I saw this on the Cheap Audio Man and bought two, one for the stereos on each floor. The peekaboo glass cover is pretty cool, and I like the default blue light so much that I never changed it. If you're reading this, then it's probably because you know it has two DAC chips, and ESS and AKM. You can switch between the two with the remote or use both simultaneously (there are two RCA and two aux output). How it sounds: This DAC sounds great. I also have extravagant alternatives like the Topping DX5ii and a Gishelli Labs J2S with SparkOS opamps, yet I still love the sound out of this unit and it is competing well. The soundstage is wide (placement of instruments and vocals left-to-right). I have no notes for Douk on the sound here. They did a great job. The differences between the ESS and AKM chips are subtle. To hear, I recommend trying music featuring different instruments (e.g. acoustic and electric guitars, brass horns, etc.). Tactile: The volume button rolls gently from 0-99 with a notched feeling that is super tactile and nice. Push to switch inputs. Really, it's kidna perfect. Gotchas: You need the remote to switch DAC chips. To avoid the hassle of buying another, keep track of it or do what I did, settle on one and leave it there (I won't spoil the fun for you by saying my favorite). The AKM chip is slightly quieter (4DB?) so it makes A/B testing harder. You can tweak the volume each time you switch chips, but to make comparing the two really easy takes some extra equipment to switch and align volume. Note: Those 3.5mm aux outputs are not headphone outputs. It'll fit, mind you, but risks damage to the unit since it's expecting something with tens-of-thousands of ohms of resistance, not 32ohm headphones. It might handle a family member making that mistake, but it'd be hard to rely on that. You still need a headphone amp or headphone amp with a headphone jack. You can roll the op-amps - the part of the output stage that takes the converted-to-analog audio signal and boosts it to something strong enough to drive a pre-amp or amp. Mine feeds directly into an Emotive A2L+ 2-channel amplifier, saving me having to buy a pre-amp since this has a volume control and is powerful enough. If you want to try out these two very popular, and seemingly different DAC chips, grab this one and listen away!

First what is a dac ? If you are using a pc and want good clean sound or from a receiver or tv . You connect this item use the optical connection . So plug it in connect your head phones or rca cables to your amps. Thats it. Instead of buying a tuner or stereo receiver you can use this item . Saves a lot of money. Ok sound quality . I will compare it to my pioneer elite that cost 4200 dollars . This unit sounds better . So if your looking for something that sounds really good unless you want to spend over 4k i think this item will work just fine for you . HIFI nut here i heard a lot of dac at stores. Yeah sure you will get a different sound with every dac. What one sounds better though ? What speaker sounds best ?? You hate one other person loves it . This dac is good enough for me. I like it . Its not costly . I would compare it to a much more costly unit . I can spend 3000 on a unit but will i notice a difference ?? Yes or no is it worth the extra cash ? Na not to me . So buy it already. I suggest shopping around on the price amazon is not the best price for it unless you catch it on sale .

I bought this dac to replace a $16 dac for the tv, but may also use it for music in some capacity in the future. I like the design, functionality, the fact that it has two different dac chips to choose from but most importantly the sound quality is excellent. I like the inputs and output options. Report is adequate however the only drawback I see is that the remote is necessary to access all of the functions

I purchased the Douk Q11 specifically to feed my Little Dot mkiii headphone amp and it’s perfect for the job. The unit replaced an older Schiit audio entry-level DAC and it’s a noticeable improvement. I won’t get into the debate about whether quality DAC chips sound different but the Q11 includes two different higher-end DAC chips - the AK4493 and the ESS9038. The chips can be run individually or together and I’ll leave it to you to decide what you like best. Regardless, it’s a fun option. The controls are pretty straightforward with the exception of switching between DAC modes - for some inexplicable reason that can only be done via the included remote. It would have been nice to have that option on the unit itself for desktop use but it’s not a deal-breaker as I suspect most people will pick a preferred mode and leave it there. Sound-wise, the Q11 is articulate and poised with a generous soundstage but individual perceptions will vary based on what amplifier and headphones are used. The only other negative, from my perspective, is the kind of cheesy lucite view window in the top which gives off a blue glow. I don’t need to see the internals but, again, this doesn’t really matter since I stack components. The build quality is very good and I’m happy with the performance for the money.

I have a bunch of DACs and, to be honest, I can barely tell a difference between them. It usually comes down to price, features, and ease of use. This checks all of those boxes. If feels well built, it has worked well with everything i have tried it with (USB, optical, COAX). It is pretty cool that it has 2 types of DAC chips in it. You can set it so it outputs either one to both sets of RCA out OR you can set one chip to one set and the other to the 2nd set of RCA outs. For what you get, it seems a good value. I have no issue recommending it!

il DAC va molto bene sui vari ingressi ed è molto comodo per il cambio in tempo reale dei filtri audio , inoltre è anche bello esteticamente.

🔍 Mon setup Dans ma petite aventure audiophile, je me suis offert un Douk Audio Q11 équipé de deux DAC intégrés : la puce AKM4493 et la ESS9038Q2M. Le tout est relié à mon JDS Labs Atom Amp pour tirer pleinement parti de leurs signatures respectives. J'ai testé ça avec un Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro équipé de pads Elite fenestrés, pour garantir une écoute confortable mais surtout très analytique. J’ai affiné la configuration avec deux op‑amps Burson : V7 Classic côté AKM et Vivid côté ESS — et rien que cette association change totalement l’expérience. 🛠️ Qualité de construction Le Q11 respire le sérieux : châssis métallique robuste, usinage précis, boutons bien fermes, double écran OLED clair. Les connectiques sont complètes, l’assemblage inspire confiance et tout est pensé pour durer, sans artifices inutiles. 🎶 Expérience sonore Là où ce DAC se distingue, c’est dans sa capacité à passer instantanément d’une puce à l’autre selon la musique. Une polyvalence rare, surtout avec un AKM dans le duo. AKM + Burson V7 Classic → Mon choix pour Rap, RnB, Zouk, Reggaeton. Un rendu chaleureux, dense, où les graves gagnent en ampleur sans écraser le spectre, les aigus sont adoucis et les voix plus pleines. ESS + Burson Vivid → Parfait pour rock, variété, OST de films ou jeux vidéo, pop, city pop. Plus dynamique, précis, avec une spatialisation élargie : chaque instrument est parfaitement positionné, les micro‑détails ressortent et l’émotion passe avec un réalisme saisissant. 🎶 Différentes signatures, différents modes Oui, le Q11 offre plusieurs signatures sonores bien distinctes — et pour en profiter pleinement, il propose aussi différents modes de fonctionnement. ⚠️ À NE PAS CONFONDRE LE MODE 1 N’EST PAS UNE FUSION DES DEUX PUCES Ce n’est PAS un mix AKM+ESS : le Q11 envoie deux signaux séparés sur deux sorties différentes. Les modes : Mode 1 : AKM + ESS (sorties séparées) → l’AKM4493 alimente la première paire de sorties, l’ESS9038Q2M la seconde. Les deux tournent en même temps, mais ne se mélangent pas. Mode 2 : AKM seul → toutes les sorties utilisent uniquement la puce AKM4493. Mode 3 : ESS seul → toutes les sorties utilisent uniquement la puce ESS9038Q2M. 💭 Bilan Deux univers sonores parfaitement complémentaires, optimisés par des op‑amps choisis avec soin et soutenus pour un résultat explosif. Je me suis vraiment étonné à switcher selon mes envies, ce qui m’a permis de mettre un maximum en valeur la musique que j’écoute. Ce DAC est un GRAND OUI, à condition de prendre le temps d’adapter la puce au style de musique. Sinon, des DAC moins chers peuvent très bien faire le travail si vous recherchez un style sonore en particulier.

Installé entre mon Mini Mac M2 et mon un ampli NAD C 715 relié à 2 enceintes Warfedale DIAMOND. Essentiellement en lecture en streaming de QOBUZ. La qualité de fabrication est très bonne. Le son est exceptionnel et précis. Les puces AKM (plutôt pour le classique) et ESS (plutôt pour le Rock) nuance un peu l'écoute... mais on peut faire jouer les deux ensembles et cela convient très bien aussi (via la télécommande uniquement). Le petit gadget de la vitre supérieure transparente laissant un éclairage bleu sur les composant est discret et, en fin de compte, pas si dérangeant que cela. Une véritable plus-value que je recommande sans hésiter car le prix est tout à fait convenable pour l'amélioration Audio qu'il apporte.

Very good. Noticeable audible difference between the two DACs. From time to time it loose the USB connection - maybe it is my computer at fault.

I purchased the Douk to help me (my own opinion) decide if there's a difference in sound between the cheaper ESS and AKM DAC chips. I used a few methods to test the douks DAC chips. Qobuz on the wiim ultra via smsl po100 pro to the douk. Direct from wiim via optical, coaxial and usb to the douk. I also tested a raspberry pi with moode audio to the douk via the smsl and direct via usb. I am listening with: KEF IQ70 speakers, Audiolab 9000p amp, Tisbury passive pre amp. There is a clear difference between the chips. Both sounding better than the other for different genres or individual tracks. That also means they both are lacking in areas and you're constantly switching to find what suits the track. A bonus was the op amps that can be swapped, I had no expectations but decided to give the burson v5i a try. I followed a post on FB that advised to burn them in before getting critical. This hurt my head a little as I am no electronics engineer and had no idea what this would achieve yet I followed the post and put internet radio on very low for the required time. Yep the ESS sounds crisper on my warm KEF with the burson. I am now looking for the V7 vivid. I have kept everything minus the raspberry pi (and protodac), which gained huge improvement by passing the protodac via usb to smsl then the Douk. I run my Wimm via usb c to the smsl then coax to the Douk Q11 using the ESS chip the majority of the time.