Archive

Digital square wave of dots converting into a smooth analog sine wave at a DAC

What Is a DAC? Digital-to-Analog Conversion, Explained

A DAC — digital-to-analog converter — is the chip that turns digital audio, a stream of numbers, into the analog electrical signal your headphones and speakers actually play. This page explains why digital audio needs one, how a DAC differs from a sound card and an amplifier, when you need a better one, and where it lives inside a Bluetooth receiver.

Read More