Best DAC and AV? (PS4 and PS5 checked out)


DAC, also known as Digital to Analog Converter, is an electronic device used to convert a digital audio signal into an analog signal. Most gamers use DAC to improve audio qualities on their consoles or gaming PCs with audio issues like background noises. If you are looking to improve audio quality on your PS4 or PS5 console, you might be looking to identify the best DAC for your PS4 and PS5.

So, which is the best DAC for a PS4 and PS5? The best DAC for a PS4 console is the SoundBlasterX G6, and the best DAC for a PS5 console is the JDS Labs Atom DAC+. The SoundBlasterX G6 improves the audio quality from your PS4 console if you pair it with a great headset or speaker. It is an external DAC specifically designed for gamers with impressive features like a 32-bit/ 384 kHz audio quality.

The JDS Labs Atom DAC+ is the best for your PS5 console because JDS is the only company adding audio firmware that can be used with a PS5 console. The Atom DAC+ also has upgradeable firmware; hence, the company will keep improving it, ensuring that you get the best audio quality when gaming on your PS5 console.

Sound is very important in gaming, and poor audio quality can negatively affect your gaming experience. The PS4 and PS5 consoles have good audio quality, but you can always improve it by adding a DAC device. Read on to find out which is the best DAC for a PS4 and PS5, the best AV Receiver for PS5, and the best audio settings for PS5.

Sound quality is important when playing a game on your PS4 or PS5 console in receiving or sending instructions. If you cannot hear clearly on your headsets, there are several ways of improving your game’s audio, and one of them is using a DAC. If you choose to use a DAC, you might be wondering which is the best for your PS4 and PS5 consoles.

The best DAC for a PS4 console is the SoundBlasterX G6 developed by Creative Technology to improve audio quality in some gaming systems. This DAC device connects externally to your PS4 console using a USB cable. You can use it to remove background noise by activating the sidetone mode.

If you have a PS5 console, the best DAC is the JDS Labs Atom DAC+. It supports up to 32/384 kHz and uses both USB and TOSLINK inputs. It also has an upgradable firmware; hence, if you use it to improve audio quality on your PS5 console, it will keep getting better with each upgrade.

The SoundBlasterX G6 is part of the DAC devices developed by Creative Technology Limited, with its predecessor being the G5. It is a considerable improvement from the G5 with an improved audio quality of 130 dB DNR and Dolby Digital decoding.

It also supports virtual surround sound, game-voice volume balancing, and scout mode. You can also use it to watch movies or tv series and listen to music on your PS5 console. The developer also released the SoundBlasterX G6 software updates to improve its performance and fix issues raised by users. If you want to use SoundBlasterX G6 on your PS4 console, you can find it on amazon for 178 US dollars.

JDS Labs developed the Atom DAC+ as the successor of the Atom DAC designed to improve audio quality on several devices. JDS Labs upgraded the firmware to make it compatible with several gaming systems, including the PS5 console.

The upgrade allowed users to select UAC1, enabling them to connect Atom DAC+ to a PS5 console. The PS5 console does not support UAC2; therefore, if you need a DAC for your console, you have to get one with a UAC1 fallback.

You may have to install optional firmware to lock the volume to 100%. If you want to purchase the Atom DAC+, you can order one for 109 US dollars from JDS Labs’ official website.

When you use your PS4 or PS5 console and notice poor audio quality, whether you are playing a game or watching a movie, you might need a new DAC. An external DAC will help reduce or eliminate any background noise or distortion whenever you use your PS4 or PS5 console.

Most gaming consoles have an internal DAC; however, the manufacturers did not spend much time developing it to produce the best audio quality. Manufacturers of external DACs develop devices that perform better than the internal DAC.

When choosing an external DAC for your PS4 or PS5 console, you must first ensure that it has a built-in amplifier. However, if your gaming station has enough space, you can also get an external DAC with a separate amplifier.

The second thing you should check is the sample rates of the external DAC. Most of them support either 24 or 32 bits with sample rates that range between 96 to 768 kHz. If you want the best audio quality from your PS4 or PS5 console, select one with a sample rate of more than 300 kHz.

Best AV Receiver for PS5

If you want an excellent gaming experience, you need to invest in a good audio/video device. There are so many AV receivers in the market with different capabilities; hence, you need to select the right one. If you want an AV receiver for your PS5 console, you might be wondering f which one in the market is the best.

The best AV receiver for your PS5 console is the Yamaha RX-V6A developed by Yamaha, a company well known for manufacturing great audio and video devices. The Yamaha RX-V6A has a 7.2 channel with a 100-Watt surround sound system.

It also supports gaming in 4K at 120 fps and 8K at 60 fps, and the developers have promised to update it to support 8K gaming at higher frame rates. The Yamaha RX-V6A has Dolby Atmos that works great with a 5.1 surround speaker system to provide great audio quality.

Yamaha has also included specific features that enhance your gaming experience, like the Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), which selects the ideal latency setting for a specific video game.

When Sony released the PS5 console in November 2020, one of the features that the developer wanted everyone to know was the ability to play games in 4K and, in some games, 8K. Manufacturers of AV receivers had to make new receivers that support 8K gaming.

There are few games that you can play in 8K; however, many video game developers are planning to release more games with 8K support. The Yamaha RX-V6A is the best 8K receiver in the market right now. If you do not have any 8K video games to play on your PS5 console, you can still watch movies, television shows, and music videos in 4K or 8K.

If you listen to music on your PS5 console, you can enjoy the best audio quality from the Yamaha RX-V6A because of its compressed music enhancer features. When you download music in a format like MP3, the frequency response might suffer, making the sound distorted.

The Compressed Music Enhancer uses exclusive algorithms to restore what was lost when the music was digitally compressed. Therefore, you will be listening to music the way it should sound if you choose to use the Yamaha RX-V6A.

When choosing an AV receiver for your gaming system, you need to check several things before you make the final decision. The first is to identify what you are connecting your AV receiver to and if it has the correct ports. The next thing you need to do is check if the AV receiver has all the three HDR formats.

Technology keeps changing, and you need to ensure that your receiver can handle HDR10, DV, and HLG formats. If you are going to use it with several people, you can choose one that supports multi-room use where two or three people can use it on different televisions and gaming consoles.

If you decide to use the Yamaha RX-V6A to improve your gaming experience, you should be ready to spend a considerable amount of money. This AV receiver by Yamaha costs between 650 US dollars, but it is worth every dollar because of its impressive features.

If you do not have 650 US dollars, you can buy the Yamaha RX-V4A model for 430 US dollars. However, it lacks some features that can greatly improve your gaming experiences, such as the Dolby Atmos and Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization. It is also a 5.1 channel receiver, while the V6A model is a 7.1 channel receiver.

Best Audio Settings for PS5

When you are setting up your PS5 console for the first time, all the settings are set in default mode, and you can change some of the settings to suit your gaming needs. One of the settings you can change is the audio settings, and you can do it through the main menu. If you are setting up the audio on your PS5 console, you might be wondering which are the best settings.

The best audio setting for your PS5 is PCM, and it is the default audio settings set by the developer. The PS5 console has two audio formats: Linear PCM and DTS. These audio formats work well with different audio devices, but Linear PCM works well with almost all audio devices.

PCM is the better option because it helps you unlock high-quality secondary audio within a short time. It also minimizes latency and also relieves your receiver of the burden to convert audio files. Audio quality also depends on the audio device you are using; if you have poor speakers or a low-quality headset, it will not matter what audio settings you select on your PS5.

When selecting the best audio format on your PS5 console, the most important thing you need to consider is which audio format will perform well in all tasks. PCM format does not require additional processing, unlike the other formats such as DTS and Dolby Digital, which have to process the compressed data.

If you are using an AV receiver, your console does all the work to convert audio files, putting less pressure on your receiver. If you choose the other audio formats, you might put a lot of strain on the AV receiver when you play a demanding game.

To change audio settings on your PS5 console, go to the home screen, select “Settings,” click on “Sound,” and select “Audio Output.” On Audio Output, click on “HDMI Device,” select “AV amplifier,” and select “7.1 ch”.

If you are using a different audio device, you can select the correct audio device through the “Audio Output” section. You can also use the audio settings to adjust different settings such as “Sound Effects,” “Sidetone Volume,” and “Home Screen Music.”

Choosing the correct audio settings can affect the audio quality on your PS5 console while gaming, but other factors can also affect the audio quality. One of them is the quality of the audio equipment you are using. You can use a headset, a television, or speakers as audio devices for your gaming system.

There are many different types of audio devices from numerous brands that differ in quality. Some offer the best audio quality while others are inferior. One way to differentiate between a good quality audio device from a low-quality one is the price.

If you buy cheap headsets, the audio quality will be poor no matter which audio settings you use on your PS5 console. Ensure that you buy the best audio device that supports the audio settings on your console.

Wrap Up

DACs come in different shapes and sizes, and you can get different audio quality depending on the features included by the manufacturer. Creative Technology Limited is one of the leading manufacturers of DACs, and their SoundBlasterX G6 is the best DAC for your PS4 console. However, this DAC does not have support for the PS5 console; therefore, you should choose JDS Labs Atom DAC+ for your PS5 console.

AV receivers are not cheap devices; hence, you need to decide which one you need for your gaming system. Yamaha RX-V6A is the best receiver in the market right now for your PS5 console that can offer you the best audio and visual experience when gaming, listening to music or watching movies, television series, and other live events on your console.

And finally, when choosing the best audio settings on your PS5 console, ensure that you are using the best audio device with PS5 firmware support. Do not expect great audio quality when you are using a ten-dollar gaming headset.

Bal Kang

Bal Kang is a technology expert based in the UK, with experience across a number of technology areas from phones, tablets, computers to gaming.

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