Your First Portable DAC: What to Look For, and What KEYSION 01 Offers
Many people's needs for their first DAC are actually quite simple: their earphones have background noise and muffled sound when plugged directly into their phone, and they want a small device that is clean when plugged in and sounds great out of the box. The 01 is exactly for this, CNY 219 (USD 33), no gimmicks.
The 01 is KEYSION's entry-level portable DAC, featuring an aluminum alloy casing, Type-C input, and a single 3.5mm output. Its goal is to cleanly decode and amplify digital signals from phones/computers, with pricing kept at just over two hundred.
| Parameter | 01 Value | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| PCM Decoding | 32bit / 384kHz | Full coverage of streaming and lossless libraries; 768kHz master files are unnecessary and not worth demanding |
| DSD | Native 64/128/256 | DSD256 hard decoding not scaled down despite entry-level positioning |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio | 130dB (3.5mm) | Quite high for the entry-level price range; no noise disturbance in quiet environments |
| Noise Floor | 0.85μV (3.5mm) | Lowest in the entire lineup; reassuring with high-sensitivity in-ear monitors |
| Impedance Adaptation | 16-600Ω | No pressure for in-ears; over-ears fall within "can drive" category |
| Interface | 3.5mm | Single mainstream output; works with everyday cables |
Some may ask: Is PCM up to 384kHz enough? To be honest, the lossless ceiling on streaming platforms is 24bit/192kHz, so 384kHz already provides double the headroom. Unless you collect 768kHz master files, this spec difference is not audible.
Phone + earphones is the most common setup: plug in, enable exclusive output in the app, and start volume at 30%. The 0.85μV noise floor means no hissing at night—for beginners, this is the most noticeable improvement. For desktop use, plug into a computer and enable WASAPI exclusive mode on Windows.
- For: first-time DAC buyers, those who mainly use IEMs; those bothered by smartphone background noise and digital harshness, who just want to solve it with CNY 20 (USD 3)-30.
- Not for: those who need to drive large headphones—for more than 361mW output, see 02 / 02 Pro; those needing a microphone for calls, see H-Turbo series.
If budget allows, spending an extra CNY 18 (USD 3) for the 02 can give you more headroom, but if you'll only listen to IEMs for the next year, it's fine to save the money.
FAQ
What's the core difference between 01 and 02?
Thrust and PCM specs: 01 is 384kHz, focuses on IEMs; 02 is 768kHz, 361mW, can also drive headphones. If you only use IEMs, 01's noise floor (0.85μV) is even lower than 02's.
Can the 01 drive over-ear headphones?
Low-impedance portable headphones (32Ω class) can be driven to normal volume, but with large dynamic passages, it may feel strained. For serious headphone use, we recommend the 02 or 02 Pro.
What is USB exclusive output?
A mode that lets the decoder bypass the system mixer and receive audio data directly. On Android, enabling USB Audio Exclusive in the player app, and on Windows using WASAPI Exclusive, results in noticeably cleaner sound.
01 Is it normal to get hot?
A certain temperature rise of the aluminum alloy shell is normal, especially during high-gain long-term use; as long as it is not too hot to touch, there is no need to worry.
