Rhodium DAC
$49.00 USD
Description
NOTE: New packaging coming! As soon as we’re out of the old box, the new box will be used. See photos for the new look packaging! But rest assured, it’s still the same Rhodium as always!
Rhodium is a mobile HiFi Swiss Army Knife, and the best value High Resolution Audio DAC/Preamp/Amp In The World.
If you want to experience the pinnacle of Mobile-HiFi, Rhodium + Nickel + a set of our IEM’s guarantees you category leading ‘Megabuck’ HiFi performance, that will fit in your pocket.
If your Android phone or tablet doesn’t have a 3.5mm output, Rhodium provides a 32bit/384kHz DAC & High-Power Amplifier output stage for your wired headphones.
If you want to improve the quality of your Windows or MacOS computer’s headphone output, or microphone input, Rhodium is just the ticket.
If you want to transform your Android device, Windows computer, or MacOS computer into a High Resolution DAC/Preamp, Rhodium has your back.
NOTE: iOS devices aren’t well supported; we’ve confirmed that a 4th gen iPad, running iOS 14.3 works, but most iOS devices would require use of the Apple Camera adapter, and even then, your success is not guaranteed.
Specially selected audio-grade caps of C0G tolerance in all audio pathways, high-speed, high-stability X7Rs for all power supply bypasses results 10 dB lower noise and 1/2 the distortion of any competing product on the market anywhere near Rhodium’s price point.
Proprietary high-strand OFC wire with polyethylene woven jacket and molded aluminum shells guarantees years of reliable use.
The result is stunning. Near-sonic perfection in something that weighs less than a nickel (the coin, not our awesome amp).
Specifications
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Frequency Response | 2 Hz to 192 kHz, +0/-3 dB |
| Dynamic Range | 113 dB |
| SNR | 108 dB A wt. |
| THD | Less than 0.007% |
| Output Power | 31 mW @ 32 Ohms |
| Current Consumption | 23 mA @ 1 mW output |
| Physical Properties | |
|---|---|
| Cable Length | 63mm |
| Mass | 4.4 grams |
| Operational Temperature | -20 to +50° C |
| Operational Humidity | 0-95% Relative Humidity |
| Retention Force | 1.8 Newtons |
| Overall Length | 117 mm |
| Max Width | 10.8 mm |
| Max Thickness | 6.9 mm |
| Material Properties | |
|---|---|
| Melting Point | 2237 Kelvin |
| Speed of Sound | 4700 meters per second |
| Young’s Modulus | 380 Gigapascals |
| Brinell Hardness | 1100 Megapascals |
Additional information
| Weight | 0.1 oz |
|---|
Description
NOTE: New packaging coming! As soon as we’re out of the old box, the new box will be used. See photos for the new look packaging. But rest assured, it’s still the same Rhodium as always!
Rhodium is a mobile HiFi Swiss Army Knife, and the best value High Resolution Audio DAC/Preamp/Amp In The World. Take a Rhodium, add a pair of our great IEMs (like Be or Carbon) and have a world-class wired stereo in your pocket!
Rhodium rocks you with 32 bit / 384 kHz PCM capability, meaning just about any audio file (including 99% of all high-res files) will be reproduced with absolute accuracy. Rhodium also has a full 1Vrms output, meaning your headphones will benefit from 30 mW of power per channel, plenty to drive nearly all ‘phones – IEMs or cans – to high volume levels.
Android, Windows, macOS, iPadOS, Linux? Just plug right in to any USB port (use the included type C to type A adapter if needed) and enjoy your music. No driver or download needed – native support!
NEW: for those with iPhones and the Lightning port, we have you covered! Our Electron USB C to Lightning adapter comes to the rescue! Plug Rhodium into the adapter, the adapter into your iPhone and get all the benefits of high res, high power DAC-dom with your device. It’s normally a $9.95 adapter, but just $5 when paired with Rhodium.
Why does Rhodium sound so good? Specially selected audio-grade caps of C0G tolerance in all audio pathways, high-speed, high-stability X7Rs for all power supply bypasses results 10 dB lower noise and 1/2 the distortion of any competing product on the market anywhere near Rhodium’s price point.
For those who want to up their telecom (or gaming) game, Rhodium also works with microphones on your headphones. Plug it in, and you’ll get Rhodium’s 24 bit, 48 kHz conversion of mic audio streaming back into your device, so your voice comes through crystal clear – limited only by your microphone (NOTE: might not work with all iPhones – iOS is picky when it comes to telecom).
Proprietary high-strand OFC wire with polyethylene woven jacket and molded aluminum shells guarantees years of reliable use.
The result is stunning. Near-sonic perfection in something that weighs less than a nickel (the coin, not our awesome amp).
Nerd Layer
Why does it Sound So Good? It’s just a Realtek Chip!
Yes, we use a Realtek ALC5686. Lots of people use it. It’s supported by nearly every platform on the face of the Earth – because Realtek IS that big. So everything supports it when it plugs in. And it’s got good functionality and a good price. So lots of companies use it. But why does ours measure and sound so much better?
It’s simple. We sweated ALL the details. Not just the chip (we weren’t making our own chips back when we launched Rhodium). We worried about all the components around the chip. Most importantly, the capacitors. We selected specific temperature grades of voltage ratings such that pumping of power supplies was brought to an absolute minimum.
We used shielded components, too, to keep EMI to a minimum. Add in a full 4 layer board with a FULL ground plane, and the result is performance at the limits of what the ALC5686 can do – and WAY beyond what anyone else would do.
It’s the Periodic Way.
Specifications
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Frequency Response | 2 Hz to 192 kHz, +0/-3 dB |
| Dynamic Range | 113 dB |
| SNR | 108 dB A wt. |
| THD | Less than 0.007% |
| Output Power | 31 mW @ 32 Ohms – RMS Per Channel |
| Current Consumption | 23 mA @ 1 mW output |
| Physical Properties | |
|---|---|
| Cable Length | 63mm |
| Mass | 4.4 grams |
| Operational Temperature | -20 to +50° C |
| Operational Humidity | 0-95% Relative Humidity |
| Retention Force | 1.8 Newtons |
| Overall Length | 117 mm |
| Max Width | 10.8 mm |
| Max Thickness | 6.9 mm |
User Manual and Support
Sorry, no user manual exists. If you can’t figure out how to run Rhodium (plug into USB, plug headphones in, done), you probably had someone print out this web page on paper for you to read, as operating a computer or even a cellphone would prove to be a challenge.
USB C goes into phone or computer (or use the included Type C to type A adapter). Headphone plugs into the 3.5mm jack. Done. That’s it.
Buy Rhodium DAC For only $49.00 USD
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Taylor –
Amazing DAC. I don’t know what Periodic did but for some reason this DAC just sounds better than the others I’ve tried. For $49 it is a steal. I have not found a device it does not work on and it plays great on my phones and drives all my headphones. Tighter bass than just about any DAC out there for under $100.
Red –
Pros: Convenient and very light. Still going strong after several years.Cons: Pricing is not competitive nowadays with the competition available
martin veilleux –
Excellent product and fast shipping even to Canada!
Sarah Johnson –
Great product! The sound quality is excellent and the build is solid. Highly recommend for audiophiles.
R.J. –
The sound is clean and clear with a warm quality. I think the sound is similar to the Questyle M12 without the amplification. Because it has no amp the power needed to drive headphones is phone limited. So for a phone this DAC is best for IEMs or buds.
Mason –
Works great!! Not only do I use this for my headphones but I use it with my large speaker as well. Works great
Ron B –
This is a steal at the price given the sound quality it produces. An absolute no-brainer. Well made, easy to use, great sound. What’s not to like?
D. Fuhriman –
Echo above. Works, sounds great, simple use, plenty of power for IEMs and even a few over ears. Tiny, it lives on my AKG headphone cable most of the time without an issue like it’s part of the cable.
Tyler D –
It just works. I plug it into my personal phone (Samsung S22U), my work phone (iPhone 13 – I now use their Electron adapter because it’s really small), laptop (Dell) and it just works. Nothing needed, no drivers, no switches, no LEDs, nothing. I like tech like this that makes it easy to use just plug in and it goes. I don’t have to do anything other than enjoy. For $49 it goes everywhere with me, it’s in my small headphone case.
Mattie –
Bought a rhodium and electron and it sounds great. Works fine on my iphone and I also plug it into my laptop when I’m mixing beats. Drive my Westones way loud and clean. Can’t believe $49 makes such a difference to the way I hear and experience music. Must-have upgrade!
KD Kevin –
Bought a Rhodium and the Electron and it worked perfectly with my iPhone! Finally a decent DAC that’s affordable that works with iPhone. Great sound, drives my own Periodic Carbon IEMs and my at-home Sennheiser HD580s with ease, plenty of detail and volume in either case.
Walter W –
Do you want loud, and clean audio in a small package?
Buy this DAC now. It’s the best DAC I’ve ever owned.
Magnavex –
The first impression I got was a surprisingly pleasant and warm sound signature with a rather flat frequency response curve, a small amount of forwardness with lots of present audible background nuances and detail.
Bass frequencies come through but vaguely with a low amount of impactfulness due to the lack of driving power but the low frequencies are all there. The midrange seems to be all there also and everything seems to be correct in timbre, pitch, and presence. The high frequencies are well pronounced, well defined, and also well-behaved.
Staging is done well also and with a good 3D quality required to keep things interesting and this device gives the listener a nice positioning presentation with a rather airy, wide characteristic with lots of depth with some decent height.
Overall, if you like a relaxing and organic tonality then you will like the Periodic Audio Inc Rhodium DAC. It seems to stay away from producing harsh peaks and remains well textured and well-controlled even at its highest volume setting.
Moo –
First off, stop putting “audiophile” on such a high pedestal, sure quality matters, and no of course it won’t compete with reasonably larger devices, it’s not larger than if you built a dumb converter cable. And considering the size competes with all the cheap dongles that(used to) come with phones, I wouldn’t doubt the audio quality is better, and at very least zero hiss noticed. It’s my first 3.5mm dongle because my last phone had a 3.5mm jack, and google decided cables and a USB A to C adapter is fine, but apparently non-wireless headphone use isn’t needed.
I did only test it for a couple minutes with Sennheiser CX300S’s, nothing tough to drive, volume could easily be left under 1/4th out of my Pixel 6. I always stay on the cheaper end for my mobile headphones because of how little I use them, but I bought this for the size, and audio quality. If you’re looking for something this size only, you’re not compromising at all on audio for this…could you probably squeeze a little more out with something bigger, sure, with reduced portability. I didn’t want some dongle the size of even an ibasso DC05.
Build quality feels solid, metal construction with plastic strain relief(if it could be called such), and a sort of plasticy braided cable. It’s a US company if that matters for you, it’s nice if you live here and end up with warranty related issues, a lot cheaper than shipping to China. It also supports TRRS(4 pole(3 black/colored lines)) 3.5mm, so your inline remote and microphone should work fine, it did for me. As long as it lasts, I would absolutely recommend it.
Sunpreet Rooprai –
Very clean (High-Res) audio all around! A must if you are using a 3.5mm headphone port with poor or no Dac/Amp, especially at this price point! Could be louder, but plenty of power in this little form factor. *Don’t use it on the new MacBooks with USB-C port, I noticed there is some sort of interference or something, plus the Dac/Amp on MacBooks are much louder/cleaner, perhaps even better than this usb Dac/Amp*