TWITTERING MACHINES (Michael Lavrgna) compares 'Dongle-DACs':

- Clarus CODA DAC - US$300
- Helm Audio BOLT DAC - US$99.99
- iBasso DC03 DAC - US$69

Also, for comparison, the popular AUDIOQUEST DACs:

- Dragonfly Black - US$100
- Dragonfly Red - US$200
- Dragonfly Cobalt - US$300

The Dongle DAC Survey: Part 1 - Ins and Outs (connection options)
The Dongle DAC Survey: Part 2 - the reviews


" Let’s cut to the chase – I really enjoyed everything, every single thing, about the Helm Audio BOLT DAC... the Helm BOLT is one beautifully balanced DAC. "


Moving to a higher price level....

" the CODA’s greater resolution... better sense of dynamics and decay... Bass response also gained more definition... music sounded bolder through the CODA. "


The Dragonfly Cobalt...

" ...offered a more fully-formed sense of dimensionality, making musicians and their instruments appear more solid as compared to the CODA. (But) others may prefer the Clarus CODA’s cleaner and clearer sound.. "


The iBasso DC03:

" ...beats the pants off of the iPhone’s headphone out and it positively crushes the analog output from an iMac. "

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

He really liked the $99 Bolt

"The Helm BOLT is not as weighty sounding as the DragonFly Red, which shifted my focus on Deradoorian’s “Saturnine Night” from Find The Sun from its overall driving force to the parts making up that driving force. The BOLT offers up more separation and clarity when it comes to the parts that make up the whole. By comparison, the DragonFly Red sounds bigger and bolder with a focus on sheer energy. All that being said, over time I found that the BOLT was equally compelling albeit with a more up-front sound as compared to the DragonFly Red’s richer heftier sound image.

For my particular set of preferences which includes everything from sound to looks to build to price, I think the Helm BOLT DAC is a bonafide winner as it is eminently enjoyable for hours and days on end. The Helm BOLT DAC may be the easiest recommendation I’ve ever made because it makes listening to music an endlessly addictive party."

I've enjoyed many hours with the Dragonfly Red and if the Bolt can compare at half the price, it certainly sounds like a winner. 

Yes, it's a good write-up - aside from his own preference/s, Lavorgna picks through the pros & cons of each device - including price, as a factor.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Check out also DARKO's (17 Mar '21) video below - Spoti-Pi: a beginner's guide to the Raspberry Pi & Spotify Connect:

At 12:57 on, you see/hear his comparison of the AUDIOQUEST Dragonfly Red vs the HELM Bolt.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com