TechAudioPeriodic Audio Rhodium review: boost smartphone or laptop audio with easeThis affordable DAC (that’s digital-to-analogue converter) is a cheap first foot onto the sound-boosting ladderWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Future)T3 VerdictThat the Periodic Audio Rhodium makes your digital device sound different is undeniable. Whether or not it sounds better, though, is less cut-and-dried.Reasons to buy+Lets (most) smartphones function with wired headphones+Detailed and spacious sound+Tiny and robustReasons to avoid-Coarse high-frequency reproduction-Remarkably, not without competitionWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
TechAudioPeriodic Audio Rhodium review: boost smartphone or laptop audio with easeThis affordable DAC (that’s digital-to-analogue converter) is a cheap first foot onto the sound-boosting ladderWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Future)T3 VerdictThat the Periodic Audio Rhodium makes your digital device sound different is undeniable. Whether or not it sounds better, though, is less cut-and-dried.Reasons to buy+Lets (most) smartphones function with wired headphones+Detailed and spacious sound+Tiny and robustReasons to avoid-Coarse high-frequency reproduction-Remarkably, not without competitionWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
This affordable DAC (that’s digital-to-analogue converter) is a cheap first foot onto the sound-boosting ladder
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future)T3 VerdictThat the Periodic Audio Rhodium makes your digital device sound different is undeniable. Whether or not it sounds better, though, is less cut-and-dried.Reasons to buy+Lets (most) smartphones function with wired headphones+Detailed and spacious sound+Tiny and robustReasons to avoid-Coarse high-frequency reproduction-Remarkably, not without competition
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
T3 VerdictThat the Periodic Audio Rhodium makes your digital device sound different is undeniable. Whether or not it sounds better, though, is less cut-and-dried.Reasons to buy+Lets (most) smartphones function with wired headphones+Detailed and spacious sound+Tiny and robustReasons to avoid-Coarse high-frequency reproduction-Remarkably, not without competition
T3 VerdictThat the Periodic Audio Rhodium makes your digital device sound different is undeniable. Whether or not it sounds better, though, is less cut-and-dried.
T3 Verdict
That the Periodic Audio Rhodium makes your digital device sound different is undeniable. Whether or not it sounds better, though, is less cut-and-dried.
Reasons to buy+Lets (most) smartphones function with wired headphones+Detailed and spacious sound+Tiny and robustReasons to avoid-Coarse high-frequency reproduction-Remarkably, not without competition
Reasons to buy+Lets (most) smartphones function with wired headphones+Detailed and spacious sound+Tiny and robust
Lets (most) smartphones function with wired headphones
Detailed and spacious sound
Tiny and robust
Reasons to avoid-Coarse high-frequency reproduction-Remarkably, not without competition
Coarse high-frequency reproduction
Remarkably, not without competition
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Wireless headphones are everywhere you turn right now. And it’s hardly surprising, is it? After all, does your smartphone have a headphone socket? Almost certainly not.
Trouble is, anyone who takes portable listening seriously knows ‘wired’ beats ‘wireless’ every day of the week where pound-for-pound sound quality is concerned.
Periodic Audio reckons you should deploy its Rhodium USBDAC/headphone amp. Here’s what we reckon…
Periodic Audio Rhodium: Price & Availability
The Periodic Audio Rhodium USB DAC is on sale now. It costs £49 in the UK, $49 in the United States and AU$79 or thereabouts in Australia.
So this tiny little product costs a (relatively) tiny amount of money. But if Periodic Audio is to be believed, the Rhodium will make a great big difference to your listening pleasure. It’s not how big your DAC is, after all - it’s what it can do for your sound.
Today’s best Periodic Audio Rhodium deals$49ViewWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Periodic Audio Rhodium deals$49ViewWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Periodic Audio Rhodium deals
$49View
$49View
$49View
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We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Periodic Audio Rhodium review: Features
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The Rhodium is designed to sit between your smartphone and your wired headphones - and as a consequence it’s small, functional and only has the essential features.
There’s a Realtek ALC5685 system-on-chip, that’s just 6 x 6mm, inside the little aluminium housing at the USB-C end of the Rhodium. It’s capable of outputting PCM digital audio files to a maximum resolution of 32bit/384kHz - and Periodic Audio is quoting some startling performance figures.
Frequency response of an ultra-low 5Hz to an ear-splittingly high 160kHz, for example. Total harmonic distortion of a negligible 0.007% and signal-to-noise ratio of 108dB. Add in extremely low power consumption and the Rhodium seems ready to outperform even the most optimistic customer’s expectations when price and configuration are taken into account.
The only flourish as far as ‘features’ are concerned is the USB-C / USB-A adapter that gives this DAC wider compatibility.
Periodic Audio Rhodium review: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
On the ‘plus’ side, the Periodic Audio DAC is a considerably more direct, detailed and positive listen. Compared to the unassisted sound of the laptop, it extracts a whole heap more information from a recording, particularly through the midrange - which means a singer sounds altogether more engaged, more characterful and more attitudinal this way. If you’re even remotely interested in the technique or emotional state of a vocalist, the Rhodium makes it far more apparent.
Soundstaging is improved too, insomuch as the stage is bigger, better laid-out and easier to understand. Rhythmic expression is more confident, thanks in large part to the superior control of the low-end frequencies. And overall tonality is (almost entirely) better described and more wide-ranging.
Periodic Audio Rhodium review: Design & Usability
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
As with ‘features’, the ‘design’ aspect of the Rhodium can be dealt with in next-to-no time. As befits a product intended to sit between your smartphone’s USB-C socket at one end and the 3.5mm jack of your wired headphones at the other, this is a functional design.
The Rhodium weighs 6g. At one end there’s an aluminium USB-C plug and there’s an aluminium 3.5mm analogue connection at the other. In between, there’s 63mm of nicely braided cable.
That’s it for ‘design’ - and as far as ‘usability’ goes, well… plug the USB-C end into your smartphone or laptop, and plug your headphones into the 3.5mm analogue connection. It seems unlikely you’ll become confused as to what’s what here.
Periodic Audio Rhodium review: Verdict
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The difference such a small and affordable device can make to the audio performance of your laptop or smartphone is undeniable - but the way the Rhodium handles high-frequency sounds means it’s not quite a no-brainer.
Also consider
Even though it’s just 10g and 43 x 15 x 8mm, the Fiio KA1 USB DAC looks quite a biffer next to the Periodic Audio Rhodium. It’s a slightly more rounded and better-balanced listen, though, and has MQA and DSD support too. Plus it’s a touch more affordable, which doesn’t do any harm either.
Today’s best Periodic Audio Rhodium and FiiO JadeAudio KA1 dealsPeriodic Audio Rhodium$49ViewSee all pricesFiiO JadeAudio KA1$49.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Periodic Audio Rhodium and FiiO JadeAudio KA1 dealsPeriodic Audio Rhodium$49ViewSee all pricesFiiO JadeAudio KA1$49.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Periodic Audio Rhodium and FiiO JadeAudio KA1 dealsPeriodic Audio Rhodium$49ViewSee all pricesFiiO JadeAudio KA1$49.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Periodic Audio Rhodium and FiiO JadeAudio KA1 deals
Periodic Audio Rhodium$49ViewSee all pricesFiiO JadeAudio KA1$49.99ViewSee all prices
Periodic Audio Rhodium$49ViewSee all prices
Periodic Audio Rhodium$49ViewSee all prices
Periodic Audio Rhodium
Periodic Audio Rhodium
$49View
$49
$49
See all prices
FiiO JadeAudio KA1$49.99ViewSee all prices
FiiO JadeAudio KA1$49.99ViewSee all prices
FiiO JadeAudio KA1
FiiO JadeAudio KA1
$49.99View
$49.99
$49.99
See all prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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