Anyone who thinks Apple is no longer innovating should check out a new video revealing the amazing amount of technology — including a tiny digital-to-analog converter, or DAC — that the company managed to squeeze into its deceptively simple 3.5mm-to-Lightning headphone adapter.
Produced by Vietnamese website Tinhte, the video may not exhibit the finesse of an iFixit teardown, but it’s certainly an impressive demo of how much Apple is able to do with even the most basic-looking of dongles.
There’s no name on the DAC chip, which is labeled 338S00140/A0MU1621/TW, but it could quite possibly be made by Cirrus Logic. Apple sources a lot of its audio tech from Cirrus, which produces DAC converters.
Apple found itself in hot water from some users because of its controversial decision to eliminate the 3.5mm headphone jack. However, evidence like this shows the effort Apple made when it comes to continuing support for users who would like to cling to their existing headphones for a while longer.
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
8 responses to “iPhone 7 headphone dongle boasts amazing insides”
How is this evidence of an , “effort Apple has made when it comes to continuing support for users who would like to cling onto their existing headphone jack headphones for a while longer?”
“We’re gonna make your phone more annoying to use, and make you choose between music, charging or a dongle, but hey, we’re being courageous. You should praise us. Let that Stockholm Syndrome sink in.”
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DAC converters……lol ATM machine?
With my 6+, I use to charge and listen to music all the time. But I have not needed to since I got my 7. Everyday I have had at least 30% battery left so I haven’t needed to both at the same time. Hopefully it stays that way
The only problem is that the sound quality has taken a step backward. I compared the sound from the iPhone 7 Plus and dongle to the iPhone 6 plus side by side. It was clear and obvious that the iPhone 7 Plus sounded worse. Bass lacked definition and did not reach down as low. Dynamics were flattened and some of the sparkle I enjoyed with the iPhone 6 Plus was missing. I was using Sennheiser Momentum 2’s with hi-res streaming from Tidal. As an audiophile I am pretty bummed out by the iPhone 7’s sound.
Thanks for this. Not at all surprising though – quality and miniaturized DACs stuffed into $9 adapters don’t go together.
DAC converters? DAC converters? Digital (to) analog converter converters? Hm…