CX31993 + MAX97220 USB-C DAC/Amp — Hi-Res 384kHz/32bit

🔌 CX31993 + MAX97220 USB-C DAC/Amp | The Cheapest Real Upgrade in Audio

Your phone's USB-C port outputs data, not sound — whatever dongle you plug in IS your audio system. Most $10 adapters use a single budget chip doing two jobs badly. This one splits the work like real hi-fi gear does: a Conexant CX31993 handles decoding at up to 384kHz/32-bit (true Hi-Res certified — it's etched right on the housing), and a dedicated Maxim MAX97220 amplifier handles the power. That second chip is the entire point.

• CX31993 DAC Chip: Clean, low-noise decoding up to 384kHz/32bit. Kills the hiss and background noise floor that plagues phone ports and cheap adapters — IEMs are sensitive enough to expose it.
• MAX97220 Dedicated Amp Stage: Most dongles drive your headphones with the DAC chip's leftover output. This routes the signal through a purpose-built headphone amplifier, delivering noticeably more power and control — the difference you hear as tighter bass and better dynamics at the same volume.
• 8-Core Braided SPC Cable: The flex point is where dongles die. This one uses a braided silver-plated cable with metal housings on both ends instead of the rubber-tube wire that cracks in six months.
• USB-A Adapter Included: Phone, laptop, desktop, Steam Deck — one dongle covers every source you own.

🎮 The Gamer's Perspective: "The Footstep Amplifier"

A silent noise floor means quiet details — footsteps, reloads, distant utility — stop hiding under hiss. And the extra amp power gives you headroom to run comfortable volumes with dynamics intact during long sessions. Plug it into the included USB-A adapter and your desktop gets the same upgrade as your phone.

⚙️ Technical Specifications

• DAC Chip Conexant CX31993
• Amp Chip Maxim MAX97220
• Max Decode 384kHz / 32-bit (Hi-Res Audio certified)
• Input USB-C (USB-A adapter included)
• Output 3.5mm single-ended
• Cable 8-core braided silver-plated

📦 What's in the Vault?

• 1x CX31993 + MAX97220 USB-C DAC/Amp
• 1x USB-A Adapter

The Real Deal
This chip combo is a known quantity in the Chi-Fi community — it's the configuration enthusiasts recommend when someone asks for the cheapest dongle that's an actual upgrade rather than a sidestep. It punches with dongles at twice the price and embarrasses everything in the checkout-aisle tier.

The Trade-Off

1. The output is 3.5mm single-ended only — there's no 4.4mm balanced output at this price, so if you're running balanced cables, this isn't your unit.
2. It's an inline dongle with no physical volume buttons; volume rides your phone or PC controls. Neither matters for most setups — they're why it costs what it costs.

Vault Member Tip: Pair this with the KBEAR KB02. At 40Ω, the KB02 is exactly the kind of set that sounds polite from a bare phone port and wakes up with the MAX97220's extra power behind it.