{"product_id":"cx31993-max97220-usb-c-dac","title":"CX31993 + MAX97220 USB-C DAC\/Amp — Hi-Res 384kHz\/32bit","description":"\u003ch2 dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e🔌 CX31993 + MAX97220 USB-C DAC\/Amp | The Cheapest Real Upgrade in Audio\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eYour 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCX31993 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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMAX97220 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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e8-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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUSB-A Adapter Included: Phone, laptop, desktop, Steam Deck — one dongle covers every source you own.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🎮\u003cstrong\u003e The Gamer's Perspective: \"The Footstep Amplifier\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e⚙️ \u003cstrong\u003eTechnical Specifications\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDAC Chip Conexant CX31993\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAmp Chip Maxim MAX97220\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMax Decode 384kHz \/ 32-bit (Hi-Res Audio certified)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInput USB-C (USB-A adapter included)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOutput 3.5mm single-ended\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCable 8-core braided silver-plated\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e📦 \u003cstrong\u003eWhat's in the Vault?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1x CX31993 + MAX97220 USB-C DAC\/Amp\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1x USB-A Adapter\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Real Deal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Trade-Off\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt'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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVault 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.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Voltray Vault","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45299042877494,"sku":"CX31993-MAX97220","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0734\/2322\/4886\/files\/Sa9131fb4e1924241a0d416aceb2d4b985.webp?v=1774069277","url":"https:\/\/voltrayvault.com\/products\/cx31993-max97220-usb-c-dac","provider":"THE VOLTRAY VAULT ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}