Teardown finds DAC chips in Apple's Lightning EarPods & Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter for iPhone 7

As anticipated, a teardown of Apple's Lightning EarPods and Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter — both included with the iPhone 7 — has discovered small digital-to-analog converter chips, though their exact supplier remains a mystery.

The DAC in the EarPods was labeled "338S00140 / A0QK1623 / TW," while the one in the adapter was marked "338S00140 / A0MU1621 / TW," according to Vietnamese site Tinhte. The "TW" could be a reference to Taiwan, where a number of Apple suppliers are based.

The chips were likely designed by Apple's usual partner on such components, Cirrus Logic, but manufactured by another firm — possibly Taiwan-based TSMC, which also manufactures Apple's A-series processors. In 2015, Cirrus reportedly switched back to TSMC from Vanguard International Semiconductor.

The iPhone 7 is Apple's first major product to completely abandon a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack in favor of Lightning and Bluetooth audio. Because many people still rely on 3.5-millimeter accessories — an industry standard — Apple bundled the adapter by default, despite the new EarPods and the growing prevalence of Bluetooth headphones and speakers.

33 Comments

wood1208 2935 comments · 10 Years

About 8 years ago

Apple's smart approach to moving D-to-A from iphone into lightening Jack/connector. Now 3rd party can create their own cable with enhanced DA electronics replacement for better sounding earpods, headphones. You are not bound with what audio quality comes out of 3.5mm jack like in older iphones.

mac_128 3452 comments · 12 Years

wood1208 said:

Apple's smart approach to moving D-to-A from iphone into lightening Jack/connector. Now 3rd party can create their own cable with enhanced DA electronics replacement for better sounding earpods, headphones. You are not bound with what audio quality comes out of 3.5mm jack like in older iphones.

Huh? The iPhone still has an internal DAC of the same quality that was in the 6s. And third parties could always create their own cable with enhanced DAC, since at least December 2014.

That said, this move limits manufacturers to native Lightning-based solutions, and increases demand for them as well, over phones with a headphone jack. So that will encourage more competition and innovation than there was before, despite Apples decision to give away a free headphone adapter and subsidize its pricing, rather than price with its usual margins.