FiiO LF-TC Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier and FiiO LF-LT Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier

With the FiiO LF-TC Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier and FiiO LF-LT Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier solutions, the Chinese specialist for personal audio devices FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. presents by far the smallest D/A converter with integrated headphone amplifier currently available on the market. At least when you consider that the central component is a D/A converter that can process audio signals with up to 32 bits and 384 kHz as well as DSD including DSD256.

Smaller is no longer possible

It is fair to say that with the current state of the art, such a device cannot be made any smaller. After all, the new FiiO LF-TC Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier and FiiO LF-LT Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier solutions measure just 28 mm in length, 24 mm in width and 9 mm in height. This means that the two D/A converters plus headphone amplifier weigh only 5 g.

New patent for adapter as basis

These tiny dimensions have been achieved by FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. developing a new system that does away with something essential, namely conventional connectors.

Neither the new FiiO LF-TC Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier nor the FiiO LF-LT Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier have the kind of headphone jacks found in many consumer electronics and personal audio devices.

No 3.5 mm stereo mini-jack, of course no 4.4 mm PENTACONN and not even a 2.5 mm jack are available here, but you should be able to use almost any high-quality in-ear headphones with these two solutions.

The key to this is a new adapter system for which FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. has applied for a patent, which is supposed to guarantee a reliable connection via special plugs using magnets.

These adapters are significantly more compact than any plug commonly used with headphones to date and are also much more flexible.

FiiO LF-RB Magnetic Swappable Plug Headphone Cable as matching cable

The matching cable for the new FiiO LF-TC Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier and FiiO LF-LT Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier is available in the form of the FiiO LF-RB Magnetic Swappable Plug Headphone Cable, which features exactly this adapter system. However, instead of using the 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm or 4.4 mm PENTACONN adapters that come with the cable, you connect it directly to the miniature D/A converters and headphone amplifiers.

At the other end of the cable, there are the usual MMCX connectors, which can be used to connect almost any high-quality in-ear headphone, as well as earbuds from FiiO Electronics Technology Co Ltd.

Converters from ESS Technology Inc.

The signal processing of the new FiiO LF-TC Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier and FiiO LF-LT Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier is handled by a high-quality converter from ESS Technology Inc., namely an ESS9281AC PRO DAC, which supports signals in Linear PCM at up to 32 bits and 384 kHz, as well as DSD up to and including DSD256.

FiiO LF-TC Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier or FiiO LF-LT Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier?

So far we’ve kept quiet about the difference between the FiiO LF-TC Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier and the FiiO LF-LT Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier, and in fact it’s only a detail, but a crucial one.

They are essentially identical solutions, but the FiiO LF-TC Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier is equipped with a USB-C interface, while the FiiO LF-LT Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier has an Apple Lightning connector.

connector. While the model with the USB-C interface can be used for smartphones and tablets with Google Android as well as for various notebooks, the version with the Apple Lightning connector is naturally designed for the Apple iPhone.

Prices and availability

The new portable D/A converters and headphone amplifiers FiiO LF-TC Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier and FiiO LF-LT Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier are to be available soon, and at particularly favourable prices. The FiiO LF-TC Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier will cost US$ 39.99 and the FiiO LF-LT Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier will cost US$ 44.99.

Getting to the point

The FiiO LF-TC Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier and the FiiO LF-LT Magnetic DAC and Headphone Amplifier are extremely small D/A converters and headphone amplifiers that FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. is now presenting. The former is designed for USB-C, the latter for Apple Lightning Connector. This particularly small form factor is made possible by a new plug system, for which the Chinese specialist for personal audio devices has applied for a patent, and which, together with the FiiO LF-RB Magnetic Swappable Plug Headphone Cable, can be used with almost any in-ear headphones.