When buying a
smartphone nowadays, most people expect it to do everything perfectly. Well, we
are not there yet as smartphones are capable of dozens of things but not at top
level. One of the biggest complaints of users is the fact that most smartphones
have limited performance DAC chips and audiophiles have to resort to other,
more expensive, solutions to get the sound they want.
This is the problem
that IKKO, a Chinese manufacturer, is trying to solve with its new product, IKKO-ITM05
Music Patch. What the music patch does is connect to your phone’s or computer’s
USB or lightning port and convert the digital signal to analog. Also, it has 2
audio out ports, one 3.5mm and one 2.5mm so that you can connect your
headphones or other equipment. According to the company, the Music Patch sports
two CS43198 DAC chips and has a distortion rating of only 0.0008%.
This isn’t an easy
market to compete in as portable DACs and amps market has been growing in
recent years, but the ITM05 looks to be the smallest one yet. It weighs only 30
grams (comparable to a AAA battery), and features both USB-C and Lightning
support.
The IKKO-ITM05 will go
live on Indiegogo next month and it is expected to draw much attention from
audiophiles as the way it attaches to the back of the phone makes it easy to
carry around. You can check out the early information posted on Indiegogo as
well as on their official website.
