For everyone wondering how is a magnetic clip-on design able to extract digital audio from a smartphone, the answer lies in the fact that it doesn’t (while Apple could very well in the future add NFC/UWB data transmission to its MagSafe technology - and totally eliminate the need for the Lightning connector on the iPhone).
The new design from Khadas - better said Shenzhen Wesion Technology, the company that designs and manufactures an impressive range of hi-res audio boards and portable DACs - simply uses magnetic coils to safely attach to other devices. It retrieves the audio via the Lightning connector with a short cable (100mm) included in the package, or wirelessly via Bluetooth audio.
Interestingly, the Khadas TEA also includes a similar USB-C to USB-C cable that can be used with future Apple iPads with MagSafe (still rumored and unlikely). That’s probably because the market is about to get inundated by Android iPhone-clones from China using magnets for snap-on alignment for the Qi charging accessories (which are likely to generate more dangerous electronic trash than current USB chargers). And because the attachment is simply magnetic, it can be freely (or inconveniently) rotated 360° against the phone.
The obvious benefit in comparison with existing mobile DAC/Headphone Amps is the fact that it creates a compact, ultra-slim and elegant solution to go together with an iPhone. The Khadas TEA is actually thinner than the iPhone 13, and only adds 74 grams). And Khadas made sure the TEA would feature all the things that hi-res audio enthusiasts would crave for to enjoy the goodies from lossless audio streaming services, anytime and anywhere.
The Khadas TEA features an ESS ES9281AC Pro digital-to-analog converter that is able able to decode MQA, DSD, and lossless PCM audio, and adds supports for LDAC and aptX HD Bluetooth audio streaming, being able to complement the recently upgraded Apple Music and other streaming services supporting hi-res audio - and be ready for Spotify Lossless, when it arrives. And of course, TEA features an improved headphone amplifier with 3.5mm analog jack.
As the company states, its TEA design was created “to satisfy a high demand” from the community for a “Portable Tone2 Pro” - the flagship portable DAC from Khadas - that would be suitable and practical to use with current smartphones. The Khadas TEA DAC is in fact thinner than an iPhone 13, but has a slight bump to accommodate the 3.5mm headphone jack, still ideal to take high quality music experiences on the go.
Creating a MagSafe-compatible magnetic attachment product is not difficult - only the actual charging implementation is trickier. MagSafe is a technology from Apple that was originally created as a safety feature for MacBook charging cords (and patented at the time), while the current MagSafe implementation incorporated into the iPhone 12 and 13 was designed to create an expanded ecosystem of accessories for easy attachment and faster “wireless” charging. MagSafe is essentially built on top of the Qi Wireless charging specifications (which Apple is now helping to improve and expand), and supports faster charging (the reason why the coils’ alignment is critical).
MagSafe “senses” MagSafe-compatible accessories and only attaches to those using a combination of alignment magnets, a magnetometer, and NFC for Accessory Identification of Made for MagSafe accessories. The new iPhones still work with standard Qi-enabled wireless chargers, but chargers with MagSafe can deliver charging faster. All other magnetic accessories that are “MagSafe compatible” basically provide the convenience of snap-on attachment with a magnetic ring, but don’t have the official MagSafe technology inside.
Khadas is famous for its Amlogic and Rockchip single-board computers (SBCs) for the open-source community and streaming media player industry. The company successfully launched its Tone Series professional Hi-Fi DAC boards for audio enthusiasts. Shenzhen Wesion Technology Co., Ltd was founded in 2014 and also handles OEM/ODM product design, software and hardware development, and final product manufacturing.
www.khadas.com
