ESS Technology Brings Advanced Audiophile Features to Mobile Devices for the First Time

The ES9218 Highly-Integrated HiFi SoC combines QUAD DAC™, 32-bit stereo channels, Analog Volume Control, 2Vrms outputs and HyperStream® II Technology

Milpitas, California - ESS Technology, the industry leader in HiFi audio and analog design, today announced its newest and highest performance mobile HiFi subsystem for smartphones and mobile applications. Focused on bringing the audiophile experience from the living room to the smartphone, the ES9218 SABRE HIFI® System-On-Chip (SOC) integrates QUAD DAC™ 32-bit stereo, high-power headphone amplifiers, ultra-low noise DAC references and output switches to save both space and cost.

The ES9218 introduces advanced features previously found only in Audiophile equipment for a supreme listening experience directly from your mobile device.

HyperStream® II – ESS’s patented 32-bit HyperStream II architecture was introduced in the company’s new SABRE® PRO DAC series, including the ES9038PRO at CES 2016 and delivers previously unheard of sound stage and clarity.

Analog Volume Control (AVC) – Analog Volume Control delivers 130dB SNR at low listening levels by reducing noise as the audio signal decreases.

QUAD DAC Technology – Internally connected parallel quad DACs deliver superb 124dB DNR and -112dB THD+N.

2Vrms Headphone Amplifiers – True 2vrms outputs are capable of driving professional high impedance headphones and deliver professional line-level outputs.

These unprecedented performance levels for a mobile device make the highly integrated ES9218 SABRE HiFi SoC the perfect choice for true audiophile experiences that were previously only available with large, expensive home theater components. “The ES9218 pushes the envelope on performance for an integrated HiFi SoC,” said Robert Wong – Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing for ESS. “More important than any numbers that appear on our data sheet is the amazing sound produced by our newest HyperStream II SABRE DAC. This is the same technology that is being designed into the most demanding high-end audiophile equipment in the world.”

The ES9218 supports the industry’s most popular high resolution and lossless audio formats including FLAC, ALAC, AIFF and WAV. The ES9218 completely supports compressed legacy formats so the consumer is assured that they will have the best listening experience possible.

Technical Specifications

The ES9218 SABRE HiFi SoC is a 32-bit, 2-channel, parallel quad audio digital to analog converter integrated with headphone amplifiers, analog volume control and output switches designed for audiophile-grade applications in easy to use 40-pin CSP and QFN packages, delivering up to 130dB SNR, 124dB DNR and –112dB THD+N using the ESS patented 32-bit HyperStream II architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator. The ES9218’s integrated DAC supports up to 32-bit 384 kHz PCM and DSD512 data in master or slave timing modes. A fully programmable FIR filter with eight presets provides a customizable sound signature and the ES9218’s integrated headphone amp supports up to 2Vrms output with analog volume control to reduce output noise at real-life listening levels. The integrated output switch allows non-HiFi sources, such as speech to bypass the ES9218 to minimize power consumption.

###

About ESS Technology

For more than three decades ESS Technology has been on the cutting edge of audio technology. A privately held fabless semiconductor company, ESS Technology designs and markets high-performance analog and HiFi audio devices for mobile, consumer, automotive, and professional audiophile systems. The company was founded in 1984 and today ESS Technology is best known for its SABRE series of high-performance audio products. For more information, visit http://www.esstech.com.