[Peter Ong]

Hello Everyone,

Does the iPhone 12 Pro (with a lightning port) work with the Schiit 9028 DAC card?

I received my Schiit 9028 DAC card in the mail today. I installed it in my Jotunheim v1. When plugged into one of my MacBook Pros, the 9028 DAC card is recognized and music plays through. However, when my iPhone 12 Pro (with a lighting to USB-C cable) is plugged in, the iPhone 12 Pro does not recognize the 9028 DAC card. I know it's not the USB-C to lightning cable because when I plug in my iPhone into my MacBook Pro, they communicate.

Has anyone else had this problem? I would like to keep the DAC card, but if it doesn't play with my iPhone, I will have to return it. Thank you.

 

[ClieOS]

I am guessing here, but you probably need a Lightning OTG adapter (a.k.a. camera adapter). Typical Lightning-to-TypeC cable doesn't support OTG function which will be needed for USB DAC function to work on an iPhone.

 

[BS5711]

My brief experience with internal Schiit DACs cards is that they are not powered from the amps power supply so they draw a reasonable bit of power from the connected device.

Lightning equipped iPhones are notorious for not having sufficient power available at the lightning port for anything other than somewhat low draw devices resulting in exactly this type of problem. My iPhone X would not power the internal DAC in an Asgard 3 but a USB-C equipped iPad mini or an Android DAP had no problem.

I don't use my phone for audio stuff much, just when messing about for a short time and it is convenient, but I am glad to now have USB-C on my iPhone 15.

 

[Peter Ong]

My brief experience with internal Schiit DACs cards is that they are not powered from the amps power supply so they draw a reasonable bit of power from the connected device.

Lightning equipped iPhones are notorious for not having sufficient power available at the lightning port for anything other than somewhat low draw devices resulting in exactly this type of problem. My iPhone X would not power the internal DAC in an Asgard 3 but a USB-C equipped iPad mini or an Android DAP had no problem.

I don't use my phone for audio stuff much, just when messing about for a short time and it is convenient, but I am glad to now have USB-C on my iPhone 15.

Previously, I had the AKM Delta Sigma DAC card (it came with the Jotunheim v1). I switched to the multibit DAC card for a few years also. I want to switch back to the Delta Sigma DAC, but I can no longer find it. I learned that Schiit sells a newer version of the Delta Sigma DAC now so I bought it thinking that it would function the same way as my previous DACs, they work when plugged into my iPhone.

While I would prefer to play music through MacBook Pro, as you may already know, all music no matter the resolution all of it is resampled to 44.1kHz or 48kHz at 24-bit. I pay for Apple Music and my iPhone is the only one that automatically switches the sample rate of the DAC to match the song. The multibit DAC sounds nice, but that caps out at 48kHz also.

To summarize, the AKM Delta Sigma DAC card and the Multibit DAC card played music fine from my iPhone. The 9028 DAC card which now has a USB-C input is not recognized by my iPhone.

 

[BS5711]

Previously, I had the AKM Delta Sigma DAC card (it came with the Jotunheim v1). I switched to the multibit DAC card for a few years also. I want to switch back to the Delta Sigma DAC, but I can no longer find it. I learned that Schiit sells a newer version of the Delta Sigma DAC now so I bought it thinking that it would function the same way as my previous DACs, they work when plugged into my iPhone.

While I would prefer to play music through MacBook Pro, as you may already know, all music no matter the resolution all of it is resampled to 44.1kHz or 48kHz at 24-bit. I pay for Apple Music and my iPhone is the only one that automatically switches the sample rate of the DAC to match the song. The multibit DAC sounds nice, but that caps out at 48kHz also.

To summarize, the AKM Delta Sigma DAC card and the Multibit DAC card played music fine from my iPhone. The 9028 DAC card which now has a USB-C input is not recognized by my iPhone.

OK, not sure what is going on there, it might be a different power requirement issue or something else.

If you use Apple Music and have a Mac Book Pro download “Lossless Switcher” app which will change the sample rate and bit depth for you.

The only downside is there is a slight glitch when it changes from one frequency/bit depth to another but that isn’t a problem unless you have playlists that are all over the place.

 

[Peter Ong]

OK, not sure what is going on there, it might be a different power requirement issue or something else.

Me neither. I've put it back in the box already to be returned.

If you use Apple Music and have a Mac Book Pro download “Lossless Switcher” app which will change the sample rate and bit depth for you.

Ha! It works! Maybe the DAC won't be returned after all.

The only downside is there is a slight glitch when it changes from one frequency/bit depth to another but that isn’t a problem unless you have playlists that are all over the place.

I can live with the glitches and clicks, I think. Streaming Apple Music is a mixed bag -- most of the songs are 24-bit/48kHz and then some are 192kHz others 96kHz etc.

I was just recharging an old iPad (also lightning) to see whether the DAC would work with it, but I be able to find out until tomorrow.

Thank you! That Lossless Switcher suggestion will work. Side rant, though... why hasn't Apple made the Mac capable of automatic sample rate switching yet?

 

[BS5711]

Me neither. I've put it back in the box already to be returned.

Ha! It works! Maybe the DAC won't be returned after all.

I can live with the glitches and clicks, I think. Streaming Apple Music is a mixed bag -- most of the songs are 24-bit/48kHz and then some are 192kHz others 96kHz etc.

I was just recharging an old iPad (also lightning) to see whether the DAC would work with it, but I be able to find out until tomorrow.

Thank you! That Lossless Switcher suggestion will work. Side rant, though... why hasn't Apple made the Mac capable of automatic sample rate switching yet?

Good that you got it working.

Yeah, no idea when Apple would implement the switch on iPhone and iPad but not Mac, makes no sense at all.

 

[Peter Ong]

I was just recharging an old iPad (also lightning) to see whether the DAC would work with it, but I be able to find out until tomorrow.

The iPad does not recognize the Schiit 9028 DAC card.

I wish I hadn't lost the original DAC card. That worked well.

 

[XERO1]

The only DAC card I've tried is the 9028 DAC card and I had the same problem with my Lightning iPhone and iPad. The 9028 DAC card appears to be 100% powered by the connected device, but even with an Apple Lighning-to-USB 3 adpater and a powered hub, the iPhone and iPad still wouldn't connect with it.

What's interesting is that you say your iPhone worked fine with the Multibit DAC card, so it looks like the Multibit DAC card is probably either partially or fully powered by the amp.

Why Jason chose not to have the amp power the 9028 DAC card is anyones guess.