XMOS USB audio chip
XMOS is a UK semiconductor company whose USB audio interface chips (XU208, XU216, XU316) are used inside most modern hi-res USB DACs. Handles the USB-to-I2S conversion; the actual DAC chip does the analog conversion.
XMOS is a UK-based semiconductor company. Their USB audio interface chips (multi-core “xCORE” processors) handle the USB-to-I2S digital audio pipeline inside virtually every modern hi-res USB DAC on the market.
Signal chain in a typical USB DAC
- Computer USB output
- XMOS chip – handles USB Audio Class 2 protocol, clock recovery, jitter reduction
- I2S bus to the actual DAC chip (ES9038Q2M, AK4493SEQ, etc.)
- Analog output stage
Why it matters
XMOS chips are why modern USB DACs “just work” driver-free on modern OS. Different XMOS generations (XU208 vs XU216 vs XU316) support different max rates and channel counts.
Where you’ll find it
Nearly every DAC in our catalog – AIYIMA A80, FiiO K11, Fosi Audio S3. XMOS is behind the scenes but universal.
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