The MAX9820 Windows Vista?-compliant stereo headphone amplifier is designed for portable equipment where board space is at a premium. It features Maxim's patented DirectDrive? architecture to produce a ground-referenced output from a single supply, eliminating the large output-coupling capacitors required by conventional single-supply headphone amplifiers.

The MAX9820 features an undervoltage lockout that prevents over discharging of the battery during brownout conditions, click-and-pop suppression that eliminates audible transients on startup, a low-power shutdown mode, and thermal-overload and short-circuit protection. Additionally, the MAX9820 suppresses RF radiation received by input and supply traces acting as antennas and prevents the amplifier from demodulating the coupled noise.

The MAX9820 is available in a 10-pin TDFN package (3mm x 3mm x 0.8mm) and specified over the -40°C to +85°C extended temperature range.