DAC filter preserves sound

Cirrus Logic Inc.'s six-channel, single-chip digital-to-analog converter (DAC) touts high audio quality for entry-level multichannel audio systems and surround-sound applications.

Applications include audio/video receivers, home theater systems, DVD receivers, PC soundcards and external audio interfaces, as well as automotive applications such as DSP-based amplifiers and various in-car entertainment systems.

The advanced, multibit, delta sigma architecture is the key to the CS4361's audio quality features, which include 105dB dynamic range, negligible distortion and jitter sensitivity, said Jason Rhode, VP of Cirrus Logic's Mixed-Signal Audio Products Division.

Low-latency digital filtering further preserves the original audio quality and experience and is suitable for real-time and live-sound applications, Rhode said.

Additional features such as automatic sample-rate detection and on-chip level translators serve to minimize the need for external components. Also, Cirrus Logic's Popguard technology helps to eliminate the clicks and pops that are often associated with power cycling, Rhode said.

The CS4361, currently in volume production, is available in a 20-pin TSSOP and is priced at $2.70 in 10,000-piece quantities.

- Bettyann Liotta