[jebagu]

This post is just to tell folks a little about the CS4398 DAC.  I used to work at an audio chip maker called Cirrus Logic.  I picked up one of their engineering boards for their flagship DAC, the CS4398.  Usually anyone can purchase evaluation boards for any chip.  They're cool because you can fiddle with the DAC settings like different sampling modes.  This board happens to be available at Digikey for ~$450, but you'll also have to buy a power supply for it.  I have mainly used it between my mid-grade Sony CD changer and my Beta 22 headphone amplifier.  The CS4398 DAC AFAIK is mainly used in high-end home theater and hifi, such as the Marantz CD6003.  
 
Photos:
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/qz0lvlodl6eihmx/6O50teRomr
 
I brought the DAC to the most recent NorCal HeadFi meetup.  Unfortunately I ended up getting so carried away listening to the new Cavalli Audio amps and Questyle amp that I didn't have time to demo the CS4398 for anyone there.  Maybe next meetup we can do a proper comparison test.    Or, if anyone is in the SF Bay area and would like to listen to or borrow the DAC, just let me know.
 
Someone wrote up a good comparison of the DAC here on HeadFi:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/213448/cs4398-vs-ad1852-dac-comparison

 

[wkkm007]

 




http://www.vivoglobal.com/product/xshot


 


Extreme Hi-Fi

Carrying an exclusive Hi-Fi DAC chip CS4398, the Xshot presents a comfortable and detailed sound in high quality and fidelity, with the help of a Headphone Amplifier chip MX97220 and an ADC chip TLV320.


 


http://www.astellnkern.com/eng/htm/ak100/ak100_2_feature01.asp


 


The AK100 2nd Generation provides a rich, warm sound experience through the re-tuned A-amp designed specifically for the CS4398 Single DAC.


 


 

DAC

CS4398​

A-amp​

 

[CharlesC]

   I used to work at an audio chip maker called Cirrus Logic......

 
Do you have any thoughts on the CS4392, the chip in my CD player?  It sounds good enough to me that I question whether I'd get much improvement using a lower cost external DAC (such as the optical Schiit Modi).  Thanks.

 

[Whitigir]

oh my Ghosh....I wish if Vivo Xshot could have been with Tmobile US unlocked.  I would jump on it but now I am still stuck with my Z3

 

[PleasantSounds]

  [..]  The CS4398 DAC AFAIK is mainly used in high-end home theater and hifi, such as the Marantz CD6003.  
 

 
It can be found also in professional sound studio equipment, i.e. Lynx Hilo.

 

[TominJapan]

Andit is also inside my beloved TEAC PD-501 CD player that plays DSD natively (yes it does....) and yes I have a PS3 to extract the dsf files from SACD and yes it is amazing and to my ears better than 24/96 PCM.............!!!!!!! and costs you around 600 bucks only. Just wanted to share that  

 

[KC33]

That's the model that's used for the 2nd gen Fiio X3. Looks like Fiio continues to step up their game.

 

[JLiRD808]

   
Do you have any thoughts on the CS4392, the chip in my CD player?  It sounds good enough to me that I question whether I'd get much improvement using a lower cost external DAC (such as the optical Schiit Modi).  Thanks.

 
The CS4398 appears to be in the EMU 1212m PCIe interface also
 
http://www.creative.com/emu/products/product.aspx?pid=19169
 
Also wondering how this DAC compare to what's in the Schiit Modi and other similarly priced DAC's...

 

[AugustusZab]

Edit.

 

[gareneau]

This chip can be found in the old Oppo BDP-83 players, as well. Wondering if modding the analog output stage on mine is worth doing -

 

[Rooster81]

Doesn't the ibasso D1 also use this chip?

 

[dragosgalben]

Asus Xonar U7 also uses it. 
Fabulous little thing and very inexpensive, as long as you are content with less than 150 OHM.

 

[Budgie]

Also used in the Focusrite VRM.

 

[taffy2207]

Colorfly C10 uses this as well.

 

[imackler]

Has anyone been able to compare the X3ii's line out with the line outs from other dacs which have the same dac chip implemented?