The CS43198 is a Cirrus Logic 32-bit DAC with pseudodifferential outputs, rated at 130 dB dynamic range and -115 dB THD+N in its datasheet. It shares the digital core of the CS43131 but leaves out the integrated headphone driver, which is why it turns up in devices that add their own output stage, such as the dual-CS43198 FiiO KA15. A May 2025 comparative review at Audio Science Review measured eleven devices on these two chips and found seven producing a level-dependent distortion artefact the author labeled the "Cirrus hump"; the CS43198 side of that test included both affected and clean units.
Figures on this page were checked October 2026. Every table row carries its source and access date, and every measurement claim stays attributed to the review that made it.
What the CS43198 is
The datasheet headline reads "130-dB, 32-Bit High-Performance DAC with Pseudodifferential Outputs". The digital side matches the CS43131 point for point: 32-bit resolution, sample rates to 384 kHz, I2S, right-justified, left-justified, TDM and DSD-over-PCM input, five selectable filter responses with a low-latency mode, and a DSD path at up to 256Fs with a dedicated DoP interface. The difference sits at the output: this part provides a 2 V rms pseudodifferential stereo analog output and leaves the headphone-driving job to the circuit around it. Control is I2C, and the packages are the same two options, a 40-pin 5mm x 5mm QFN or a 42-ball CSP.
Key specifications
| Field | Value | Source / as of |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic range | 130 dB, A-weighted | CS43198 datasheet DS1156F2, 2026-10-13 |
| THD+N | -115 dB | CS43198 datasheet DS1156F2, 2026-10-13 |
| Interchannel isolation | 110 dB | CS43198 datasheet DS1156F2, 2026-10-13 |
| Analog output | Up to 2 V rms, pseudodifferential stereo | CS43198 datasheet DS1156F2, 2026-10-13 |
| Resolution and sampling | 32-bit; up to 384 kHz | CS43198 datasheet DS1156F2, 2026-10-13 |
| DSD path | Up to 256Fs, with DoP interface | CS43198 datasheet DS1156F2, 2026-10-13 |
| Digital filters | Five selectable responses; low-latency mode; 110 dB stopband attenuation | CS43198 datasheet DS1156F2, 2026-10-13 |
| Headphone detection | Plug-in detection; Popguard pop-noise suppression | CS43198 datasheet DS1156F2, 2026-10-13 |
| Control | I2C, up to 1 MHz | CS43198 datasheet DS1156F2, 2026-10-13 |
| Packages | 40-pin 5mm x 5mm QFN or 42-ball CSP | CS43198 datasheet DS1156F2, 2026-10-13 |
CS43198 vs CS43131
| Aspect | CS43198 | CS43131 | Source / as of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headline outputs | Pseudodifferential outputs, up to 2 V rms stereo | Integrated ground-centered stereo headphone outputs, up to 2 V rms | DS1156F2 and DS1155F2 headlines, 2026-10-13 |
| Impedance measurement | Not in the feature list | Headphone DC and AC impedance measurement | Both datasheets, 2026-10-13 |
| Headphone power rows | None | 30 mW per channel into 32 ohm; 5 mW into 600 ohm | Both datasheets, 2026-10-13 |
| Plug-in detection | Yes | Yes | Both datasheets, 2026-10-13 |
| Digital core | Identical rows: 32-bit, 384 kHz, DSD to 256Fs with DoP, five filters, I2C | Both datasheets, 2026-10-13 | |
| Block-diagram reading | "the CS43131 integrates a stereo headphone amplifier whereas the CS43198 does not" (per the 2025 review) | ASR review, 2025-05-21 | |
| Packages | Same options: 40-pin 5mm x 5mm QFN or 42-ball CSP | Both datasheets, 2026-10-13 | |
Where you find it
| Device | CS43198 setup as reported | Result in the 2025 review | Source / as of |
|---|---|---|---|
| FiiO KA15 | Dual CS43198 plus dual SGM8262 op-amps, per the product page ("flagship" is the FiiO wording) | Named affected | fiio.com product page, 2026-10-13; result per ASR review, 2025-05-21 |
| HiBy FC5 | Dual CS43198 with dual SGM8261-5 op-amps, Airoha AB1565 Bluetooth side | Named affected | ASR review, 2025-05-21 |
| JCALLY JM28 | Single CS43198 | Named clean | ASR review, 2025-05-21 |
| TTGK TT39518F01-Pro module | Dual CS43198; the review confirmed the chip letter markings | Named affected | ASR review, 2025-05-21 |
The KA15 row is the only one sourced to a manufacturer page; the other three setups come from the review's teardown notes. The review also observed that its JM28 unit and a CS43131-based JM20 measured identically, and likewise for a two-unit pairing on the module side, which is its data point for reading the same silicon under different badges.
The "Cirrus hump" measurements
The May 2025 comparative review by jkim at Audio Science Review covers this chip and the CS43131 together: eleven devices, seven showing the artefact. On the CS43198 side, the FiiO KA15, HiBy FC5 and TTGK module landed in the affected group and the JCally JM28 measured clean. The full mechanism discussion, the DRE connection, the Class H exclusion and the author's conclusions live on the CS43131 page, which shares the same source; the short version here is the author's own framing: implementation and firmware decide whether the hump appears, and the chip name alone predicts nothing.
Pseudodifferential outputs, in datasheet terms
The CS43198's output row describes "up to 2-V rms pseudodifferential stereo analog output" where the CS43131 describes a ground-centered stereo output. In practical terms the pseudodifferential arrangement carries the output signal differentially into the following stage, which is one reason devices built on this chip pair it with their own amplifier or op-amp stages, like the SGM8262 pair FiiO documents for the KA15. The electrical details belong to the datasheet; the point for a spec-sheet reader is that this chip expects external output circuitry in a way its headphone-driver sibling does not.
FAQ
A 32-bit audio DAC from Cirrus Logic, introduced in fall 2017 per the comparative review below. Its datasheet headline is "130-dB, 32-Bit High-Performance DAC with Pseudodifferential Outputs", and the ratings are 130 dB dynamic range (A-weighted), -115 dB THD+N and up to 2 V rms pseudodifferential stereo output.
The digital core matches: same 32-bit resolution, 384 kHz ceiling, DSD path and filter set. The analog side differs. The CS43131 integrates a ground-centered stereo headphone driver with impedance detection; the CS43198 provides pseudodifferential outputs instead, and its datasheet drops the headphone power and impedance rows. The review below makes the same observation from the product-page block diagrams: the CS43131 integrates a stereo headphone amplifier, the CS43198 does not.
FiiO documents the KA15 with dual CS43198 DACs plus dual SGM8262 op-amps. The Audio Science Review comparative review adds the HiBy FC5, the JCally JM28 and a TTGK module, with the configurations as reported there, and confirms the two chips on that module carry CS43198 letter markings.
In that review, three of the four CS43198-based devices showed the artefact and one measured clean, so the chip alone does not decide the outcome. The author attributes the pattern to implementation and firmware design, and his stated view is that any device on either chip should be suspected of potentially producing it until measured. Read the hump section for the details in his own framing.
blafili B3 Bluetooth Receiver
A different route for the same job: the B3 pairs the QCC5125 Bluetooth chip with an ESS ES9018K2M DAC, and outputs over XLR, RCA, optical and coaxial with an OLED front panel.
- Cirrus Logic, CS43198 product page: datasheet listing "CS43198 Product Data Sheet, DS1156F2 (PDF), Dec 16, 2022". cirrus.com/products/cs43198/, accessed 2026-10-13
- Cirrus Logic, CS43198 datasheet DS1156F2 (137 pages, copyright 2015-2022): headline "130-dB, 32-Bit High-Performance DAC with Pseudodifferential Outputs"; features "130-dB dynamic range (A-weighted)", "-115-dB total harmonic distortion + noise (THD+N)", "110-dB interchannel isolation", "Up to 2-V rms pseudodifferential stereo analog output", "Headphone plug-in detection", "Popguard technology eliminates pop noise", 32-bit resolution, "Up to 384-kHz sampling rate", DSD "Up to 256Fs", I2S/right-justified/left-justified/TDM/DoP serial audio input, "40-pin 5mm x 5mm QFN or 42-ball CSP package options"; no headphone driver, impedance measurement or headphone power rows appear in the feature list. statics.cirrus.com/pubs/proDatasheet/CS43198_DS1156F2.pdf, accessed 2026-10-13
- FiiO, KA15 product page: spec bullet "Dual CS43198 + dual op-amps"; body sentence "The golden combination of a high-performance USB chip, dual CS43198 flagship DACs + dual high-performance SGM8262 op-amps" (flagship is the FiiO page wording, quoted as such). fiio.com/ka15, accessed 2026-10-13
- Audio Science Review forum, thread "On the Distortion of Cirrus Logic CS431xx-Based Devices: A Comparative Review" by jkim, May 21 2025: TL;DR "Eleven DAC/HP amp combo devices adopting either the Cirrus Logic CS43131 or CS43198 were tested, and seven of them were found produce [sic] the distortion dubbed a 'Cirrus hump.'"; device list "FiiO KA15 - SPV5048-Pro, dual CS43198, dual SGM8262-2", "HiBy FC5 (w/ display) - Airoha AB1565, dual CS43198, dual SGM8261-5", "JCally JM28 - SA9312, single CS43198", "TTGK TT39518F01-Pro module - CB5100-Pro, dual CS43198"; chip identity note "It was confirmed that the two DAC chips on the TT39518F01-Pro module have letter markings CS43198"; block-diagram observation "the CS43131 integrates a stereo headphone amplifier whereas the CS43198 does not". audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/on-the-distortion-of-cirrus-logic-cs431xx-based-devices-a-comparative-review.63038/, accessed 2026-10-13