DVD-Audio Wishful Thinking? By Jon Iverson April 30, 2000 — In hopes of stoking the multichannel DVD-Audio engine, Burr-Brown announced last week the PCM1604 audio digital-to-analog converter, which they describe as a high-performance, 6-channel audio DAC featuring 24-bit capability and 192kHz sampling, for use in a "wide variety of multichannel audio applications."

The company says that the PCM1604 contains six 24-bit/192kHz DACs combined on a single monolithic integrated circuit and sporting a 105dB dynamic range and –95dB THD+N on each of its six channels. According to Burr-Brown, the internal digital filter operates at 8x oversampling (96kHz sampling rate) or 4x oversampling (192kHz sampling rate), with two selectable rolloff performances: sharp and slow. B-B claims that the digital filter also offers –82dB stopband attenuation and ±0.002dB passband ripple.

Burr-Brown says that the device accepts most industry-standard audio data formats (16/18/20/24-bit audio data), can process up to 24 bits internally, and has single-ended analog outputs. And for use with the "just around the corner" DVD-Audio format, Burr-Brown says that the new DAC will also be targeted for A/V and HDTV receivers, car audio systems, multichannel home-theater systems, surround-sound processors, and digital mixing consoles.

Burr-Brown's Mike Centorino comments that "the exceptional price/performance of the PCM1604 is ideal for next-generation multichannel systems that utilize the emerging 192kHz DVD-Audio standard."