Key drivers behind the boost in demand for Cirâthe customâboosted amplifiers
According to the information released by Cirrus Logic (CRUS) in its fiscalâ2026 firstâquarter shareholder letter, the strongest driver of the companyâs ârobust demandâ for its customâboostedâamplifier product line is the rapidly growing need for highâperformance audio solutions in todayâs smartphone marketâparticularly as those devices begin shipping the companyâs first 22ânanometer âsmartâcodecââbased audio chips.
In more detail:
| Driver | Why it matters for the customâboostedâamp business |
|---|---|
| Smartâphone demand for premium audio | Consumers are increasingly expecting highâfidelity, highâpower sound in their phones (e.g., louder, clearer, more immersive music, gaming, and videoâcall experiences). That pushes OEMs to specify custom audioâamplifier solutions that can deliver the required output power and efficiency. |
| Launch of the 22ânm smartâcodec | The same quarter marked the first shipments of Cirrusâs 22ânanometer smartâcodec in smartphones. The codecâs highâperformance processing capabilities create a clear need for a matching âboostedâ powerâamplifier stage that can drive the codecâs output to the loudspeaker or headphone with the required headâroom, linearity, and powerâefficiency. This complementary product relationship fuels a âdualâproductâ demand cycle. |
| OEM integration & differentiation | Mobile OEMs are seeking differentiated, integrated audio âsystemâinâpackageâ (SiP) solutions that combine the codec and a customâboosted amplifier to reduce boardâlevel complexity and improve overall acoustic performance. The customâboosted amp offers the flexibility OEMs want for custom tuning, while the new 22ânm codec provides the nextâgeneration digitalâtoâanalog processing. |
| Efficiency and powerâbudget constraints | Modern smartphones are powerâconstrained, yet they must deliver high sound pressure levels (SPL) and low distortion. The customâboostedâamplifier architecture is designed to meet these efficiency demands, making it attractive for manufacturers that need to preserve battery life while still providing premium audio. |
| Market momentum & âfirstâtoâmarketâ advantage | By being among the first suppliers to combine a 22ânm smart codec with a customâboosted amplifier, Cirrus is positioned to capture earlyâadopter OEMs who want to differentiate their products. The earlyâship shipments of the codec therefore âpullâ the customâboostedâamplifier demand along with them. |
Bottom line
The surge in demand for Cirrus Logicâs customâboosted amplifiers is chiefly driven by the growing consumer expectations for premium, highâoutput audio in smartphones, which are being met by the new 22ânanometer smart codec shipments. Together, they create a synergistic demandâpull: smartphones need the powerâamplifier to complement the highâperformance codec, while OEMs look for integrated, efficient solutions to meet the marketâs performance and powerâefficiency constraints. This combination is the primary catalyst for the ârobust demandâ highlighted in the companyâs earnings release.