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SMSL DO100 Review (Stereo DAC)

Rate this DAC:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 4 1.1%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 7 1.9%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther

    Votes: 33 9.1%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 317 87.8%

  • Total voters
    361

staticV3

Master Contributor
This may sound like I'm asking the obvious, but since i never use XLR before, i read the DO100 XLR output is 4v and Buckeye medium gain is 4v on 8 ohm

so i should set the Buckeye amp gain to medium. am i right?

thanks
With Amplifiers, always use the lowest gain that still gives you satisfying volume.

No matter if RCA or XLR, 2V or 4V, 4Ω or 8Ω.
 

staticV3

Master Contributor
actually it is written on a piece of paper that Dylan send with the amp
high is 2Vrms
mid is 4Vrms
low is 6 or 7Vrms something if i remember correctly
That's the input sensitivity, which means the input voltage required to reach rated output.

Still, if you already own a DAC and Amp, you can safely dismiss all of that.
Use the lowest gain that still gives you satisfying volume.

It is really that simple.
 

sejarzo

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
actually it is written on a piece of paper that Dylan send with the amp
high is 2Vrms
mid is 4Vrms
low is 6 or 7Vrms something if i remember correctly

Which model?

I took a look at the website and see for the Hypex NCx500 2-Channel that he lists an input voltage along with the gain in dB. I get why he does that, it makes it easier to see the input voltage required to reach maximum output voltage for either 4 or 8 ohm loads.
 

Riceboy

Member
That's the input sensitivity, which means the input voltage required to reach rated output.

Still, if you already own a DAC and Amp, you can safely dismiss all of that.
Use the lowest gain that still gives you satisfying volume.

It is really that simple.
Thank you very much, so i should set it to low right?
Which model?

I took a look at the website and see for the Hypex NCx500 2-Channel that he lists an input voltage along with the gain in dB. I get why he does that, it makes it easier to see the input voltage required to reach maximum output voltage for either 4 or 8 ohm loads.
the 3ch purifi
 

sejarzo

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
the 3ch purifi

The spec on the page for that amp at 8 ohms is:

  • 8 ohm - 25.5dB/2.3Vrms (High), 20.5dB/4.0Vrms (Medium), 15.5dB/7.1Vrms (Low)

A gain of 15.5 dB applied to a 4Vrms input into a nominal 8 ohm load is 72 Wrms or 100 W peak power, ample for most situations.
 

Pulkass

Active Member
With Amplifiers, always use the lowest gain that still gives you satisfying volume.

No matter if RCA or XLR, 2V or 4V, 4Ω or 8Ω.
MIne goes into the Topping pre 90-via xlr--pre amp---then signAl goes to electronic x over then to 4 amps--all xlr cables-no overdriving saturation---excellent dac. Breath taking-
 

eddy555

Member
can someone measure their own do100 and compare its impulse response with the filter set to 6 (linear phase)
i wonder why mine has a weirdly shaped impulse, like it has bigger pre ringing than post ringing to it making it somewhat not symmetric, other dacs i have do not exhibit this behavior in linear phase mode...
 

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staticV3

Master Contributor
can someone measure their own do100 and compare its impulse response with the filter set to 6 (linear phase)
i wonder why mine has a weirdly shaped impulse, like it has bigger pre ringing than post ringing to it making it somewhat not symmetric, other dacs i have do not exhibit this behavior in linear phase mode...
That doesn't match any of the 9038Q2M's default Nyquist filters:
Screenshot_20240511-065050_Drive.png

Very strange.
 

Bleib

Major Contributor
Yes. I leave volume at maximum. It s Just out the DO100 Pro btw. Better performance (?)
Note that the pro has a higher output voltage at max volume
 

PyramidElectric

Active Member
can someone measure their own do100 and compare its impulse response with the filter set to 6 (linear phase)
i wonder why mine has a weirdly shaped impulse, like it has bigger pre ringing than post ringing to it making it somewhat not symmetric, other dacs i have do not exhibit this behavior in linear phase mode...
I have no way of measuring mine, but @Archimago measured his here: http://archimago.blogspot.com/2022/06/review-smsl-do100-dac-dual-ess.html and it looks pretty normal to me....
 
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