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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 2.0%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther

    Votes: 32 9.0%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 311 87.9%

  • Total voters
    354

Veri

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On the Windows 11 box I can force it to use a specific bit depth and sample rate i.e. 24/176 by setting the "default format" on the device in Windows but whatever track I play regardless of the track's codec it will just state 176 (or whatever default I use) and when I turn off the DAC it reverts to 44.1 when I turn it back on.
Yeah that's just how most operating system's internal audio will work. It sill sample to the system-set sample rate. If you want it to adapt every time, i.e. different source files, you need a media player that sets the rate accordingly, most easily achieved by having "exclusive" control of the audio device over ASIO or WASAPI on windows for example.
 

staticV3

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Anybody have any ideas why I can only get a sample rate of 44.1 out when using USB 2.0 as input?
That's because you're using the Wasapi shared or Direct Sound API, which will resample everything to the sample rate selected in the Sound Control Panel.

How do I get it auto detect the sample rate of the track and just play at that sample rate?
Use the Wasapi Exclusive or ASIO API instead. Foobar2000 can do both after installing the respective plugins.
 

geoffhop

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Yeah that's just how most operating system's internal audio will work. It sill sample to the system-set sample rate. If you want it to adapt every time, i.e. different source files, you need a media player that sets the rate accordingly, most easily achieved by having "exclusive" control of the audio device over ASIO or WASAPI on windows for example.
Thanks Veri that makes sense. So using the RPi 4 as an example are you aware if media software such as Volumio etc. is able to achieve this control?
 

geoffhop

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That's because you're using the Wasapi shared or Direct Sound API, which will resample everything to the sample rate selected in the Sound Control Panel.


Use the Wasapi Exclusive or ASIO API instead. Foobar2000 can do both after installing the respective plugins.
Thanks for the reply. That makes sense thank you, my end game is to try to use my RPi4 as a media server so although Foobar is not really viable I was thinking along the lines of Volumio or some other variation on that. Do you have any idea if that is achievable via media server software applicable to a RPi? Thanks again. Geoff
 

Graham849

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2 month lurker. Really appreciate all the comments here. For 20 years used Yamaha TSS-1 Dolby Digital / DTS 5.1 Surround Speaker system until (L) front channel died. Somehow found ASR and thanks to great review purchased the DO100 and AO200. Very happy with sound. Stereo sound stage is better than surround I am used to. :) Thanks again! My questions, I am in mid '60's and I cannot really hear any change in different filters. Is that old age? Also not sure if anyone is familiar with Fosi BT30D which I am using to drive subwoofer: is it possible to kill bluetooth on it| as it interferes with connection to DO100 from my phone.
 

staticV3

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My questions, I am in mid '60's and I cannot really hear any change in different filters. Is that old age?
No. I'm in my early twenties with excellent hearing and can't hear a difference either. The different filters are more academic than anything else.
Also not sure if anyone is familiar with Fosi BT30D which I am using to drive subwoofer: is it possible to kill bluetooth on it
You can probably open it up and physically disconnect the power to the BT module, though that's more of an advanced mod. Multimeter strictly required!
 

Graham849

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Thank you, will get a dedicated subwoofer amp. Final (I hope) question is it safe to connect 3.5mm female to 2 RCA Male audio Y cable to unbalanced outputs of D0100 to connect headphones for occasional use?




 

Dunring

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Thank you, will get a dedicated subwoofer amp. Final (I hope) question is it safe to connect 3.5mm female to 2 RCA Male audio Y cable to unbalanced outputs of D0100 to connect headphones for occasional use?
I just got this DAC and have the adapter, so I tried what you're asking with the Drop PC37x headset to test. At 70 volume and the headset volume wheel all the way up now it sounds really good. 90 percent volume and this is getting really loud. Sound quality is really nice too, crystal clear. The Hifiman HE4xx needs more power, but if you have reasonable headphones just go for it. Nice to know if the amp ever goes out I can just plug these in and it sounds terrific.
 

staticV3

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Thank you, will get a dedicated subwoofer amp. Final (I hope) question is it safe to connect 3.5mm female to 2 RCA Male audio Y cable to unbalanced outputs of D0100 to connect headphones for occasional use?
A DAC's line out is not designed for driving headphone loads.
Doing so will put stress on the output and could lead to damage.
I doubt this kind of damage would be covered by SMSL's warranty.
 

Graham849

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I just got this DAC and have the adapter, so I tried what you're asking with the Drop PC37x headset to test. At 70 volume and the headset volume wheel all the way up now it sounds really good. 90 percent volume and this is getting really loud. Sound quality is really nice too, crystal clear. The Hifiman HE4xx needs more power, but if you have reasonable headphones just go for it. Nice to know if the amp ever goes out I can just plug these in and it sounds terrific.
Thank you, I will think about it as per staticV3 comment
 

Graham849

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A DAC's line out is not designed for driving headphone loads.
Doing so will put stress on the output and could lead to damage.
I doubt this kind of damage would be covered by SMSL's warranty.
Thank you and noted.
 

curly747

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These cables do not work and are going back FWIW.

Tried 4 different USB C to C cables, none worked. Finnicky DO100 USB-C for certain. Hate it when that happens. I'll take the tried and trusty USB-B on a DAC over C any day of the week. They always work.
I am not having a problem with USB-C to USB-C cables. I am connecting the DAC to an ipad and also an android phone. I have used the cable that came with the ipad which is probably rated as thunderbolt and that worked. I have used a USB-C to USB-C cable that came with a dell computer monitor and that worked. I have also used a USB-C to USB-C cable i bought from amazon and that worked fine. (it was a UGREEN brand cable but looks similar specs to the one you tried) When i say it worked fine, i can play amazon music unlimited at 192 khz from the android phone and from the ipad. With the phone i have to tick the usb OTG setting for it to work. I have also tried connecting a Dell laptop using USB-C to USB-C and that works although had to instal a driver and seems a bit more tricky than other connections.
 

ghunty

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For the life of me ...Can you believe this . I can not find a good USBA (from computer ) to my DO100 USBC jack . I need it to be 10 foot long and would like it to be a USBA to USBC Audio cable. Why is the so hard to get ? Also I would like to try connecting to my 3.5 amazon Echo Dot to my DO100 ,I can not find a 3.5 mm jack male to toslink cable or a even a small Toslink adapter 3.5 end = to toslink . Or even the same senerio for Coaxial also
Please provide me some link of love ?
Thanx again
Gary
 

juliangst

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For the life of me ...Can you believe this . I can not find a good USBA (from computer ) to my DO100 USBC jack . I need it to be 10 foot long and would like it to be a USBA to USBC Audio cable. Why is the so hard to get ? Also I would like to try connecting to my 3.5 amazon Echo Dot to my DO100 ,I can not find a 3.5 mm jack male to toslink cable or a even a small Toslink adapter 3.5 end = to toslink . Or even the same senerio for Coaxial also
Please provide me some link of love ?
Thanx again
Gary
You need an audio interface for that because the Echo outputs analog. So you essentially convert analog to digital only to convert digital back to analog. Just use the output of your echo directly or connect to the smsl via Bluetooth
 

ghunty

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You need an audio interface for that because the Echo outputs analog. So you essentially convert analog to digital only to convert digital back to analog. Just use the output of your echo directly or connect to the smsl via Bluetooth
I can connect 3.5 from echo but my DAC does not have a 3.5 input so I need connection to DAC to be toslink or coax on the other end of cable . Correct ? Trying to stay away from bluetooth b/c quality degrades somewhat
 

juliangst

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I can connect 3.5 from echo but my DAC does not have a 3.5 input so I need connection to DAC to be toslink or coax on the other end of cable . Correct ? Trying to stay away from bluetooth b/c quality degrades somewhat
You won’t get any better quality from your echo than Bluetooth. The echo ONLY outputs analog 3.5 or Bluetooth (which is digital). A DAC only takes digital inputs such as toslink, usb or Bluetooth.
DACs with analog inputs don’t exist by definition.
The dac inside the echo is probably pretty poor. The best case is to connect over Bluetooth to the SMSL using the Alexa app
 

wacomme

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I've had issues with my DO100. When making REW measurements for EQ I was getting sudden dropouts around 5kHz. So, I was able to replace the dac. Unfortunately, the replacement has the same issues.

With my replacement dac - same R channel cutoff issues - I was able to circumvent the cutoff (turn the dac off and back on for each measurement) and update the EQ. I don't know what to make of the R channel issue. It seems to be type of protective cutoff - though only on the R channel. When doing a second REW measurement without turning the dac off and back on, I get a sudden audible snap in the sound 2/3 of the way through the measurement, resulting in a pronounced frequency drop around 5kHz. Both dacs do this identically. Also, when sending full range pink noise to the R channel via REW, I get about a second of sound and then nothing. Only when I turn off and back on the dac can I repeat that second of sound. The L channel does not have this problem. It plays the pink noise just fine.

What is happening? Should I return and dac and get a different dac altogether? Is this problem really NOT a problem - just a problem (with work-arounds) when measuring frequency output? Do other dacs have the same issue? Is it because I'm measuring one monitor at a time, with no sound coming from the L channel, and therefore the dac shuts down (doesn't turn off, but stops functioning)? It's all so very strange.

My measurements and resulting EQ are solid and sound good - just as long as I restart the dac for every R channel REW measurement. BTW - it's not the monitors; I switched the monitors and had the same R channel problem.

And if I decide to replace my DO100 with something else, what do you suggest (need balanced connections)?
 

Green7

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I've had issues with my DO100. When making REW measurements for EQ I was getting sudden dropouts around 5kHz. So, I was able to replace the dac. Unfortunately, the replacement has the same issues.

With my replacement dac - same R channel cutoff issues - I was able to circumvent the cutoff (turn the dac off and back on for each measurement) and update the EQ. I don't know what to make of the R channel issue. It seems to be type of protective cutoff - though only on the R channel. When doing a second REW measurement without turning the dac off and back on, I get a sudden audible snap in the sound 2/3 of the way through the measurement, resulting in a pronounced frequency drop around 5kHz. Both dacs do this identically. Also, when sending full range pink noise to the R channel via REW, I get about a second of sound and then nothing. Only when I turn off and back on the dac can I repeat that second of sound. The L channel does not have this problem. It plays the pink noise just fine.

What is happening? Should I return and dac and get a different dac altogether? Is this problem really NOT a problem - just a problem (with work-arounds) when measuring frequency output? Do other dacs have the same issue? Is it because I'm measuring one monitor at a time, with no sound coming from the L channel, and therefore the dac shuts down (doesn't turn off, but stops functioning)? It's all so very strange.

My measurements and resulting EQ are solid and sound good - just as long as I restart the dac for every R channel REW measurement. BTW - it's not the monitors; I switched the monitors and had the same R channel problem.

And if I decide to replace my DO100 with something else, what do you suggest (need balanced connections)?
I had purchased a DO100 for one of my setups that needed a balanced output. During the 3 weeks that I had it, the sound was cutting off intermittently; I switched in a Modius from my other system, and did not notice the dropouts. Didn't want to spend too much time troubleshooting - ended up returning the unit back to Amazon. The Modius has been a consistent performer in my setup. I have the older version of the Modius with the AKM 4493 DAC chip. The new version with the ESS DAC chip is out now. I don't believe it has been measured by anyone at ASR yet. You can always try finding a used Modius; they sell pretty fast. I have been looking for one myself.
 

Graham849

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Optical input issue: I had no trouble for the first week using my DO100, however the past week I have had 1-2 second dropouts every so often in the first 20 minutes then the system seems to stabilise. Day 1 I thought it was the file I was playing but different files had same result next day.

Day 3 I tried a new optical cable. Same issue.

Day 4 after some googling I ran the K-lite codec pack from a USB stick which found some problems and fixed them. But the drop outs continue.

Day 5 I used the DAC using USB input from another computer - no issues.

This is a windows 10 computer without internet/ wifi, that has been upgraded vista>windows 7 betas>windows 7>windows 8 betas>windows 8.1> windows 10 so complicated history. The only hardware change has been SSD drive.

Any thoughts?
 

Sokel

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I've had issues with my DO100. When making REW measurements for EQ I was getting sudden dropouts around 5kHz. So, I was able to replace the dac. Unfortunately, the replacement has the same issues.

With my replacement dac - same R channel cutoff issues - I was able to circumvent the cutoff (turn the dac off and back on for each measurement) and update the EQ. I don't know what to make of the R channel issue. It seems to be type of protective cutoff - though only on the R channel. When doing a second REW measurement without turning the dac off and back on, I get a sudden audible snap in the sound 2/3 of the way through the measurement, resulting in a pronounced frequency drop around 5kHz. Both dacs do this identically. Also, when sending full range pink noise to the R channel via REW, I get about a second of sound and then nothing. Only when I turn off and back on the dac can I repeat that second of sound. The L channel does not have this problem. It plays the pink noise just fine.

What is happening? Should I return and dac and get a different dac altogether? Is this problem really NOT a problem - just a problem (with work-arounds) when measuring frequency output? Do other dacs have the same issue? Is it because I'm measuring one monitor at a time, with no sound coming from the L channel, and therefore the dac shuts down (doesn't turn off, but stops functioning)? It's all so very strange.

My measurements and resulting EQ are solid and sound good - just as long as I restart the dac for every R channel REW measurement. BTW - it's not the monitors; I switched the monitors and had the same R channel problem.

And if I decide to replace my DO100 with something else, what do you suggest (need balanced connections)?
There is a thread about this issue in REW (@JohnPM ) forum if I remember well and it's not dac specific.
Some fix this by lowering the output volume as much as 50-75% so the dacs won't clip.
Have a try and tell us.
 
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