Review and Measurements of SMSL Sanskrit 10th DAC

[Sangram]

Curious how is it better that the dx3, how are you using it? TIA

Hi

I posted a reply here (post #81):

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ts-of-smsl-sanskrit-10th-dac.5702/post-127669



I have the two in two different setups, the DX3 is connected to a Class A power amplifier with a pair of Usher Mini-dancer speakers in the bedroom, whereas the SK10 is hooked up to a simpler Class AB chip amplifier powering Usher S520 speakers. These are a whole-house, ambient sound setup for casual use. The -40dB lower limit of the SK10's volume control renders it unusable in the bedroom because I might need -45 to -50dB for sleep time (I have tinnitus and need a bit of sound at night).

The DX3 was meant to replace a Benchmark DAC2 which I am moving to a recording/mastering setup, the SK10 was puirchased on a whim.

Hope that answers your question!

 

[amirm]

What external power supply did you use for this test?

I have been using the little cellphone one that came with Schiit Modi 3.

And would this be a more universal improvement for other USB DACs? Or is this more specific to this DAC due to its design? Thanks.

Only with this DAC. Other DACs produce the same high performance without the external power.

 

[amirm]

The DX3 pro's muting circuits incessantly click depending on what is selected and what you're doing. The unit can be set to fixed gain mode with one button on the remote - which can result in serious injury or equipment damage, maybe both.

The firmware released today with DX3 Pro seems to have remedied the excessive relay clicking. As to your other comment, I have done that by accident with many products with hugely powerful amplifiers (as much as 1000 or more watts). It is hugely loud and scary but nothing close to causing injury. Many amplifiers will shut down anyway.

Just recently I did that with a headphone amp where I had the volume at max looking for noise and then hit play. I pulled the headphones off in a second or two and while that was startling, it had no lasting effect and certainly no injury.

 

[rebbiputzmaker]

Hi

I posted a reply here (post #81):

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ts-of-smsl-sanskrit-10th-dac.5702/post-127669



I have the two in two different setups, the DX3 is connected to a Class A power amplifier with a pair of Usher Mini-dancer speakers in the bedroom, whereas the SK10 is hooked up to a simpler Class AB chip amplifier powering Usher S520 speakers. These are a whole-house, ambient sound setup for casual use. The -40dB lower limit of the SK10's volume control renders it unusable in the bedroom because I might need -45 to -50dB for sleep time (I have tinnitus and need a bit of sound at night).

The DX3 was meant to replace a Benchmark DAC2 which I am moving to a recording/mastering setup, the SK10 was puirchased on a whim.

Hope that answers your question!

Thank you

 

[Patrykowski]

Only if you are the reader of ASR Forum and know to add the external power supply.

What exactly was the power supply that eliminated the noises? What parameters. Can it be a 5v and 2A phone charger?

 

[Patrykowski]

Dear amir,our engineer think maybe that is the power is not engough to the usb,the power consumption of USB input is biger than the S/PDIF. Can you change a PC power supply for testing?Thank you very much.If have any question can contact me.I'll do my best to help to find out the problem.

What operational amplifiers were used in Sanskrit 10?

 

[GGroch]

What exactly was the power supply that eliminated the noises? What parameters. Can it be a 5v and 2A phone charger?

Amir said he used the standard Modi 3 power supply...a normal switching power supply that is 5V 1A pictured here.

So, a standard 5v 2a USB charger should be fine. The manual warns against using "Quick Charge" type chargers that vary their voltage depending on the device. so a cheap 5v 1a or higher should do it. The noise seems to have been not from the charger, but from the lack of voltage.

 

[Patrykowski]

Amir said he used the standard Modi 3 power supply...a normal switching power supply that is 5V 1A pictured here.

So, a standard 5v 2a USB charger should be fine. The manual warns against using "Quick Charge" type chargers that vary their voltage depending on the device. so a cheap 5v 1a or higher should do it. The noise seems to have been not from the charger, but from the lack of voltage.

Will this be ok? It has 5.2V. Can it be dangerous?

 

[GGroch]

Will this be ok? It has 5.2V. Can it be dangerous?

That should be fine and not be dangerous. While I am not familiar with your specific adapter, 5.2V is within the normal range of what 5V adapters do. The higher amperage will not hurt anything.

"Quick Charge" type chargers will hit 9V and 12V some of the time. (Although they are not supposed to damage things).

 

[Patrykowski]

That should be fine and not be dangerous. While I am not familiar with your specific adapter, 5.2V is within the normal range of what 5V adapters do. The higher amperage will not hurt anything.

"Quick Charge" type chargers will hit 9V and 12V some of the time. (Although they are not supposed to damage things).

Thank you very much for your answer. What will be the sound quality / noise when connecting both USB sockets to the USB inputs on the laptop?

 

[GGroch]

What will be the sound quality / noise when connecting both USB sockets to the USB inputs on the laptop?

No one here has said they tried that. I think it is safer, and more likely to be successful, for you to use your 5.2V adapter on the Aux input, and your source/computer on the other one.

SMSL's representative has provided good advice already on this thread. If you have more specific questions on your setup, why not PM her? SMSL will have more knowledge on this than most of us will.

 

[Patrykowski]

No one here has said they tried that. I think it is safer, and more likely to be successful, for you to use your 5.2V adapter on the Aux input, and your source/computer on the other one.

SMSL's representative has provided good advice already on this thread. If you have more specific questions on your setup, why not PM her? SMSL will have more knowledge on this than most of us will.

Thank you very much

 

[bravomail]

and it came on massdrop again

 

[NDRQ]

At first I was going to say No due to incompatibility of Schiit Modi 3 USB implementation and Windows/ASIO4ALL. To my pleasant surprise, it seems that Microsoft has fixed this issue now and the Modi 3 runs fine with ASIO4ALL! So re-ran the tests for Modi which improved its IMD results substantially.

Here is how the two compare now, both using the Schiit Modi 3 external power supply (although Modi 3 doesn't seem to need it with USB):
View attachment 18904

They are neck and neck until the levels get high enough for the output stage of the Modi 3 saturates and distortion starts to rise. One channel in SMSL Sanskrit 10th has a bit more noise but both outperform Schiit Modi 3 still.

The tables turn when we look at linearity:

View attachment 18905

So Schiit Modi 3 is better at low level detail (objectively) but worse at the peaks.

Oh, you sneaked in the dynamic range. Will run that next.....

Linearity not improved with the external power supply?

 

[SMSL-Mandy]

Linearity not improved with the external power supply?

If connected to the usb from normal computer, no need for the external power supply. Thanks.

 

[GGroch]

If connected to the usb from normal computer, no need for the external power supply. Thanks.

OK Mandy, I will bite.

I understand Amir's test was connecting the USB from a normal computer. Not just USB 2...but USB 3 was tried as well. Why did Amir's test not work?

 

[SMSL-Mandy]

OK Mandy, I will bite.

I understand Amir's test was connecting the USB from a normal computer. Not just USB 2...but USB 3 was tried as well. Why did Amir's test not work?

That usb's fault , normal usb power supply is enough.

 

[amirm]

Linearity not improved with the external power supply?

No because S/PDIF which didn't have power issues also didn't have perfect linearity.

 

[NDRQ]

No because S/PDIF which didn't have power issues also didn't have perfect linearity.

But even if u using the spdif for test, the dac still fueled by the problematic usb power.
Would be nice a new linearity test while using the external psu.

 

[Patrykowski]

I have a problem. The DAC is turned on and connected to the amplifier, but the music is turned off. However, when I give the volume knob to the max, I hear hissing and light impacts in mid-range speakers. It occurs both with USB and external power supply. When connect a CD player or phone directly to the amplifier (not via the DAC), there is silence.
Only DAC causes noise. The same is true when turning on music from DC player, via DAC / spdif. CD player -> the amplifier is quiet.