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SMSL SU-9 Balanced DAC Review

dareblue

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With DACs that have both balanced and unbalanced outputs, is it safe to assume both sets of outputs are active simultaneously or is it just that most are both active or most aren't?
 

SashaR

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With DACs that have both balanced and unbalanced outputs, is it safe to assume both sets of outputs are active simultaneously or is it just that most are both active or most aren't?
The SU-9 have both XLR and RCA outputs active simultaneously.
 

SashaR

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Please tell me, on which side is it better to PUT SU-9 - on the left or on the right (it has a power supply on the right side)? I'm asking because I've heard that temperature drift degrades the performance of the SU-9 a lot. Put on its side, it heats up less than in the usual (lying) position. But I don’t know what affects the quality of its work more - heating (taking into account the convention of lower-located components) the power supply by the DAC, or heating the DAC if it is located at the top (when the power supply is placed below, as in the picture)?
Thanks in advance for your recommendation!!!

Unfortunately I can't find a link to a photo of the SU-9 after teardown :(

20220610_224644.jpg
 

G-rig

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Please tell me, on which side is it better to PUT SU-9 - on the left or on the right (it has a power supply on the right side)? I'm asking because I've heard that temperature drift degrades the performance of the SU-9 a lot. Put on its side, it heats up less than in the usual (lying) position. But I don’t know what affects the quality of its work more - heating (taking into account the convention of lower-located components) the power supply by the DAC, or heating the DAC if it is located at the top (when the power supply is placed below, as in the picture)?
Thanks in advance for your recommendation!!!

Unfortunately I can't find a link to a photo of the SU-9 after teardown :(

View attachment 212036

Wouldn't think it matters, how many hours running it at a time?
Surely it has some heat syncs internally. Others may have a technical reply :)
ps. I'd be too OCD to sit it end up like that (unlike the DAC magic which had a stand and designed to be placed both ways).
 

Trell

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Please tell me, on which side is it better to PUT SU-9 - on the left or on the right (it has a power supply on the right side)? I'm asking because I've heard that temperature drift degrades the performance of the SU-9 a lot. Put on its side, it heats up less than in the usual (lying) position. But I don’t know what affects the quality of its work more - heating (taking into account the convention of lower-located components) the power supply by the DAC, or heating the DAC if it is located at the top (when the power supply is placed below, as in the picture)?
Thanks in advance for your recommendation!!!

Unfortunately I can't find a link to a photo of the SU-9 after teardown :(

View attachment 212036

From the manual the power consumption of 5W is not particularly much.

What you could do is to put some taller feet on the device to get better airflow and cooling underneath the DAC, if you are concerned.

You could also measure the temperature to see if there are any troublesome hot spots. Also take the ambient temperature into consideration, especially if it’s high.
 

SashaR

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From the manual the power consumption of 5W is not particularly much.

What you could do is to put some taller feet on the device to get better airflow and cooling underneath the DAC, if you are concerned.

You could also measure the temperature to see if there are any troublesome hot spots. Also take the ambient temperature into consideration, especially if it’s high.
Thank you, precisely because the ambient temperature is very high, I want to cool the SU-9 running at least 12 hours a day. High legs will not be higher than the width of the SU-9, so it’s impossible to think of a better position than on the side - but the problem is that I don’t know which side is better to put this device - on the one where the power supply is, or on the one where the actual DAC? The only good thing about this uncertainty is that in the standing position the device is much less hot than in its standard position...
 

Trell

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Thank you, precisely because the ambient temperature is very high, I want to cool the SU-9 running at least 12 hours a day. High legs will not be higher than the width of the SU-9, so it’s impossible to think of a better position than on the side - but the problem is that I don’t know which side is better to put this device - on the one where the power supply is, or on the one where the actual DAC? The only good thing about this uncertainty is that in the standing position the device is much less hot than in its standard position...

You’ll have to measure the temperature of the DAC to be sure, and infrared thermometers can be fairly inexpensive as well as easy to use

A small silent fan or two blowing on the DAC will cool it a bit.

My guess is that the hottest side of the DAC is the bottom.
 

SashaR

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A small silent fan or two blowing on the DAC will cool it a bit.

My guess is that the hottest side of the DAC is the bottom.
Thank you,. The bottom side is more hot. The question is what "side" of the device is preffered as the bottom side - the left or the right (considering the convenction of the hot air in the device).

PS. I do not want to add even very silent fan to this, very silent (with very high SINAD) DAC...
 

RandomEar

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Thank you,. The bottom side is more hot. The question is what "side" of the device is preffered as the bottom side - the left or the right (considering the convenction of the hot air in the device).

PS. I do not want to add even very silent fan to this, very silent (with very high SINAD) DAC...
It's irrelevant and won't make a measurable difference.

Also, as long as no such data is provided, I would be sceptical if any measurable SINAD difference can be observed at all from the small temperature differences we're talking about here.
 

SashaR

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I would be sceptical if any measurable SINAD difference can be observed at all from the small temperature differences
But, in any way I prefer to stand it on the "right" side - the side which will causes to less distortions. Therefore the question still as it was: what side is right: the left or the right side?
And again: Unfortunately I can't find a link to a photo of the SU-9 after teardown :(
 

JSmith

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I've heard that temperature drift degrades the performance of the SU-9
Heard where... link, citation, measurements?
intelligent temperature compensation system
If its keeping you up at night though, heat rises... which part produces the most heat? ;)


JSmith
 

RandomEar

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But, in any way I prefer to stand it on the "right" side - the side which will causes to less distortions. Therefore the question still as it was: what side is right: the left or the right side?
And again: Unfortunately I can't find a link to a photo of the SU-9 after teardown :(
Again: There is no "right" side. I assume that you won't stand it on the cabling/the back side and you won't stand it on the display. That leaves the left or right side to stand on. For those, there will be no relevant difference.

This isn't voodoo, it's heat transfer via convection. And in both cases, the convection surface area is the same. The convection-induced air movements will be very small and nearly identical for both orientations. Air currents from doors or windows will have an order of magnitude bigger effect than the difference in question. You breathing in the same room will likely have an effect of similar magnitude. You're overthinking this.
 

Lupin

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I would be sceptical if any measurable SINAD difference can be observed at all from the small temperature differences we're talking about here.
Measurable.. perhaps but even then it is nowhere near being an actual audible issue.

Just place however you want it is not going to be an audible issue one way or another.
 

Dwander

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Are there any issues using the XLR outs for the speaker amp and using the RCA outs for the subwoofer? I know there will be some level matching but seems like it will be a simpler way to connect everything rather than using splitters.
 

RandomEar

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Are there any issues using the XLR outs for the speaker amp and using the RCA outs for the subwoofer? I know there will be some level matching but seems like it will be a simpler way to connect everything rather than using splitters.
No issues. Works fine as long as your sub has stereo line level inputs. Otherwise, you may choose to connect only one channel, or add a downmixer.
 

Dwander

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No issues. Works fine as long as your sub has stereo line level inputs. Otherwise, you may choose to connect only one channel, or add a downmixer.
Great thanks. It has stereo line level inputs, but that reminds of another question I have. Is there a difference between combining L&R through a splitter into LFE in, and using the stereo inputs?

I’m currently using option B due to a semi-complex setup with 2 systems sharing a subwoofer. But I was never sure if it’s a preferred method or no.
 

Dwander

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Maybe you need a crossover..
I did try a miniDSP at first, but I found it worked better through an analog RCA switch. It works as I currently have it rigged, but to simplify the cabling I combine the L&R outputs with a splitter into the RCA switch. I could get rid of the splitters and just run more cables, but I wasnt sure if its worth it. Not a big deal though.
 

RandomEar

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I did try a miniDSP at first, but I found it worked better through an analog RCA switch. It works as I currently have it rigged, but to simplify the cabling I combine the L&R outputs with a splitter into the RCA switch. I could get rid of the splitters and just run more cables, but I wasnt sure if its worth it. Not a big deal though.
As I understand it, you are using a Y-Splitter "in reverse" to combine the L/R channels into one RCA output? If so: Don't! You're essentially shorting the channels - the output stages might not like that and the result won't be a correctly summed signal. If you really want to downmix stereo->mono on RCA, you can either use a DSP device or a passive summing box like this. If you can avoid the summing because the sub has stereo inputs, it's probably best to use those. I'd expect that the subwoffer has the correct summing circuit built in.
 
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