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SMSL SU-9 Balanced DAC Review

sonci99

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This was a huge disappointment for me it performs very close to the m500 v2 and has the same features except it doesnt have a headphone amp but still costs $40 more. I was expecting it to be priced lower since it doesnt have a headphone amp and released over a year later...
It looks better built, but looks can be deceiving..
 

xmal

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This was a huge disappointment for me it performs very close to the m500 v2 and has the same features except it doesnt have a headphone amp but still costs $40 more. I was expecting it to be priced lower since it doesnt have a headphone amp and released over a year later...

Those were kinda my thoughts. I thought it would have come in cheaper than the M500. Maybe higher quality components justify the cost. I'm sure it won't be long before someone looks under the hood.
 

PeteL

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This was a huge disappointment for me it performs very close to the m500 v2 and has the same features except it doesnt have a headphone amp but still costs $40 more. I was expecting it to be priced lower since it doesnt have a headphone amp and released over a year later...
I guess Bluetooth is worth less to you than the headphone amp, It's valid. The headphone amp on the m500 is nothing exceptional tough, In my opinion. The prices of the flagship Bluetooth SOC +liIcence+ Qualcomm royalties for the IP was still high a couple years ago, Don't know the status now.
 

Racheski

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If this came in at $300, it would be a killer deal; a balanced DAC with zero compromises. At $440 the value is meh.
 

JustAnandaDourEyedDude

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Not that I give a whit about MQA, but what would the difference be between SU-9 doing MQA input over USB using XMOS XU-208 whereas Topping D90MQA seems to have needed XU-216 to process MQA input via USB, if I understood correctly?
 

Daverz

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Experts debate around the SU-9 and Amirm (this Japanese woman who does not understand her own measurements).

https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/ixke4n

They could have just googled: "Training to be a geisha takes about as long as it takes to train to be a doctor. Typically, a young woman spends about six years studying the arts of music, dance, tea ceremony, language, hostessing, and measurement of electronics using Audio Precision analyzers."
 

marcom22

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What do you think about to replace my good Topping DX7s with this one? Can be a good upgrade or improvement?
Thanks for your feedback.
If yes I sell my Topping DX7s for SMSL SU-9
 

celroid

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Is that knob used to control the volume or just the menu? I hope it's a volume knob
 

GoMrPickles

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OP
amirm

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Is that knob used to control the volume or just the menu? I hope it's a volume knob
It is both. Normally the volume control but if you press it in, then it navigates the menus.
 
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amirm

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I... who are these people who read posts in one forum, repost and discuss them on reddit, and trash them on another forum?

This is a genuine question. I want to have that kind of free time.
Well, everyone has a "home" forum and prefer to have discussions there as they have a reputation, post/like count, know the culture, etc. So a lot of reddit users tend to want to discuss things there, than signing up here and doing it. While I hope they also join us and have a more direct conversation with us, I can't really fault them for wanting to do so in their home turf. :)
 

GoMrPickles

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Well, everyone has a "home" forum and prefer to have discussions there as they have a reputation, post/like count, know the culture, etc. So a lot of reddit users tend to want to discuss things there, than signing up here and doing it. While I hope they also join us and have a more direct conversation with us, I can't really fault them for wanting to do so in their home turf. :)
I, for one, look forward to founding "audiosubjectivereview" and banning all data.
 
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amirm

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@amirm whats the dynamic range for this DAC?
Sorry, forgot to save the results when I ran them. :) Here they are:

SMSL SU-9 Balanced USB DAC  Dynamic Range Audio Measurements.png
 
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amirm

amirm

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Knowing SMSL past records, especially with the M400, it would be interesting to have output impedance and frequency response measured for both RCA and XLR outputs.
I added the XLR to the review:

index.php
index.php


And RCA:
index.php
 
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