Amir's TODO thread

[Eric Auer]

The SMSL M8A could give the Topping D30 a run for its money.

It was recently on massdrop for under $180.

Eric

 

[amirm]

Amir, where is the Gustard U12 in your queue? I've been using one every day for the last 20 months or so (I like its stable drivers, and it's a very cheap way to go from USB to AES), so I'm eager to find out if it's contributing horrific levels of jitter or other noise.

I am debating what to test next. As a reward for people who contribute to this thread, I will measure the Gustard U12 next.

 

[amirm]

The SMSL M8A could give the Topping D30 a run for its money.

It was recently on massdrop for under $180.

Eric

It certainly has nifty specs. It is not active on Massdrop though and Amazon price is $250 so double the price. Let me know if it shows up for less and I will consider purchasing it.

 

[Dialectic]

I am debating what to test next. As a reward for people who contribute to this thread, I will measure the Gustard U12 next.

Awesome, thanks!

 

[amirm]

Amir, where is the Gustard U12 in your queue? I've been using one every day for the last 20 months or so (I like its stable drivers, and it's a very cheap way to go from USB to AES), so I'm eager to find out if it's contributing horrific levels of jitter or other noise.

Here is the review: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-u12-usb-to-s-pdif-converter.2166/#post-58521

 

[tim_j_thomas]

My vote for a Raspberry Pi review! Seems like with an external USB HD, they would be an "ideal" music server.

 

[amirm]

My vote for a Raspberry Pi review! Seems like with an external USB HD, they would be an "ideal" music server.

I will bump up the priority on that. My bucket is runneth over though as far as projects.

 

[tim_j_thomas]

Thanks!! I was thinking that a Pi would be simpler to set up and much cheaper than a PC. I'd love to find a turnkey system available.

 

[amirm]

Thanks!! I was thinking that a Pi would be simpler to set up and much cheaper than a PC. I'd love to find a turnkey system available.

My experience has been poor with bare Pi but I do have a loaned turnkey version I plan to test.

 

[tim_j_thomas]

Thanks so much. If it doesn't measure well, I wonder if there is a turnkey system (of any type) that is recommendable.

 

[c1ferrari]

WEEDING.

New significance in California!

 

[c1ferrari]

Amir,

What happened to your Berkeley? Which model?

 

[amirm]

Amir,

What happened to your Berkeley? Which model?

If you mean the DAC, I had borrowed it from work and got sold. I still have the Alpha USB bridge but sadly it doesn't work right. After just a few seconds sound becomes distorted. I need to send it to Michael to get it repaired. The other issue was that it was incompatible with Dirac Live on the PC. It would play at a slower cadence than the music. Very strange clocking issue of sorts. I could not get either Dirac or Berkeley to troubleshoot it so it was not getting used anyway. Hence my laziness to get it repaired.

 

[AliveNoMore]

Hello, I hope this is a fitting thread to suggest DAC/amps for review. I couldn't find a dedicated suggestions thread.

FiiO K1 - ultra basic DAC/amp.
SMSL M3 - I cannot seem to find any reliable information as to the output impedance of the thing, although I'm guessing it's probably around 10 Ohm.
SMSL X4 - as it seems it's a simpler version of the SMSL iDEA, and similar to the K1.
The already mentioned Dilvpoetry DAC-X6 in the FX-Audio's DAC-X6 thread. Based on what I've read on NwAvGuy's website about various components, the Dilvpoetry is probably superior, however that TPA6120 bothers me, as if I recall correctly it is a component that basically requires the output impedance of the device be ~10 Ohm.

Anyway, I see you have a lot on your plate so these probably would not get measured. Just my 2 cents worth of suggestions.

 

[iridium]

Hello, I hope this is a fitting thread to suggest DAC/amps for review. I couldn't find a dedicated suggestions thread.

FiiO K1 - ultra basic DAC/amp.
SMSL M3 - I cannot seem to find any reliable information as to the output impedance of the thing, although I'm guessing it's probably around 10 Ohm.
SMSL X4 - as it seems it's a simpler version of the SMSL iDEA, and similar to the K1.
The already mentioned Dilvpoetry DAC-X6 in the FX-Audio's DAC-X6 thread. Based on what I've read on NwAvGuy's website about various components, the Dilvpoetry is probably superior, however that TPA6120 bothers me, as if I recall correctly it is a component that basically requires the output impedance of the device be ~10 Ohm.

Anyway, I see you have a lot on your plate so these probably would not get measured. Just my 2 cents worth of suggestions.

Any updates on NwAvGuy - ?current existence?
I do not see anything posted since 2012, but I am blind sometimes to the obvious!

iridium.

 

[AliveNoMore]

No idea regarding what's happening to him. I was simply referring to various comments he's made in the past in some of his blog posts. I wasn't referring to anything recent.

 

[amirm]

Hello, I hope this is a fitting thread to suggest DAC/amps for review. I couldn't find a dedicated suggestions thread.

FiiO K1 - ultra basic DAC/amp.
SMSL M3 - I cannot seem to find any reliable information as to the output impedance of the thing, although I'm guessing it's probably around 10 Ohm.
SMSL X4 - as it seems it's a simpler version of the SMSL iDEA, and similar to the K1.

Hi there. Welcome to the forum and thanks for the suggestions. Since the K1 and X4 were pretty cheap, I ordered those just now. The M3 is more pricey so I didn't order that just yet. How popular is that DAC in general?

 

[AliveNoMore]

Hi there. Welcome to the forum and thanks for the suggestions. Since the K1 and X4 were pretty cheap, I ordered those just now. The M3 is more pricey so I didn't order that just yet. How popular is that DAC in general?

Thank you!

And wow! This caught me off-guard. I wasn't expecting that you would agree to test them this easily, especially this quickly. I'm at the same time excited, grateful, impressed, and humbled. My brain is confused. I think it's beer time.

Anyhoo, based on my observation, the M3 is not particularly popular. SMSL as a brand and manufacturer seems to not be boutique enough for a lot of audiophiles/enthusiasts but it doesn't have the same good reputation in the more budget-oriented segment like FiiO does. SMSL also has a larger variety of products so the M3 kind of gets buried.
I myself have an M3, and like it. It feels well built and less generic than many other Chinese DAC/amps which seem to use basically the same aluminum shell so they look very similar or identical.
I suggested because I think it's overall a decent all-round unit. However it doesn't seem to have been properly measured, and I'm curious, especially when it comes to output impedance so I'd know if it would be a good match for my lower impedance headphones.

Of course, me suggesting something does not in any way obligate you to do anything about it.

 

[amirm]

My pleasure. Let's do this: I need to get through my current backlog. Once there, we can reconsider the M3.

 

[amirm]

The SMSL M8A could give the Topping D30 a run for its money.

It was recently on massdrop for under $180.

Eric

This just went on Massdrop. So I guess it pays to tell them you want it . I committed at $179 and it needs a few more purchasers to hit that. Otherwise it is $200. It is on Amazon at $250 with prime shipping. So much cheaper but won't ship for a month!