SMSL M500 DAC and HP Amp Review

[arn]

does it work well with the nvidia shield?

 

[w1000i]

In the past week I tied different setup

As well as a different cable I'd suggest trying a USB hub, if possible a passive hub.

I'm using ifi nano USB and also directly with no issue. I will try DSD 256 & 352Khz and report back.

 

[TC!!]

I have tried my usb 2.0 ,3.0 port and hubs .But I haven't tried 3.1. And I have no native usb 1.0 on my ASUS C7H motherboard.
Or there is a way config it to 1.0?I might try to get a usb 1.0 hub.
Thanks for these clues.

But it is some how ridiculous only compatible with usb 1.0.

I've read so much about USB issues when using a PC that I bought the latest Raspberry Pi and tried using Ropieee, it was totally unusable when compared to using my computer. The only output on my mac I ever got to work reliably was a 3rd party USB 3 PCIe card.

The USB hub did improve things over my original USB 2 connection but I'm mainly offering it as a solution because it was the standard advice offered on the Audiolab M-DAC forum on pink fish for PC USB issues.

Right now I'm running optical form a Mac Mini while I wait for the M500.

 

[BDWoody]

does it work well with the nvidia shield?

I've got mine connected to the Shield, and it works fine.

 

[Alerma]

Just received my M500. There are continuous pop noise or pause while playing any track sample rate dsd 256 or pcm 352kHz.
even with newest firm 1.07

windows 10 V.1909 ROON Jriver Foobar

And there is hit marks on the case out of box.So fucked up.

Actually, it can be an indication of some problem with an audio driver, because the problems begin starting from DSD256/PCM352, and below it everything works OK? I believe (correct me if I am wrong) that most DACs can work up to 96/24 without a driver in USB Audio 1.0 mode, and to go higher DACs need to operate in USB Audio 2.0 mode which requires installing a driver. Which version of the driver do you use? Maybe try re-installing it?

 

[Toku]

Actually, it can be an indication of some problem with an audio driver, because the problems begin starting from DSD256/PCM352, and below it everything works OK? I believe (correct me if I am wrong) that most DACs can work up to 96/24 without a driver in USB Audio 1.0 mode, and to go higher DACs need to operate in USB Audio 2.0 mode which requires installing a driver. Which version of the driver do you use? Maybe try re-installing it?

I think these troubles are the same kind of trouble as I reported before.
It seems that we are currently examining various problems that SMSL has confirmed.
Maybe firmware updates will be improved in the future.
See #568

 

[Palex]

I think these troubles are the same kind of trouble as I reported before.
It seems that we are currently examining various problems that SMSL has confirmed.
Maybe firmware updates will be improved in the future.
See #568

"2. When playing a PCM768kHz file, sound is severely distorted." is not a problem M500
Here that speak on the official site: "When cycling through the inputs it can occur that the sound gets distorted using Optimum Transient. After about three minutes the filter "locks" in properly and the sound should be normal again. Unfortunately that's a bug in the ESS silicone chip and we can't do anything about it." https://www.project-audio.com/en/product/dac-box-s2/

 

[Palex]

I have written on a site S.M.S.L the letter "to I bought M500 from 1.5-then I have updated on 1.7
On a site - support - you have cleaned 1.7.
There are problems with this insertion (1.7)? I can leave 1.7 or to be rolled away on factory settings 1.5?"
S.M.S.L answer: "V1.7 isn't suitable for all M500.
So we delete it from website.

But if you upgrade to 1.7 without any issue, then it will be okay.»

 

[Alerma]

"2. When playing a PCM768kHz file, sound is severely distorted." is not a problem M500
Here that speak on the official site: "When cycling through the inputs it can occur that the sound gets distorted using Optimum Transient. After about three minutes the filter "locks" in properly and the sound should be normal again. Unfortunately that's a bug in the ESS silicone chip and we can't do anything about it." https://www.project-audio.com/en/product/dac-box-s2/

Optimum Transient? There is no such a filter in m500. It is proprietary for S2

 

[Palex]

Optimum Transient? There is no such a filter in m500. It is proprietary for S2

Thanks. I didn't know. Simply I wanted to share information) M500 uses ESS

 

[Toku]

I have written on a site S.M.S.L the letter "to I bought M500 from 1.5-then I have updated on 1.7
On a site - support - you have cleaned 1.7.
There are problems with this insertion (1.7)? I can leave 1.7 or to be rolled away on factory settings 1.5?"
S.M.S.L answer: "V1.7 isn't suitable for all M500.
So we delete it from website.

But if you upgrade to 1.7 without any issue, then it will be okay.»

That is a very interesting sentence.
Some big problem seems to be hidden!

 

[hira]

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/new-smsl-m500.8857/post-253210
Volume control problem?

Does V1.7 mean USB firmware 1.07?
I tried to install 1.07, but there was no problem.

The system notation was HW1.2 SW1.4.
XMOS USB DAC Control Panel: Info revision 1.07

 

[TC!!]

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/new-smsl-m500.8857/post-253210
Volume control problem?

Does V1.7 mean USB firmware 1.07?
I tried to install 1.07, but there was no problem.

The system notation was HW1.2 SW1.4.
XMOS USB DAC Control Panel: Info revision 1.07

Just to add these are the values I've seen posted by M500 owners:

SW: 1.5 HW: 1.2 2019-10-9
SW: 1.4 HW: 1.2 2019-07-28

The file that was available on their server was a RAR containing the folder M500 1.07 USB firmware, there are files inside dated 24th October 2019.
It fixed the low volume issue some people had seen when using USB but removed the ability to control volume over the USB connection.

We're very early with the M500 being available so not 100% sure what the update they released actually did. There was some speculation that it was only able to update the USB section of the device, not the main system firmware. The confusing use of figures like 1.4 in some places and 1.07 in others doesn't help.

 

[tonyo123]

I'm sure this popping clicking issue will eventually get resolved (#601 is just a workaround). For now, just be careful as even a pop at moderate volume can blow out a tweeter - hapenned to my B&W Nautilus 804 speakers with a different DAC. Until this gets fixed, and I know you'll all hate this, it may be worthwhile to set your media player to push out constant format output, like 24/192 (let it do the conversion). Check if that stops the pops. Better this than losing a tweeter.

I think I am holding off this purchase until you all report the issue is 'fixed'. Hopefully before the holidays.

 

[MusicNBeer]

I posted this in another intersample over thread, but I'll repost it here...

I just completed a test of two units, 1) Benchmark DAC1 and 2) the new SMSL M500 DAC+HP amp.

Signals:
I created 4 signals in Octave (free version Matlab clone).

Signal 1: No intersample overs --> fullscale 5512.5 Hz (44100/8), or 8 samples per cycle, 0 phase offset
Signal 2: 0.68 dB intersample overs --> fullscale 5512.5 Hz (44100/8), or 8 samples per cycle, 22.5 deg phase offset
Signal 3: 1.25 dB intersample overs --> fullscale 7350 Hz (44100/6), or 6 samples per cycle, 30 deg phase offset
Signal 4: 3.01 dB intersample overs --> fullscale 11025 Hz (44100/4), or 4 samples per cycle, 45 deg phase offset

Results:
As expected, both DACs cleanly reproduced Signal 1.
Benchmark DAC1 clipped on all 3 intersample over files.
SMSL M500 also clipped on all 3 intersample over files with volume set to 40 (max)
For Signal 2, volume reduction to 39 produced clean output.
For Signal 3, volume reduction to 38 produced clean output.
For Signal 4, volume reduction to 35 produced clean output.

ARTA was used on PC through Asus sound card as an ad-hoc audio analyzer.

So the conclusion for the M500, if you really don't want to worry about intersample over distortion due to loudness war CDs, lower the volume to 35 and you'll be good to go.

 

[szhchen]

I'm sure this popping clicking issue will eventually get resolved (#601 is just a workaround). For now, just be careful as even a pop at moderate volume can blow out a tweeter - hapenned to my B&W Nautilus 804 speakers with a different DAC. Until this gets fixed, and I know you'll all hate this, it may be worthwhile to set your media player to push out constant format output, like 24/192 (let it do the conversion). Check if that stops the pops. Better this than losing a tweeter.

I think I am holding off this purchase until you all report the issue is 'fixed'. Hopefully before the holidays.

I thought this issue is QC issue. Not all m500 have this problem.
But I was told by customer service popping clicking issue when ask to have replacement. It was taobao official shop customer service. Not the engineer ,though.

This is my first time getting SMSL product. Somehow disappointed. I think they can't deal with xmos really well. My previous DAC is pioneer N70A grace M9XX and tried ADI-2 for a while. The usb stability is totally different. I am wondering how TOPPING drivers performs. Or this is how price cut comes from.

 

[Charles0322]

Today I started using Tidal for MQA music (sounds great btw). I notice two tiny clicks when I start a song and when I skip to the next song (same bit rates). When I do not skip manually the playback is gapless without any clicks. My settings are set to MQA passthrough and exclusive mode. The app also crashes from time to time, where there is no longer any sound played and the app shown a spinner around the play button (it does not recover; need to restart mac to get sound back again). Anyone else experiencing this using Tidal?
When I use Spotify I do not hear clicks when skipping or starting songs (same bitrates).

See my post at https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...l-m500-dac-and-hp-amp-review.9606/post-267302
I have no problems with USB volume from my Mac. Using XLR output on ncore nc400 mono blocks sounds amazing (and loud if desired).

there is a clicking or popping sound when switching sample rate or skipping tracks, there is also an issue where the filters should be disabled using MQA but are active.. then the filters will not do anything on regular material.. rca outputs bleed sound when switched to HP mode

I'm sure this popping clicking issue will eventually get resolved (#601 is just a workaround). For now, just be careful as even a pop at moderate volume can blow out a tweeter - hapenned to my B&W Nautilus 804 speakers with a different DAC. Until this gets fixed, and I know you'll all hate this, it may be worthwhile to set your media player to push out constant format output, like 24/192 (let it do the conversion). Check if that stops the pops. Better this than losing a tweeter.

I think I am holding off this purchase until you all report the issue is 'fixed'. Hopefully before the holidays.

no way the pop or click will affect any tweeter.. it does not get louder with volume control, it is a fixed level and very moderate.. I find the filter problems to be an issue I was hoping to fix with a firmware update. I do not have a PC to do an update with... the filters will engage with MQA but not with other material.. it is supposed to be the opposite. some are saying they are playing with fire with MQA accreditation

 

[tonyo123]

Good to know on the fixed level. Hoping this gets resolved.

 

[Toku]

I think I am holding off this purchase until you all report the issue is 'fixed'. Hopefully before the holidays.

Me too.

 

[strangeskies]

there is also an issue where the filters should be disabled using MQA but are active.. then the filters will not do anything on regular material

Was this confirmed?