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AOSHIDA SMSL C200 Review (DAC & Amp)

Rate this DAC & HP Amp

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 9 2.6%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 4 1.2%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther

    Votes: 61 17.9%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 267 78.3%

  • Total voters
    341

amirm

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This is a review and detailed measurements of the AOSHIDA SMSL C200 balanced DAC and headphone amplifier. It costs US $210.
SMSL C200 Balanced DAC and Headphone Amplifier Review.jpg

The unit looks attractive enough for a desktop product. The LED is function but sadly displays the sample rate rather than volume (until you change that). Navigating the menus is a bit hard but the included remote helps some. It is very nice to see built-in power supply:

SMSL C200 Balanced DAC and Headphone Amplifier Back Panel Review.jpg


As well as balanced output in the form of TRS outputs.

SMSL C200 DAC Measurements
I expect excellent performance from SMSL and it delivers:
SMSL C200 Balanced DAC and Headphone Amplifier Measurements.png


SMSL C200 Balanced DAC and Headphone Amplifier TRRS Measurements.png


This easily lands the C200 in the upper section of our "excellent" category:
best dac review 2022.png


best dac review 2022 zoomed.png


Sum of distortion and noise is well below transparency.

Dynamic is naturally excellent:
SMSL C200 Balanced DAC and Headphone Amplifier DNR Measurements.png


Multitone is naturally so as well:
SMSL C200 Balanced DAC and Headphone Amplifier Multitone Measurements.png


And IMD:
SMSL C200 Balanced DAC and Headphone Amplifier IMD Measurements.png


Linearity is textbook perfect:
SMSL C200 Balanced DAC and Headphone Amplifier Linearity Measurements.png


Jitter falls in the same excellent category:
SMSL C200 Balanced DAC and Headphone Amplifier Jitter Measurements.png


We have the usual choice of filters:

SMSL C200 Balanced DAC and Headphone Amplifier Filter Measurements.png


Each naturally impacts ultrasonic noise so varies performance in our wideband distortion+noise sweep:
SMSL C200 Balanced DAC and Headphone Amplifier THD+N vs frequency Measurements.png


SMSL C200 Headphone Amplifier Measurements
Let's start with noise performance:
SMSL C200 Balanced DAC and Headphone Amplifier 50 mv Measurements.png


This is well above average:
Best headphone amp noise review.png


Power is most important so let's see how well the C200 performs:
SMSL C200 Balanced DAC and Headphone Amplifier Power 300 Measurements.png

SMSL C200 Balanced DAC and Headphone Amplifier Power 32 Measurements.png


Both of these indicate available juice to drive 90% of the headphones out there to very satisfactory levels with superbly low noise and distortion. If your headphone has a different impedance, you can compute it using the following measurement (power = V*V/R):
SMSL C200 Balanced DAC and Headphone Amplifier Power vs impedance vs distortion Measurements.png


SMSL C200 Headphone Listening Tests
I started with the Dan Clark Stealth headphone. Fidelity was excellent but power output was average. Switching to Sennheiser HD-650 fixed that with plenty of dynamics now and detail. You get a bit more power still with Drop Ether CX. I could not get the unit to distort with either one of these headphones.

Conclusions
You get a superb DAC in the C200. The headphone amplifier is also quite clean and competent but just shy of the power in the highest tier products. I suspect the price will justify this (will update the review if not). Really, not much else to say.

I am happy to recommend the AOSHIDA SMSL C200.

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As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/
 
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Hopefully the Bluetooth doesn't have the same starting lag problems of the DO100/D-6.
 
What makes these DACs so well engineered? I'd be curious if @amirm could put it into words or even an article. If you were looking at a teardown of something 120 db SINAD vs 100 (although not bad) or 80 or 60. It can't all be about the components on the board - we're talking a lot of cheapy DACs on here. What are these engineers doing to attain such measurements? :D
 
What makes these DACs so well engineered? I'd be curious if @amirm could put it into words or even an article. If you were looking at a teardown of something 120 db SINAD vs 100 (although not bad) or 80 or 60. It can't all be about the components on the board - we're talking a lot of cheapy DACs on here. What are these engineers doing to attain such measurements? :D
Circuit design and layout becomes hugely important. As is choice of a very high performance DAC to begin with.
 
Circuit design and layout becomes hugely important. As is choice of a very high performance DAC to begin with.
Inbuilt linear power supplies with transformer seems to measure less good than inbuilt switching supplies or outboard supplies , or maybe Im wrong ?

There are many audiophiles who believe switched power supplies are noisy. So the manufacturer puts in an even worse magnetic polution linear supply ( to big ) with a humming transformer.
 
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Inbuilt linear power supplies with transformer seems to measure less good than inbuilt switching supplies or outboard supplies , or maybe Im wrong ?

Theres many audiophile who believe switched power supply are noisy.
Old myths are slow to die. New switching PSUs have excellent noise specs.
 
If rumour is true USD129, this is insane value

Better value than Topping

I also trust SMSL QA/QC more

For that price I would blindly buy it and immediately rule out other Topping options I've in mind, plus it would be a big step forward bringing the best performance to even more people, but I think it's unrealistic to expect that yet (unless SMSL wanted to break the market).
 
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