AOSHIDA SMSL C200 Review (DAC & Amp)

[jonUK]

So anytime I change from SMSL (headphone) to normal speakers connected to PC do I need to manually change the output device in Foobar?

If you mean these speakers are connected to the PC's sound card then yes, you'd need to change the output device in Foobar. If, on the other hand, you are using speakers connected to the C200 then in that case no you wouldn't need to change any settings in software - just switch the output on the DAC from headphones to line out.

For Windows hardware sound settings, any changes you make here affect "shared mode" audio. Windows sound effects, browser audio etc. should be re-sampled to whatever rate you set here. The behaviour I've found on my setup is that whatever you set it to, something seems to always change it to 44.1 khz eventually. I don't know what or why....

As for VLC, I don't use it in Windows, so I'm not sure. Judging by discussion on the VLC forum I found (searching on things like "VLC WASAPI exclusive mode", it seems others have the same problem.

 

[Joffy1780]

How about the RCA imbalance between Left or Right?

I'm solely using it with headphones, sorry.

 

[Hapo]

...in comparing this to SMSL DO100 I noted it has one DAC chip whereas the DO100 has two...

...they seem to measure the same...is there a difference in output...???...

 

[JediMa]

I got mine today and I love it, I was wondering which are the relative best "settings" like which PCM filter and dpll

 

[Joffy1780]

I got mine today and I love it, I was wondering which are the relative best "settings" like which PCM filter and dpll

With dpll settings you could start with setting it at 1 and you only would only need to move it up if you get dropouts in the sound with coax or optical inputs, it has no effect on frequency response or sound at all.
PCM filters 1, 4 and 6 offer best performance in Amir's test, but I'd amazed if you could hear a difference between any. I'm using filter 1.

 

[staticV3]

I got mine today and I love it, I was wondering which are the relative best "settings" like which PCM filter and dpll

Only three of the Nyquist filters have proper attenuation at Nyquist:
-Hybrid fast roll-off (F1)
-Apodizing fast roll-off (F3)
-Brick wall (F7)

Out of those, the one that stays flattest for longest is Apo. At 20kHz, it's down only 0.8dB at 44.1k Fs.

If you want greater extension into high frequencies, then you'll have to compromise on anti-aliasing performance.

Here's an overview of all Nyquist filters provided with the ES9038Q2M chip, with ratings.
Note that the "Reserved" filter is very rarely made accessible and not on the C200 unfortunately.

As for DPLL, you want to go as low as you can without the DAC stuttering.

 

[JediMa]

Thank you guys so helpful and accurate , I'm playing with it with Edition XS and it's simply amazing

 

[Veri]

Here's an overview of all Nyquist filters provided with the ES9038Q2M chip, with ratings.
Note that the "Reserved" filter is very rarely made accessible and not on the C200 unfortunately.

Ohhhhh, that's cool.

 

[JediMa]

It's going to be crazy and weird but what do you think If I used the C200 as a pre amp and the Atom as amp? Both together sound more loud than each of them alone.. does it make any sense?

 

[Abdul2]

It's going to be crazy and weird but what do you think If I used the C200 as a pre amp and the Atom as amp? Both together sound more loud than each of them alone.. does it make any sense?

I have atom amp my self and i am thinking of selling it because i got c200 , so there is no point

 

[JediMa]

I have atom amp my self and i am thinking of selling it because i got c200 , so there is no point

How do you feel about C200 power and which headphones do you have?
About C200 DAC wise a very nice improvement to my Topping D50s, Warner but still neutral and detailed sound. But it's about the amp side that I'm a little confused. Beside my low oHm headphones like Grado 325, HD600 works on Hi gain and 50 volume, hifiman h560 hi gain 65 but edition xs somehow doesn't shine as I hoped. I'm plugging them in the normal port I still don't have the balance cable but I really wonder if it has enough power

 

[staticV3]

hifiman h560 hi gain 65 but edition xs somehow doesn't shine as I hoped. I'm plugging them in the normal port I still don't have the balance cable but I really wonder if it has enough power

Save your money, because the balanced cable will do nothing, at least on the C200.
That's because the 4.4mm Bal output carries the same singe-ended signal as the 1/4" output. On the C200, there is no difference between the two.

 

[JediMa]

Save your money, because the balanced cable will do nothing, at least on the C200.
That's because the 4.4mm Bal output carries the same singe-ended signal as the 1/4" output. On the C200, there is no difference between the two.

That's bad to know, one of the reasons why I got it over my Topping D50s + atom was to have also a balanced port. it's a weird experience, few tracks are fine 50 vol on Hi-g but with others power feels like never enough. Is it a bottleneck common to all the amp and ampdac in the 200 budget range?

 

[Hxx]

How do you feel about C200 power and which headphones do you have?
About C200 DAC wise a very nice improvement to my Topping D50s, Warner but still neutral and detailed sound. But it's about the amp side that I'm a little confused. Beside my low oHm headphones like Grado 325, HD600 works on Hi gain and 50 volume, hifiman h560 hi gain 65 but edition xs somehow doesn't shine as I hoped. I'm plugging them in the normal port I still don't have the balance cable but I really wonder if it has enough power

What’s wrong with edition XS and this c200 ? I plan on running the same setup

 

[Joffy1780]

That's bad to know, one of the reasons why I got it over my Topping D50s + atom was to have also a balanced port. it's a weird experience, few tracks are fine 50 vol on Hi-g but with others power feels like never enough. Is it a bottleneck common to all the amp and ampdac in the 200 budget range?

Are you saying you're limiting yourself to using the volume output no higher than 50 in high gain mode? As you've mentioned a couple of times that some tracks sound fine on 50 whereas others don't shine?

 

[JediMa]

Are you saying you're limiting yourself to using the volume output no higher than 50 in high gain mode? As you've mentioned a couple of times that some tracks sound fine on 50 whereas others don't shine?

A fair question, it's more that I'm afraid to find more often situations where power won't be enough, specially if I will get some more demanding headphone

 

[JediMa]

What’s wrong with edition XS and this c200 ? I plan on running the same setup

Quality wise nothing, the dac is amazing. It's more about power where on few albums I had to set volume up to 80 with hi gain

 

[Joffy1780]

A fair question, it's more that I'm afraid to find more often situations where power won't be enough, specially if I will get some more demanding headphone

It looks like the HE560 are quite demanding, but Amir's review mentions he couldn't get the c200 to distort.
80 on the volume dial still means you've got a little left to play with as well.

 

[JediMa]

It looks like the HE560 are quite demanding, but Amir's review mentions he couldn't get the c200 to distort.
80 on the volume dial still means you've got a little left to play with as well.

I have them too and weirdly they are working better than edition xs with c200

 

[Joffy1780]

I have them too and weirdly they are working better than edition xs with c200

Showing my ignorance, but I didn't realise you were discussing 2 different pairs of headphones, sorry
The sheer amount of different headphones and their various suffixes and prefixes is mind boggling. I'm still confused as to what Drop is/are haha