AOSHIDA SMSL C200 Review (DAC & Amp)

[asteroth]

I have version 5.50 installed, it is slightly different, but the steps are the same

screenshots please?

 

[SergeiF]

screenshots please?

 

[SergeiF]

To make this work, please exit/quit the XMOS driver control panel from the tray icon and make sure the xxxxAudioCpl.exe process is not running.

Afterwards open the marked XML file with your favorite text editor and we are greeted with something of this sort:

<PageOptions>
<!-- Supported values for this page: Hidden (default), Visible -->
<Visibility>Hidden</Visibility>
</PageOptions>

change hidden to visible

 

[SergeiF]

Until I fixed it, my audio was stuttering


my kit C200 -> HD 560S

 

[asteroth]

Thank you! I changed it, however, there is still a click/pop when a song starts and when i stop it. Also there will be 2 clicks/pops if the sample rate changes.

 

[SergeiF]

Thank you! I changed it, however, there is still a click/pop when a song starts and when i stop it. Also there will be 2 clicks/pops if the sample rate changes.

I have clicks only when changing the sample rate, in the Windows settings it is 48khz 32 bit

 

[SergeiF]

Try rebooting windows/device

 

[asteroth]

I think I was wrong by blaming the C200, it seems that even with the onboard soundcard of the laptop, the clicks/pops appear. I'll test some more on other computers.
I blamed the poor DAC for no reason, it seems that it's not its fault. I'm sorry.


Talking about the sound, C200 sounds marvelous, it gives you a sense of cleanliness, the sound is very well defined(you can notice extra punch in the bass and in tiny details of the song, especially when you come from lower tier equipment), you cannot hear even the slightest hiss(that most onboard soundcards have), the digital volume is working flawless(and it doesn't make any mechanic click noise as the DX3 Pro does), it drives my 250 ohm headphones effortlessly(I can't max the volume even on low gain, because the sound becomes really loud).

 

[Abdul2]

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

sorry for late reply I'm using dt 770 250 ohm , and can easily drive them with the same power as my atom amp and for some reason it kind of a bit of power than my previous atop amp

 

[Power Pop 23]

perhaps op could edit his post to inform about the issue with static discharges causing issues with the device. i personally used this device a couple of days, loved it, but it would regularly turn off the sound output when i turned off my power amp that was connected via rca to the dac. also sometimes when i would just get up from my office chair. many people have reported similar issues and the official smsl costumer support responded here about the issue:

SMLS C200 Stops Working When I Remove My Headphones

Hi all, I received the smsl C200 for Christmas from my wife. First off I'll say that the sound quality and functionality of this device is amazing. But...whenever I'm using the headphone out with my HD600's I lose all sound when I remove my headphones. It happens almost all of the time and will...

www.audiosciencereview.com

tldr, there's potentially a firmware update in the works which will hopefully fix this.

SMSL has uploaded a firmware update for the C200 to the Support page on their website to address this issue

SMSL Audio Official -Professional audio product manufacturer

Foshan ShuangMuSanLin electronics Co., LTD. founded in 2009 which located in Shenzhen, China. And our branch company VMV Technology(HK) Company Limited registered in HK in 2013. Our company is specialized in the audio DAC, stereo headphone amplifier, power amplifier, and with own R&D...

www.smsl-audio.com

 

[Lunartuna]

Is it ok to leave the C200 on at all times without hurting the unit?

 

[Joffy1780]

Is it ok to leave the C200 on at all times without hurting the unit?

There is no reason to think it would hurt the unit, I have been doing this unintentionally lately and have had it on for about the last 4 days, with no ill effects.

 

[Lunartuna]

There is no reason to think it would hurt the unit, I have been doing this unintentionally lately and have had it on for about the last 4 days, with no ill effects.

Thanks. I dont think i ever turned off the Massdrop O2 SDAC, then when i got this unit i started wondering if i should have been turning it off lol.

I also was wondering. I have some music in foobar that is 24bit/96Khz. So i have Asio Bridge and c200 properties set to the same. Will this effect music quality when i only play 16/44.1 from spotify?

 

[Joffy1780]

Thanks. I dont think i ever turned off the Massdrop O2 SDAC, then when i got this unit i started wondering if i should have been turning it off lol.

I also was wondering. I have some music in foobar that is 24bit/96Khz. So i have Asio Bridge and c200 properties set to the same. Will this effect music quality when i only play 16/44.1 from spotify?

I'll be honest, I don't really know a great deal about asio, I don't really ever use a pc as a source. Whenever I have done, I have always chosen the maximum sampling rate capable for the connected DAC.

 

[Lunartuna]

I wasnt sure if maybe something changed with a recent update on the xbox series x or possibly the new firmware for the C200 so i thought i would test.

C200 in USB 1.1 mode can still doesnt work on the series x.

Interesting though the C200 does show 44.1 bitrate when i plug it into the xbox.

 

[Mupod]

SMSL has uploaded a firmware update for the C200 to the Support page on their website to address this issue

SMSL Audio Official -Professional audio product manufacturer

Foshan ShuangMuSanLin electronics Co., LTD. founded in 2009 which located in Shenzhen, China. And our branch company VMV Technology(HK) Company Limited registered in HK in 2013. Our company is specialized in the audio DAC, stereo headphone amplifier, power amplifier, and with own R&D...

www.smsl-audio.com

Heads up that this might have bricked mine. No audio output anymore, though it's still detected in Windows and I can pair it to Bluetooth devices etc. Probably should have backed off after seeing how sketchy the updater looked.

 

[profesy]

Heads up that this might have bricked mine. No audio output anymore, though it's still detected in Windows and I can pair it to Bluetooth devices etc. Probably should have backed off after seeing how sketchy the updater looked.

Check if the output line in the first setting has changed after the upgrade (H/o-L/o).
I had to change it after the update for the same problem

 

[Mupod]

Check if the output line in the first setting has changed after the upgrade (H/o-L/o).
I had to change it after the update for the same problem

Yeah, that fixed it...I either forgot what that setting was, or never knew in the first place. Thanks!

 

[Count Dacula]

<gazes outside for the UPS truck...>

 

[Count Dacula]

So far, so good. Everything worked plug n play. Coming from my Modi 2 Uber / Asgard 2, the tone moved up a register, and is more clear and defined. Bass is controlled and present. Running nearly full volume into my Vidar, at first I wondered if the C-200 would drive it sufficiently, and it does. Even though I don't use headphones, I got a headphone amp to be sure the current would be there for this purpose.

Older pic, but you get the idea. The subs are split off with a SYS for control now.

I don't think anyone here is really going to embrace my music tastes and experience, but it's established for a long time. Generally, my KEF / ADCOM system never failed to impress industry people, "back in the day". I'm in on merit, with the creative side of the things. I spent 1000s of hours in major studios, like Sigma Sound, the Hit Factory and Sony Music Studios. Let me say that SQ is very much an afterthought when people are in-session. We would audition tracks on a cassette-car stereo, just because.

The one thing that substitutes for talent is good taste, which I had several "scenes" to partake in. I don't even like rap, and I never met him, but DRE used to call my mom's house for my friend Scotty S.. Those were good times, and I'm glad I had my foot in the door, just to press a few buttons and turn knobs, yes, but also for the ambience and motivation. I learned how to cover a song too.

The point is, when the music is good, things like ultimate SQ fall off as a concern. It reminds me of a maxim from autos... the music is there to serve you, not for you to serve it.

bonus for couch potatoes....