Having a Feeling of Shame Gives Rise to Courage--SMSL M500 V2

[the_brunx]

anyone ready to spill the beans on what was wrong with the V1?. the lack of transparency here is alarming.

 

[Jimbob54]

anyone ready to spill the beans on what was wrong with the V1?. the lack of transparency here is alarming.

There was a bit of drama about thermal performance of the DAC chip (performance went from excellent to very good depending on unit and room temp and postioning) . People got a bit twitchy about XLR outputs that could go a fair bit hotter than 4v and SMSL via USB firmware provider ballsed up a few devices and showed the whole thing was rather imperfect.

My V1 is great

 

[pirxel]

yeap, using the V1 for a while here as well, no complaints...

 

[TC!!]

Another very happy V1 owner here, sounds amazing.

 

[JohnYang1997]

anyone ready to spill the beans on what was wrong with the V1?. the lack of transparency here is alarming.

Seriously?https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...own-ess-es9038pro-dac-thermal-analysis.10348/

 

[lucadoc]

My V2 works very well since this summer

 

[the_brunx]

Seriously?https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...own-ess-es9038pro-dac-thermal-analysis.10348/

How is it possible that SMSL (or anyone else) did not catch this before, up until WolfX-700?

 

[Jimbob54]

How is it possible that SMSL (or anyone else) did not catch this before, up until WolfX-700?

Because I'm guessing nobody strapped them to an analyser for long enough with enough heat variation. It's likely not an audible change.

 

[the_brunx]

Because I'm guessing nobody strapped them to an analyser for long enough with enough heat variation. It's likely not an audible change.

even If its not audible, some people can use the dac as a function generator for measurements or other work possibilities and these flaws are undesirable. I think a company ought to thoroughly control if what they are advertising is actually useable.

 

[BAMCIS]

SINAD improved 5 to 10dB as well depending on temperature of the V1.

Hope I don't seem like a dufus but are you saying SINAD improves 5 to 10db as it gets warmer / warms up? I got mine right after I saw this and I love it. Do you think it's OK to leave it on overnight or should I just wait 20 or 30 minutes before serious listening?

 

[solderdude]

It is both well below audible thresholds so inconsequential. Just measurable. Not audible.

 

[zhaqenl]

Is it safe to assume that this version still outputs 6.8V on its max setting?

 

[osasglo]

Is it safe to assume that this version still outputs 6.8V on its max setting?

Anyone know the answer to this?

 

[the_brunx]

I heated up my SMSL M500 to about 60 degrees Celsius, and listened to it. to me the difference was clearly audible. someone should measure whether this thermal issue affects the frequency response as well. I use HE60 headphones hooked to a blue hawaii and I know exactly at what volume level the bass of the headphones in some particular songs definitely will audibly distort, but with the SMSL heated up I had to turn it up way more for the distortion to even start. there's something here.

 

[SEEDSTAR]

Hi guys,

Long time lurker first time poster!

Currently have the Project S2 Prebox DAC/Heaphone amp - I have a Antelope Orion 32 I connect to the Project S2 via Coaxial.

considering upgrading to M500 to get a) more headphone amp juice b) XLR outs to connect to my LARGE KRK E8B active speakers. So I'd be using the M500 for music production as a listening DAC (for headphoen AND speakers) monitor controller style.

Question - any reason not to do the above? Or to pick the Topping DX7 pro over the M500?

The KRK E8B (30kg each, almost half a metre tall!), have a input impedance of 10 kOhms - any reason why the M500 might be too weedy for them via its XLR outs?

 

[nhatlam96]

How does the USB IN and headphone out perform in multitone with this unit?
Maybe also toslink IN and headphone out multitone?

 

[MalinYamato]

I have V2 and regarding USB in, it runs with no issues at all. Warning, I dont know the measurements and the techhcalites,,,,besides the headphone out, I have been using XLRs as well as RCAs connected to my amp since august, and also there, there are no problems. I am verifying the SQ against the very highly regarded E1DA 9038S Gen 3 Susumu, my old OPPO HA-SE2, a Maratz with AKM AK4458 192 kHz/32 Bit, and to my ears the M500 sounds the best, with no distortions and no heat problems. I listen to Tidan hifi, often to MASTER MQA tracks. I love the M500. It is small, easy to place, cute, has a remote, is versatile, but with one problem, it has no balanced out for HPs. -- 4.4 pentacons out should be standard for DAC/AMP of this class and above. Prior buying M500, I Also considered Topping DX7 Pro (impedance of 6.2), but to me M500 on paper and by measurements appeared to be better.

 

[nhatlam96]

what is multitone?

1. IMD
2. Harmonic Distortion + Noise vs Frequency
3. 32tone test.

 

[nhatlam96]

Just ordered it, how do I check that it's version 2?

 

[Veri]

Just ordered it, how do I check that it's version 2?

All currently sold units are. Revision happened May 2020.