New S.M.S.L. M300 SE 120$

[Solveit]

Sorry I stealed two of them to my active two way.

Sounds very good balanced out!
But they say today it's comming.

SMSL Upgraded M300SE MQA Audio DAC CS43131*2 with 6.35/4.4mm Headphone

SMSL M300SE MQA Audio DAC CS43131*2 with 6.35/4.4mm Headphone AMP used Cirrus Logic's latest audio decoder chip CS43131, with carefully designed circuitry, achieves an unprecedented 0.00013% (-117dB) distortion performance! The new third generation XMOS XU-316, PCM support up to 32bit /768kHz...

hifi-express.com

 

[taudier]

P.S. There are no microclicks in my M300se

can you hear them in the test in the link provided by MBO ? (https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/en/demo-cs131.php#gsc.tab=0)

 

[longma]

It’s cheaper because of the Cirrus Logic chips.

Which chips make better DAC: CY, ESS, AKM?

 

[_thelaughingman]

Which chips make better DAC: CY, ESS, AKM?

I think ESS and AKM are the best DAC chips based on their historical performance, thought Cirrus is making small gains to be competitive.

 

[Alex.san]

can you hear them in the test in the link provided by MBO ?

I can't hear microclicks

I think ESS and AKM are the best DAC chips based on their historical performance, thought Cirrus is making small gains to be competitive.

Your opinion is wrong. Cirrus Logic has always been considered a top product and this DAC with its performance, functionality and price is no exception.

 

[taudier]

I can't hear microclicks

Your opinion is wrong. Cirrus Logic has always been considered a top product and this DAC with its performance, functionality and price is no exception.

Then why do you say "There are no microclicks in my M300se" when in fact you have insuffisant hearing

So if what MBO said is true, that the device has microclicks, then the device is garbage. The author of the RAA article didn't know if it could be fixed by firmware.

 

[Solveit]

can you hear them in the test in the link provided by MBO ? (https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/en/demo-cs131.php#gsc.tab=0)

No clicks just some strange sound/noise.

 

[longma]

Smsl c100 has a remote, display and Bluetooth this are non existent in su-1.

The remote is a nice to have, but not the must to me. I don't need BT. I have BlueDento BT receiver which sounds good, as good as CD, much better than BT from SMSL A300 amp. I listen to Pixel 6 -> BlueDento -> A300 more than Oppo 205 -> A300.
I see many good reviews of SU 1, and think to add it to the chain Pixel 6 -> BlueDento -> SU 1 -> A300. I wonder if it is the right choice since there are a couple new products like this M300SE that are not much more expensive.

 

[TonyJZX]

Crystal ie. Cirrus havent been marketing their chips as much but they used to be real popular in AVRs/processor.

The only con I dont like about the m300 is the 3.5mm out for single ended. But it is marketed as an XLR dac.

I also have an A300 and to me I dont like the vol. shuffle knob so to me you have to use a dac that had a good vol. control to compensate.

The C-100 is ok but not great in usuability. I'm not sure anyone cares about filters, the M300 has none, the C-100 has them.

 

[longma]

I always use the remote control with A300.
I control the volume of the music by A300, or from the souce if i use my phone or Oppo. If i use CD player Onkyo 7555 as source, i can use A300 volume control only.
I don't use filter. I always listen with E0 setting for A300.
With SU 1, I hope that i can get better sound from BT ( phone + BlueDento) or CD player. If it sounds as good as Opp, i would be very happy (based on Amir measurements, SU1 DAC is as good as the DAC in Oppo205, that cost 1.2K).
I may miss the remote control for SU1.

 

[taudier]

No clicks just some strange sound/noise.

???

the CS43131/CS43198 recordings in the RAA link contains the microclicks (trad of "микро-щелчки")
and there are microclicks-free recordings with AKM AK4377 below, or you can use the original music.

 

[Solveit]

???

the CS43131/CS43198 recordings in the RAA link contains the microclicks (trad of "микро-щелчки")
and there are microclicks-free recordings with AKM AK4377 below, or you can use the original music.

What ever...

 

[Veri]

and there are microclicks-free recordings with AKM AK4377 below, or you can use the original music.

Which one is that, with AK4377?

 

[taudier]

What ever...

???

Which one is that, with AK4377?

CS43198 and CS43131 DAC sound defects

reference-audio-analyzer.pro

i think it is what you ask.

 

[audiofun]

???

CS43198 and CS43131 DAC sound defects

reference-audio-analyzer.pro

i think it is what you ask.

if the link is what you are talking about, based on google translation (I cannot read Russian), the issue only happens in "power saving mode". As long as M300 Is not in that mode, you won't hear the microclicks.

M300 is a desktop product and there's no point putting it into low power mode (see HP_IN_LP in the CS datasheet). If SMSL wrongly place the device to low power mode, you can always ask a firmware fix to resolve this issue.

The experiment is easy to do. anyone can use a ADC to measure and proof.

 

[TonyJZX]

the m300 has a power saving mode? why

mine is run off a 500ma charger... how much are ya gonna save? i leave my poweramp preamp etc. on 24/7

 

[audiofun]

the m300 has a power saving mode? why

mine is run off a 500ma charger... how much are ya gonna save? i leave my poweramp preamp etc. on 24/7

cs chips are for embedded devices so having power saving mode is not new.
it would be strange for product like m300 to use this feature.

 

[taudier]

if the link is what you are talking about, based on google translation (I cannot read Russian), the issue only happens in "power saving mode". As long as M300 Is not in that mode, you won't hear the microclicks.

M300 is a desktop product and there's no point putting it into low power mode (see HP_IN_LP in the CS datasheet). If SMSL wrongly place the device to low power mode, you can always ask a firmware fix to resolve this issue.

The experiment is easy to do. anyone can use a ADC to measure and proof.

HP_IN_LP is used when HPINA and HPINB are enabled :

Headphone Audio Input. For interfacing low power audio source, an alternate analog input path for the headphone output. Refer to analog specification table for full-scale input level.

But i don't see analog inputs in the M300 SE. I think the RAA author used "power saving mode" to refere to this (in the CS datasheet) :

In a Class H amplifier design, the rail voltages supplied to the amplifier vary with the needs of the music passage that is being amplified. This prevents
unnecessarily wasting energy during low power passages of program material or when the program material is played back at a low volume level.

The author also said that the question, if it can be fixed by firmware, is still open.

 

[audiofun]

But i don't see analog inputs in the M300 SE. I think the RAA author used "power saving mode" to refere to this (in the CS datasheet) :

The author also said that the question, if it can be fixed by firmware, is still open.

not really making sense. the class H amplifier is not something that can be turned off. so no way to turn it off. based on the context the author is referring to something else.

In any case it is super easy to verify if M300 has this issue. maybe just plugging the rca/hp output to computer audio input can verify it.

 

[taudier]

not really making sense. the class H amplifier is not something that can be turned off. so no way to turn it off. based on the context the author is referring to something else.

In any case it is super easy to verify if M300 has this issue. maybe just plugging the rca/hp output to computer audio input can verify it.

who said it can be turned off ?

A google traduction of the RAA article :

in power saving mode. In this mode, depending on the amplitude of the sound wave, the supply voltage level changes and a transient process is possible

which refers pretty well to the class H amplifier thing in the CS datasheet.