it has already been reported and discussed here : 1. is automute 2. is CS43131 runing in class H (https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/en/demo-cs131.php#gsc.tab=0). There are various workaround for 1. if annoying you. For 2. you have to live with it.
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New S.M.S.L. M300 SE 120$
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Gordon Shumway
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Hi! I've reported the same "pop/pff" noise at the begining or end of the playback, but only happens via the headphone output and with the first song/video/source, in continuous playing, i.e. with amazon music, i dont hear it before/afeter every track. Is this the same situation with yours?
About the 2nd issue, did you try with another DAC? it reminds me of my issues with a HP elitebook and a Lenovo T14, this "split/stop" for a second happened to me in both devices with any usb powered dac, like fiio K1, Fiio E10k-tc, and of course the M300 SE, fortunately my main setup is a desktop, where this isuue does not exist.
Can you give an example of a workaround for auto-mute? I can't really find anything that would stop this issue.
try different audio players
open vlc and pause a song
if you install the drivers you can probably do this (not restricted to XMOS) https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...os-driver-settings-for-no-cutoff-delay.25838/
and i think there are software "to keep alive" the devices by playing continuously inaudible sound
I have issue2 very often now. No idea why is it always happen.
And then I checked the microsoft management console - event viewer.
I found something interesting,
xmos_s_usbaudio
-Get Device Descriptor failed.
-Prepare Set Configuration failed.
-Unable to retrieve language ID list.
-Audio Controller initialization failed.
-Unable to retrieve Serial string.
-Unable to retrieve Product string.
These errors happen every few seconds.
Maybe the USB cable is the problem??
Thanks very much! Revealing "Options" tab and setting it to "Always On" fixed it for me.
Different cables tried, different ports on the MacBook, plus a usb hub. Also tried caffeine for Mac to try and try and keep the port ‘alive’. Not luck yet.
Not sure if this will work for you, but worth a try https://github.com/milgra/macaudiokeepalive
Nice. Will give that a try. Tried using Caffeine but with no luck. Thought Sonoma had fixed the audio cutting out issue but it’s still present. As are the pops before audio starts.
Zek
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staticV3
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Zek is talking about this hyperlink on the GitHub readme: http://milgra.com/mac-audio-keepalive.html
Received the M300SE, was preinstalled with v1.1.
Same behavior, no clicks with filter 5 (NOS), but clicks with every other filter.
Combined with the A20h and the Sennheiser HD800 I have enough power to prolly blow my ears out.
Coming from the Xonar U7 the sound feels different but I can't really pinpoint it. Want to do some A/B tests, hopefully I'll actually do them.
Just wondering, would this be an actual upgrade coming from a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 2nd Gen?
I'm looking for something with multiple inputs (would actually love to have an analog input with just passthrough functionality, but in the DAC world this seems not very common), balanced outs and a volume knob.
I'm looking for something with multiple inputs (would actually love to have an analog input with just passthrough functionality, but in the DAC world this seems not very common), balanced outs and a volume knob.
update this post after almost a month.
I change the cable for m300se , what cable did i use? random samsung buds charge cable.
Not kidding, it fixed \. I have not seen that weird disconnect-connect issues almost a month.
I think you will get multiple perspectives. They are very similar so it will come down to personal preference. Actual difference for most people is small.
There will be no audible difference when using DAC functions through the Balanced Outputs. The D-6s specs a little better, but both spec far better than human ears can discern.
The D-6s has a more sophisticated Bluetooth receiver, with both aptx-HD and LDAC. The Bluetooth receiver is SBC only on the M300 SE, so you might hear that difference if you play from a Bluetooth device that supports fancier codecs a lot.
The M300 SE has a headphone amp which is plenty good enough for most headphones, the D-6s does not.
The remotes are the same.
Both are very well built, but of course they will look different in your home.
The M300 SE is cheaper, arguably a better deal. Personally, I get more of an endorphin release from getting fantastic performance per $ than I do from better but inaudible DAC measurements, so I like the M300 SE.
staticV3
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D-6s:
-proper RCA ports for single-ended outputs
-support for aptX HD, AAC, and LDAC
-can output 5V Bal/2.5V SE
-$200
M300 SE:
-single-ended Line out via 3.5mm
-built in headphone Amp
-only supports SBC
-4V Bal/2V SE
-$130
The raw sound quality is identical between them.
The rest are creature comforts that you have to decide if they're valuable.
I just updated to the 23H2 release of Windows 11. This is CoPilot (ChatGPT's) comparison of the D-6s and M300 SE:
"There is no definitive answer to which DAC is better, as different DACs may have different features, performance, design, and sound preferences. However, based on the web search results, I can provide some information and comparisons between the SMSL M300 SE and the SMSL D-6s DACs.
Both DACs are made by SMSL, a Chinese company that specializes in audio products. They are both compact and affordable desktop DACs that support high-resolution audio formats, such as PCM up to 768 kHz and DSD up to 512. They both have USB, optical, and coaxial inputs, and both single-ended RCA and balanced XLR outputs. They both have remote controls and display screens
The main difference between the two DACs is the DAC chip they use. The SMSL M300 SE uses two Cirrus Logic CS43131 chips, while the SMSL D-6s uses two ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M chips. These chips have different architectures, features, and sound characteristics.
The Cirrus Logic CS43131 is a low-power, integrated DAC and headphone amplifier chip that supports MQA decoding, a proprietary technology that claims to deliver studio-quality sound in a smaller file size. The ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M is a high-performance, 32-bit, 8-channel DAC chip that features a patented 32-bit HyperStream II architecture and a Time Domain Jitter Eliminator.
According to some reviews and measurements, the SMSL M300 SE has a slightly lower noise floor, higher dynamic range, and lower distortion than the SMSL D-6s. The SMSL M300 SE also has more filter options, including a minimum phase filter that preserves the original phase of the signal. The SMSL D-6s has a higher output level, more input options, including Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD and LDAC codecs, and a larger and more colorful display screen.
In terms of sound quality, the SMSL M300 SE is said to have a more natural, smooth, and detailed sound, with a slightly warmer tonality and a wider soundstage. The SMSL D-6s is said to have a more analytical, crisp, and dynamic sound, with a slightly brighter tonality and a more precise imaging. However, these impressions may vary depending on the source, amplifier, headphones, speakers, and personal preferences of the listener"
Not bad, especially for recently released products. CoPilot does report links for each of its assertions which I did not print.
I learned a few things.
One of them is that AI is not immune from expectation bias that it disguises with "It is said". Famous politicians do that too.
"There is no definitive answer to which DAC is better, as different DACs may have different features, performance, design, and sound preferences. However, based on the web search results, I can provide some information and comparisons between the SMSL M300 SE and the SMSL D-6s DACs.
Both DACs are made by SMSL, a Chinese company that specializes in audio products. They are both compact and affordable desktop DACs that support high-resolution audio formats, such as PCM up to 768 kHz and DSD up to 512. They both have USB, optical, and coaxial inputs, and both single-ended RCA and balanced XLR outputs. They both have remote controls and display screens
The main difference between the two DACs is the DAC chip they use. The SMSL M300 SE uses two Cirrus Logic CS43131 chips, while the SMSL D-6s uses two ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M chips. These chips have different architectures, features, and sound characteristics.
The Cirrus Logic CS43131 is a low-power, integrated DAC and headphone amplifier chip that supports MQA decoding, a proprietary technology that claims to deliver studio-quality sound in a smaller file size. The ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M is a high-performance, 32-bit, 8-channel DAC chip that features a patented 32-bit HyperStream II architecture and a Time Domain Jitter Eliminator.
According to some reviews and measurements, the SMSL M300 SE has a slightly lower noise floor, higher dynamic range, and lower distortion than the SMSL D-6s. The SMSL M300 SE also has more filter options, including a minimum phase filter that preserves the original phase of the signal. The SMSL D-6s has a higher output level, more input options, including Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD and LDAC codecs, and a larger and more colorful display screen.
In terms of sound quality, the SMSL M300 SE is said to have a more natural, smooth, and detailed sound, with a slightly warmer tonality and a wider soundstage. The SMSL D-6s is said to have a more analytical, crisp, and dynamic sound, with a slightly brighter tonality and a more precise imaging. However, these impressions may vary depending on the source, amplifier, headphones, speakers, and personal preferences of the listener"
Not bad, especially for recently released products. CoPilot does report links for each of its assertions which I did not print.
I learned a few things.
One of them is that AI is not immune from expectation bias that it disguises with "It is said". Famous politicians do that too.
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Everyone who participates in ASR is always interested in numerical data when comparing products. However, these numbers are far below the level that humans can hear, and it is extremely difficult to actually recognize the difference.
When comparing multiple products, the most important thing for me is stability of operation. There are many DAC products on the market, but only a few of them have all functions working properly. Most of these products have some kind of problem.
When comparing the D-6S and M300SE, we see that they operate stably. Unfortunately, we have seen several reports of trouble on the web that seem to be caused by the newly adopted CS43131 chip in the M300SE.
Therefore, in order to avoid disappointment after purchasing, I think you should pay more attention to information on the actual operating status, rather than just looking at the numbers.
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