New SMSL M500

[mkawa]

MQA is weird. to get an MQA license, you have to work with the MQA licensure to "characterize" your DAC so they can ensure that it is reproducing MQA files with perfect fidelity or some such nonsense. if the output levels are dropping when playing back MQA, it is probably because the settings that were used for characterization involve lower than otherwise normal levels, either from digital attenuation or possibly even analog attenuation somewhere.

that said, it's also possible that it's just a bug.

can you clarify how the knob on the front works?

 

[Urushi]

The knob does everything. There is no joystick action, you can turn it and push it in only. Push it to turn on the unit, long push to turn off. after the unit is on a short push brings up the menu. turn the knob to move through the menu, short push to select menu items and long push to return to home (or just wait and it will return automatically). It is pretty easy to use.

The M500 has a great form factor (for my desk anyway). I am disappointed that it doesn't sound better as a headphone amp. Having a hard time finding the right DAC for me. The Pro-ject is perfect except the screen doesn't turn off (and it is pretty expensive for my purposes). The Topping 50s is perfect except for the looks and the fact that it's footprint hangs over my RNHP. I am still hunting for a decent looking DAC with a small foot print that can do DSD. Schitt Modi 3 is tempting other than the lack of DSD support.

 

[mkawa]

what about jan meier?

 

[w1000i]

The knob does everything. There is no joystick action, you can turn it and push it in only. Push it to turn on the unit, long push to turn off. after the unit is on a short push brings up the menu. turn the knob to move through the menu, short push to select menu items and long push to return to home (or just wait and it will return automatically). It is pretty easy to use.

The M500 has a great form factor (for my desk anyway). I am disappointed that it doesn't sound better as a headphone amp. Having a hard time finding the right DAC for me. The Pro-ject is perfect except the screen doesn't turn off (and it is pretty expensive for my purposes). The Topping 50s is perfect except for the looks and the fact that it's footprint hangs over my RNHP. I am still hunting for a decent looking DAC with a small foot print that can do DSD. Schitt Modi 3 is tempting other than the lack of DSD support.

Check SMSL M300

 

[maty]

RNHP?

https://www.thomann.de/gb/rupert_neve_designs_rnhp.htm

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/rup...dphone-amplifier.804255/page-10#post-13170934

 

[Urushi]

RNHP?

https://www.thomann.de/gb/rupert_neve_designs_rnhp.htm

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/rup...dphone-amplifier.804255/page-10#post-13170934

Yes that is the one. It’s interesting that it performs so well when the components are so ordinary.

 

[maty]

Yes that is the one. It’s interesting that it performs so well when the components are so ordinary.

Solid steel housing

Cheaper != worst

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Neve

 

[Jaysz]

Like this dac
Rca outputs seem low
dac volume wont get near maxing volume on my power amp

 

[mkawa]

i wonder if all the outputs are not as hot as other smsl dacs. typically smsl likes using an i/v stage followed by a gain stage. if you look at other 1khz tone measurements for most of SMSL's dacs, you get like 2.1v RMS

personally, i have about 12-20dB too much gain in my system, so that works out great for me...

 

[Jaysz]

Tried connecting dac into variable gain set to max on power amp
Loud enough but nowhere near the same as preamp had

 

[armani006]

I got mine finally today from Audiophonics, delivered in 5 days to Germany. Sitting and listening right now with my Monoprice M1060 planars. Attached just to 6.35mm output and seems like it sounds not bad. I had before only portable Hi-res players-dacs, last one was Onkyo DP-X1A. I can compare it as last my player with this M500, and M500 plays a bit wider scene, high frequencies a bit more sharp. But here I listen via unbalanced wires when Onkyo was used only from balanced output. Will make tomorrow XLR wires to Home system, Marantz SR4021 stereo receiver and HECO 945 speackers.

 

[armani006]

To see MQA stream is being decoding on device you have to adjust settings in Tidal: Hi-Fi/Master stream plus in "Sound Output" choose your device, click "More settings" and then choose "Use Exclusive mode - ON", "Passthrought MQA-ON".

 

[armani006]

Hey guys, I did comparison between unbalanced 6.35mm and XLRs outputs. Made custom XLRs adaptor from acoustic copper cable. It seems to me that it is a slight small difference between two outputs, don't know if it is real or just my placebo effect, may be I am a bit frustrated or don't have mood. As XLRs are pre-amp output the volume is quit low, twice lower than amplifier has, regarding to my 50 Ohms planars. Maximum 40 steps from XLRs is equal to 20 from amplified front 6.35 mm output. For me it is comfortable volume, but I am not sure if it is ok to give 50 Ohms resistance to pre-amp, can somebody add additional info about this?
I am waiting for tests from @amirm and then will think, to save this DAC or return it back, I think about Sabaj D5 cus it has amplified balanced output, or Monoprice 788-9/887 if I will find it in Europe.

 

[mkawa]

mine is coming today

amir said elsewhere that smsl hasn't sent him a unit. anyone have a unit they can spare for a week for him to test?

 

[armani006]

mine is coming today

amir said elsewhere that smsl hasn't sent him a unit. anyone have a unit they can spare for a week for him to test?

Where is he located?

 

[w1000i]

Where is he located?

Seattle, north west of United States of America

 

[mkawa]

usps priority in a medium FRB should be able 15$ each way for 2-3 day from midwest or east coast. will be nearly overnight if you're on the west coast..

when mine gets hooked up, i have a single ended preamp i can use to validate people's impressions of cold outputs. i also have some instrumentation equipment, ie, a signal gen, DSO, app-enabled wireless fluke DMM, etc. but nothing compared to amir..

 

[armani006]

usps priority in a medium FRB should be able 15$ each way for 2-3 day from midwest or east coast. will be nearly overnight if you're on the west coast..

when mine gets hooked up, i have a single ended preamp i can use to validate people's impressions of cold outputs. i also have some instrumentation equipment, ie, a signal gen, DSO, app-enabled wireless fluke DMM, etc. but nothing compared to amir..

aaa, I live in Germany ((, import costs in EU is something what we cannot escape and shiping costs are about 35 Euro.. so I cannot help sorry ((...

 

[mkawa]

listening to it single ended right now. a few notes:

the interface really is nice and simple. the dial is also a button. one tap brings you into the menu. you select output as either a headamp or a preamp and then the dial acts like a volume knob for that output. it doesn't seem like you can do both at once. the only counter-intuitive thing is that a long press exits the current menu.

unlike the D70, you don't select the XLR vs the RCA. the only output selection options are line out or HP out.

the output is cold compared to every other line output i've connected to this power amp (axiom audio ada1000-dsp). in my case it's fine because i usually have too much gain in my chain. with the m500 i get to turn the volume up instead of digging myself into a -40dB hole. ymmv.

the preamp volume is 0-40, no units. 0 is pretty low. 40 is way too high for me.

tidal MQA, amazon HD 24/192 work flawlessly from my ipad connected via lightning to USB adapter. there's no weirdness, no crashing, etc so far. the d50s had weird USB bugs, so this is a much better showing.

it sounds great so far. the d50s and sanskrit 10th seemed like they got a bit wooly without a very tightly regulated supply.

i haven't touched the balanced outputs or the HP amp so far but my plan is to check grounding and then try to run pseudo-balanced out -- my amp is not balanced yet (upgrading soon to squeeze a bit more performance out of the DSP).

shoot me any questions i will try to answer with the stuffs i have on hand.

 

[Jaysz]

Is your led magenta colour when rendering mqa like manual shows
Mines stays green or blue