Review and Measurements of SMSL SP200 THX HP Amp

[Zerviscos]

Does this have a protection relay or just a muting relay?

 

[Forsaked]

Let's what this is all about, i just ordered my pair.

 

[thibag]

Let's what this is all about, i just ordered my pair.

So what are your thoughts on both ?

 

[ReaderZ]

Saw this somewhere else:

https://orronoco.blogspot.com/2020/03/smsl-sp200-components-analysis.html

"I should mention for the XLR 4 pin balanced headphones output is not true balanced. Means the negative pin on each headphones channels are connect directly to ground. It makes this connection same function as the single ended headphones jack output. The OPA564 is single ended output, one IC for one channel only, so there is no way this amplifier could do dual amplification for the balanced output. "

Has SMSL made any statement about this?

 

[Veri]

Has SMSL made any statement about this?

No this was known from the very start. The XLR is there to connect a balanced headphone to, for convenience. It is wired to the same single ended output. The specifications do not show any balanced output or increased output. It is a single ended THX amp compatible with balanced headphone cables. As opposed to THX 789/887 and A90 which offer double the output over XLR (so actually balanced).

One thing to note though is the SP200 single ended already has crazy power that goes up really fast, if that output were in fact doubled it would be literally unusable lol. The gain would be too much finally, balanced does not mean it sounds better. common misconception.

 

[ReaderZ]

No this was known from the very start. The XLR is there to connect a balanced headphone to, for convenience. It is wired to the same single ended output. The specifications do not show any balanced output or increased output. It is a single ended THX amp compatible with balanced headphone cables. As opposed to THX 789/887 and A90 which offer double the output over XLR (so actually balanced).

One thing to note though is the SP200 single ended already has crazy power that goes up really fast, if that output were in fact doubled it would be literally unusable lol. The gain would be too much finally, balanced does not mean it sounds better. common misconception.

Well, if it advertise to be balanced, it better be balanced. I believe in holding company accountable for what they put in the name. As for single ended, isn't Archel 2, Atom and Hersey much cheaper and just as good?

 

[Veri]

Well, if it advertise to be balanced, it better be balanced. I believe in holding company accountable for what they put in the name.

What name? It's not balanced, where do they advertise it as so?

 

[ReaderZ]

What name? It's not balanced, where do they advertise it as so?

Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/S-M-S-L-Head...dchild=1&keywords=sp200&qid=1591689740&sr=8-3

Amazon Canada https://www.amazon.ca/SP200-Balance...dchild=1&keywords=sp200&qid=1591689999&sr=8-3

Ali express while not in the name in description specifically says it has balanced headphone output.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000295236820.html

Apos is the same description specifically says it has balanced headphone output.
https://apos.audio/products/smsl-sp200-thx-headphone-amp

Very clear false advertising.

Edit: and you can't blame it on the seller, their official website says

"Balanced Stereo Headphone Output"

https://www.smsl-audio.com/portal/product/detail/id/594.html

 

[Veri]

Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/S-M-S-L-Head...dchild=1&keywords=sp200&qid=1591689740&sr=8-3

Amazon Canada https://www.amazon.ca/SP200-Balance...dchild=1&keywords=sp200&qid=1591689999&sr=8-3

Ali express while not in the name in description specifically says it has balanced headphone output.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000295236820.html

Apos is the same description specifically says it has balanced headphone output.
https://apos.audio/products/smsl-sp200-thx-headphone-amp

Very clear false advertising.

Edit: and you can't blame it on the seller, their official website says

"Balanced Stereo Headphone Output"

https://www.smsl-audio.com/portal/product/detail/id/594.html

Ok I see, that is indeed misleading...

 

[jpanic4]

Hi @amirm or anyone else. Very very new to this forum. I have been reading on this site for a little while but I finally have a question! Do you know if the SP200 has a max input voltage before clipping like the THX 789? Based on what I read about the 789, using a balanced input from DAC at 4.1v will cause the amp to clip at high gain. I'm wondering if the SP200 will do the same?

INPUT Maximums: The 789 can tolerate the following rms input voltage from your DAC without clipping:
-10dB Mode: 7 V
0 dB Mode: 7 V
+10 dB Mode: 2.1V

I’m trying to decide between the following combos. I do use IEMs as well.
THX 789 + SMSL M200
SMSL SP200 + SMSL M200
THX 789 + Topping D50s or something else..
THX 789 + Topping E30

 

[malevich244]

Does anyone know the input impedance of this unit? I just asked SMSL.

*edit* They say it's 47k

 

[Cevisi]

Hi @amirm or anyone else. Very very new to this forum. I have been reading on this site for a little while but I finally have a question! Do you know if the SP200 has a max input voltage before clipping like the THX 789? Based on what I read about the 789, using a balanced input from DAC at 4.1v will cause the amp to clip at high gain. I'm wondering if the SP200 will do the same?

INPUT Maximums: The 789 can tolerate the following rms input voltage from your DAC without clipping:
-10dB Mode: 7 V
0 dB Mode: 7 V
+10 dB Mode: 2.1V

I’m trying to decide between the following combos. I do use IEMs as well.
THX 789 + SMSL M200
SMSL SP200 + SMSL M200
THX 789 + Topping D50s or something else..
THX 789 + Topping E30

For iems he 789 would be better because of 3 gain

 

[aldarrin]

For iems he 789 would be better because of 3 gain

I have the SP200 and M200 and a variety of headphones (DT880 600 Ohm, Sivga P-II, Koss KPH30i, Fidelio X2HR). I only have one set of IEMS: BLON BL-03 (replaced the cable and added memory phone tips, these are great). All the headphones I own sound fine (no hiss or noticeable distortion) if you play with the volume of the M200 **AND** the SP200. The BLONs run just fine on low gain and -20 db on the DAC and 12-1 o'clock on the SP200. I don't know much about other IEMS, but I imagine this stack will run almost all of them just fine. I like that I can run the DT880 600 Ohm and other power hungry cans just fine on the SP200. I think a 789 would struggle with the DT880 600 (and other power hungry cans) to give them enough power (because it feeds half as much power to unbalanced outputs).

 

[Cevisi]

I have the SP200 and M200 and a variety of headphones (DT880 600 Ohm, Sivga P-II, Koss KPH30i, Fidelio X2HR). I only have one set of IEMS: BLON BL-03 (replaced the cable and added memory phone tips, these are great). All the headphones I own sound fine (no hiss or noticeable distortion) if you play with the volume of the M200 **AND** the SP200. The BLONs run just fine on low gain and -20 db on the DAC and 12-1 o'clock on the SP200. I don't know much about other IEMS, but I imagine this stack will run almost all of them just fine. I like that I can run the DT880 600 Ohm and other power hungry cans just fine on the SP200. I think a 789 would struggle with the DT880 600 (and other power hungry cans) to give them enough power (because it feeds half as much power to unbalanced outputs).

Blons are pretty hard to drive for a iem 32ohm and 102 db. But yea turning down the dac could help

Does the sp200 help your dt880 with bass and impact. Does it benefit from that much power or is it the same like with a weaker amp

 

[aldarrin]

I don't have any issues with bass and impact on the DT880s but I don't have another amp to compare. The SP200 is my first real amp (was more into speakers before working from home became a thing). Zeos from Z Reviews kinda implied that DT880s really need a bit more power (compare the first few seconds of his review of the M200 to the review of the DT880 600 Ohms) so maybe I'm not able to hear their full potential, but I'm totally happy with the performance I *do* get.

 

[jpanic4]

I don't have any issues with bass and impact on the DT880s but I don't have another amp to compare. The SP200 is my first real amp (was more into speakers before working from home became a thing). Zeos from Z Reviews kinda implied that DT880s really need a bit more power (compare the first few seconds of his review of the M200 to the review of the DT880 600 Ohms) so maybe I'm not able to hear their full potential, but I'm totally happy with the performance I *do* get.

I’m assuming you are connecting the amp and dac via an XLR cable? If so, have you noticed any clipping issues on high gain when driving the DT880s? Trying to see if the SP200 has the same voltage tolerance limitations as the 789.

 

[aldarrin]

Yeah, I've connected the DAC and amp w/ short XLR cables. Did a bit of testing on this site: https://www.szynalski.com/tone-generator/

DT 880 Notes:
Can hear 1 Hz, but sounds like a single heart beat every second. Scaling up to 19 Hz, sounds the same but the beats happen more frequently. Around 20 Hz is when it sounds like a frequency again. Somewhere between 40 and 60 Hz it sounds cleaner (more like a test tone, less like a series of pulses to simulate a test tone).

Sigva P-II Notes:
Can hear 5 Hz, but like faint beats 5 times a second. Around 25 Hz is when it starts to sound like a tone. 40 - 50 Hz sounds cleaner.

Maybe that's the clipping you're talking about? Maybe these cans could produce these frequencies better with more power, I don't know. But Massive Attack - Angel has plenty of sub bass, both the DT880 and the Sigva P-II sounds great on this stack.

 

[aldarrin]

For iems he 789 would be better because of 3 gain

Can also confirm that the SP200 plays FiiO FH7s just fine paired with a M200 DAC (and probably any other DAC with a good range of output audio controls). Tested on "low" gain with XLR interconnects and RCA; only thing that's definitely different is XLR is louder. Seems like there's more detail as well, but that could be just because it's louder. Anyway, if you have a M200 / SP200 stack just set the gain to low, M200 volume to -30, and the SP200 volume to zero, plug in your iems, and slowly turn the volume up. I'm currently listening with the SP200 at between 12 and 1.

 

[Nooborghini]

Hi @amirm or anyone else. Very very new to this forum. I have been reading on this site for a little while but I finally have a question! Do you know if the SP200 has a max input voltage before clipping like the THX 789? Based on what I read about the 789, using a balanced input from DAC at 4.1v will cause the amp to clip at high gain. I'm wondering if the SP200 will do the same?

INPUT Maximums: The 789 can tolerate the following rms input voltage from your DAC without clipping:
-10dB Mode: 7 V
0 dB Mode: 7 V
+10 dB Mode: 2.1V

I’m trying to decide between the following combos. I do use IEMs as well.
THX 789 + SMSL M200
SMSL SP200 + SMSL M200
THX 789 + Topping D50s or something else..
THX 789 + Topping E30

I use M200/SP200 stack (Don't look at the M200 font) and it's just beautiful both looks and sounds. (Pic Below)
I've had no problems with my IE80S to power these. I usually lower my DAC volume from 00 where I usually have it for my 300ohm cans.
I usually use my IEM for my DAP cause I use it when I sleep.

Was in the same boat as you, debating what AMP/DAC to get... at the end of the day the THX amps are very similar to each other. I hear the Monoprice 887 has wider soundstage?

I originally wanted SU-8 and SH-8 cause it just looks magnificent but I wanted the new THX amps which could've worked but symmetry...
The only reason why it was such a long debate for me is because the SP200 is THE amp to get, if not the other THX.
MY personal issue is that the M200's font looks like my old HS alarm clock before smart phones were a common device. Would be cool if it displayed time to complete the old digital clock font but it is what it is.

Only non-cosmetic irk I have with the M200 that dF filter and Sound Colour is a BIG ???
Oh and I guess the volume knob on the SP200 isn't as "solid/nice" as my LDMK2's knob but who's comparing knobs here?
I've been asking SMSL for a bit and scouring the internet for an explanation. From my ears I get:

1. SC1= FLAT? Their neutral?
2. SC2 = Expanded vocals, mids/highs.
3. SC3 = Tube emulation? Echo distorting + low end seems to have a slight more impact. Kinda sounds like SC1 with bit of echo at the end. (Sounds more artificial "echo-y" than my LDMK2)

Hopefully this helps friend!

 

[jpanic4]

I use M200/SP200 stack (Don't look at the M200 font) and it's just beautiful both looks and sounds. (Pic Below)
I've had no problems with my IE80S to power these. I usually lower my DAC volume from 00 where I usually have it for my 300ohm cans.
I usually use my IEM for my DAP cause I use it when I sleep.

Was in the same boat as you, debating what AMP/DAC to get... at the end of the day the THX amps are very similar to each other. I hear the Monoprice 887 has wider soundstage?

I originally wanted SU-8 and SH-8 cause it just looks magnificent but I wanted the new THX amps which could've worked but symmetry...
The only reason why it was such a long debate for me is because the SP200 is THE amp to get, if not the other THX.
MY personal issue is that the M200's font looks like my old HS alarm clock before smart phones were a common device. Would be cool if it displayed time to complete the old digital clock font but it is what it is.

Only non-cosmetic irk I have with the M200 that dF filter and Sound Colour is a BIG ???
Oh and I guess the volume knob on the SP200 isn't as "solid/nice" as my LDMK2's knob but who's comparing knobs here?
I've been asking SMSL for a bit and scouring the internet for an explanation. From my ears I get:

1. SC1= FLAT? Their neutral?
2. SC2 = Expanded vocals, mids/highs.
3. SC3 = Tube emulation? Echo distorting + low end seems to have a slight more impact. Kinda sounds like SC1 with bit of echo at the end. (Sounds more artificial "echo-y" than my LDMK2)

Hopefully this helps friend!

View attachment 71141

Thank you very much for your response! I ended up going with the A90. So currently have the M200 (jury is still out for it) and the A90 (hopefully coming in this week). Totally agree with you regarding the M200 and it’s display, except my alarm clock font color was red.

Shout out to Apos Audio! Extremely great guys to work with. Especially Paul, CJ & John!