Review and Measurements of SMSL SP200 THX HP Amp

[amirm]

Does the XLR input means it will still have common mode noise rejection or other balanced advantage as well?

Yes. See how there is total absence of any power supply/mains hum in my measurement:

 

[yummy]

HPA4 isn't balanced output.

best troll

 

[amirm]

No name calling....

 

[Veri]

I asked Kelly @ SMSL. The amp will be released " end of this month around. ".

Looking forward

 

[SMSL-Mandy]

Thanks for the review! I would hope the crooked case was deliberate for this test unit, so they can identify this particular unit in any photos on the internet haha! My OCD couldn't handle owning something like that, my eye would be drawn to it constantly. The look of it is definitely a regression for SMSL, who have been making plain and clean-looking gear lately other than this poor "ugly duckling" with its fine performance haha.

Perhaps it's like auto manufacturers that have used disguises on prototypes for years, keeping the final look hidden from prying eyes until the official launch?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeldunne/2016/03/10/car-spies-auto-camouflage/

https://jalopnik.com/watch-how-bmw-disguises-a-prototype-car-for-pre-product-1825243005

The design of the sp200 is slanted slightly and symmetrical on both sides.

 

[pozz]

It's THXAAA-888

Do you have a link to confirm?

 

[gr-e]

Do you have a link to confirm?

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1173879731063836672

 

[JohnYang1997]

best troll

Did you miss something? On photo I posted before there are only two opa564 on the board. So dual mono output. Not balanced output. Power is still higher than 789 single ended because the class H power supply allowing the output swing as much as the controlling amp(+-18v).

 

[Jimster480]

While this does look good.... the JDS Atom is still the best value as the Atom + $100 DAC still costs less than this unit and the Atom offers similar performance? It doesn't have an XLR input though which as @amirm has mentioned before will help eliminate ground loops.

 

[FourT6and2]

Where will these be a

While this does look good.... the JDS Atom is still the best value as the Atom + $100 DAC still costs less than this unit and the Atom offers similar performance? It doesn't have an XLR input though which as @amirm has mentioned before will help eliminate ground loops.

Also no XLR output. Nothing but 1/4". If they decide to offer an Atom II that is balanced, I'm in. Until then, nope. I hope this SMSL unit is a winner and someone does a shootout between it and the Drop and Monoprice.

HP-1 isn't made anymore. The Benchmark is $3K. So that leaves the 887, 789, and this.

 

[Veri]

Also no XLR output. Nothing but 1/4". If they decide to offer an Atom II that is balanced, I'm in. Until then, nope. I hope this SMSL unit is a winner and someone does a shootout between it and the Drop and Monoprice.

I asked JDS before and they have no plans for balanced as of now. I don't think they see any point:
https://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/application_notes/audio-myth-balanced-headphone-outputs-are-better

 

[Jimster480]

Where will these be a


Also no XLR output. Nothing but 1/4". If they decide to offer an Atom II that is balanced, I'm in. Until then, nope. I hope this SMSL unit is a winner and someone does a shootout between it and the Drop and Monoprice.

HP-1 isn't made anymore. The Benchmark is $3K. So that leaves the 887, 789, and this.

Balanced output doesn't do anything at all for headphones though. So really there is no need to use it ever. Therefore having balanced output on an amp adds no value IMHO.

 

[FourT6and2]

"Balanced" can refer to a few different things, right? I think Benchmark is talking about something different than what most other companies offer. Plus their amp already pumps out plenty of power on the single-ended and XLR4 (which is also single ended apparently?). But many amps double the output power when running on the "balanced" outputs (4.4mm, XLR4, etc.). Plus I don't want to have to keep buying multiple cables and adapters. XLR4 is pretty standard at this point. But so is 1/4" I suppose.

Anyway, if you showed me an amp that pumps out 2 watts, single ended (1/4") and an identical amp that puts out 1 watt per channel, balanced, for a total of 2 watts (XLR4), would there be a difference in sound?

 

[JJB70]

The JDS Atom has enough power to drive any headphone I can think of to volumes way above what anyone should even think of listening to if they value their hearing.

 

[amirm]

The main issue people have with Atom is the plastic case and feel. The SP200 solve those problems albeit, with a slanted case and higher price.

 

[maxxevv]

The JDS Atom has enough power to drive any headphone I can think of to volumes way above what anyone should even think of listening to if they value their hearing.

There is one which even the Vioelectric that has just been reviewed cannot drive to sufficiently high volumes : Raal SR1A.

.

 

[JohnYang1997]

There is one which even the Vioelectric that has just been reviewed cannot drive to sufficiently high volumes : Raal SR1A.

.

Oh right. The sensitivity is lowered just to pair with power amplifiers.

 

[amadeuswus]

The main issue people have with Atom is the plastic case and feel. The SP200 solve those problems albeit, with a slanted case and higher price.

Sorry to stray off-topic, but I see that some Atom owners have replaced the plastic volume knob with a metal one such as this, to improve the feel:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FVLVB55?tag=hififorums-20

And JDS offers this metal knob which appears to be compatible (6mm shaft); maybe JDS can be persuaded to ship the Atom with this installed?
https://jdslabs.com/product/aluminum-knob-05in/

 

[maxxevv]

Oh right. That's just stupid design tho. It's manually decreasing the sensitivity just to get to hooked up to power amplifiers.

Go talk with the designers on why they did what they did. It was deliberate for engineering compromises.

Pretty sure you don't like people calling your work stupid either if they don't understand what were your design choices.

 

[JohnYang1997]

Go talk with the designers on why they did what they did. It was deliberate for engineering compromises.

Pretty sure you don't like people calling your work stupid either if they don't understand what were your design choices.

Alrighty. Edited.

BTW, I did some reading one or two years ago on those designs. It's just the extremely low impedance and high current draw it needs. There were a couple of similar products back then. The conversion box he used is just designed for power amplifiers, which is deliberately lowering the sensitivity. The other companies who make these have converters suitable for headphone amps.