S.M.S.L PO100, PO100 PRO & PO100 AK - Measurements (Digital Interfaces & DAC)

[Dumdum]

Just try it, only $35 ( ebay Amazon ) if your equipment is capable of reproducing good sound and your ears can listen. It's simple, try it and check for yourself. It real jump up SQ. .

Oh my… you’re serious! It makes no difference to the 1’s and 0’s if they get from one end to the other… a digital cable cannot impart a sound or improve sound in any way

 

[VintageFlanker]

Buy a glass optical cable from Amazon and hear the difference yourself . . Much better sounding.

There's nothing to "hear" with an optical cable.

Just try it, only $35 ( ebay Amazon ) if your equipment is capable of reproducing good sound and your ears can listen. It's simple, try it and check for yourself. It real jump up SQ. .

No it's not. The Amazonbasics cable is already 100% transparent, and it is the one I use for extremely precise measurements (up to 148dB SINAD in digital domain, 24bits ENOB in Jitter) :

Way below that any system on Earth would be able to reproduce...

I assumed @pashka was joking... but maybe not?

Apparently not.

 

[tmtomh]

Just try it, only $35 ( ebay Amazon ) if your equipment is capable of reproducing good sound and your ears can listen. It's simple, try it and check for yourself. It real jump up SQ. .

 

[AdamG]

I think this is soooo more appropriate.

 

[TbonePdx]

The PO100 PRO adds MQA decoding, but It doesn't appear to be compatible with regular optical and coaxial outputs.​

Can someone help me understand this? Tidal now has MQA tracks. Is this sentence saying that the PO100 PRO won't support it through its coaxial output? Thanks, I'm new to the subject. - Tony

 

[restorer-john]

Does it matter which optical Toslink cable I use as long as it's not broken?

Yes.

Not too long, preferably glass or at least properly polished end terminations and a good, firm fit, otherwise you can get issues.

 

[Onira]

I have a (silly or even stupid) question... the PO100 Pro has only SPDIF and i2s outputs
Wthen playing DSD files the SPDIF output does not work so how can I get audio from it?

 

[audio_tony]

Yes.

Not too long, preferably glass or at least properly polished end terminations and a good, firm fit, otherwise you can get issues.

I have several old optical cables, well used and abused, and I take no care over storage.

I've never had any issues with any of them.

Contrary to popular belief, optical connections are surprisingly resilient - and I can actually pull the plug out of the socket and just hold it close enough to maintain a connection and works.

I've done similar with optical networks as well.

 

[tmtomh]

I have a (silly or even stupid) question... the PO100 Pro has only SPDIF and i2s outputs
Wthen playing DSD files the SPDIF output does not work so how can I get audio from it?

Sometimes i2s outputs will pass DSD. But in general, DSD is a huge pain for this reason.

You can convert your DSD files to PCM, either by creating PCM files from them, or (depending on your playback software/streamer/source) by converting on the fly.

There is also a system for transmitting DSD material encapsulated in a PCM container so that devices that accept only PCM will pass it along down the chain.

Still a pain, though, and not really worth the trouble since you can convert any DSD file to 24/88.2 PCM with no audible impact.

 

[Onira]

Anyway, what's the reasonable option when I could connect any (cheap, yet affordable) to the HDMI/i2s output?
The are some DACs with the HDMI/i2s input but they are XMOS XU316 based so there is no reason to connect PO100 to it as it would be the same like just going from DACs USB port

 

[Mikig]

I got a PO100PRO. silent and excellent for DACs that do not have USB input. To tell the truth, I bought it for the I2S output, to use with the DO300. It works, without any cable problems, just set the two devices in the same way.

 

[Mikig]

Ci sono alcuni DAC con l'ingresso HDMI/i2s, ma sono basati su XMOS XU316, quindi non c'è motivo di collegare PO100 ad esso in quanto sarebbe lo stesso che andare dalla porta USB del DAC

I would tell you, if I'm not mistaken, that the I2S port on the DAC does not connect to the XMOS receiver, which is instead connected to USB coax etc. etc. But someone more technical can give more information.

 

[Onira]

But DO300 has USB and XMOS 316th so what's the reason to connect PO100 to it?

 

[thanrl]

One thing shared by all three units is the USB-C input (on the back for the PO100) and both optical and coaxial out, which by the way are working simultaneously, for those who are asking.

Does anyone know if the PO100 AK outputs digital and analog simultaneously? Thanks

Also how can one purchase the PO100 in 2024? It seems extinct on the internet...

 

[VintageFlanker]

Does anyone know if the PO100 AK outputs digital and analog simultaneously?

It does.

Also how can one purchase the PO100 in 2024? It seems extinct on the internet...

Sadly, it seems to have been discontinued short after this review...

 

[raif71]

Bought the po100 pro few weeks back to test i2s into smsl m400 dac. The hiby r3 pro sabre DAP as transport player connected to the po100 pro and its i2s output connected to said dac works wonderfully. When DSD is played, the dac shows it.

 

[thanrl]

View attachment 370980

Bought the po100 pro few weeks back to test i2s into smsl m400 dac. The hiby r3 pro sabre DAP as transport player connected to the po100 pro and its i2s output connected to said dac works wonderfully. When DSD is played, the dac shows it.

Great to know that the R3 can power the po100 pro. This is my exact use case too!

 

[pseudoid]

Yes.

Not too long, preferably glass or at least properly polished end terminations and a good, firm fit, otherwise you can get issues.

What a design mistake that Toslink connector was/is.
The bayonet version would have been the better solution... even if it was made of plastic.
I have a few Toslinks with a metallic surround that seem to snap-on w/a more positive click.

 

[rochambeaux]

Is using the PO100 PRO outputting to TOSLINK on an amp (Like Loxjie A30) essentially a 2 step process that an amp like SMSL A0300 taking the same USB-C signal performing in one step?

 

[raif71]

View attachment 370980

Bought the po100 pro few weeks back to test i2s into smsl m400 dac. The hiby r3 pro sabre DAP as transport player connected to the po100 pro and its i2s output connected to said dac works wonderfully. When DSD is played, the dac shows it.

This particular setup is fine but when I tried to connect po100 like above to Topping D70 dac i2s input, I had to crank the amp to max just to hear any audio, even that is faint. I then connected Topping M50 which has i2s out to the D70 and wala...instant fantastic sound with normal volume at the amp. Perhaps the po100 is not compatible with D70 dac or any other settings I need to consider...as it is using mode2 and uac2 at the po100. The D70 i2s settings are at default... did a std to rev phase at the D70 but still low volume.