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

[pouni]

Hi, I went through some trial and error connecting my PO100 Pro with my Musician Pegasus. Maybe you can somehow benefit from what I have written in following forum post:

Musician Audio Pegasus R2R DAC

Cool, which DDC would be a good fit? I have read much about the Douk Audio U2 Pro and now I saw that SMSL has launched the new PO100 Pro?? I have the Denafrips Iris connected to my Denafrips Pontus II and it works great. Also removes any last issues with hum/ground noise from my PC. I don't...

www.head-fi.org

 

[Mr_Nujin]

Hi, I went through some trial and error connecting my PO100 Pro with my Musician Pegasus. Maybe you can somehow benefit from what I have written in following forum post:

Musician Audio Pegasus R2R DAC

Cool, which DDC would be a good fit? I have read much about the Douk Audio U2 Pro and now I saw that SMSL has launched the new PO100 Pro?? I have the Denafrips Iris connected to my Denafrips Pontus II and it works great. Also removes any last issues with hum/ground noise from my PC. I don't...

www.head-fi.org

Checking it out now. Thank you for the response!

 

[JasonC331]

Hi together, I have received the PO100 Pro and everything works fine connected to a Windows 11 PC. Do you think I should install the driver from the SMSL Website even though it seems to work also without these drivers?

Kind of like topping drivers if you want all sample rates and ASIO yes you will need the driver.

 

[Rover]

Hello. Long time lurker, first time post. I am having a hard time with my I2S connection between the PO100Pro and Topping D90. Based on the I2S interface in the manual, I should be in Mode 2 on the PO100Pro and STD on the D90. But I am not getting any sound. Optical and Coaxial is working. Any troubleshooting tips to get the I2S connection working? Thanks in advance.

View attachment 256261

I checked the optics and coaxial on PO100PRO for interest in the MQA and yes, everything decodes perfectly.
I checked for an I2S connection to the SMSL D400EX and yes, everything plays perfectly except MQA, Although 100 pro itself shows decoding.I don't use an MQA myself, it's purely for an experiment.

ps. Turn on the reverse at 90 and mode 1 at 100PRO.

 

[Mr_Nujin]

I checked the optics and coaxial on PO100PRO for interest in the MQA and yes, everything decodes perfectly.
I checked for an I2S connection to the SMSL D400EX and yes, everything plays perfectly except MQA, Although 100 pro itself shows decoding.I don't use an MQA myself, it's purely for an experiment.

ps. Turn on the reverse at 90 and mode 1 at 100 percent.

I may have tried that setting but will give it another try. Thanks!

 

[WondrousHippo]

I know that SMSL advertisies game console compatibility, but has anyone confirmed if any of these devices actually work with the Nintendo Switch? The PO100 (with UAC1 firmware) and C200 in UAC1 mode don't actually work with the Switch. Fine with the PS5.

 

[MacCali]

The PO100 Pro is fire, just got it and hooked it up to the PC. Replacing the schitt Eitr, no blind testing but definitely sounds fairly close to my streamer o.o

 

[capslock]

I quickly tried that with REW just updated to V5.20.14:
View attachment 253464

Is this digital or analog out? The request by Tangband that you quoted seems to imply it is digital out, but for digital out, it looks almost poor. For analog, it looks extremely good.

Did you do measurements of analog out of the PO 100 Pro? What DAC does it use?

 

[VintageFlanker]

Is this digital or analog out?

Analog.

Did you do measurements of analog out of the PO 100 Pro? What DAC does it use?

The exact same way it has been done during the all review: through Topping E70 toslink in/XLR out.

 

[capslock]

Thanks. So this is the toslink out of the PO 100 Pro --> E70 XLR out --> E1DA?

Are there measurements of PO 100 Pro Cinch out --> E1DA?

My question pertained to the DAC chip inside the PO 100 Pro.

 

[VintageFlanker]

My question pertained to the DAC chip inside the PO 100 Pro.

There's no DAC chip inside the PO100 PRO. Please give the review a second reading.

 

[capslock]

Ok, now I get it. The Pro adds the other XMOS chip and I2S, but no analog out.

 

[flowjm]

It's a shame that the DAC portion of AK variant isn't better, otherwise it would be a great all in one audio output for a laptop.

 

[VintageFlanker]

It's a shame that the DAC portion of AK variant isn't better

Well, the shame is that neither @SMSL-Mandy nor @SMSL_Liu took the time to comment the PO100 AK measured performance here.

 

[JasonC331]

I love the device for what I need it to do, but man the build quality is ....... I would highly suggest being very careful with making sure it stays still as 2 now have been sent back from a weak connection for the spdif, now it did fall from about 10 inches on carpet but audio stoped right then. You could hold it in place to make it work.

 

[Rover]

Well, the shame is that neither @SMSL-Mandy nor @SMSL_Liu took the time to comment the PO100 AK measured performance here.

You tested one or a couple of AKs. For an unambiguous conclusion. You may have come across a faulty AK unit.

 

[VintageFlanker]

You may have come across a faulty AK unit.

Nope. I don't think so. So far, there's nothing that can lead to this conclusion.

@SMSL-Mandy was seen online way after the review, review that was promoted to the home page. Hard to imagine that S.M.S.L missed it. Or if they did, they don't care that much, which is hardly any better. That is on them to claim if it is, or could be, a defective unit.

Since the manufacturer is unable to provide any measurements of PO100 AK's both channels to compare with mine, then my guess is that most, if any, PO100 AK have the same behaviour, and that they're OK with it. Unless they publish something here to complement my data, or that they make a proposal for sending me a second sample, the conclusion remains the same: The PO100 AK is faulty.

 

[JasonC331]

Nope. I don't think so. So far, there's nothing that can lead to this conclusion.

@SMSL-Mandy was seen online way after the review, review that was promoted to the home page. Hard to imagine that S.M.S.L missed it. Or if they did, they don't care that much, which is hardly any better. That is on them to claim if it is, or could be, a defective unit.

Since the manufacturer is unable to provide any measurements of PO100 AK's both channels to compare with mine, then my guess is that most, if any, PO100 AK have the same behaviour, and that they're OK with it. Unless they publish something here to complement my data, or that they make a proposal for sending me a second sample, the conclusion remains the same: The PO100 AK is faulty.

In your opinion is the po100 pro still the best choice for USB to 3 outputs? Coax ,optical and I2S.

 

[VintageFlanker]

In your opinion is the po100 pro still the best choice for USB to 3 outputs? Coax ,optical and I2S.

Still is. Only opponent is Douk Audio U2 PRO, which is priced about the same, but the distribution and support is nowhere near S.M.S.L.

 

[Klirren]

@VintageFlanker: The SMSL PO100 is sold out in Europe. Do you have an alternative?

Thanks in advance.