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S.M.S.L. sAp II pro noise

Rocketval

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Jan 11, 2020
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Hi everyone, I've recorded this strange noise from my S.M.S.L. sAp II pro headphone amplifier.
It occurs sometimes while I play some fps videogames with high shots' volume but it has never been possible to be recorded.
This time, however, the problem can be replicated simply by playing a video on youtube, I leave the link below (it is in no way an attempt to advertise that channel), starting from minute 1:40 to 1:44.



Does it indicate a fault or is it a common issue to some amplifiers?
Should I worry about my headphones or, worse, my ears?
I thank in advance whoever will be able to help me.

Edit 1 : just did some test and it seems it happens from that volume knob position
 
Last edited:
It has to be a fault with the SMSL. I have the same amp, though I don't use it any more. The Left/Right balance is very uneven at low volumes but the amp is very powerful so it's almost always used with the volume pot at 1/4 rotation or lower. It can be a bit noisy adjusting it. Also the amp is hissy into low impedance headphones and is far too powerful to use with many IEMs. It was a very cheap amp when I bought it in 2015 (I paid about £35 new) and apart from being very powerful is not that good. If I were you I'd upgrade to something better. These days my Topping D10 feeds a JDS Labs Atom and that is a much nicer combination.
 
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