Serious failure in DAC SMSL SU-1

[Nutul]

The warranty offered by AliExpress and its sellers for Peru is a disaster; they only allow 15 days to activate it if the product arrives with a factory defect or fails within that two-week window, and I made my purchase four months ago.

As I’ve already explained, it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to open a dispute to claim the warranty; my only remaining options are to repair the item or buy a new one.

I get you now... it's going to be a nightmare...
If it happens to be a PSU failure, you may be lucky to have it replaced at a local repair shop for 100 bucks...

All the best.
Sincerely, Al.

 

[Roland68]

I get you now... it's going to be a nightmare...
If it happens to be a PSU failure, you may be lucky to have it replaced at a local repair shop for 100 bucks...

All the best.
Sincerely, Al.

For a spare part costing €3–7 and a maximum of 10 minutes of work, that would be a real cheek.
If there are FabLabs or repair cafés around, it would just cost that €3–7 plus a little something for the coffee fund.

 

[Firulais71]

I get you now... it's going to be a nightmare...
If it happens to be a PSU failure, you may be lucky to have it replaced at a local repair shop for 100 bucks...

All the best.
Sincerely, Al.

Hi, spending $100 to repair a Chinese product that cost $80 makes no sense.

The only two options are to try repairing it for a fraction of the cost, meaning spending no more than $10, $20... or $50; or, alternatively, to buy a DAC purchasing it from a local distributor to ensure at least a one year warranty.

Grettings from Peru.

 

[Firulais71]

For a spare part costing €3–7 and a maximum of 10 minutes of work, that would be a real cheek.
If there are FabLabs or repair cafés around, it would just cost that €3–7 plus a little something for the coffee fund.

Hey Roland, good to hear from you, thanks for stopping by. That is indeed the plan; I’ll take your technical advice, and ATTI’s, into account regarding where the fault might lie. Hopefully, it’s something as simple as replacing the DC/DC converter.

I’ll let you know if I manage to fix it.

But if that doesn't work out, ¿what DAC would you recommend for a vintage setup like mine. where I use a PC with digital files for playback?, I’d prefer not to spend more than $200 -250 this time around, and which, of course, offers better quality than the broken SMSL.

Best regards.

 

[Pauli]

Only teaches me to buy local ...

My first S.M.S.L SU-1 failed after 5 or 6 months, with similar symptoms. Sending it back to Audiophonics, France (from Germany) to get a replacement went flawless. I only had to »remind« them later to compensate me for the shipping costs

 

[Roland68]

Hey Roland, good to hear from you, thanks for stopping by. That is indeed the plan; I’ll take your technical advice, and ATTI’s, into account regarding where the fault might lie. Hopefully, it’s something as simple as replacing the DC/DC converter.

I’ll let you know if I manage to fix it.

But if that doesn't work out, ¿what DAC would you recommend for a vintage setup like mine. where I use a PC with digital files for playback?, I’d prefer not to spend more than $200 -250 this time around, and which, of course, offers better quality than the broken SMSL.

Best regards.

As mentioned in post #18, I would file a complaint first. It is sometimes surprising what a friendly inquiry—even sent to three different places—can achieve.

For a vintage setup, I would definitely recommend the old full-size Cambridge Audio DACMagic 1 (designed by John Westlake), featuring dual Philips TDA1305T chips. It is one of my favorite DACs and holds a permanent spot in my living room setup.
For USB connectivity, just pick up an SMSL PO100 2024.

Otherwise, I can recommend the SMSL D200, even though it is slightly above your budget.

If you simply want to replace the SU-1, just go for the SMSL SU-2. These two devices are unrelated. The SU-2 features an internal switching power supply—a design that has proven reliable in other devices for several years. Here, too, you will need an SMSL PO100 2024 for USB connectivity.

The new SMSL D100 (non-Pro version) also makes a good impression on me and should fit well into a vintage setup (available in black and silver). It requires an additional 5V/2A USB-C power supply; you can get one from Mean Well for €10–20.

 

[Nutul]

Hi, spending $100 to repair a Chinese product that cost $80 makes no sense.

The only two options are to try repairing it for a fraction of the cost, meaning spending no more than $10, $20... or $50; or, alternatively, to buy a DAC purchasing it from a local distributor to ensure at least a one year warranty.

Grettings from Peru.

I am sorry; I was back from a post about more expensive gear, and didn't realize 100 was inconsistent with the unit under scrutiny.
You are all right: if it can be fixed for 20 bucks is OK, otherwise it's silly.

 

[Firulais71]

Hey everyone, I wanted to finally share how this situation ended.

In the end, I didn't open or try to repair the faulty SU-1 DAC. As I mentioned before, AliExpress wouldn't let me open a dispute or warranty claim due to their terms and conditions for Latin American users.

Following Roland68 advice, I contacted the seller directly, which in this case is the official Shenzhenaudio store on AliExpress. After a brief exchange of messages, in which they asked me to perform some standard checks to rule out connection or configuration problems, they concluded that the unit was indeed faulty.

They then asked me directly if I preferred a refund or a new unit.

I chose the replacement, they requested my shipping information, and a few hours later, they sent me the tracking number; all of this happened on August 3rd.

Yesterday, August 15th, the new DAC arrived at my doorstep, this morning I connected it to my system, and it works perfectly.

(New DAC on the right)

Honestly, I was very impressed with Shenzhenaudio's service. they could have easily ignored my complaint or complicated the process. Instead, they responded quickly and resolved the issue without any hassle.

It's great to find a brand that truly stands behind the products it sells.

Many thanks also to everyone who participated in the thread, and especially to @Roland68, whose advice was key to reaching this positive outcome.

And, of course, my appreciation to @SHENZHENAUDIO for their attention and excellent after-sales service.

Best regards to all.

 

[SHENZHENAUDIO]

Hey everyone, I wanted to finally share how this situation ended.

In the end, I didn't open or try to repair the faulty SU-1 DAC. As I mentioned before, AliExpress wouldn't let me open a dispute or warranty claim due to their terms and conditions for Latin American users.

Following Roland68 advice, I contacted the seller directly, which in this case is the official Shenzhenaudio store on AliExpress. After a brief exchange of messages, in which they asked me to perform some standard checks to rule out connection or configuration problems, they concluded that the unit was indeed faulty.

They then asked me directly if I preferred a refund or a new unit.

View attachment 552111

I chose the replacement, they requested my shipping information, and a few hours later, they sent me the tracking number; all of this happened on August 3rd.

Yesterday, August 15th, the new DAC arrived at my doorstep, this morning I connected it to my system, and it works perfectly.

View attachment 552113
(New DAC on the right)

Honestly, I was very impressed with Shenzhenaudio's service. they could have easily ignored my complaint or complicated the process. Instead, they responded quickly and resolved the issue without any hassle.

It's great to find a brand that truly stands behind the products it sells.

Many thanks also to everyone who participated in the thread, and especially to @Roland68, whose advice was key to reaching this positive outcome.

And, of course, my appreciation to @SHENZHENAUDIO for their attention and excellent after-sales service.

Best regards to all.

Thank you so much for sharing that.

 

[Herbert]

What are the replacements for the DC-DC converter? I would like sell my SU-1 and protect the buyer from this common failure.

 

[Roland68]

What are the replacements for the DC-DC converter? I would like sell my SU-1 and protect the buyer from this common failure.

There are various posts about this in the SU-1 thread; just search the thread for "DC/DC converter."

However, it isn't a particularly common issue and tends to occur mostly within the first few months. I suspect fluctuations and a lack of quality control regarding the components.

 

[Herbert]

Thanks Roland68, but this here is the failure thread. So did anyone try the DC/DC converter Roland68 proposed?

https://cdn-reichelt.de/documents/datenblatt/D400/RD.pdf