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Shenzhen/SMSL RAW-HA1 Amplifier Review

Rate this amplifier:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 13 5.3%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 82 33.6%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther

    Votes: 131 53.7%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 18 7.4%

  • Total voters
    244

amirm

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This is a review and detailed measurements of the Shenzhenaudio SMSL RAW-HA1 integrated amplifier with DAC and headphone output. It was sent to me by the Shenzhenaudio and is on sale for US $212.49.
SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC Review.jpg

The user interface is much updated and more elegant than the older SMSL UI. It is easy to use even without the included remote control. Back panel shows the rich functionality of this amp:
SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC back panel Review.jpg

For starters, we have included power supply which is not common in this class product. HDMI ARC is included which I unfortunately can't yet test. Bulti-in CS DAC has the usual inputs. The amplifier is based on Infineon IC. Let's see how they all perform together.

SMSL RAW-HA1 Amplifier Measurements
Let's start with using Line In (called AUX in the UI):
SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC AUX Measurement.png


Switching to Toslink digital input shows no difference, indicating that the DAC is superior to the amplifier (as it should be):

SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC Toslink Measurement.png


Performance is good enough to beat the average for all amplifiers tested:
Best integrated amplifier review.png

Best integrated amplifier desktop review.png


Noise test shows the same:
SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC SNR 5 watts Measurement.png


Here is how it rates at max power:
SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC SNR Max Power Measurement.png


Frequency response unfortunately shows some amount of load dependency:
SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC AUX Frequency Response Measurem...png


Strange to see a flat line for crosstalk, indicating some kind of resistive connection between channels:
SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC AUX crosstalk channel separatio...png


Multitone test shows the class rise in distortion at higher frequencies:
SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC AUX Multitone Measurement.png

Which then reflects into 19 and 20 kHz IMD test:
SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC AUX 19 20 kHz intermodulation I...png


Let's see the power level at 4 ohm:
SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC AUX Power 4 Measurement.png

SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC AUX Max and peak Power 4 Measur...png


And at 8 ohm:
SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC AUX Power 8 Measurement.png


"FTC" like power sweep caused the amp to shutdown below 30 Hz so I am showing everything above that:
SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC AUX FCC Power Measurement.png


That is reflected in our power test vs frequency:
SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC AUX Power 4 vs frequency Measur...png


The unit has impressive ability -- at least in short term -- to drive even 2 ohm load:
SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC Reactive Load Voltage Measurement.png


SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC Reactive Load Wattage Power Mea...png


Finally, the amp needs a bit of time to get its best performance:
SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC Warm Up Measurement.png


It actually improved a bit more towards the end of my tests, causing me to go back and re-run the dashboard test.

The top of the unit had a small warm area but nothing of concern so I did not shoot my thermal image.

Pop noise is impressively low:
SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC Pop On Off Noise Measurement.png


Headphone output is anemic for a desktop product:
SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC Power 300 Measurement.png

SMSL RAW-HA1 Integrated Amplifier Headphone Power DAC HDMI ARC Power 32 Measurement.png


Conclusions
The RAW-HA1 has impressive functionality with compact packaging with a lot of features and built-in power supply. The user interface is attractive. Considering the price, it is a very compelling offering. Objective performance is "good." Wish list for next version is lack of load variability and higher power headphone output.

I am going to recommend the RAW-HA1 integrated amplifier and DAC.
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As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/
 
Last edited:
Many thanks for an informative review as usual, @amirm.

If you still have the unit, would you mind testing it for occasional and regular low-level popping when used via USB without the XMOS driver (that plagues some SMSL products and may indicate incomplete UAC2 compliance) as seen in my video?

Some notes:
  • Only affects USB input (on Windows, Linux, Mac)
  • After powering on, two pops are heard. Starting playback results in two more pops and a loss of the start of that track. Stopping and waiting a few seconds results in two pops, after which there will be two more pops upon playback
  • The 'fix' exists for Windows only, by installing the XMOS driver, editing the XML config file to expose more Control Panel tabs, then changing the Streaming option from 'On when Needed' to 'Always On'
  • No Mac or Linux XMOS driver & Control Panel, hence no such fix for those OSes
  • This setting is not stored inside the unit
  • Audio captured with a MOTU UltraLite mk5. The only processing performed is normalisation.
 
Great review @amirm.

It looks to be a good value, reasonable performance, featured and compact little unit. It also looks well made and would probably do well in a 2nd system or less critical games/bedroom system.

I think you'd get your money's worth out of it.
 
The UI and feature set are impressive. That said, the amp section is not significantly better at 8 ohms than the now-elderly and still dirt-cheap Aiyima A07, and it has similar load dependence. In 2024, one would think PFFB -- not to mention a respectably beefy headphone output -- would be mandatory for such products, but what do I know?....
 
@amirm. In the power test for 4 Ohms and 8 Ohms how is clipping determined? I see it around -60dB but they are both different. Is it a slope reference? How do you or the AP determine clipping?
index.php

index.php
 
@amirm. In the power test for 4 Ohms and 8 Ohms how is clipping determined? I see it around -60dB but they are both different. Is it a slope reference? How do you or the AP determine clipping?
I try to find the point where the hockey stick shoots up. There is not a ton of resolution (points) there so the assessment is approximate. This is why I follow up with the 1% THD test. In that graph, I could have picked the point below it.
 
I try to find the point where the hockey stick shoots up. There is not a ton of resolution (points) there so the assessment is approximate. This is why I follow up with the 1% THD test. In that graph, I could have picked the point below it.
In the 1% THD graph are you seeking a specific power reduction point on the graph or is it the AP determining this? I'm accustomed to manually using a O-scope and frequency sweeping for hard clipping and so this AP metering method and estimating the hard clipping point is new to me as per the rational and methodology used. I'm trying to wrap my head around it.
index.php
 
In the 1% THD graph are you seeking a specific power reduction point on the graph or is it the AP determining this? I'm accustomed to manually using a O-scope and frequency sweeping for hard clipping and so this AP metering method and estimating the hard clipping point is new to me as per the rational and methodology used. I'm trying to wrap my head around it.
index.php

Amir has picked the 1kHz 1% power and then swept it, to see how it holds up across the spectrum.

It's basically a full power bandwidth test or similar.
 
Amir has picked the 1kHz 1% power and then swept it, to see how it holds up across the spectrum.

It's basically a full power bandwidth test or similar.
IC. I'm not familiar with the automation of the AP and have no idea what the operator input is or if manual operation is possible.
 
Lots of features for the money but none of them rate higher than "alright" compared to alternatives. For me this would be on the list as an option... if I needed a full DAC/AMP setup, but not as my primary system.
 
In the 1% THD graph are you seeking a specific power reduction point on the graph or is it the AP determining this?
That is a special mode in AP where it automatically sets the generator to parameters I give it, namely 1% THD at 1 kHz. Once there, I use that to do a frequency response graph. The voltage value is computed iteratively by AP much like it is used for the two power levels at 1% THD. It searches up and down from parameters you give it until it hones in on the target value. You could do the same manually but it of course is much faster this way.
 
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