SMSL C200 Mac problems

[Tangband]

Hi.
I have a Mac M1 . I have no problems with my USB bridge, and my recording interface containing a xmos. This seems to be a specific problem with this SMSL product.

I assume that the user uses a proper original Apple adaptor/USB cable ?

 

[Wekhrlin]

This is it exactly. Too bad. I really like the C200 and it did everything I needed it to, but this issue, IMO makes it unusable for Macs.

It would now be interesting to know whether the other devices from SMSL have a similar problem. A good amplifier in combination with the SMSL C100-DAC would be an acceptable alternative. The C100 contains an XMOS XU316 ("XMOS 3rd Generation USB solution") and the C200 a "2nd gen solution" (according to SMSL). But somehow I've lost the desire to test and I'm thinking of going directly from the output of the Mac mini into the amplifier and connecting it and the other computer via a switch.

 

[Wekhrlin]

Hi.
I have a Mac M1 . I have no problems with my USB bridge, and my recording interface containing a xmos. This seems to be a specific problem with this SMSL product.

I assume that the user uses a proper original Apple adaptor/USB cable ?

This would speak for a test with other DACs, if it is (hopefully!) only the specific XMOS chip that is built into the C200.

 

[Wekhrlin]

Hi.
I have a Mac M1 . I have no problems with my USB bridge, and my recording interface containing a xmos. This seems to be a specific problem with this SMSL product.

I assume that the user uses a proper original Apple adaptor/USB cable ?

PS: I have tested with different cables and adapters.

 

[Wekhrlin]

I am happy to report that the SMSL C100 DAC works flawlessly with a Mac mini (M1). No clicking or anything else. It has a XMOS XU-316 for USB.

 

[DavidM1]

I am happy to report that the SMSL C100 DAC works flawlessly with a Mac mini (M1). No clicking or anything else. It has a XMOS XU-316 for USB.

Very pleased to hear it. Out of interest, what cable do you connect with?

 

[Wekhrlin]

Very pleased to hear it. Out of interest, what cable do you connect with?

The Mac is connected via the very basic USB cable that came with the DAC (I'm not that well-equipped with USB-C cables yet ;-) ). My other device (Linux) is connected via optical.

 

[Wekhrlin]

Very pleased to hear it. Out of interest, what cable do you connect with?

Unfortunately, I was only able to test the DAC with a somewhat poor amplifier (with its own noise) until just now. A small addition in this thread: https://audiosciencereview.com/foru...without-workarounds-pc-mac.41982/post-1505845

It is very interesting that the Topping E30 v2 has the same XMOS chip as the SMSL C200—but nothing clicks here on my Mac.

 

[DavidM1]

My C200 arrived yesterday afternoon and I have mainly used it with optical input from an AirPort Express and line out to my speaker amp. Works well, sounds great. With this thread in mind, I also connected it up as a desktop headphone amp, using the USB A to USB C cable it came with connected to a USB A port on an unpowered Comsol hub that I have connected to my 2020 M1 MacBook Air. The laptop is current with OS updates.

With the USB input there were no extraneous noises or clicks and no delay at the start of tracks played on Apple music. Likewise, file tracks accessed through the Music app from an older Mac Mini on the network were fine. No odd sounds or delays. I also played alert sounds via the usb out and compared them to the MacBook Air speakers. No difference as far as I can tell.

With what I’ve heard so far, I’m happy to say I have no issues at all with the C200. If that changes I’ll mention it here.

 

[Wekhrlin]

With what I’ve heard so far, I’m happy to say I have no issues at all with the C200.

I'm glad to hear that it works with your setup. Either it's your hub or SMSL has significant quality problems with this device. Fingers crossed that your C200 stays that way!

 

[DavidM1]

I'm glad to hear that it works with your setup. Either it's your hub or SMSL has significant quality problems with this device. Fingers crossed that your C200 stays that way!

It’s just a cheap hub from Amazon. It has through power to USB C on the MacBook Air. It has HDMI out to the monitor and 3 USB A ports, which I think run at USB 3.0. A lot of audio gear uses USB 2.0 and I regularly use these ports for a recording interface and a midi controller. Both use USB 2 and also connect perfectly.

I’m really impressed with the C200. As someone earlier in the thread said, there have been very few complaints from Mac users. The two in this thread are the only ones I’ve seen.

Good luck with it. It’s frustrating when gear doesn’t work for your setup.

 

[p-arrow]

Having the same problems with mine. I got it a week or so ago, and at first it seemed to work flawlessly, but around 2 days ago I noticed the pops whenever an audio stream starts. Not sure if it was working fine before or if it just took a while for me to clue into.

Some apps seem worse than others. Spotify seems to keep the stream open fairly long, so even if I stop a song the C200 won’t click off for over a minute… maybe longer. But in Deezer it clicks as soon as I hit pause or even skip a song, which is particularly brutal… it clicks off and then back on between every track!!!

 

[meringo]

I have an SMSL M300 MKII which runs XMOS but doesn't have this problem at all on my M1 Mac Mini. I recently bought an SMSL DO100 and had a blip problem... sent it back to Aoshida, and bought another on Amazon. Same problem, but not as extreme. It seems like there's something more to the story. I don't think we say this applies to all XMOS DACs, but certainly, some of the more recent SMSL ones all seem to exhibit this problem.

 

[bbrown]

My C200 arrived yesterday afternoon and I have mainly used it with optical input from an AirPort Express and line out to my speaker amp. Works well, sounds great. With this thread in mind, I also connected it up as a desktop headphone amp, using the USB A to USB C cable it came with connected to a USB A port on an unpowered Comsol hub that I have connected to my 2020 M1 MacBook Air. The laptop is current with OS updates.

With the USB input there were no extraneous noises or clicks and no delay at the start of tracks played on Apple music. Likewise, file tracks accessed through the Music app from an older Mac Mini on the network were fine. No odd sounds or delays. I also played alert sounds via the usb out and compared them to the MacBook Air speakers. No difference as far as I can tell.

With what I’ve heard so far, I’m happy to say I have no issues at all with the C200. If that changes I’ll mention it here.

It would be interesting to see if still works with your M1 MacBook Air directly (no hub) connected (USB-C to USB-C) to the C200.

 

[DavidM1]

It would be interesting to see if still works with your M1 MacBook Air directly (no hub) connected (USB-C to USB-C) to the C200.

It would be interesting to see if still works with your M1 MacBook Air directly (no hub) connected (USB-C to USB-C) to

 

[DavidM1]

Pro audio is only usb 2.0 so I just used the cable it came with. It seems unfair to criticise the product under other circumstances.

Since failing to replicate the problem the OP described I haven’t had it hooked up to my computer. It has inputs from an iPad using an OTG cable via USB, optical from an AirPort Express and coax from a Sony CD transport. It works perfectly and is a pleasure to use.

 

[alexanderino]

Hello, fellow C200 users. There is now a firmware update (v 1.1) available: https://www.smsl-audio.com/portal/product/downlist/id/13.html

You will likely need access to a Windows machine to update the firmware. If you're able to do so, would you mind checking if the pops/clicks/noises have vanished?

It would now be interesting to know whether the other devices from SMSL have a similar problem. A good amplifier in combination with the SMSL C100-DAC would be an acceptable alternative. The C100 contains an XMOS XU316 ("XMOS 3rd Generation USB solution") and the C200 a "2nd gen solution" (according to SMSL).

My SU-1 (similar to the C100) has the same problem, as do others'. The 'fix' (for Windows users only) is to install the driver, edit the configuration file to expose a setting in the driver control panel, then change the setting. This setting is stored in the PC, not the device, hence it isn't a permanent solution.

Using Windows's native UAC2 driver, there was a significant and continual barrage of artifacts, rendering the SU-1 unusable. Installing the driver reduced the bad behaviour to what posters in this thread have observed. Only after the fix has the SU-1 become usable.

 

[DavidM1]

Is there an info sheet on what the update changes? If so could you post or quote it? I haven’t had any issues with my C200. It seems to work perfectly well.

 

[alexanderino]

Is there an info sheet on what the update changes? If so could you post or quote it? I haven’t had any issues with my C200. It seems to work perfectly well.

There is no changelog, unfortunately. However, this update may fix the problem many of us are having. My understanding is that some units are fine, while others are not.

 

[DavidM1]

There is no changelog, unfortunately. However, this update may fix the problem many of us are having. My understanding is that some units are fine, while others are not.

Thanks for checking.