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SMSL D-6 DAC Review

Rate this DAC:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 4 1.4%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 10 3.4%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther

    Votes: 90 30.8%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 188 64.4%

  • Total voters
    292

E_Majluf

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Obviously, to hear low frequencies you must have equipment that can reproduce them. This, to know when one tone ends and the other begins in the videos.
 

E_Majluf

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Looking to potentially set up a 2.1 channel system in my Office for streaming off of sources like Tidal/Amazon music. Already have a pair of JBL 308MKII and a sealed sub.

Would this unit paired with a Bluesound Node 2i be a way to get a decent sounding system and could I use the remote to adjust volume?
Hello pbc, If the .1 signal to the sub will get you through the D-6, the sub will not sing to you.
 

staticV3

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Ok, promised.

from 80 hz the roll off occurs.
First video is for Bryston BDA-3 and second video is SMSL D-6

Comments?
Try to reduce the number of boxes between your audio source and your SPL meter.

Ideally:
- PC->USB/Toslink->Bryston BDA-3->RCA->JL e112->SPL meter
and
- PC->USB/Toslink---->SMSL D-6---->RCA->JL e112->SPL meter
(use the same USB/Toslink/RCA cables for both tests)

Is the bass roll off still there in this configuration?
If the roll off is still there, then there's a good chance the DAC is defective.
If the roll off is gone, then the culprit is not the DAC, but some other component in your chain.
Currently, there are too many variables in place.
 

E_Majluf

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Intente reducir la cantidad de cajas entre su fuente de audio y su medidor SPL.

Idealmente:
- PC ->USB/Toslink-> Bryston BDA-3 ->RCA-> JL e112 -> Medidor SPL
y
- PC ->USB/Toslink----> SMSL D-6 ---->RCA-> JL e112 -> Medidor SPL
(use los mismos cables USB/Toslink/RCA para ambas pruebas)

¿Sigue existiendo la reducción de graves en esta configuración?
Si el roll off todavía está allí, entonces hay una buena posibilidad de que el DAC esté defectuoso.
Si el roll off desaparece, entonces el culpable no es el DAC, sino algún otro componente de su cadena.
Actualmente, hay demasiadas variables en su lugar.
Hola staticV3, utilicé una configuración con cable óptico, los dos dac con el mismo cable.

OPPO UDP-203--> cable opcional a Bryston o SMLS--> cable rca a pre-->JL y Power Bryston.

Lo único diferente fue el cable rca de dac a pre. D-& un par de Madrigal CZ-Gel2 y el Mogami hecho a mano con cable BDP-3.

Tal reducción no la produciría el cable Madrigal RCA.

Entonces creo que el D-6 está defectuoso o lo venden así. Al verificar en la página SMLS para este DAC, no especifican cuál es su rango de frecuencia de transmisión.
 

staticV3

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@E_Majluf Amir's SMSL D-6 showed flat frequency response down to at least 20Hz:
SMSL D-6 Balanced Multitone Measurements Balanced Stereo USB DAC.png
So the bass roll off that you're seeing is certainly not the DAC's intended frequency response.
My recommendation is again to eliminate as many variables as possible. Use the same cables and as few boxes in the chain as you can.
 

san

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Hi,

I recently bought SMSL A300 amp to drive my Q Acoustics 3020i speakers. I'm looking for a DAC now.

I'm confused between SMSL SU-6 and SMSL D-6. Please let me know when one is better and which one should I choose. I know there won't be much difference in SQ. But want to know which one is better overall.

Thanks
 

E_Majluf

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Hi,

I recently bought SMSL A300 amp to drive my Q Acoustics 3020i speakers. I'm looking for a DAC now.

I'm confused between SMSL SU-6 and SMSL D-6. Please let me know when one is better and which one should I choose. I know there won't be much difference in SQ. But want to know which one is better overall.

Thanks
Good morning, what I can tell you is that in general terms the AKM chip feels very natural.

On the other hand, I have made some posts in this forum about how the low frequencies are considerably reduced in the DAC SMSL D-6 vs the Bryston BDA-3. (Both with AKM Chips, but the Bryston is AKM 4490 from 2006) I don't know if the unit I just bought was defective or the design is like that.

On the other hand, on the SMSL page there is no support to learn more about the model (only to download manuals and drivers), and the specs do not indicate its frequency range.
 
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pbc

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Sorry pbc, the subwoofer won't sing. I will appreciate seeing videos that I made and photos with results.
Sorry auto correct didn’t work. Do you mean that the subwoofer out is not working on this unit? Or is it only for passive subwoofers?

I’m not understanding what you mean by it won’t “sing”?
 

pbc

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Ah, you’re saying there is massive bass roll off. Got it. I thought that was just for the speaker outs you’re saying the roll off is also there when used with an external subwoofer?
 

E_Majluf

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Ah, you’re saying there is massive bass roll off. Got it. I thought that was just for the speaker outs you’re saying the roll off is also there when used with an external subwoofer?
Right, that's what I found out. therefore, if the digital to analog conversion goes through the D-6 and from there to the amplifier or preamplifier or receiver and from there to the subwoofer, whether passive or active, below 63 hz approximately you will not hear them.

I also translate from Spanish to English.
 

E_Majluf

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Good morning everyone, I needed one last test replacing the Madrigal RCA analog cables for the ones I use in the Bryston BDA_3 DAC. And indeed it happened that everything improved, the output curves of the low frequencies were equalized.

I find it hard to believe that these cables are damaged and have that drop in volume in those frequencies and not in the rest.

My apologies to all.
 

E_Majluf

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Ah, you’re saying there is massive bass roll off. Got it. I thought that was just for the speaker outs you’re saying the roll off is also there when used with an external subwoofer?
pbc, the subwoofer with the D-6 will sing.
 

g00gle

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Will I run into any problems with using 6.3mm to rca cables to connect my active speakers? Or should I use the rca output with y-splitters instead?

Right now I am manually switching the cables on the dac between my headphone amp and speakers and it is becoming really annoying to do so.
 

E_Majluf

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Ideally, so you don't have that problem with your phono amplifier, use the RCA outputs for your phono amplifier and the TRS output (6.3mm) for your powered speakers. And depending on the input of your powered speakers you will need to find and buy a cable with those different ends on both ends of the cable.
 
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