• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

SMSL D1SE Balanced ES9038PRO

Doodski

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Dec 9, 2019
Messages
20,745
Likes
20,757
Location
Canada
Looks like a nice unit but those spikes are too nasty for me. :D
smsl-d1se-balanced-es9038pro-dac-cpld-altera-xmos-32bit-768khz-dsd512-black.jpg
 

mononoaware

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Apr 6, 2021
Messages
816
Likes
669
Last edited:

Jimbob54

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Oct 25, 2019
Messages
11,066
Likes
14,697
I'd hang fire on buying any SMSL 9038PRO DAC for the time being......

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ds/strange-smsl-m500-high-3rd-harmonic.22710/

TL:DR- in the M500 and the SU9 it looks like the harmonic distortion goes crazy in one channel when the signal is different in L and R . So perfect for mono:facepalm:

Audible issue? Maybe not- but not worth spending $000 on a perfect DAC that isnt actually perfect in real world conditions
 

Katji

Major Contributor
Joined
Sep 26, 2017
Messages
2,990
Likes
2,273
agh, MQA - that disqualifies it for me.

Why just the related VMV logo?

What's with the "fever" thing, why is that translation not sorted out? I mean it's years now, that I've been seeing it. I think I read an explanation but I can't remember. fever grade...of course Google is no help. ...High fidelity grade? Low noise grade? ...If I find the Chinese text, then I could see what translate.google does. ...

1621516666339.png
 

Jimbob54

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Oct 25, 2019
Messages
11,066
Likes
14,697
agh, MQA - that disqualifies it for me.

Why just the related VMV logo?

What's with the "fever" thing, why is that translation not sorted out? I mean it's years now, that I've been seeing it. I think I read an explanation but I can't remember. fever grade...of course Google is no help. ...High fidelity grade? Low noise grade? ...If I find the Chinese text, then I could see what translate.google does. ...

View attachment 130886
I can only imagine its a corruption of medical/ instrument grade?
 

Katji

Major Contributor
Joined
Sep 26, 2017
Messages
2,990
Likes
2,273
Last edited:

mononoaware

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Apr 6, 2021
Messages
816
Likes
669
I have seen SMSL use the word "Porcupine" to describe the toroidal transformer.

I would much rather a Porcupine toroidal transformer than a "High-fidelity" or "Medical"/"Hospital grade" one.
 

mononoaware

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Apr 6, 2021
Messages
816
Likes
669
Why just the related VMV logo?

Regarding the logo, I think it looks odd. The font used reminds me of "Super hero" comic book text.

It would look much smarter if they just used the "A1"/"D1se" text below it, but in bold for VMV.
 
Last edited:

JohnYang1997

Master Contributor
Technical Expert
Audio Company
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
7,175
Likes
18,292
Location
China
I have seen SMSL use the word "Porcupine" to describe the toroidal transformer.

I would much rather a Porcupine toroidal transformer than a "High-fidelity" or "Medical"/"Hospital grade" one.
Porcupine is the direct Chinese translate for the Toroid International brand transformer. The logo resembles a porcupine and basically is the "audiophile" grade transformer in Chinese audiophile community.
 

Massimo

Active Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2019
Messages
159
Likes
204
I'd hang fire on buying any SMSL 9038PRO DAC for the time being......

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ds/strange-smsl-m500-high-3rd-harmonic.22710/

TL:DR- in the M500 and the SU9 it looks like the harmonic distortion goes crazy in one channel when the signal is different in L and R . So perfect for mono:facepalm:

Audible issue? Maybe not- but not worth spending $000 on a perfect DAC that isnt actually perfect in real world conditions

I would be very hesitant to purchase an expensive product from @SHENZHENAUDIO until they demonstrate that they will provide an acceptable level of support to customers that own SMSL products with issues:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...nge-smsl-m500-high-3rd-harmonic.22710/page-33
 

dmac6419

Major Contributor
Joined
Feb 16, 2019
Messages
1,246
Likes
770
Location
USofA

Massimo

Active Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2019
Messages
159
Likes
204
Expensive, this ain't Expensive, why we talking about Expensive, affordable should be the the word you're looking for lol

OK, perhaps I should have said "any" product ... irrespective of price.
 

mononoaware

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Apr 6, 2021
Messages
816
Likes
669
Porcupine is the direct Chinese translate for the Toroid International brand transformer. The logo resembles a porcupine and basically is the "audiophile" grade transformer in Chinese audiophile community.

Thank you for explaining.

I have recently found it (Shenzhen audio SMSL VMV A1 page image) and it does say "Imported Porcupine Power Transformer".
So I guess translates to: Imported Toroidal Power Transformer.
 

Veri

Master Contributor
Joined
Feb 6, 2018
Messages
9,596
Likes
12,036
Porcupine is the direct Chinese translate for the Toroid International brand transformer. The logo resembles a porcupine and basically is the "audiophile" grade transformer in Chinese audiophile community.
But is it fever porcupine? :D
 

JohnYang1997

Master Contributor
Technical Expert
Audio Company
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
7,175
Likes
18,292
Location
China
Thank you for explaining.

I have recently found it (Shenzhen audio SMSL VMV A1 page image) and it does say "Imported Porcupine Power Transformer".
So I guess translates to: Imported Toroidal Power Transformer.
It's specifically Toroid brand.
71dNZg-yADL._SL1280_.jpg
 

Katji

Major Contributor
Joined
Sep 26, 2017
Messages
2,990
Likes
2,273
? :) But what are you saying? If I translate "toroid" the result will be "porcupine"? :) ... :) Or they translate the logo, the picture, to a word? :D

The fever thing...they should just send the text to a translation service, a human translation. For sure there are individual/freelance people doing it.
 

JohnYang1997

Master Contributor
Technical Expert
Audio Company
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
7,175
Likes
18,292
Location
China
? :) But what are you saying? If I translate "toroid" the result will be "porcupine"? :) ... :) Or they translate the logo, the picture, to a word? :D

The fever thing...they should just send the text to a translation service, a human translation. For sure there are individual/freelance people doing it.
Maybe my wording is a bit off. Basically Chinese audiophile community call it "porcupine transformer" in Chinese because the logo is a porcupine.
 

mononoaware

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Apr 6, 2021
Messages
816
Likes
669
It's specifically Toroid brand. View attachment 133859

I understand now. So the red is “porcupine” brand logo.

So SMSL carried over the local marketing (customers are familiar with good Porcupine brand) and directly translated it to English marketing.
 
Top Bottom