SMSL D400ES DAC Review

[chauphuong]

No filter and no sound color work best for me. Not only about sound volume but much about dynamics. I listen mostly to classical by the way.

 

[Blashyrkh]

No filter and no sound color work best for me. Not only about sound volume but much about dynamics. I listen mostly to classical by the way.

Are you upsampling externally?

 

[chauphuong]

Are you upsampling externally?

No, I like it raw.

 

[GEO]

The new SMSL D400ES also sounds excellent in the combination HE-1000 Stealth and LYR+. Incredibly clean and dynamic.
Highly recommended!

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Now here is a man that has listened to the unit! I had to return my first do to popping issues but second unit is here and working flawless. I compared this dac against the cheaper but still specced out smsl do100 pro and gustard x16, IMHO the d400es is just miles ahead in soundstage and balance I really dont think alot of these people have heard this dac so its kind of a sleeper. And maybe assuming it has nasty ESS type shrill top end but to my surprise this thing is like velvet on my ear drums still with all the articulation, just a joy for me so far. Do you still have yours hooked up ? hows she running. cheers

 

[The Dunster]

Would this DAC be suitable to lift the Redbook performance of my Yamaha CD-S2000 Cd player? (PCM1796)
Or would I struggle to hear any improvement / change?

 

[levimax]

Would this DAC be suitable to lift the Redbook performance of my Yamaha CD-S2000 Cd player? (PCM1796)
Or would I struggle to hear any improvement / change?

I pick up used CD players at thrift shops for $5 and $10 and have used their Line Level Outputs and have hooked them up to a couple of different SMSL and Topping DAC's and I have not been able to hear any difference. Certainly the new DAC's will measure better. If you are looking for audible improvement I would save the money from the DAC and put it toward better speakers which is where the real room for improvement lies.

 

[Angsty]

I pick up used CD players at thrift shops for $5 and $10 and have used their Line Level Outputs and have hooked them up to a couple of different SMSL and Topping DAC's and I have not been able to hear any difference. Certainly the new DAC's will measure better. If you are looking for audible improvement I would save the money from the DAC and put it toward better speakers which is where the real room for improvement lies.

Agree. I use a +15 year-old CD player with a 4 year-old $100 DAC. The newer DAC makes me feel better; I don’t pretend I could pick out the CD player line output from that of the DAC in a double blind test.

 

[The Dunster]

I pick up used CD players at thrift shops for $5 and $10 and have used their Line Level Outputs and have hooked them up to a couple of different SMSL and Topping DAC's and I have not been able to hear any difference. Certainly the new DAC's will measure better. If you are looking for audible improvement I would save the money from the DAC and put it toward better speakers which is where the real room for improvement lies.

Cheers. I thought that might be the case.

 

[Dr.Ames]

I was able to buy the 400 ES at a good price on Black Friday. I use the Fast-Linear PCM filter without Sound Color and the sound of classical solo piano recordings, which is very important to me, is really convincing. I'm currently listening to a lot of recordings from Glenn Gould's Remastered Collection, which I digitized myself in FLAC format. The piano sound is present and free of coloration and the master's singing in the background is always present. Whether this DAC sounds so much better than my old one, who knows, but I am very satisfied with this device and the exterior also looks very high quality.

For me, solo piano music is a good source for evaluating consumer electronics. I remember with horror the sound of the first CD player with the Technics MASH D/A converter many years ago.