SMSL D400EX DAC Review

[David_M]

It includes balanced operation, a leading DAC IC, very nice casework and some goofy fonts at the display. For $1k it's actually very good.

Simply- because that is what they think they can charge to maximise profit.

Ok... but looking at the SMSL DO300 or my new DO400 (essentially a do300+HP amp) at half price, all 3 devices using the same SOTA 9039 dac, I still fail to justify the $1000 price.

 

[Jimbob54]

Ok... but looking at the SMSL DO300 or my new DO400 (essentially a do300+HP amp) at half price, all 3 devices using the same SOTA 9039 dac, I still fail to justify the $1000 price.

I can't disagree. Pick a modern dac on looks, connections and functions at the lowest price you can get if its been measured as decent.

 

[Doodski]

Ok... but looking at the SMSL DO300 or my new DO400 (essentially a do300+HP amp) at half price, all 3 devices using the same SOTA 9039 dac, I still fail to justify the $1000 price.

I bought the JDS Labs ATOM DAC+ and called it a day. It works fine and cost me very little. So a thousands dollars on a DAC like this is not attractive to me. But it is a nice DAC for sure and specs out veryyy well.

 

[Johnny Fire]

hello. i have the DO400 and i love it so far, i pair it the Airpulse A300 speakers using XL:R and seem the i have some clipping higher than -1.0db
so i use -2.0 to be sure and sound clean and nice!
i suppose the speakers dont support 5V but on Topping D90SE i was used in the past had a setting to set the XLR 4v (4.2) and 5v (5.2) by user

the quick question is: is the -2.0db the right volume to get the proper 4V or like -1.5db?
thank you in advance!

 

[staticV3]

the quick question is: is the -2.0db the right volume to get the proper 4V or is it higher like -1.5db?

The DO400 puts out 5.23Vrms at 0dBFS. To limit the output to 4.0Vrms, you have to set the volume to 20*log10(4/5.23)=-2.33dB

 

[Johnny Fire]

The DO400 puts out 5.2Vrms at 0dBFS. To limit the output to 4.0Vrms, you have to set the volume to 20*log10(4/5.23)=-2.33dB

and if its 4.1V? to be sure because toppings 4.1V works in my case cant set it to -2.33dB so -2.50db for 4V

 

[staticV3]

and if its 4.1V?

Just enter 4.1 into the formula and you'll get the dB value

 

[Johnny Fire]

Just enter 4.1 into the formula and you'll get the dB value

20*log10(4.2/5.2)=-1.85 for 4.2V
20*log10(4.1/5.2)=-2.06 for 4.1V
20*log10(4/5.2)=-2.27 for 4.1V

i edit it, to may help others too...

hope i done it right
you are the best! thank you so much!

 

[Johnny Fire]

thank you once again!!!!!!!

 

[staticV3]

thank you once again!!!!!!!

You're welcome!

 

[Johnny Fire]

You're welcome!

and i found this too...
Voltage to dB Converter | AE Techron

so in my caculation in i -2.00 the XLR uses 4.13V tha works on my speakers at least stable!
the sad thing cant make the precise values due to the 0.5 volume steps on the dac but its ok.

 

[Kiko1974]

I own an SMSL DO 300EX that uses the same AKM chipset that this DAC, only that only features ONE AK4499EX chip.
I have some questions regarding this chipset combination.
Sound colors: I don't think this is an equalization feature in the same way Sabre chips do. In the user's manual of the DO 300EX is stated that Color 1 and 2 make the AK4499EX work at 5.6 MHz, that's 128 x oversampling, and Color 3 and 4 make the AK4499EX work at 11.2 MHz, that's 256 x oversampling. So my conclusion is that how the AK4191 modulates the incoming data, either PCM or DSD changes the sound of the AK4499EX. Am I right?
I personaly prefer the default Color 1 to the others as I think make the AK4499EX artificial or tiring. Color 4 for well recorded Rock music sound is dull and lacks punch.
Another question is DSD's filters, Wide and Narrow. I guess Wide reproduces DSD unfiltered, ultrasonic sound and all, and Narrow filters DSD to avoid ultrasonic noise to get to the amp and speakers. But AKM has no information about at what frequency does the Narrow filter cuts off. Any info about this?

 

[Cut-Throat]

Is this DAC missing from your Master Index of Reviews? --- I cannot find it in your Index.

 

[nanook]

Sound colors: I don't think this is an equalization feature in the same way Sabre chips do. In the user's manual of the DO 300EX is stated that Color 1 and 2 make the AK4499EX work at 5.6 MHz, that's 128 x oversampling, and Color 3 and 4 make the AK4499EX work at 11.2 MHz, that's 256 x oversampling. So my conclusion is that how the AK4191 modulates the incoming data, either PCM or DSD changes the sound of the AK4499EX.

@Kiko1974: I had the DO300EX, but decided to return it. Sound-wise ist was perfectly ok. but the perfectionistic engineer in me would have asked for a proper implementation of a higher order LP-filter in the I/V-stage and I did not want to fiddle with a brand new unit.

The SoundColor settings do change the BCLK as mentioned in the manual and since there are Soundcolor 1/2/3/4 I assume they include "Measurement Mode" vs. "Sound Quality Mode" mentioned in the datasheet of the AK4499EX.
I have made some measurements trying to understand what this "measurement mode / sound quality mode) actually means. I'm not an expert regarding DEM / DWA / Noise-Shaping, so I'm still clueless.

DEM (Dynamic Element Matching) - might it be audible?

I'd like to share a thought: It's about DEM (dynamic element matching) in DACs. The AK4499EX e.g. makes heavy use of this technique in "measurement mode". It's turned off (or reduced to a level that didn't get visible in my measurements) in "sound quality mode". In "sound quality mode" measured...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[nanook]

@Kiko1974: In case you're interested. Here are screenshots of the PCM-Filters in the time-domain:

 

[David_M]

@Kiko1974: In case you're interested. Here are screenshots of the PCM-Filters in the time-domain:

How do these filters map to their respective names ... e.g, minimum phase, apodizing filter, etc

 

[nanook]

How do these filters map to their respective names ... e.g, minimum phase, apodizing filter, etc

There's a whole tread on the SMSL mislabeled filters.

SMSL filters mislabeled on ES9039 DACs

Several SMSL DACs using versions of the ESS ES9039 chip have mislabeled filters. First, I will use the case of the DL200 using one ES9039Q2M chip to show this is the case and correctly identify the filters. Then, I will show that other SMSL DACs using ES9039 chips namely the D-6S, DO100 Pro and...

www.audiosciencereview.com

I can't say for sure which names of the mislabeled filters were corrected. At the time I did measure the DO400 (not D400EX) the situation was like this:

SMSL FL1 - Off
SMSL FL2 - Minimum phase (ESS #1)
SMSL FL3 - Linear phase apodizing (ESS #2)
SMSL FL4 - Linear phase fast roll-off (ESS #3)
SMSL FL5 - Linear phase fast roll-off low ripple (ESS #4)
SMSL FL6 - Linear phase slow roll-off (ESS #5)
SMSL FL7 - Minimum phase fast roll-off (ESS #6)
SMSL FL8 - Minimum phase slow roll-off (ESS #7)

Many of the filters can be distinguished easily:
- symmetric ringing (pre-and-post ringing): linear phase
"only" post-ringing: minimum phase
- fast roll-off: a lot of ringing
slow roll-off: little ringing

The "low dispersion" filter shows this weird (not exponentially decaying) pos-ringing

 

[nanook]

How do these filters map to their respective names ... e.g, minimum phase, apodizing filter, etc

I'm afraid I have been mixing two topics because D400EX (AKM) and DO400 (ESS) ....

The screenshots shown in my post #315 were measured on a DO300EX (AK4191 + 1x AK4499EX) beginning of May 2024.

The table I copied is from an ES9039Pro based DAC - apologies ....

The PCM filters are in the AK4191 that drives the AK4499EX. In the product brief of the AK4191 they write:
• 64-bit 256x/128x Digital Filter
- Ripple: ±0.001 dB, Attenuation: 150 dB (Sharp Roll-Off Filter Setting)
- Six Types of High Quality Sound Filter Option
･Short Delay Sharp Roll-off, GD = 9.0/fs
･Short Delay Slow Roll-off, GD = 5.4/fs
･Sharp Roll-off
･Slow Roll-off
･Super Slow Roll-off
･Low Dispersion Short Delay Filter
･Programmable Filter

The datasheet of the AK4191 would certainly more detailed, but unfortunately I didn't find a reliable download for it.