SMSL DL100 DAC and Headphone Amp Review

[Bleib]

How is this set up in the menu?

Simply use the remote and press the FN button for a while

 

[TheZebraKilledDarwin]

Simply use the remote and press the FN button for a while

Nope, no change in behaviour. Are you talking about the DL100 or the DL200?

 

[JIW]

Nope, no change in behaviour. Are you talking about the DL100 or the DL200?

It works on the DL200 and is written in its manual. It is not written in the DL100 manual. However, it is also not written in the D-6S manual which has the exact same page for the remote but according to @Esprit it also works.

 

[Esprit]

I confirm for the D-6s: FN pressed for a few seconds and "off" appears and the display remains off until the remote control and front controls are used and then it turns back on.

Obviously by pressing FN again "on" appears and the display always remains on.

 

[TheZebraKilledDarwin]

Just found out the display can be turned off on the DL100:
The dimmer menu is the one, that displays 'OFF'!
Then turning the knob and the timer from 5 - 30 s can be set.

According to strange asian logics, they do not show the display status, which for us Europeans inuitively would be 'ON', but the timer status. So 'OFF' means the display is always on.

Very much like on our Toyotas: amazing cars, but locking the door, means to turn the key AWAY, anti-clockwise, from the lock...

Oh, these Asians... (Adapted from Boney M., Rasputin)

 

[TheZebraKilledDarwin]

A few words about the sound (coax, 48k): Great.
Love the transient behaviour. Therefore also the stereo imaging is very good. Impulsive lower frequencies are precise, not smoothed or exaggerated (probably because of the plenty available power reserves). Annoying cymbals or too hard sibilances are well reproduced, while smooth vocals or cymbals sound smooth. Considering to buy one for the studio now.

 

[Esprit]

On the D-6s it is simply on or off.
Then I check if there is also a time selector but I don't think so.

 

[MDD]

This looks like a great DAC, only really missing a 12v trigger output.
What I'm really looking for is:
input: optical and HDMI
output: balanced >4V, good quality headphone out, also 12v trigger
remote control: must be IR, no bluetooth (to use harmony remote)
performance: SOTA
price: surprisingly low

There are a lot topping and SMSL DAC/headphone amps that have some or most of these properties but I can't seem to find one that ticks all the boxes.
The DL100 gets everything apart from the 12v trigger, which I can probably live with. It just seems that the feature sets of these DACs are almost random, e.g. no natural progression in feature set from DL100 -> DL200 -> DL300

 

[JIW]

On the D-6s it is simply on or off.
Then I check if there is also a time selector but I don't think so.

It is not in the D-6S manual or the DL200 manual. On my DL200, such a menu item does not exist.

 

[JIW]

Just found out the display can be turned off on the DL100:
The dimmer menu is the one, that displays 'OFF'!
Then turning the knob and the timer from 5 - 30 s can be set.

According to strange asian logics, they do not show the display status, which for us Europeans inuitively would be 'ON', but the timer status. So 'OFF' means the display is always on.

Very much like on our Toyotas: amazing cars, but locking the door, means to turn the key AWAY, anti-clockwise, from the lock...

Oh, these Asians... (Adapted from Boney M., Rasputin)

I just checked the DL100 manual and it is there three pages below the page for the remote.

I read a review yesterday or the day before about it having that feature but that did not explain how to use it. Good to know you figured it out.

 

[Esprit]

Then I check if there is also a time selector but I don't think so.

I checked: display on and display off.
That's all.

 

[TheZebraKilledDarwin]

I just checked the DL100 manual and it is there three pages below the page for the remote.

I read a review yesterday or the day before about it having that feature but that did not explain how to use it. Good to know you figured it out.

That's funny, because I didn't see it in the manual.

 

[CodenameGreyFox]

My unit emits a low hum/ringing when it is on stand-by (red light on). I mean the DAC it self, not the speakers. It is not extremely loud, but as it is set up right next to me on my desk, I can hear it quite clearly. As soon as I turn it on it disappears, and as soon I put it on stand-by it restarts.

I sent an email to SMSL and they said it might be a faulty unit, but before I go to the trouble of asking for a return and replacement, can anyone here confirm/deny if they can hear this sound?

 

[TheZebraKilledDarwin]

Mine is silent.

 

[ChenHui]

I have a question about HDMI ARC. Did anyone actually try to control volume using TV remote?

I have used this function. My TV volume is 0-100 and DL100 volume is 0-99. So sometimes when DL100 shows 21, the TV volume shows 22. But this does not affect the use. You can control the volume of DL100 and TV at the same time through the remote control.

 

[Corvuscorone]

I have a question about HDMI ARC. Did anyone actually try to control volume using TV remote?

Works great with my LG A4 oled TV.

 

[NexusOne]

I've got also some questions about the usability with a TV:

- What does happen if you change the volume with the tv remote?
- What does happen if you change the volume with the smsl remote?
- Can you also change the volume with the remote of an Apple TV which is connected to the TV?
- Because it works synchronous the TV speakers are always on the same volume level as the amp? So you can't control only one of them? Sorry for these questions but I would like to know how it works exactly. Maybe you can explain it for noobs like me .
- Do you think hdmi arc is better for sound quality than optical in comparison with a TV?
- Is it good / strong enough for an Edition XS / HE1000 Stealth?
- Is the sound quality noticeable worse than a more expensive combination like DO200Pro+H400?

I am looking for an amp with remote, hdmi arc, dimmable display and all in one. Smsl offers interesting products. I think i will try the DL100 and will upgrade until there is a better product from their top line. I hope they will release it in future. Because: DO400 --> no hdmi arc, DO200Pro+H400 --> no all in one, DL100 --> does offer everything but entry level class. I think I will take the last one until there is a stronger version available.

A H400 as DL version would be perfect for people which use the amp with a TV. It is a pitty that there is nearly nothing like the DL100 at the moment :-(.

 

[Langestijn]

Hi all, I am doubting between SMSL DL200 and this SMSL DL100. But the DL200 appartently has weird noises when you play songs with different sample rates, so that's a no go for me. Does this SMSL also have weird noises (don't think so because nothing shows here in the thread, but better safe than sorry).

 

[JIW]

Hi all, I am doubting between SMSL DL200 and this SMSL DL100. But the DL200 appartently has weird noises when you play songs with different sample rates, so that's a no go for me. Does this SMSL also have weird noises (don't think so because nothing shows here in the thread, but better safe than sorry).

Like below? It seems the same as the DL200.

[...] There is a slight clicking sound (USB), particularly noticeable with the iem, when sample rate changes - independent of volume. Happens within foobar and when closing exclusive programs if Windows has a different default sample rate. [...]

 

[Langestijn]

Woops. You are right and the SMSL raw also has weird noise problems.. At seems SMSL is just not for me then. I'll continue my search.