SMSL DL200 the best ever value DAC/AMP?

[hoverdonkey]

Oh I didn’t realise they ship to Australia. I went to purchase and it’s actually cheaper because of the free shipping but also no GST is being charged…. Will I still have to pay GST tax when it gets to Australia? Also wondering if these guys are good for returns if something goes wrong with my unit?

I didn't get taxed, but I bought mine in their last sale for £131, which was neatly below the UK tax limit (£135).

I've no idea about their after-sales support. However, it was £189 on UK Amazon, so I figured I'd accept the risk and pocket the £58.

 

[Westsounds]

Seems great value, they all seem to missing that all important parametric EQ though. Look out when those models come on the market, there's going to be a lot of used amps for sale.

 

[TonyJZX]

i dont think SMSL or Topping are there with parametric EQs just yet

i do get that the standard suite of FL1-7 type filters is nowhere close

 

[Westsounds]

i dont think SMSL or Topping are there with parametric EQs just yet

i do get that the standard suite of FL1-7 type filters is nowhere close

Yes, the filters are practically useless to most. Even if they included the sound colours as they did on 'some' DACs, it would have been nice. At least they had more of an effect on presentation.

ok if the PEQ is a bit of an ask, which I don't think is given they are an electronics 'expert'. At least add a tone controls of some sort, bass/mid/high, or even a multi band EQ.

 

[TonyJZX]

i'm 100% with you

topping smsl are rolling out the same stuff every time

amazing stats and amazing conveniences and features for very little money... and to many, that's enough

but their abilities seem to be limited to that

i think people would pay more if they had to ability to do some features like an RME? but can they get there?

the people behind the RME stuff is on another level

hell people ask for features like on a MiniDSP, they're a chinese company too. BUt their skills seem to be outside of what topping smsl can do.

 

[jaatre]

Seems great value, they all seem to missing that all important parametric EQ though. Look out when those models come on the market, there's going to be a lot of used amps for sale.

Apart from Qudelix, there seems to be no one who have nailed the implementation of PEQ.

Also, PEQ usually requires using a simple software on the front-end to help the user make changes. But it has to integrate well with HW for it to be implemented right.

Topping/SMSL might not have the engineering expertise to pull that off.

 

[Obi 1 Shinobi]

Hi everyone,
I am very interested in this DAC, but i have a couple of questions:

-One of those Youtube reviews mentions a popping noise when the bit depth changes, do you also have the same issue?
I am looking for a DAC for my TV and speaker amp (topping pa3s) and I'm afraid of having those pops while watching Youtube or Netflix.

-Also can anyone confirm if the device can output RCA and TRS simultaneously? I plan on adding a subwoofer down the line.


Thanks in advance for your attention

 

[Ctom]

i have bought stuff thru hifi express... came ontime and no gst

but you will invariably get little post sales support

Yeah that’s what I’m worried about I’ve seen some pretty bad reviews of this seller. Do you know why on the website it gives the option to change where the amp ships from?

 

[Ctom]

I didn't get taxed, but I bought mine in their last sale for £131, which was neatly below the UK tax limit (£135).

I've no idea about their after-sales support. However, it was £189 on UK Amazon, so I figured I'd accept the risk and pocket the £58.

Don’t seem like there’s any sales support if something goes wrong but might be worth the gamble to save $80

 

[Ctom]

Yep all amps/DACs are so boring these days and all look like the same stuff over and over. I’d fking love an amp/dac with some analog switches and vu meters, or even just a screen that can display some nice digital ones and not have to pay thousands

 

[Westsounds]

Yep all amps/DACs are so boring these days and all look like the same stuff over and over. I’d fking love an amp/dac with some analog switches and vu meters, or even just a screen that can display some nice digital ones and not have to pay thousands

Yes, most amps sound the same anyway, give us features!

 

[Smislov]

what is difference? only price? a new shipment?

 

[ulises31]

A DAC is a "Digital to Analog Converter", I.e. feed a digital signal in and get an analog signal out. If you want to use an external DAC instead of the one built into the Zidoo (when using the XLR or audio analog outputs) or Onkyo (using the coaxial or optical digital input), you would connect the coax/optical from the Zidoo to the DAC, and RCA/TRS from the DAC to the amplifier.

Thank you, thats what I thought.

 

[ulises31]

Your Zidoo neo 's seems to have ESS9068 chip based dac which is good (if implemented correctly). Why do you need another DAC?

When we are passionate...
I would like to do some tests.

I would like to compare this dac to that of the Zidoo neo S.
The idea would be to disconnect the dac from the zidoo neo s and send the signal to the new dac then compare it to the zidoo dac.

What also interests me is the result with a blury classic dvd player with coaxial output that I have connected to the new dac and compare the result with the zidoo and its integrated dac.

the question I'm wondering is if the different elements that are part of the dac provide intranseque sound quality without the help of the internal dac in order to see how close a simple bluray player with this new dac could get to the zidoo. the zidoo neo s is supposed to provide the base with a purer, better quality signal without the dac thanks to its integrated elements that the bluray player without the dac does not have.....

 

[Soria Moria]

I’d fking love an amp/dac with some analog switches and vu meters, or even just a screen that can display some nice digital ones and not have to pay thousands

Topping A70 Pro.

 

[mocenigo]

Agree, someone should ask amir if he can calculate sinad for 1k and 10k as an average, to prevent this kind of stuff. I wonder if multitone would be a better measurement (if possible) to generate correct sinad numbers from.

SINAD at 10Khz is nearly meangingless. The harmonics are all at >= 20Khz. Also, even in a child, hearing is much less sensitive at 10K than at lower frequencies, hence even a level of noise much higher than what would be audible at 1Khz would be inaudible at 10Khz.

20 Hz, 200 Hz, 1 Khz and 5Khz would be more reasonable. Not sure if we really need 20 Hz.

Roberto

 

[Bleib]

what is difference? only price? a new shipment?

View attachment 315481

Same machine, reduced price from a different seller. Faster shipping on the cheaper one too, I'd take that

 

[Ctom]

Topping A70 Pro.

Yep that’s the one I was talking about spending thousands. If this was a combo unit I’d definitely buy it at that price but currently $850 for just an amp and $1200 for the dac to go with it is way over my budget

 

[staticV3]

Yep that’s the one I was talking about spending thousands. If this was a combo unit I’d definitely buy it at that price but currently $850 for just an amp and $1200 for the dac to go with it is way over my budget

Are those AUD prices by any chance?
Because in USD the A70 Pro is $500 and the matching D70 Pro Octo is $600.

Also, if you can wait a few weeks, the upcoming Topping DX9 DAC+Headphone Amp combo unit will have the same display options as the A/D70 with a large volume display, a spectrum analyzer, and VU meters.
Here's a thread with pictures: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/topping-dx9！.44073/

 

[Ctom]

Yep $1100 usd is $1700 AUD but we almost always pay more here for most things