SMSL DO100 Review (Stereo DAC)

[MRC01]

This graph shows the frequency response of the DAC close to the Nyquist frequency (sample rate divided by 2) and how the different Oversampling filters affect it.

The ideal filter response is completely flat to the left of the red vertical line and drops off sharply to the right. Here's one example of an ideal filter response:
View attachment 299761 ...

To expand and clarify about the ideal digital filter

• Perfectly flat in the passband - up to the limit of human hearing (conventionally assumed to be 20 kHz)
• Zero (infinite attenuation) at the stopband - which should be Nyquist (half the sampling frequency) or lower
• Reponse in the transition band (between passband and stopband) should be a smooth curve
• The filter should not cause any passband phase shift
• The filter should not cause any passband ripple more than mathematically necessary (Gibbs phenomenon / Sinc(t))

Note that no DAC ever measured has an ideal filter, especially at 44.1 kHz sampling. Some get closer to ideal than others. Some get close enough to be audibly transparent, others not.

 

[kazsud]

I just got one and very much like the features and the design. Probably the highest performing thing in my whole system, by orders of magnitude, so no point in commenting on the sound.

My one annoyance is the supposed incompatibility with usb c-to-c cables. But at least one person in this thread found cables that work.

Any more thoughts on this? Has anyone else found a reliable source of functioning c-to-c cables? And what about c-to-lightning, for connecting to an iPhone?

It did nothing when I connected my iPhone.

 

[Papaya_X]

Hi,

I was facing with the popping noise issue using the DO100 DAC while connected with USB 2.0 to a windows 11 computer.

This problem seems to take its origin from two different things :
- The switching between DSD and PCM
- The signal streaming going into sleeping mode.

This unit is able to do 32 bits up to 768kHz (384kHz on Windows) and it is out of my mind to under use its capability using the USB 1.1 workaround and downgrading the signal to a 16 bits 96kHz...

Just to summarize (because I found the solution on this forum) and to make it easily available for everyone :
1. First, install the SMSL DO100 drivers for Windows here
2. Restart your computer, open the Task manager and kill the process called "USB Audio Class Driver Control Panel"
3. Go to the default install directory, usually : C:\Program Files\XMOS\XMOS_Audio_Driver\x64
4. Find the file named "XMOSUSBDACCpl.xml" and open it with a text editor

5. You should be able to find a bloc PageStreamFormats :

<PageStreamFormats>
        <!-- Supported values for this page: Hidden, Visible, Auto (default) -->
        <Visibility>Hidden</Visibility>
</PageStreamFormats>

6. Change the visibility setting from "Hidden" to "Visible" and save the modified file

<PageStreamFormats>
        <!-- Supported values for this page: Hidden, Visible, Auto (default) -->
        <Visibility>Visible</Visibility>
</PageStreamFormats>

7. Go back to the installation folder, and launch the program through the .exe file: C:\Program Files\XMOS\XMOS_Audio_Driver\x64\XMOSUSBDACCpl.exe
8. You should be able to see a new "Options" section where you can switch the "Streaming" status from "On when Needed" to "Always On"

9. Congratulations, you just deleted one of the two reasons explaining why we are facing popping noise with the DO100 DAC.
Now, the popping sound just appear once at boot up and that's all. Enjoy.

 

[Pulkass]

My pc is 5 metres away from the big main stereo system. I do have do100 . Usb cable doesn't work at such length. No popping noises though. I rely on an optical cable. I bought a mother board with such feature, l have added recently the network player wiim mini, it has got only optical out (!)

 

[JeffGB]

Hi,

I was facing with the popping noise issue using the DO100 DAC while connected with USB 2.0 to a windows 11 computer.

This problem seems to take its origin from two different things :
- The switching between DSD and PCM
- The signal streaming going into sleeping mode.

This unit is able to do 32 bits up to 768kHz (384kHz on Windows) and it is out of my mind to under use its capability using the USB 1.1 workaround and downgrading the signal to a 16 bits 96kHz...

Just to summarize (because I found the solution on this forum) and to make it easily available for everyone :
1. First, install the SMSL DO100 drivers for Windows here
2. Restart your computer, open the Task manager and kill the process called "USB Audio Class Driver Control Panel"
3. Go to the default install directory, usually : C:\Program Files\XMOS\XMOS_Audio_Driver\x64
4. Find the file named "XMOSUSBDACCpl.xml" and open it with a text editor
View attachment 322041

5. You should be able to find a bloc PageStreamFormats :

<PageStreamFormats>
        <!-- Supported values for this page: Hidden, Visible, Auto (default) -->
        <Visibility>Hidden</Visibility>
</PageStreamFormats>

6. Change the visibility setting from "Hidden" to "Visible" and save the modified file

<PageStreamFormats>
        <!-- Supported values for this page: Hidden, Visible, Auto (default) -->
        <Visibility>Visible</Visibility>
</PageStreamFormats>

7. Go back to the installation folder, and launch the program through the .exe file: C:\Program Files\XMOS\XMOS_Audio_Driver\x64\XMOSUSBDACCpl.exe
8. You should be able to see a new "Options" section where you can switch the "Streaming" status from "On when Needed" to "Always On"
View attachment 322040

9. Congratulations, you just deleted one of the two reasons explaining why we are facing popping noise with the DO100 DAC.
Now, the popping sound just appear once at boot up and that's all. Enjoy.

I just tried this with my Windows 10 pc and no streaming options would show up. I finally made multiple blocks "Visible" and finally got an "options" setting which included "on when needed" or "Always on". Thanks very much for your information!
I should have mentioned that this was the case when I followed your link to the driver, so it is a bit different depending on the version, I guess.

 

[Papaya_X]

I just tried this with my Windows 10 pc and no streaming options would show up. I finally made multiple blocks "Visible" and finally got an "options" setting which included "on when needed" or "Always on". Thanks very much for your information!
I should have mentioned that this was the case when I followed your link to the driver, so it is a bit different depending on the version, I guess.

Thank you for pointing this mistake !

Hi,

I was facing with the popping noise issue using the DO100 DAC while connected with USB 2.0 to a windows 11 computer.

This problem seems to take its origin from two different things :
- The switching between DSD and PCM
- The signal streaming going into sleeping mode.

This unit is able to do 32 bits up to 768kHz (384kHz on Windows) and it is out of my mind to under use its capability using the USB 1.1 workaround and downgrading the signal to a 16 bits 96kHz...

Just to summarize (because I found the solution on this forum) and to make it easily available for everyone :
1. First, install the SMSL DO100 drivers for Windows here
2. Restart your computer, open the Task manager and kill the process called "USB Audio Class Driver Control Panel"
3. Go to the default install directory, usually : C:\Program Files\XMOS\XMOS_Audio_Driver\x64
4. Find the file named "XMOSUSBDACCpl.xml" and open it with a text editor
View attachment 322041

5. You should be able to find a bloc PageStreamFormats :

<PageStreamFormats>
        <!-- Supported values for this page: Hidden, Visible, Auto (default) -->
        <Visibility>Hidden</Visibility>
</PageStreamFormats>

6. Change the visibility setting from "Hidden" to "Visible" and save the modified file

<PageStreamFormats>
        <!-- Supported values for this page: Hidden, Visible, Auto (default) -->
        <Visibility>Visible</Visibility>
</PageStreamFormats>

7. Go back to the installation folder, and launch the program through the .exe file: C:\Program Files\XMOS\XMOS_Audio_Driver\x64\XMOSUSBDACCpl.exe
8. You should be able to see a new "Options" section where you can switch the "Streaming" status from "On when Needed" to "Always On"
View attachment 322040

9. Congratulations, you just deleted one of the two reasons explaining why we are facing popping noise with the DO100 DAC.
Now, the popping sound just appear once at boot up and that's all. Enjoy.

The bloc you are looking for is instead named "PageOptions" :

<PageOptions>
        <!-- Supported values for this page: Hidden (default), Visible  -->
        <Visibility>Hidden</Visibility>
</PageOptions>

To :

<PageOptions>
        <!-- Supported values for this page: Hidden (default), Visible  -->
        <Visibility>Visible</Visibility>
</PageOptions>

Sorry for the mistake

 

[ishmeister]

My DO100 started suddenly stuttering today. Audio breakup during playback of all sources (i.e. system wide). Windows 11. It persisted after two PC reboots. I turned the DAC off/on (at the plug) as well and that improved things mostly but I had a couple more glitches after that as well. Anyone else experienced this? Is it dying?

 

[Graham849]

My DO100 started suddenly stuttering today. Audio breakup during playback of all sources (i.e. system wide). Windows 11. It persisted after two PC reboots. I turned the DAC off/on (at the plug) as well and that improved things mostly but I had a couple more glitches after that as well. Anyone else experienced this? Is it dying?

How old is it? I've had mine since July 5 2022, and it's been powered up 99% of the time. Have you tried another cable from computer? Good luck!

 

[ishmeister]

How old is it? I've had mine since July 5 2022, and it's been powered up 99% of the time. Have you tried another cable from computer? Good luck!

I got it new in Jan this year. I also keep mine powered on most of the time. The issue affected both USB and BT inputs, so I'm pretty sure it was the DAC itself.

It seems to have stabilised again now - very strange.

Edit: Spoke too soon, the issue is back.

 

[boxerfan88]

Probably stating the obvious, test with another usb cable and another laptop…

 

[Graham849]

@ishmeister Not sure if you know this: to reset unplug the DO100 from power, then long press the volume knob whilst plugging AC power cable power back in until the machine screen lights up, and then release the volume knob. Hope it comes good.

 

[MRC01]

It could also be a Windows thing - what software or updates or audio system settings have you installed or changed since you started using the SMSL? I've seen Windows randomly change settings for me. And I've found Windows to be particularly unreliable & intermittent with USB devices. Even my keyboard & mouse get all stuttery at random intervals for no apparent reason - CPU is not slammed, all the usual troubleshooting guides do nothing. Usually a reboot fixes it, but sometimes it takes 2 or 3 reboots.

So, try the SMSL with different audio sources, if you can: a phone, tablet, different computer, optical player digital output, etc.

 

[Mike123]

My DO100 started suddenly stuttering today.

My DO100 also stuttered. I had to replace the 100 MHz crystal oscillator. Perhaps SMS received a batch of defective generators. This is an SMD chip with dimensions of 3.25 * 2.5 mm. You can buy it on AliExpress for little money: 3$ 5 pieces. Before replacing the crystal, my DAC stuttered regularly. Tapping the body on the table surface helped. After the replacement, the DO100 has been working flawlessly for a month now.

 

[ishmeister]

Probably stating the obvious, test with another usb cable and another laptop…

Well no, I didn't but I found the issue was happening with the bluetooth input as well (and seemed to be worse over bluetooth).

It could also be a Windows thing - what software or updates or audio system settings have you installed or changed since you started using the SMSL? I've seen Windows randomly change settings for me. And I've found Windows to be particularly unreliable & intermittent with USB devices. Even my keyboard & mouse get all stuttery at random intervals for no apparent reason - CPU is not slammed, all the usual troubleshooting guides do nothing. Usually a reboot fixes it, but sometimes it takes 2 or 3 reboots.

So, try the SMSL with different audio sources, if you can: a phone, tablet, different computer, optical player digital output, etc.

I notice this sometimes as well but on those occaisions my keyboard and mouse also briefly disconnect. This issue is different and affects not just the USB input to the DAC.

@ishmeister Not sure if you know this: to reset unplug the DO100 from power, then long press the volume knob whilst plugging AC power cable power back in until the machine screen lights up, and then release the volume knob. Hope it comes good.

Thanks, I've done this and I'm currently waiting to see if the issue comes back or not.

My DO100 also stuttered. I had to replace the 100 MHz crystal oscillator. Perhaps SMS received a batch of defective generators. This is an SMD chip with dimensions of 3.25 * 2.5 mm. You can buy it on AliExpress for little money: 3$ 5 pieces. Before replacing the crystal, my DAC stuttered regularly. Tapping the body on the table surface helped. After the replacement, the DO100 has been working flawlessly for a month now.

Interesting thanks but I think replacing this chip is beyond my abilities.

 

[Jim Creek]

My DO100 also stuttered. I had to replace the 100 MHz crystal oscillator. Perhaps SMS received a batch of defective generators. This is an SMD chip with dimensions of 3.25 * 2.5 mm. You can buy it on AliExpress for little money: 3$ 5 pieces. Before replacing the crystal, my DAC stuttered regularly. Tapping the body on the table surface helped. After the replacement, the DO100 has been working flawlessly for a month now.

Shouldn’t that be covered by the warranty?

 

[Mike123]

Shouldn’t that be covered by the warranty?

Immediately after purchasing it, I opened it up and modernized it a little. Therefore the warranty was voided. Well, I was interested in repairing it myself .

 

[ishmeister]

So the reset procedure didn't work, neither did unplugging the unit from power for a while.

What do the dP settings do? It's currently on dP7, which I guess is the default.

Speaking of warranty, I've got 1 month left. Has anyone done a warranty claim with SMSL? How did that go?

 

[anome]

I use dP 1, but is is being driven from a *nix box.

 

[Mike123]

From manual:

DPLL
DPLL 1~9, the lower the value, the smaller the clock jitter.
This DPLL setting is a unique function of ESS series products. It can adjust the bandwidth
of the DPLL digital phase-locked loop circuit inside the chip, so that the chip can
achieve a balance between anti-clock jitter and input tolerance.
Effect:
When the clock stability of the input signal is good, this value can be reduced,
so that the clock performance of the system is better;
When the clock stability of the input signal is not good, the sound may be
interrupted. Increasing this value can avoid the occurrence of audio
interruption! Especially when using TV as the signal source.

 

[Graham849]

Immediately after purchasing it, I opened it up and modernized it a little. Therefore the warranty was voided. Well, I was interested in repairing it myself .

What modernization did you do?