SMSL DO200 MKII DAC Review

[holbob]

Bet he can hear the difference between cables!

 

[Doodski]

After learning a lot from this site about what's necessary, measurable, audible, it seems to my under-educated mind that after about $300 there's not much to gain in terms of sound quality from any box/dongle.

The JDS Labs Atom DAC+ is already at the limits of your hearing for USD $109.

 

[Doodski]

I think power supply can be a big difference. I like to avoid Switching supplies.

SMPS are good. Why don't you like them?

 

[Triliza]

In a market saturated with DACs that are perfect (from an audibility perspective) what is the point of this product?

They don't sell only to ASR members. Small differences in form and functionality may be attractive to different people. And in a sense we are attracted to newer products, if one needs a dac. But yes, dacs reviews are the least favorite reviews for me, everything else is more interesting.

 

[Rewind]

SMPS are good. Why don't you like them?

The way they sound?

 

[Overseas]

It is logical that various manufacturers launch DACs that measure and sound the same with other DACs, their or other brands, but with different prices.

 

[Doodski]

The way they sound?

One of the major advantages of SMPS operation is that they use a very high frequency of operation. The range of operation is from about roughly 50kHz to 600kHz depending on the application and the age of it. Human hearing is generally stated to be ~20Hz to 20kHz. So any bleed-through of the power supply high frequency operation that bleeds through into the audio stream is way above what a human can hear. As a comparison a linear power supply operates in north America at 60Hz and in Europe at 50Hz. So any bleed-through can easily be heard as a annoying buzz/hum. Additionally a SMPS can be much smaller, lighter weight and use less expensive parts to make one. In brief a SMPS has many advantages but the sound quality is the one we are discussing.

 

[Rewind]

One of the major advantages of SMPS operation is that they use a very high frequency of operation. The range of operation is from about roughly 50kHz to 600kHz depending on the application and the age of it. Human hearing is generally stated to be ~20Hz to 20kHz. So any bleed-through of the power supply high frequency operation that bleeds through into the audio stream is way above what a human can hear. As a comparison a linear power supply operates in north America at 60Hz and in Europe at 50Hz. So any bleed-through can easily be heard as a annoying buzz/hum. Additionally a SMPS can be much smaller, lighter weight and use less expensive parts to make one. In brief a SMPS has many advantages but the sound quality is the one we are discussing.

Glad you agree.

 

[RandomEar]

Technically great. The design is mostly fine, too. But at close to 500 $ and above, it needs to be more than just a DAC in my opinion. Some EQ, a sub-out, anything really.

Also - the same criticism as with all the latest SMSL devices - the UI is hideous. Like, three different fonts on the same screen - really? Plus all the colors of the rainbow. The only thing missing is that blinking, scrolling text and your late 90's website is complete

 

[Sir Sanders Zingmore]

They don't sell only to ASR members. Small differences in form and functionality may be attractive to different people. And in a sense we are attracted to newer products, if one needs a dac. But yes, dacs reviews are the least favorite reviews for me, everything else is more interesting.

I reckon we are well past the point at which DAC reviews could now be (shock horror) subjective. I don’t give a hoot whether a new DAC has even less inaudible distortion than the last one. So if we are going to insist on reviewing audibly perfect products let’s review form and functionality.

 

[mocenigo]

Who in 2023 buys a DAC with less than 121.4 SINAD?

Subjective audiophilitics

 

[mocenigo]

If all DACs sound the same, why keep testing them?

There are some bad ones around, especially at higher prices. Every now and then Amir spots one.

 

[mocenigo]

To be on the safe side, I look to the dac's measuring well, in the 200 euro range and I choose the one the 'sounds better' to me. So where is my sin, what sacred law would I break?!

None.

 

[mocenigo]

6 pages and no mention of DSD performance. I don’t think many members of Audiosciencereview are using their DACs to their fullest potential if nobody is interested in the popping sound that plagues many DACs in between DSD tracks.

We are past the era where DSD could provide better performance than PCM or even properly over sampled redbook. So, who cares? And if you do care, you are caring about the wrong thing ;-)

 

[mocenigo]

I think power supply can be a big difference. I like to avoid Switching supplies.

Avoid BAD switching supplies. The switching supplies in these DACs are fine.

 

[mocenigo]

The way they sound?

Why do you knock on them or hit them? That’s the only way they can “sound”?.

 

[amirm]

Please stop complaining why I review the latest DACs. Someone who is in the market for a DAC, will land a DAC like this and search for reviews. You rather them not see a proper review and instead see random blogger video on youtube???

Or do you not want to reward companies who continue to produce excellent products? Without us highlighting their work, they would lose out to non-performant devices at much higher costs.

 

[Rewind]

Why do you knock on them or hit them? That’s the only way they can “sound”?.

I think I can tell a difference. I can give you an example:

Amplifiers like the Firstwatt Sony V-FET pt1 lottery amp, uses SMPS, and sound a bit… like the power supply is full of sand. Same type of sound from the much worse Firstwatt ACA. The best was sound I have had at home in the respect of clean electricity was the Firstwatt F5. The F5 has a power supply that is found in all of the Firstwatt amplifiers. At least up to F6, I think. It hums like crazy in my sensitive horn speakers, and I think I need to build a dual mono PSU to reduce it. But at least it did not have that horrid SMPS type of sound.
But it is an A/B test that I would love to do one day. It keeps me up at night what I am missing by using SMPS here and there.

 

[Doodski]

I think I can tell a difference. I can give you an example:

Amplifiers like the Firstwatt Sony V-FET pt1 lottery amp, uses SMPS, and sound a bit… like the power supply is full of sand. Same type of sound from the much worse Firstwatt ACA. The best was sound I have had at home in the respect of clean electricity was the Firstwatt F5. The F5 has a power supply that is found in all of the Firstwatt amplifiers. At least up to F6, I think. It hums like crazy in my sensitive horn speakers, and I think I need to build a dual mono PSU to reduce it. But at least it did not have that horrid SMPS type of sound.
But it is an A/B test that I would love to do one day. It keeps me up at night what I am missing by using SMPS here and there.

Isn't the Firstwatt Sony V-FET pt1 lottery amp a distortion making machine? Whether it uses the SMPS or a linear supply.

 

[Rewind]

We are past the era where DSD could provide better performance than PCM or even properly over sampled redbook. So, who cares? And if you do care, you are caring about the wrong thing ;-)

I am sure PCM with much higher quality than CD, will sound about same as DSD. If this is what you mean, then I agree completely. In fact, I think the music should never be resampled. When I was recording lyrics and guitar i Cubase with a Lynx L22 PCI card, I could hear how the quality deteriorated quickly as soon as I resampled the music from the original file format 24bit/192kHz.