SMSL DO200 Pro DAC Review

[JIW]

Bamboozled:

JCALLY JM20 Headphone Dongle Review

Could you please, if you still have the install .apk, send it over some file sharing site? The site has a 404 error I had this 404 error as well, but it seems to be fixed now: I downloaded the latest v2.1.1 release. I also have v1.0.2, v2.0.2, and v2.1.0 prior releases of the apk. v2.1.0 is...

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So the spec sheet is wrong? What exactly is noise level for a 0 dBFS signal? It seems like 76 dB but this is with 90 kHz bandwidth. Amir measures 85 dB SNR at 90 kHz for the DO200 Pro. How is 112 dB SINAD possible with one and 122 dB SINAD possible with 12?

 

[staticV3]

So the spec sheet is wrong?

Not exactly, it just doesn't mention that the measured values use noise modulation.

What exactly is noise level for a 0 dBFS signal?

Roughly -120dBFS(Z) (20-20K BW) IIRC.

How is 112 dB SINAD possible with one and 122 dB SINAD possible with 12?

12 chips in parallel will reduce noise by ~9dB. THD will cancel out slightly as well.

 

[JIW]

Not exactly, it just doesn't mention that the measured values use noise modulation.


Roughly -120dBFS(Z) (20-20K BW) IIRC.


12 chips in parallel will reduce noise by ~9dB. THD will cancel out slightly as well.

Do you mean noise shaping in the DAC?

How do you get 9 dB for 12 chips? I get sqrt(12) so 10.8 dB for noise. Is distortion different for different DAC channels? Otherwise it adds linearly like the fundamental.

 

[staticV3]

Do you mean noise shaping in the DAC?

No. As you can see in the post I linked, the cs43131 will modulate its noise floor with the output signal amplitude, similar to ESS DACs with DRE.

How do you get 9 dB for 12 chips? I get sqrt(12) so 10.8 dB for noise.

Ideal summing gives +3dB SNR per doubling, so indeed 10.8dB.

I just used a more conservative estimate of 2.5dB per, since summing rarely works out that cleanly in practice.

Is distortion different for different DAC channels? Otherwise it adds linearly like the fundamental.

Harmonic phase differs between DACs, so can cancel out with enough sources.

 

[JIW]

No. As you can see in the post I linked, the cs43131 will modulate its noise floor with the output signal amplitude, similar to ESS DACs with DRE.


Ideal summing gives +3dB SNR per doubling, so indeed 10.8dB.

I just used a more conservative estimate of 2.5dB per, since summing rarely works out that cleanly in practice.


Harmonic phase differs between DACs, so can cancel out with enough sources.

I see.

 

[Kagemusha]

I just lost track of the 100s DACS from smsl....

 

[miero]

They could provide detailed spredsheet if they want. But it would reduce our screen time with SMSL logo visible.

 

[DearSX]

This DAC may be transparent but it can't compete with the sound signature of a my $10,000 Premium tube DAC.

 

[miero]

Probably because it does not provide that premium distortion.

 

[Mario_jr]

Omg, another one.... brought you by SMSL.
Why the obsession with SINAD at 1kHz and not a broader range, everybody knows chinese have created products to master popular benchmarks...

 

[staticV3]

Why the obsession with SINAD at 1kHz and not a broader range

Did you even read the review?

50Hz:


60Hz + 7kHz:


20Hz to 20kHz Multitone:


20Hz to 20kHz Sweep, at 45 and 90kHz Bandwidth:


What more do you want?

 

[Mario_jr]

nevermind, did not see the sweep.

 

[syzygy]

That's just sounds insane to me! I wonder what's the benefit for that from a business perspective. I guess, more choice to choose which aesthetic you like? Because from a technical pov, they all seem to work perfectly fine. And features are mostly the same too.

possibly because they know so many* 'audiophiles' have a difficult time restraining themselves from wanting to buy the latest/newest model - despite knowing there's rarely any audible differences, just hoping to hear a difference in their systems to recreate the awe of discovery we've all had years ago with new gear?

Often it doesn't matter that you know intellectually that there is no audible difference, - you have to wonder to yourself: "Why would they use 12 DACs if there wasn't an advantage? Something to be experienced?" and that curiosity will eventually erode your restraint. So then, you sell your 'old' Mk III, to buy the 'new' Mk IV and be happy, if only until the rumors of the improvements in the Mk V start floating around....

(*not all, and least of all, maybe, ASR members - so please don't be offended! I confess, I'm intensely curious to experience the SMSL D300, because of the reviews of the ROHM BD34301EKV.... but I am pretty confident I couldn't appreciate a difference)

 

[staticV3]

I confess, I'm intensely curious to experience the SMSL D300, because of the reviews of the ROHM BD34301EKV....

Prepare to cringe: https://micro.rohm.com/en/mus-ic/

 

[ttt]

I'm so confused. Why they put 12 DAC chips into this device, if they can achieve the same or better SOTA performance w/ only 1 ESS/Akm chip? Just trying to understand why 12 chips are needed to put into it. Do they achieve same performance 1 ess/akm DAC chip provides? Better sound? Cheaper? Price? "Sound signature?"

 

[staticV3]

I'm so confused. Why they put 12 DAC chips into this device, if they can achieve the same or better SOTA performance w/ only 1 ESS/Akm chip? Just trying to understand why 12 chip is needed to achieve same performance 1 ess/akm DAC chip provides? Better sound?

Just to differentiate their product in an insanely oversaturated market. There's no other purpose.

 

[CedarX]

I'm so confused. Why they put 12 DAC chips into this device, if they can achieve the same or better SOTA performance w/ only 1 ESS/Akm chip? Just trying to understand why 12 chips are needed to put into it. Do they achieve same performance 1 ess/akm DAC chip provides? Better sound? Cheaper? Price? "Sound signature?"

It’s a different design approach: put several good & inexpensive DAC chips in parallel as a way to achieve the same performances as a single, SOTA but expensive, DAC chip.
It certainly delivers on the performances side, but I don’t think it’s necessarily better (yet?).
As @staticV3 said: just “different”…

 

[Tell]

I'm so confused. Why they put 12 DAC chips into this device, if they can achieve the same or better SOTA performance w/ only 1 ESS/Akm chip? Just trying to understand why 12 chips are needed to put into it. Do they achieve same performance 1 ess/akm DAC chip provides? Better sound? Cheaper? Price? "Sound signature?"

Because the marketing department asked for it.

 

[syzygy]

Prepare to cringe: https://micro.rohm.com/en/mus-ic/

Wow - that's rich, snake oil-scented musician-associated virtue signaling implying good sound reproduction. - this really lowers my enthusiasm.
-reading this, halfway through I expected them to reveal it's a 'perfectly realized' R/2R ladder.

 

[Lupin]

That's just sounds insane to me! I wonder what's the benefit for that from a business perspective.

There is a large group of people who already have a perfectly fine fully transparent DAC and still buy a new one within a year just because the new one has 122 dB SINAD and their old one "only" has 120 dB SINAD. Plus, the consensus that newer automatically means better... some people are just sensitive to that.