SMSL DO300 DAC Review

[muslhead]

Inside:

hey, you promised told us you were leaving. Skeddaddle

 

[Gerardo61]

Hello,
First of all, thank you all for your comments, we learn a lot.
I finally bought this DAC and I'm very happy.
What I don't understand is why they put outputs like the I2S that have very little use, why don't they put a normal HDMI?
For example, I have an OPPO 203 and I cannot use the Oppo's audio-only HDMI output to connect it via HDMI to the I2S. do you know how to do it?
For the inexperienced like me, you could put your set up. I have it connected by coaxial from OPPO to the DAC and from the DAC to the Amplifier by XLR, is it better to leave the volume at 0.0 or -2.0?
and color filters, dsd, etc??
Thanks again everyone for the help.
Great job Amirm.

Hi, I only use unbalanced rca on my DO300.
My set up is:
Volume: - 2.0 dB
PCM filter: linear fast
DSD: 47 KHz
No Colour Filter
I'm very happy because DO300 plays detailed and warm despite on board ESS chip.
DO300 happily replaced Wyred4sound DAC2DSD at a quarter of money
For your info my amp is Jadis I50
Enjoy the music
Gerardo

 

[Lsc]

Hello,
First of all, thank you all for your comments, we learn a lot.
I finally bought this DAC and I'm very happy.
What I don't understand is why they put outputs like the I2S that have very little use, why don't they put a normal HDMI?
For example, I have an OPPO 203 and I cannot use the Oppo's audio-only HDMI output to connect it via HDMI to the I2S. do you know how to do it?
For the inexperienced like me, you could put your set up. I have it connected by coaxial from OPPO to the DAC and from the DAC to the Amplifier by XLR, is it better to leave the volume at 0.0 or -2.0?
and color filters, dsd, etc??
Thanks again everyone for the help.
Great job Amirm.

I believe the I2S is an input but I understand what you mean. If you didn’t want I2S or AES/EBU you could have just bought the SU-9 pro.

I set my DO300 at +2.0 to get the 5V and pcm filter on linear fast. No other changes- standard for the rest.

It’s been great so far for me as well.

 

[zachary80]

I wish they would take this performance and add features to rival an RME ADI-2, it has been years and that device is still without direct competition

 

[Blashyrkh]

anyone knows if changing the volume above 0 ( default +2dB for example) may change the sinad? It would stay flat at 125 like the last steps in the SINAD vs Volume graph?

 

[piaseczek]

This "filter off" setting looks kind of "experimental", forgotten to delete from the firmware before release?

Filter off is to be used with external upsampling. It all makes sense.

 

[Blashyrkh]

This "filter off" setting looks kind of "experimental", forgotten to delete from the firmware before release?

why should it be experimental? moreover, considering ES9039 datasheet, when the filter is off, the input should be oversampled externally by 8x
If you don't do so you have a lot of distortion and the output level is risen.

Honestly it would be interesting to see the graph considering this particular thing.

and the one that has a dac with this option, can test it by ear and see the difference with a track not OS with the same 8x oversampled

 

[Blashyrkh]

Filter off is to be used with external upsampling. It all makes sense.

we wrote same thing at the same time

anyway, yes that is how it works, I was just testing it now.
If the track is OS, it plays exactly as NOS with built in filters

 

[jperls]

Hi everyone...going to give my two cents here...

Bought this dac based on the reviews here on the fourm on April 30...its was fantastic and I thought it did a great job...until this morning.

THis morning...not sure what happened, but my system started making popping noises out of the speakers. Checked all the cables (even swapped out a couple just in case...still popping. Not gonna lie...I though something was wrong with the Amp and speakers at first.

Then I connected a CD/dvd player to the setup by RCA output...zero problems...

So I am not sure if I got unlucky with mine...but I would be remiss to say if you buy this dac...it is sensitive and I guess there are quality control issues at the factory where it is made...so be careful. Thank goodness I was still within the return window to get my money back (and thank goodness I still have my Schiit MOdi and Modius dacs as backups).

 

[joqueval]

Hi everyone...going to give my two cents here...

Bought this dac based on the reviews here on the fourm on April 30...its was fantastic and I thought it did a great job...until this morning.

THis morning...not sure what happened, but my system started making popping noises out of the speakers. Checked all the cables (even swapped out a couple just in case...still popping. Not gonna lie...I though something was wrong with the Amp and speakers at first.

Then I connected a CD/dvd player to the setup by RCA output...zero problems...

So I am not sure if I got unlucky with mine...but I would be remiss to say if you buy this dac...it is sensitive and I guess there are quality control issues at the factory where it is made...so be careful. Thank goodness I was still within the return window to get my money back (and thank goodness I still have my Schiit MOdi and Modius dacs as backups).

Hello. Me With him since April 13.
Regarding the noises you mention, a few weeks ago I detected some small clicks in the playback of MQA on Tidal, I contacted the HIFI SOUND AUDIO store and they contacted S.M.S.L.
Firmware update and everything ok.

 

[jperls]

Hello. Me With him since April 13.
Regarding the noises you mention, a few weeks ago I detected some small clicks in the playback of MQA on Tidal, I contacted the HIFI SOUND AUDIO store and they contacted S.M.S.L.
Firmware update and everything ok.

Well a little late since I already returnes mine

 

[Burns]

Hello. Me With him since April 13.
Regarding the noises you mention, a few weeks ago I detected some small clicks in the playback of MQA on Tidal, I contacted the HIFI SOUND AUDIO store and they contacted S.M.S.L.
Firmware update and everything ok.

will you attach the firmware?

 

[goodsignal]

Just got the DO300 today, replaced my Topping E50, and listen to my music immediately. Honestly, sound-wise marginal improvement with heavier bass. Not very impressed. however, a more future-proof ESS chip with a Bluetooth connection may still be worth the upgrade.
what scared me is when I used the Bluetooth connection, after I turned off the music player (Fiio player)on my phone. a big loud sound pop, it is so loud, even both magnetic screen on my Monitor Audio Gold 100 speakers been pushed and dropped on the floor. I almost had a heart attack.
This never happened on my Topping E50.
Hope SMSL can find the reason. Don't destroy someone's expensive speakers.

 

[Veri]

Hope SMSL can find the reason.

Sloppy implementation/protection :/

 

[Smoey22]

will you attach the firmware?

SMSL Audio Official -Professional audio product manufacturer

Foshan ShuangMuSanLin electronics Co., LTD. founded in 2009 which located in Shenzhen, China. And our branch company VMV Technology(HK) Company Limited registered in HK in 2013. Our company is specialized in the audio DAC, stereo headphone amplifier, power amplifier, and with own R&D...

www.smsl-audio.com

Updated without problems, I can not seem to find a changelog though.

 

[Blashyrkh]

Just got the DO300 today, replaced my Topping E50, and listen to my music immediately. Honestly, sound-wise marginal improvement with heavier bass. Not very impressed. however, a more future-proof ESS chip with a Bluetooth connection may still be worth the upgrade.
what scared me is when I used the Bluetooth connection, after I turned off the music player (Fiio player)on my phone. a big loud sound pop, it is so loud, even both magnetic screen on my Monitor Audio Gold 100 speakers been pushed and dropped on the floor. I almost had a heart attack.
This never happened on my Topping E50.
Hope SMSL can find the reason. Don't destroy someone's expensive speakers.

the best practice is always to shut off the devices starting from the first attached to the speakers to avoid these kind of problems, especially with expensive speakers

most importantly, how do you know it's a DAC issue if the E50 doesn't have BT? it may be related to the Fiio player?
I connected it with BT to the Phone, TV, and PS Vita and never had issues when not shutting off the Amp first

It's a pretty odd issue, to send a signal so strong to move the speaker it should have been sent at full volume.
What amp are you using? the volume control is done through Dac or Amp?

Sloppy implementation/protection :/

It went through the AMP too, so before doing these kind of statements it's better to verify the whole chain


Anyway I got one episode of static hiss in the background connected to PC through USB, when I was updating the OS and it rebooted for the installation.
I had to shut off the DAC

 

[Blashyrkh]

SMSL Audio Official -Professional audio product manufacturer

Foshan ShuangMuSanLin electronics Co., LTD. founded in 2009 which located in Shenzhen, China. And our branch company VMV Technology(HK) Company Limited registered in HK in 2013. Our company is specialized in the audio DAC, stereo headphone amplifier, power amplifier, and with own R&D...

www.smsl-audio.com

Updated without problems, I can not seem to find a changelog though.

I cannot update mine, how do you check the already insalled firmware?

you selected this one IAP_DO300_1v0_b13? or the other hex in the second folder?

 

[Gerardo61]

SMSL Audio Official -Professional audio product manufacturer

Foshan ShuangMuSanLin electronics Co., LTD. founded in 2009 which located in Shenzhen, China. And our branch company VMV Technology(HK) Company Limited registered in HK in 2013. Our company is specialized in the audio DAC, stereo headphone amplifier, power amplifier, and with own R&D...

www.smsl-audio.com

Updated without problems, I can not seem to find a changelog though.

Thx a lot. I own the DO300 since 50 days and I did not have any problem. Anyway I think the new firware is a good opportunity.
DO300 plays very well

 

[goodsignal]

I have an old Bryston 3B power amplifier, I believe there is no speaker protection feature on it. What send in, it will amplify and send out.I love the sound out it. Anyway, I have said that when using Topping E50, there's no big pop sound like that. Only happened when I used Bluetooth on the DO 300. don't believe the music player on my phone has problem, because the volume control is on the DO300 and I always listen music with low volume .
I Just hope SMSL can find out the reason, why the volume out of control and burst a loud sound.

 

[Blashyrkh]

Did you contact them?