SMSL DO400 Fully Balanced Audio Decoder & Headphone Amplifier

[SidiousX]

Title of topic / product name, affter SMSL officla site
SMSL DO400 Fully Balanced Audio Decoder & Headphone Amplifier

DO400

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

Hmm. I'm just wondering, no one has made topic of it, on either DAC or HP Amp section, tho its appraently availble.

THe thing that bother me is this.

Does'nt SMSL DO400 at its price level and its DAC capabilities make both

SMSL D400ES
and
DO300
"oboslete" (maybe better word for it would be "redundant"), at them price levels / DAC capabilities?

I know this product might be fit more HP Amp section, but SMSL listing as a DAC. My question concerning DAC capabilitesvs / vs. price level of DO400 hence I'm posting its here.

btw. https://www.audioreviews.org/smsl-do400-review-lj/

Main post edited few times, more I find, more I post.

 

[Snoopy]

Let's just wait a few months before these are obsolete as well
Feels like Amirn just reviewed the obsolete units not long ago and there is already a replacement now.

But for 500 bucks that's really impressive what the DO400 offers.

Saving up money now for a RME instead.

 

[SidiousX]

You know what 've meant using word obsolete Anyhu to avoid any misunderstanding, I have added quotes to "obsolete" + additional comment.
SMSL is a "machine gun". truly i was never been able to keep up, but seeing DO400...
Yet now I'm wondering just from price / DAC capabilities point of view...
You could get DO400 cheaper than both mentioned above (in case D400ES much, much cheaper),, with same DAC capabilities, including previously only D400ES capability for firmware upgrade, that's my case.
PS: ofc HP Amp 4 cable HP (which actually is only way 4 me) is fine addition, still under the prcie tag of both a/m.

 

[avoidwork]

if you don't care about the HPA and run it line level out it's probably impossible to determine which DAC you're listening to. i received one today and it sounds like the a70pro/d70pro that it took the place of; there's no way I could pick those 2 dac/amps apart.

 

[delta76]

Title of topic / product name, affter SMSL officla site
SMSL DO400 Fully Balanced Audio Decoder & Headphone Amplifier

DO400

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

Hmm. I'm just wondering, no one has made topic of it, on either DAC or HP Amp section, tho its appraently availble.

THe thing that bother me is this.

Does'nt SMSL DO400 at its price level and its DAC capabilities make both

SMSL D400ES
and
DO300
"oboslete" (maybe better word for it would be "redundant"), at them price levels / DAC capabilities?

I know this product might be fit more HP Amp section, but SMSL listing as a DAC. My question concerning DAC capabilitesvs / vs. price level of DO400 hence I'm posting its here.

btw. https://www.audioreviews.org/smsl-do400-review-lj/

Main post edited few times, more I find, more I post.

Smsl and other Chinese manufacturers release a lot of products with many overlap between them. So you might have a product at 350$ and 450$ which are almost identical in features and performance.
Both will be replaced with new products or new versions within a year!

 

[SidiousX]

@a/m collegaues, thanks for your opinions, I do appeciatre that.
I'm waiting for more, TIA.

Concerning DO400 bottomline is simple, but as always devil sticks in details, so.....
I'm interested if U could see smth, which I could,nt.

 

[flywood]

just bought for ￥2400(about 330USD). It seems like just a d40pro copy with a better look.

 

[SidiousX]

I must confess I haven't paid much attention to Loxje products, but you are correct as it seems.
Thanks fro your remark, I will read D40pro review for context.
Still since I'm at least trying to watch "machine gun" smsl line of products and what bothers me concerning the price difference between DO400 and D400ES, DO300.
How can they sell DO400 at price level they do. The only logical explanation is they must have "gone cheap" on some parts, question is on which in particular?
btw: USD330, you got amazing deal, much more expensive in the EU

https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B0CFTHLXJ3/

or even in china

SMSL DO400 Fully Balanced Audio Decoder Headphone Amplifier ES9039MSPRO MQA-CD DAC Bluetooth 5.1 Digital Headphone Power AMP

SMSL DO400 Fully Balanced Audio Decoder Headphone Amplifier ES9039MSPRO MQA-CD DAC Bluetooth 5.1 Digital Headphone Power AMP

aoshida-audio.com

 

[dima_pro]

I have just bought it. Will write here when it arrives.

 

[DTTOM37]

If I am not mistaken, SMSL and their sister company SABAj are designing different products for different distribution channels (AMAZON, Audiophonics, AOSHIDA, HifiGo etc.) and you may never see their whole portfolio with a single distributor. Which may explain their high output rate with only slightly different units ...
OTOH, I have no idea if this is a strategy of the company or their disributors ?

 

[SidiousX]

If I remember correctly you have omitted Loxje, these are 3 branches of the same conglomerate.
Tho I only keep an eye closely on SMSL and Sabaj products line.

 

[alexanderino]

Mine arrived this afternoon. Running it through the gauntlet currently. Sounds fine so far.

 

[soerenssen]

SMSL D400PRO DAC AK4191 AK4499EX XMOS XU316 Bluetooth 5.0 32bit 768kHz DSD512 MQA Silver - Audiophonics

SMSL presents with its D400Pro a DAC as versatile as it is powerful, benefiting from rigorous design and top-quality components. It is based on two AKM digital/analog conversion chips: an AK4191 and an AK4499EX.

www.audiophonics.fr

 

[Snoopy]

At this rate we will have a DO600 at Christmas

 

[SidiousX]

True that, but if it involves true progress like in case of DO400, I'm in

 

[zeluxao]

At this rate we will have a DO600 at Christmas

If they keep lauching products at this pace, it would be a good idea to at least make actual, real improvements/ changes. They've launched lots and lots of products (specially dacs) that just seem overall the same product (with very minor changes). I for one would like to have trigger in/out and hdmi arc, eq (peq would be great), and maybe launche some streamer/dac version (just put a wiim inside the box). (maybe they're listening/ reading )

 

[flywood]

If they keep lauching products at this pace, it would be a good idea to at least make actual, real improvements/ changes. They've launched lots and lots of products (specially dacs) that just seem overall the same product (with very minor changes). I for one would like to have trigger in/out and hdmi arc, eq (peq would be great), and maybe launche some streamer/dac version (just put a wiim inside the box). (maybe they're listening/ reading )

It will be nice if smsl adds streamer to their dac like Gustard did

 

[jcadduono]

Huh, shame about the display being LCD vs OLED (I think? no mention of OLED and some pictures show mild backlighting so I assume it is LCD), but at least they have configurable brightness and screen on timeouts.
I'd much rather an always on OLED with very low brightness.

I am strongly considering replacing my D90/A90 stack with this as it appears I can configure the FN button on the remote to swap between headphone and XLR pre out, with the front knob controlling the XLR pre out volume. This essentially means this unit provides more features than my Topping stack, in a smaller size!

If we get good results on 50 mV SNR and 33 ohm power vs distortion measurements I'll take it. Can't say no to "providing significant thrust for each interface simultaneously"!

 

[alexanderino]

it appears I can configure the FN button on the remote to swap between headphone and XLR pre out, with the front knob controlling the XLR pre out volume.

Correct. I've just verified this.

 

[SidiousX]

If they keep lauching products at this pace, it would be a good idea to at least make actual, real improvements/ changes. They've launched lots and lots of products (specially dacs) that just seem overall the same product (with very minor changes). I for one would like to have trigger in/out and hdmi arc, eq (peq would be great), and maybe launche some streamer/dac version (just put a wiim inside the box). (maybe they're listening/ reading )

In this particular case of DO400 IMHO they did make progress, or as you put it "real improvements/ changes". HP AMP added+ USB / System upgrade'able by user. For me its exactly that - progress.
I might add for the first time for some time, previous incarnations SU-9 Pro, DO300, there were minor changes, DO400 seems to break this trend.

Huh, shame about the display being LCD vs OLED (I think? no mention of OLED and some pictures show mild backlighting so I assume it is LCD), but at least they have configurable brightness and screen on timeouts.
I'd much rather an always on OLED with very low brightness.

I am strongly considering replacing my D90/A90 stack with this as it appears I can configure the FN button on the remote to swap between headphone and XLR pre out, with the front knob controlling the XLR pre out volume. This essentially means this unit provides more features than my Topping stack, in a smaller size!

If we get good results on 50 mV SNR and 33 ohm power vs distortion measurements I'll take it. Can't say no to "providing significant thrust for each interface simultaneously"!

Just out of curiosity, with what amp (power/integrated) you are planing to pair DO400 via XLR?