SMSL DP5 Music Streamer and DAC Review

[prerich]

this is known problem - intentialy introdussed crosstalk make the sound more voluminous - sound field enhancer to expand the stereo base of sound

to get rid of it you need to install software mod from
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SKf0bsu4hsyrZfus7lhQOkdyvHBwDp1Z?usp=drive_link

please read details at https://4pda.to/forum/index.php?showtopic=1035722

p.s.

some explanations

The device has a problem with large mutual penetration of channels into each other - CrossTalk. All reviews confirm it. It can be easely tested. All the parameters of the device are excellent and top-notch, but the only one that stands out - CrossTalk!

Research by respected folks on the ixbt Russain forum showed that this is not mutual penetration of channels in its pure form. And as far as I understand, this is a deliberately included by vendor sound field enhancer, mixing channels into each other in antiphase. This is done to expand the stereo base and create artificial depth of the sound stage.

On a good hifi amplifier and acoustics, this enhancer is definitely not needed.

But if you have very budget equipment and you are not fighting for the ultimate high fidelity, then it is better to leave it as is. It really expands the stereo base and gives a very beautiful scene. On budget acoustics and an amplifier, it looks quite decent and beautiful. It's like the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate, which was generously sprinkled on DP3 and DP5

I did test like this:
I turned the balance on the amplifier from one extreme to the other. I'm playing a file with R sound, and the balance is turned all the way to the L speaker

So:
1) on the uncorrected firmware, I clearly start to hear a squeak in the L speaker at 30 units of volume of the 60-watt Rotel A12 amplifier, and at 50-60 units, the parasitic squeak of 1000 Hz becomes unbearable in volume! It's unbearable - I want to run away.
2) on the firmware with edits, I start to hear a squeak at 60 units and I turn the volume up to 99 units without pain in my ears from the squeak. I just clearly hear the parasitic squeak at full 100% volume without any harm to my health.

Crosstalk is observed only in player mode, when the enhancer is working. There is no crosstalk in DAC mode.

Thanks for the link! Now to pick up a micro SD card as I've also learned that's the only way to do firmware updates (doesn't do it through a thumb drive).

 

[prerich]

this is known problem - intentialy introdussed crosstalk make the sound more voluminous - sound field enhancer to expand the stereo base of sound

to get rid of it you need to install software mod from
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SKf0bsu4hsyrZfus7lhQOkdyvHBwDp1Z?usp=drive_link

please read details at https://4pda.to/forum/index.php?showtopic=1035722

p.s.

some explanations

The device has a problem with large mutual penetration of channels into each other - CrossTalk. All reviews confirm it. It can be easely tested. All the parameters of the device are excellent and top-notch, but the only one that stands out - CrossTalk!

Research by respected folks on the ixbt Russain forum showed that this is not mutual penetration of channels in its pure form. And as far as I understand, this is a deliberately included by vendor sound field enhancer, mixing channels into each other in antiphase. This is done to expand the stereo base and create artificial depth of the sound stage.

On a good hifi amplifier and acoustics, this enhancer is definitely not needed.

But if you have very budget equipment and you are not fighting for the ultimate high fidelity, then it is better to leave it as is. It really expands the stereo base and gives a very beautiful scene. On budget acoustics and an amplifier, it looks quite decent and beautiful. It's like the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate, which was generously sprinkled on DP3 and DP5

I did test like this:
I turned the balance on the amplifier from one extreme to the other. I'm playing a file with R sound, and the balance is turned all the way to the L speaker

So:
1) on the uncorrected firmware, I clearly start to hear a squeak in the L speaker at 30 units of volume of the 60-watt Rotel A12 amplifier, and at 50-60 units, the parasitic squeak of 1000 Hz becomes unbearable in volume! It's unbearable - I want to run away.
2) on the firmware with edits, I start to hear a squeak at 60 units and I turn the volume up to 99 units without pain in my ears from the squeak. I just clearly hear the parasitic squeak at full 100% volume without any harm to my health.

Crosstalk is observed only in player mode, when the enhancer is working. There is no crosstalk in DAC mode.

This will work for the dp5se right?

 

[twiningstea]

This will work for the dp5se right?

yes
but you should select dp5se related firmware mod at above link
dp5 and dp5se use different firmware images

 

[prerich]

yes
but you should select dp5se related firmware mod at above link
dp5 and dp5se use different firmware images

That's what I was thinking... especially when I saw the se folder

 

[prerich]

OK, have any of you experienced a loud thump when changing songs using it in DAC mode . I also couldn't find a way to put this dac in fixed output (volume).

 

[prerich]

OK, have any of you experienced a loud thump when changing songs using it in DAC mode . I also couldn't find a way to put this dac in fixed output (volume).

Never mind - I found the issue. Also, I've discovered there's no fixed output for this dac. It was a pain figuring how the windows navigate and at times doesn't make sense. However, I believe I have a handle on this one now. Down the line it will get replaced with an Eversolo streamer, but for now - it works fine, the sound effect is off, I know how to work it. It will do the job for now!

 

[prerich]

This is a review and detailed measurements of the SMSL DP5 music streaming player and DAC. It was kindly sent to me by shenzhenaudio. The DP5 costs US $599.99.

The DP5 sports a very nice, high resolution display:

View attachment 88228

Alas, I am not a fan of the rotary control. It has sharp edges and generally feels very cheap. And oh, lest you are tempted to touch the screen to select items, don't as it is not touch sensitive.

The icons are the "VCR controls" are too tiny, especially the menu one.

See if you can find the volume level on that display! It is top left in the tiniest font you can imagine. Even when that menu is not up, it is the same size. It is enlarged nicely when adjusting but then you get a bland picture showing the connection, not the existing volume. I routinely check the volume before hitting play to make sure I am not going to blow my ears off. I can't do that with such a tiny display.

By far the worst part of the interface is that there is no way to select an input! Yes, you read that right. I read the manual 10 times, played with all the menus repeatedly and still can't figure out how you select any input. Hooking up USB cable selected that fortunately so I tested that as you see below. But I could not figure out how to select any other input.

OK, the above is not the worst thing. The worst thing is reliability of the firmware. Airplay was off by default (why? this is a streamer). I turned it on and my Roon player nicely detected it. As soon as I tried to play anything to it, it disappeared from Roon menu and would not come back. Power cycling the DP5 caused it to come back, only to disappear the same. Given this, I could not test any streaming performance.

Even if Airplay did work, it would limit performance to 16 bits which is well below the capabilities of the DAC in this unit. SMSL needs to support Roon. I can get Roon support in a $20 Raspberry Pi. I should be able to get it just as well in this much more expensive device.

There was a System Update option which I selected, only to be told the firmware file is missing. I know desktop products rarely do this but it is time to support network update of the firmware. What was there was version 1.1 by the way.

The back panel shows the myriads of inputs and outputs:
View attachment 88232

Nice to see balanced out which I used exclusively for my testing.

DAC Audio Measurements
By default, the USB interface activates in mass storage mode and you need to go into setup to convert it to USB. Once done, this is our dashboard:

View attachment 88233

It is nice that the output reaches up to 5.6 volts but performance drops as you go above 4 volts or so:

View attachment 88234

Still, good to have the option of higher output.

SINAD at 112 dB is in competent category:

View attachment 88235

I was surprised to see IMD vs level start so good but then degrade toward the end:


View attachment 88236

Is that our ESS IMD Hump but moved to higher level?

Linearity is excellent:

View attachment 88237

I did not see any options to change the DAC filter but the standard one is better than many other choices:

View attachment 88238

Would have been nice to have one that is super sharp and truncates at 22.05 kHz, rather than 24 but this is typical of DAC chip default filters.

Dynamic range was superb:

View attachment 88239

I was surprised to see so much excessive noise and spurious tones in our jitter test:

View attachment 88240

These are not audible artifacts (levels are below -110 dB) but from engineering point of view, is a good step backward from even cheap $100 DACs these days. Likely the Linux subsystem running the networking/streaming software is impacting the DAC performance.

Multitone performance is excellent although the above issue may have degraded it some:

View attachment 88241

Conclusions
The DAC performance of the DP5 is very good to excellent. Alas, I was going to test a streaming device and I could not. Unless I am going blind, lack of simple options like changing inputs shows the product has not been properly tested. When and if that happens, I will test the DP5 again. Until then, I cannot recommend it.

------------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Check out this perfect specimen of a Bosc Pear, peeled and ready to be sliced and dunked in chocolate fondue:

View attachment 88242

As they say in the south, that was good eating!

Massive number of boxes have arrived as of late for testing. So if you have any interest in these grumpy reviews, please consider donating generously using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/

You're right for not recommending it - and I own it!!! Performance is great but the software stinks like last months trash!!! It has taken me months to learn how to navigate this thing. I even found different filters by accident, but there are too many products that best this with better firmware. Great review! I have mine working, but it will let this thing go when I'm able to get an Eversolo DMP-A6 Master edition!

 

[twiningstea]

You're right for not recommending it - and I own it!!! Performance is great but the software stinks like last months trash!!! It has taken me months to learn how to navigate this thing. I even found different filters by accident, but there are too many products that best this with better firmware. Great review! I have mine working, but it will let this thing go when I'm able to get an Eversolo DMP-A6 Master edition!

I moved to Eversolo DMP-A6 Master Edition Gen2 but do not like how it sounds after SMSL DP-5 and had to add SMSL SU-10 DAC to my setup
Although Eversolo DMP-A6 Master Edition Gen2 software is great!

No i happy with:
Eversolo DMP-A6 Gen2 ME → SMSL SU-10 → Rotel RB-1552 MkII → Diatone DS-2000