SMSL H200 Preamplifier & HP Amp Review (NTTY)

[Jazigo]

Thanks for another superb review @NTTY! Do you know if you will test the SMSL D400 MK2? I think it looks super smart in black, but I simply don't buy audio gear without a third-party verification. (I doesn't have a ground-lift switch, which may or may not be an issue)

 

[Gremlins]

The ridiculous thing is that this small, inexpensive device outperforms preamps costing four or five figures—and not just in terms of measurements.
Both my friends and I used to own preamps in that price range.
For a long time now, however, we’ve been using headphone amplifiers—from brands like Violectric, SMSL, Topping, and Singxer—as preamps. That has absolutely nothing to do with the price, but with the result.
An additional switcher solves any input or output issues.
But of course I don't care if someone pays much more for much less.

Yeah i hear you

But you know that for audiophiles the looks of the gear is more important than the listenings

Go tell an Accuphase or McIntosh preamp owner that this SMSL preamp outputs better signal than their expensive preamp ....

You know the answer

 

[NTTY]

Thanks for another superb review @NTTY! Do you know if you will test the SMSL D400 MK2? I think it looks super smart in black, but I simply don't buy audio gear without a third-party verification. (I doesn't have a ground-lift switch, which may or may not be an issue)

Thanks!

It is not planned yet but I’d love testing it indeed!

 

[Timbo2]

Thanks for the review! I'm a bit confused about the analogue volume. When I read that it suggests that it's a analog potentiometer. I was curious if it came with a remote. It does.

To me that would suggest an old school motorized pot. That doesn't appear to be the case here from your picture. Is it some kind of digital controlled analogue ladder resistor volume? - OH never mind... found it!

while utilizing ultra-precise relay volume control to eliminate channel imbalance.

You may want make a note about how the volume works and note the remote in your review!

 

[Bleib]

Thanks for the review! I'm a bit confused about the analogue volume. When I read that it suggests that it's a analog potentiometer. I was curious if it came with a remote. It does.

To me that would suggest an old school motorized pot. That doesn't appear to be the case here from your picture. Is it some kind of digital controlled analogue ladder resistor volume? - OH never mind... found it!



You may want make a note about how the volume works and note the remote in your review!

Again, seems to be just like Topping L70

 

[audioje]

What exactly do you mean?

Dac output vrm goes up to 10+ and then a sota analog preamp (instead of digital attenuation) is there to attenuate in one cheap gadget. Well, not sure how it really matters but why not.

 

[Fleuch]

The H in H200 is probably the best clue to the intended use is with headphones or as a pre-amplifier with limited two-input capability. The specifications list the power output into various resistive loads, but not the output voltage, suggesting the design intention is solely as a headphone amplifier.

From the pictures of the inside there are at least 15 relays on board, with 13 likely to be used for the volume control. Although the durability claimed by Omron for the G6K-2F-Y relay is impressive (greater than 100,000 operations, depending on switching current) to have so many in the signal path is tempting the fates.

Brilliant performance - looking forward to expanding the number of inputs.

 

[Roland68]

The H in H200 is probably the best clue to the intended use is with headphones or as a pre-amplifier with limited two-input capability. The specifications list the power output into various resistive loads, but not the output voltage, suggesting the design intention is solely as a headphone amplifier.

From the pictures of the inside there are at least 15 relays on board, with 13 likely to be used for the volume control. Although the durability claimed by Omron for the G6K-2F-Y relay is impressive (greater than 100,000 operations, depending on switching current) to have so many in the signal path is tempting the fates.

Brilliant performance - looking forward to expanding the number of inputs.

That’s not quite right.
The unit uses only 6 or 7 relays for volume control; the rest are for input/output switching.
This type of volume control has been around for over 40 years, and in the 30 years I’ve been using it—and often retrofitting it into other units—I have never seen a relay fail.
For one thing, the low-level signals impose no problematic load or switching voltage/power; for another, the cycle ratings are based on a load of 30V/1A, meaning the actual lifespan is far closer to 50,000,000 switching operations than to 100,000.
Even at 100 operations a day, that would amount to only 1,100,000 operations over 30 years—a negligible number given the light load.

Standard potentiometers wear out much faster and almost always exhibit channel imbalances; it’s more a matter of luck if they don’t.
If a relay were to actually fail, replacing it at a workshop or a repair café would be neither difficult nor expensive.

Like most combined headphone amplifier/preamps, the H200 features dedicated preamp circuitry separate from the headphone circuitry—with distinct paths for the RCA and XLR outputs.
You can tell this by the three additional op-amps for this section and the output impedance of 22/44 ohms for these outputs.

 

[AndreaT]

Thank you NTTY for another splendid review. I just wonder if more than two switchable inputs (one XLR and one RCA) could make this jewel even more flexible for those who have multiple sources. As it is, one should treasure the ability to use the high gain to bring the output in the region where the amplifier performs best (typically in low gain mode, at least for Class D like the Hypex Nilai 500). BTW, I could not see an output vs. distortion chart (maybe I was distracted).

 

[Roland68]

Thank you NTTY for another splendid review. I just wonder if more than two switchable inputs (one XLR and one RCA) could make this jewel even more flexible for those who have multiple sources. As it is, one should treasure the ability to use the high gain to bring the output in the region where the amplifier performs best (typically in low gain mode, at least for Class D like the Hypex Nilai 500). BTW, I could not see an output vs. distortion chart (maybe I was distracted).

This is a fundamental issue with this type of device.
You can see this with the D200 DAC, for instance. It already integrates a complete, sophisticated analog preamplifier with analog volume control. It would have been easy to add extra analog inputs.

For one thing, these are desktop units, so the primary goal is always to keep the device as compact as possible.
This leads to consequences like smaller connectors (e.g., USB-C or 6.3mm jacks instead of XLR), cramped spacing between ports (sometimes too cramped), and the omission of certain connections altogether.

Then there are the costs:
- Additional components
- Larger circuit boards
- Extra connectors
- Additional development time
- Additional programming time
- Larger housings/more material
- More packaging material
- Larger packaging
- Higher storage costs
- Higher financing costs
- Significantly higher shipping and handling costs
- Higher per-unit costs for physical warehousing on sales platforms or at local facilities

All of this drives up the cost per unit.
The critical downside is that higher per-unit costs and a larger footprint lead to significantly lower sales volumes.
This means fixed costs must be spread across a much smaller number of units, which would drastically reduce potential sales even further.
On top of that, a large segment of the potential buyer base—audiophiles—would shun such devices like the plague.
There is also a certain lack of understanding among Chinese manufacturers regarding non-Asian markets and customer needs.

All in all, it represents a much bigger risk for the manufacturer.

In most cases, an external switcher can solve the problem—provided the user is open to that option.

 

[henerywein]

Thanks for the detailed review. The H200 looks particularly interesting as a headphone amplifier, but I think the most useful part of a review like this is how it performs in an actual listening setup rather than just the specifications.

I’d be interested to hear how it compares with similarly priced amps, especially regarding background noise with sensitive headphones, volume control, and whether the preamp section adds any noticeable value. Those practical details can make a bigger difference when deciding whether an upgrade is worthwhile.

 

[VientoB]

Thanks for the detailed review. The H200 looks particularly interesting as a headphone amplifier, but I think the most useful part of a review like this is how it performs in an actual listening setup rather than just the specifications.

I’d be interested to hear how it compares with similarly priced amps, especially regarding background noise with sensitive headphones, volume control, and whether the preamp section adds any noticeable value. Those practical details can make a bigger difference when deciding whether an upgrade is worthwhile.

What do you mean by "whether the preamp adds any noticeable value"?

 

[Roland68]

Thanks for the detailed review. The H200 looks particularly interesting as a headphone amplifier, but I think the most useful part of a review like this is how it performs in an actual listening setup rather than just the specifications.

I’d be interested to hear how it compares with similarly priced amps, especially regarding background noise with sensitive headphones, volume control, and whether the preamp section adds any noticeable value. Those practical details can make a bigger difference when deciding whether an upgrade is worthwhile.

In terms of measurements, the H200 performs well not only against similar and similarly priced units but also easily holds its own against—and in some cases outperforms—many devices costing 10 to 20 times as much.
Speaking from personal experience with over 50 devices tested on ASR over the last eight years—including headphone amps and DAC/amp combos with strong measurements—I haven't encountered a single one that didn't deliver satisfying sound quality.
I see no reason why the H200 would be any different.

To gauge noise performance with sensitive headphones, you can simply compare its noise performance at 50mW (SNR) against other devices tested on ASR; the H200’s figure is excellent.
When it comes specifically to this metric—or noise performance with sensitive headphones—the Topping A50 III is likely one of the best devices on the market, regardless of price.

I don't quite follow the point about added value. With mainstream audiophile brands, you’d have to add a zero to the price for this kind of feature set—and often get inferior measurements to boot.
Among the devices tested on ASR, the H200 ranks within the top 50 or so, a group where performance is very tightly clustered.
Many much more expensive devices rank far behind.

 

[tccalvin]

Here are few pictures of the inside:

View attachment 558518

View attachment 558522



View attachment 558520

View attachment 558521

Thank you, NTTY.

@Roland68 What do you think? How's it looking?

 

[audioje]

As I'm just tinkering (but have no intention to buy one at this point), can H200 accept input higher than 5vrm? For example, how about Topping e50ii's max output, 11.3vrm?

 

[tokyo_blues]

Great review thanks.

As the happy user of a Pl200 CD player (one of my best recent audio purchases) I'm always interested in what this company does and always ready to open my wallet.

I have been looking for a high quality control centre for my (now sold) active Dynaudios and (current) hypex power amp and passive speakers + HD800 headphones for a while now and this comes so close. Great measurements, great form factor, remote and great volume pot.

But.. too few inputs, no DAC so no digital inputs. It just cannot accommodate the variety of sources I have at the moment. Phono preamp, SMLS PL200 line out or digital out (depending on which has the better DAC) and optical out from my Raspberry pi +Allo signature Hat.

Also switching inputs from a menu is just something I'm not interested in doing. Give me a dedicated knob or clearly marked dedicated buttons.

As it stands, it cannot replace my Benchmark DAC PRE. Same form factor, DAC included, 6 (!) inputs between analogue and digital, clear input selector in the front and fantastic volume pot. Headphone amp too! Sadly, it comes with no remote and the USB DAC is obsolete (but I use the SPDIF in). Also switching outputs on the Benchmark is great: when you plug your headphones in it automatically silences the line out towards the speakers. Brilliant.

I'm sure the device I have in mind would be much more expensive but I cannot be the only one with this use case.

Anyhow once again great unit for a lot of people and great review!

 

[NTTY]

As I'm just tinkering (but have no intention to buy one at this point), can H200 accept input higher than 5vrm? For example, how about Topping e50ii's max output, 11.3vrm?

I only have a Motu Mk5 that can output max 21dBu not 23+dBu. I could test.
But I would recommend to stay at a more normal output level of 5Vrms with the Topping since you can get to the desired 10Vrms (+6dB) from the H200 using the Medium Gain setting.

 

[Roland68]

Great review thanks.

As the happy user of a Pl200 CD player (one of my best recent audio purchases) I'm always interested in what this company does and always ready to open my wallet.

I have been looking for a high quality control centre for my (now sold) active Dynaudios and (current) hypex power amp and passive speakers + HD800 headphones for a while now and this comes so close. Great measurements, great form factor, remote and great volume pot.

But.. too few inputs, no DAC so no digital inputs. It just cannot accommodate the variety of sources I have at the moment. Phono preamp, SMLS PL200 line out or digital out (depending on which has the better DAC) and optical out from my Raspberry pi +Allo signature Hat.

Also switching inputs from a menu is just something I'm not interested in doing. Give me a dedicated knob or clearly marked dedicated buttons.

As it stands, it cannot replace my Benchmark DAC PRE. Same form factor, DAC included, 6 (!) inputs between analogue and digital, clear input selector in the front and fantastic volume pot. Headphone amp too! Sadly, it comes with no remote and the USB DAC is obsolete (but I use the SPDIF in). Also switching outputs on the Benchmark is great: when you plug your headphones in it automatically silences the line out towards the speakers. Brilliant.

I'm sure the device I have in mind would be much more expensive but I cannot be the only one with this use case.

Anyhow once again great unit for a lot of people and great review!

You’re not the only one; I actually wrote something about this in post #30.
The current Benchmark DAC that covers this (Media DAC3 HGC) costs €2,690. It’s a great device—very compact, especially considering the number of inputs.

However, with a D200 and H200, you cover almost everything for around €700. Or €500 with an SMSL SU-2 (plus €45 for USB with galvanic isolation from the PC).
I always prefer separate units, as combo devices almost always involve compromises—crosstalk, mutual interference, sharing a single power supply, and so on. With separates, you can upgrade or reconfigure as you please, and a failure usually affects only one unit rather than the whole system.

Another option, if you don't need a headphone amp (HPA), is a D200 (or another DAC) paired with an ADC (e.g., from MiniDSP) for the phono stage. It works excellently, and even hardcore audiophiles couldn't detect any loss in sound quality. In some setups, the D200 plus ADC (handling the analog input) replaced five-figure hardware—all for around €400.

Many people use additional switch boxes for input selection, and the DIY scene offers almost everything needed to realize custom configurations.

One option many overlook is the Topping A70 Pro combined with an EXT90 module and an SMSL SU-2 or D70 Pro Sabre (or another DAC).
The EXT90 module adds four analog stereo inputs to the A70 Pro, giving you 4x XLR and 2x RCA stereo inputs—in addition to the DAC's digital inputs.
You can switch inputs directly on the unit or via remote control (no menu diving required); the HPA’s 8+ watts of power and impeccable measurements round out the package. Depending on the DAC, that brings the price to between €900 and €1,400.

There are many paths to Rome—including better ones—if you don't let yourself be bound by convention.

 

[tokyo_blues]

Thank you for the thorough reply @Roland68, much appreciated.

No conventions here to be bound to, I assure you. Only a matter of practicality and time+space constraints. At this stage of my life I'm interested in simplification. No interest or capacity for box swapping (which I've done and loved in the past!), mix & matching, and cable soups, so the simpler the better. I've already broken this rule by getting a purify power amp and big passives! So no more shiny boxes atm.

The Benchmark honestly does 90% of what I need, I might upgrade to the v.3 you mention at some point.

 

[fordiebianco]

Hi Chaps/Chappettes,

apologies for the basic question, but what's the benefit of this if I can just connect my DAC directly to a PowerAmp and can control volume and input with the DAC?

Sorry for my ignorance.