SMSL M200 DAC Clipping

[nightlite]

Hey guys,

I have a SMSL SP200/M200 Stack. I noticed, when the DAC volume is set to 0dB, the Music is clipping with some high volume sounds. If I lower the volume to around -10dB on the DAC everything is fine. It happens both over XLR and RCA. I also tried a IFI Zen Can AMP with the DAC over RCA and get the same behavior, so im pretty sure its the DACs fault.

I also have a Fiio BTA30 Pro (Bluetooth) DAC as well as an Audient Interface. Both of them can send 100% volume into the SP200 AMP without the music clipping. The source is the same, Spotify at 100% volume. I use the optical input of the M200 DAC but i have also tried the USB/Coaxial input, they all show the same behavior.

First i thought that the problem might be, that the M200 DAC sends too high voltage, which the AMPs cant handle. Or maybe that the DAC applies some digital gain to boost the signal, which would cause it to clip. But both my Audient Interface as well as the Fiio DAC with 100% volume are actually louder than M200 without clipping. If i volume match the M200 with the other 2 DACs, the M200 clips badly.

Does anybody know what might be the reason for that? Is the DAC broken? Its not a huge deal, because i can simply lower the volume on the DAC, but i think the DAC should at least be able to send out the same volume as the Fiio BTA 30 or my Interface, without the Audio clipping.

 

[Aleksandar RS]

Hey,

Same situation with my SMSL D400ES (Laptop, Tidal, USB) and Pathos Logos AMP. I don't know why this is happening, but I hope someone can explain the reason and suggest the solution for this problem. As you said, the volume can be reduced on the DAC, but I think there is something wrong.

 

[xeizo]

Sounds like the internal volume in the DAC is set before the output stage and is allowed to get too high(into clipping), someone didn't set 0dB properly. Additionally, the output stage seems to put out lower volume for any given voltage than the other DACs as the resulting volume is lower. As said, you can just lower gain and accept that 0dB is not usable, but you wont get the full dynamic range of the headphone amp. Not that it matters much as I suppose the headphone amp has some -130dB noise level so there is plenty to shave off until it will be noticeable.
Anyway, it's a plump to not adjust internal gain properly, one can easily see why there is constantly new models in such a short timespan.

 

[Aleksandar RS]

You're absolutely right, when I turn down the volume on the DAC, it is inevitably lost in dynamics. It seems to me that it cannot be fully compensated with AMP. That's my subjective opinion, it doesn't have to be true. Thanks for the reply, which very likely explains the problem.

 

[xeizo]

Anyway, I hope you booth have bug reported this to SMSL, while I don't think it can be fixed in firmware they may make a recall or at least fix it in upcoming models

 

[RayDunzl]

Does anybody know what might be the reason for that?

Doesn't handle "Intersample Overs"?

 

[Dunring]

Try putting it in DAC mode to get standard voltage. In pre mode I think it hits 5 volts but in DAC mode it's 4v. I had the combo before but just have the SP200 now, so can't test it. At 4v on the Topping d10b I have it never clips.

 

[nightlite]

Try putting it in DAC mode to get standard voltage.

The DAC has 2 settings, Pr0 and Pr1. Pr0 is DAC mode in which the volume control doesnt work, Pr1 is pre-out mode and has adjustable volume. The problem is, the DAC mode remembers the volume set in Pre-Out mode.

So if you set it to -20dB in Pre-Out mode and set it to DAC mode, it output signal will still be quieter than if you set it to 0dB first and then set it into DAC mode. However, 0dB in Pre-Out mode is louder than 0dB in DAC mode, so it does lower the voltage. But if you set it to 0db in Pre-out mode and switch it to DAC mode, it will still clip, even in DAC mode.

Anyway, I hope you booth have bug reported this to SMSL, while I don't think it can be fixed in firmware they may make a recall or at least fix it in upcoming models

@SMSL-Mandy