SMSL M400 Balanced USB MQA DAC Review

[Extreme_Boky]

Agree up until Accusilicon part. Have you considered the frequency? NDK makes one of the best oscillators for 50MHz and below. Find me any oscillator that is better than Accusilicon at 100/98MHz. It's true that 100/98MHz are not needed in some dacs. But calling name on this is really .....bad.

Maybe you should check the facts before posting??

M400 uses 45.1584MHz and 49.1520MHz crystal oscillators. The equivalent frequency NDK SDA crystal oscillators are better by 10dB phase noise-wise, across the whole frequency range, starting at 10Hz (Accusilicon does not state the phase noise readings below 10Hz; NDK does!).

Accusilicons do look shiny, though...

 

[Veri]

M400 uses 45.1584MHz and 49.1520MHz crystal oscillators. The equivalent frequency NDK SDA crystal oscillators are better by 10dB phase noise-wise, across the whole frequency range, starting at 10Hz (Accusilicon does not state the phase noise readings below 10Hz; NDK does!).

Accusilicons do look shiny, though...

Why does it even matter, though?

Surely SMSL put it through the analyser during design phase and concluded they perform excellent. As you say, perhaps they chose Accusilicon due to recent hype, but the result is very good so what's the harm? You can't be saying this kind of jitter is an audible concern, right?? There are no spurs higher than -140dB!

 

[JohnYang1997]

Maybe you should check the facts before posting??

M400 uses 45.1584MHz and 49.1520MHz crystal oscillators. The equivalent frequency NDK SDA crystal oscillators are better by 10dB phase noise-wise, across the whole frequency range, starting at 10Hz (Accusilicon does not state the phase noise readings below 10Hz; NDK does!).

Accusilicons do look shiny, though...

Why not just put one of the better NDK parts in and measure the jitter? Specification =/= real world measured performance.
I just put one in a dac and got wider skirt. so...
Taitien actually measured better than ndk.

 

[JohnYang1997]

As you can see at the highest frequency it's flattened out for accusilicon graph. This means both measurements can have very different settings in measurement settings and/or conditions. And again, graph shown in datasheet =/= real world performance.

 

[misterdog]

Why not use the NDK's SDA crystal oscillators????

I have NDK SDA crystals in my old DAC, I know how they sound .

M400 is streets ahead.

 

[misterdog]

Accusilicons do look shiny, though...

Because they have a metal cage to prevent EMI/RFI ingress the NDK's do not have such a feature.


maybe in the same way way that people wish to chase the last 0.00001% THD+N in their DAC then run that output through non shielded or balanced cables with the possibility of collecting more noise than they have achieved from the savings from their new DAC.

Each to their own.

 

[misterdog]

Time for some wise sage to post about how it cannot be possible for a DAC to sound so good whilst using a Switch Mode Power Supply.


The top of the M400 is tempered glass to correct some of the snipers who claimed it was acrylic.

 

[misterdog]

Maybe you should check the facts before posting??

Or actually listen to the M400 before posting ?

 

[Extreme_Boky]

Because they have a metal cage to prevent EMI/RFI ingress the NDK's do not have such a feature.


maybe in the same way way that people wish to chase the last 0.00001% THD+N in their DAC then run that output through non shielded or balanced cables with the possibility of collecting more noise than they have achieved from the savings from their new DAC.

Each to their own.

But of course! NDK's are housed in plastics.

 

[JohnYang1997]

But of course! NDK's are housed in plastics.

Except that they are not?

 

[JohnYang1997]

Bruh have you ever used any of these or even seen these in person before talking big and trying to sound like you are the smarter than anyone else? Sit down.

 

[Extreme_Boky]

Yes, no one reads anything in these forums. Check my first post.

 

[Extreme_Boky]

Except that they are not?

LOL...

 

[JohnYang1997]

LOL...

I have them in hand. They are obviously in metal case. What's your problem?

In terms of your first post:
"All of these Chinese AK4499 DAC's opted to use huge, flashy Accusilicon crystal oscillators."
- So what?

"They are, in fact, quite mediocre; "
- They are one of the best not mediocre.

"even the bog-standard SD crystal oscillators (by NDK) have the same phase noise specifications."
-SD are much worse on paper.

"SDA crystals are some 10dB better vis-a-vis frequency-vice. "
-Test condition, test equipment limits are in the play.

"Also, the NDK is not afraid to show the noise performance at the most crucial range between 1Hz and 10Hz."
-Showing more details only means confidence. It never means it's better. Real world use is different.

" I replaced the SD with SDA's in few XMOS cards with a major improvement in sound quality."
-Better jitter performance yes. Better sound quality? Do a blind test.

"Why not use the NDK's SDA crystal oscillators????"
-Was not easily accessible. Not really much cheaper. When you've already been using a model of a company it's easier to get the other model than switching companies. Switching companies often means changing supplier which means high price. Also peripherals of a DAC is much more important than just a oscillator.

 

[Harmonie]

@JohnYang1997

I admire your patience & time ....

 

[Zmix]

I'm not convinced there is a missing output buffer stage. This picture of the PCB shows the output. There is a 100Ω resistor in series with what looks like 510Ω* on the outputs. The RCA outputs are clearly driven by OPA1611 op amps, and the DAC is buffered by dual versions of the same. Both RCA and balanced have the same componentry on the output. (It looks like maybe some sort of anti-thump).

* The colours are awful, so it is hard to be sure, 510 is a standard E24 value, so seems reasonable. The resistor is a 1% part, but 510 isn't an E96 value - but you often see 1% in E24 ranges, so I assume this is the value.

I wonder if the 4 transistors near the XLR outputs are muting transistors or there for more current drive?

 

[JohnYang1997]

I wonder if the 4 transistors near the XLR outputs are muting transistors or there for more current drive?

Muting of course.

 

[misterdog]

Why not use the NDK's SDA crystal oscillators????

I have...

This was my previous DAC with the NDK SDA clocks, buried beneath the Wima caps. (the red ones, for those not familiar)
I even fed them with their own LiFe P04 battery and super cap 3.3V supply.

A package 2mm x1.5mm with four pads is a sod to hand solder.....

So apart from your theoretical engineering knowledge have you actually heard the M400 before attempting to discredit it ?

I have heard mine in a £ 100K system and my own £ 20K system - everyone who has heard it likes it - a lot.

 

[misterdog]

This review was based on the RCA output.

 

[sq225917]

Claiming to hear differences in clocks based on them being implemented in different dacs makes no sense.

The jitter measurements in the smsl400 are flawless, so the clocks are a none issue.