SMSL M400 Balanced USB MQA DAC Review

[Harmonie]

Not catering to me personally but rather, trying to produce absolute lowest noise and distortion.

Thank you very much Amir,
I was waiting for this review in addition to Wolf's measurements.
It helps a lot to narrow my choice between the D90 this M400 DX7 for it's HeadAmp and even the SONCOZ SGD1 which looks very well built in my opinion.
Reading all posts between the lines and in spite of the purpose of this website: is HIFI just about lowest noise and distorsion ?
The 1000ohm output impedance could be an issue, in the same reason of frequent mismatch between amplifiers and speakers.
I'm rather concerned by the analog output stage, as I doubt that you can really hear the digital differences of any of above dacs.

 

[wargreymon]

Thank you very much Amir,
I was waiting for this review in addition to Wolf's measurements.
It helps a lot to narrow my choice between the D90 this M400 DX7 for it's HeadAmp and even the SONCOZ SGD1 which looks very well built in my opinion.
Reading all posts between the lines and in spite of the purpose of this website: is HIFI just about lowest noise and distorsion ?
The 1000ohm output impedance could be an issue, in the same reason of frequent mismatch between amplifiers and speakers.
I'm rather concerned by the analog output stage, as I doubt that you can really hear the digital differences of any of above dacs.

So what is your decision of those 3?

 

[misterdog]

Simon has the Soncoz coming this week to compare to my M400, if only someone would lend us a Topping D 90 .

We can hear if there is a difference between ESS and AKM chip.

 

[Harmonie]

It's purely my personal opinion and preference now:
#1 D90
#2 DX7 / SONCOZ SGD1

In that bunch you may find advantage of MQA, headAmp, AES input ....

 

[Harmonie]

Simon has the Soncoz coming this week to compare to my M400, if only someone would lend us a Topping D 90 .

We can hear if there is a difference between ESS and AKM chip.

That's precisely my reason to balance between D90 and the other 2 of my choice ...

 

[Harmonie]

Just found this on the Topping website:

D90 MQA version V1.23 firmware update
This firmware is only for D90 MQA version. This firmware fixes the problem of D90 MQA version while playing DSD256 on MAC. If firmware of your D90 MQA version already V1.23, then you needn't do this update. Standard version of D90 do not have this problem so you needn't do this update either.

Please noted that standard version D90 is not able to add MQA support by this firmware, flasing this firmware to standard version of D90 may caused irreversible damage. So if your D90 is a standard version, please DO NOT try this firmware.

The update requires a Windows 10 OS with V4.82 drivers installed. V4.82 drivers could be download here.

If you have questions about the upgrade of your D90 MQA version, please contact us before updating this firmware.

Download here

Does this address the Issue I mentioned previously, at least for the Topping D90 MQA?

I may have access to a Windows 10 PC, so I was wondering how to update my late 2012 IMac after a firmware update on the Windows 10 PC. If some people do not have access to a Windows 10 PC , then I assumes that their Mac cannot get this firmware update.

Now, regarding the SMSL M400: I am wondering if the same thing has to be done to this DAC, since it has the same XMOS chip, and can this be done with the same firmware update of the Topping D90 MQA. In other words, can we use the same firmware update for the SMSL that is applicable to the Topping?

Don't kow if you have one, but would you risk another company's firmware ? I'm pretty sure that it could ruin your gear.

 

[wargreymon]

It's purely my personal opinion and preference now:
#1 D90
#2 DX7 / SONCOZ SGD1

In that bunch you may find advantage of MQA, headAmp, AES input ....

Hmm. Maybe i should go for D90 instead of the M400 with the knob issue and also the high output impedance. But M400 looks good with the LCD screen...

 

[777]

Topping D90 has a secondary windings for all 7 stereo op-amps with only 0,1A. So, it has a output buffer but it has not enough current. The sound is faint, without contrasts, 2D, without transients.
So, Topping or SMSL are the same...... They care only about the measurements, not about the sound. It is just a marketing strategy to kill the western audio companies.
If you want a good sound, you have too look elsewhere.

 

[HITMAN]

Well said 777 I gave up with all this and just bought the Klipsch Heritage headphone amp it was too good looking not to it wont measure anywhere near the topping or SMSL but I may keep a small amount of sanity until they bring out something else.

 

[misterdog]

If you want a good sound, you have too look elsewhere.

Nonsense, M400 sounds superb in my set up.

 

[Lemanss]

amirm:
"When you think of pairing this DAC with headphone and power amplifiers, make sure their *input* impedance is at least 10 times higher or 10 kHz and above"

I only understand the examples.
Will this dac be suitable with:
-Sony WH-1000XM3?
-Roksan K2 power Amp?
-Yamaha HS7?
-ATC 50A?
-ATC 19A?
Thank you all

 

[777]

Nonsense, M400 sounds superb in my set up.

I am happy for you.

 

[amirm]

Thanks @amirm, nitpicking, did you mean to say <-140dB for spurious tones ;-)

No. It is -40 DVDs on horizontal scale.

 

[Jimbob54]

Apologies if pointed out already, you've mislabelled the RCA out @77 vol dashboard as XLR out (but only 1.9v) @amirm

 

[Veri]

Topping D90 has a secondary windings for all 7 stereo op-amps with only 0,1A. So, it has a output buffer but it has not enough current. The sound is faint, without contrasts, 2D, without transients.
So, Topping or SMSL are the same...... They care only about the measurements, not about the sound. It is just a marketing strategy to kill the western audio companies.
If you want a good sound, you have too look elsewhere.

Oh please

 

[Svperstar]

Awesome.

Really makes me wonder how the RME ADI DAC would look if it had one of these top end AKM 4499 DACs in it. I guess that is the holy grail of DACs right now. Too bad it doesn't exist.

 

[capitanharlock]

The sound is faint, without contrasts, 2D, without transients.
So, Topping or SMSL are the same...... They care only about the measurements, not about the sound. It is just a marketing strategy to kill the western audio companies.
If you want a good sound, you have too look elsewhere.

What a perfect post.
It's exactly the opposite of what I think...

 

[Jimbob54]

What a perfect post.
It's exactly the opposite of what I think...

Needs a bit more air. A sense of the drummer's athletes foot on the bass pedal.

 

[Jimbob54]

Topping D90 has a secondary windings for all 7 stereo op-amps with only 0,1A. So, it has a output buffer but it has not enough current. The sound is faint, without contrasts, 2D, without transients.
So, Topping or SMSL are the same...... They care only about the measurements, not about the sound. It is just a marketing strategy to kill the western audio companies.
If you want a good sound, you have too look elsewhere.

I have an inkling I know where you are going with this....

Chiiiiiiiina

 

[Jave]

Looks too familiar (the measurements)! Topping D90:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ds/topping-d90-balanced-usb-dac-review.10519/

Especially THD+N vs frequency