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SMSL M400 Balanced USB MQA DAC Review

godmax

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Does the SMSL M400 remain in standby mode after plugin the power cable at the back or does he always power-up/turn on immediately when power is available?
 

misterdog

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I power mine on/off, by switching power via a balanced mains power supply. Upon power up she is ready to sing.
 

Artaois

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So skimming through I see there was a RCA issue. Is there a way to tell if you get a fixed one? I'm considering the m400 and sp400 bundle because I need an upgrade for everything.
 

Oukkidoukki

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Just red headphonics review about m400....couple of thoughts. I have owned smsl sanskrit pro b dac (akm4490), smsl su 8, rme adi 2 ( from 2004, the old one). So the review greatly praised m400, however .....when compared to burson conductor 3 there was more sense of vastness of the void and width in burson . This is exactly my experience also. I can sense more widht and hair raising vastness (flight to lapd, blade runner 2049) with old rme than newer smsl dacs. Other parameters are better in new dacs. What could be the technical reason for this and could this be something that can’t be seen in numbers in amirms tests? Or am I and the reviewer in the end wrong in our opinion? And all this said its still one of the best 200 € i have spend when i bought smsl su 8. Streaming mqa Tidal is extremely fun.
 
Last edited:

Gradius

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I'm looking forward to own this DAC in near future... however the USB audio driver is still the older v4.67 (from 05/21/2019) ?!

Come on, v5.0 is out since 12/04/2020 already.

TUSBAudio - Thesycon USB Audio 2.0 Class Driver for Windows

Revision History

V5.0.0 (December 04, 2020)
-----------------------------------------------------

* New: support for Windows 10 (2009/20H2)

* Fix: "ExposeToAsio" registry value in VirtualChannelProfiles

* New: API version 5.7, some API functions added

* New: several registry parameters added

* New: WDM sound device profile switching

* New: hardware channels can be hidden now

* New: USB audio float format support

* New: ASIO DLL now supports "AsioHide" parameter

' New: ASIO future extension allows to get access to hidden channels

* Change: reduced default StreamingBufferMaxDuration from 4ms to 1ms

* Change: documentation
 

Artaois

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I'm looking forward to own this DAC in near future... however the USB audio driver is still the older v4.67 (from 05/21/2019) ?!

Come on, v5.0 is out since 12/04/2020 already.

TUSBAudio - Thesycon USB Audio 2.0 Class Driver for Windows

Revision History

V5.0.0 (December 04, 2020)
-----------------------------------------------------

* New: support for Windows 10 (2009/20H2)

* Fix: "ExposeToAsio" registry value in VirtualChannelProfiles

* New: API version 5.7, some API functions added

* New: several registry parameters added

* New: WDM sound device profile switching

* New: hardware channels can be hidden now

* New: USB audio float format support

* New: ASIO DLL now supports "AsioHide" parameter

' New: ASIO future extension allows to get access to hidden channels

* Change: reduced default StreamingBufferMaxDuration from 4ms to 1ms

* Change: documentation
Theres a new USB driver we can get?
 

A Surfer

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Just red headphonics review about m400....couple of thoughts. I have owned smsl sanskrit pro b dac (akm4490), smsl su 8, rme adi 2 ( from 2004, the old one). So the review greatly praised m400, however .....when compared to burson conductor 3 there was more sense of vastness of the void and width in burson . This is exactly my experience also. I can sense more widht and hair raising vastness (flight to lapd, blade runner 2049) with old rme than newer smsl dacs. Other parameters are better in new dacs. What could be the technical reason for this and could this be something that can’t be seen in numbers in amirms tests? Or am I and the reviewer in the end wrong in our opinion? And all this said its still one of the best 200 € i have spend when i bought smsl su 8. Streaming mqa Tidal is extremely fun.
Did you confirm these findings using multiple trial, level matched, blind listening tests with an identification rate of at least 90% over at least 10 trials? If not you can't have any confidence in what you think you are hearing. Sighted listening tests and expectation bias exert very powerful effects on the listener.

If you read any information anywhere that suggested that the Burson Conductor 3 rendered more of a sound stage that would create all the expectation bias needed. You then go to your system, start listening and become amazed that you now hear this expansive sound stage. Your brain now has created this reality because in essence you asked it to.
 

misterdog

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The M400 uses the AKM’s new flagship AK4499 DAC chip and it sounds amazing. Let us just put it that way. It is one of the best sounding DAC’s sub-$2000 I have heard in my life.
https://headfonics.com/smsl-m400-re...ff026ebb752c23ee21c8c85a3d65a6b#comment-12098

I think he likes it.

The M400 is optimised for USB input, Coax and SPDIF measure worse.

The Burson uses ESS DAC chips which may give a better soundstage using movies as a source through SPDIF.
 

Magnifico

Active Member
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Jan 29, 2020
Messages
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I'm looking forward to own this DAC in near future... however the USB audio driver is still the older v4.67 (from 05/21/2019) ?!

Come on, v5.0 is out since 12/04/2020 already.

TUSBAudio - Thesycon USB Audio 2.0 Class Driver for Windows

Revision History

V5.0.0 (December 04, 2020)
-----------------------------------------------------

* New: support for Windows 10 (2009/20H2)

* Fix: "ExposeToAsio" registry value in VirtualChannelProfiles

* New: API version 5.7, some API functions added

* New: several registry parameters added

* New: WDM sound device profile switching

* New: hardware channels can be hidden now

* New: USB audio float format support

* New: ASIO DLL now supports "AsioHide" parameter

' New: ASIO future extension allows to get access to hidden channels

* Change: reduced default StreamingBufferMaxDuration from 4ms to 1ms

* Change: documentation


DUDE!!! Stay away from SMSL when you start out like that. SMSL is like you but it, you get a driver and that´s it.
I´ve never seen them update any driver.
It may have happened but I didn´t see it myself.

Better go for Topping...they do Update drivers....but this is not sure too.
My D70 almost a year old now does have 4.86 driver Version.
Xiaomi has even older driver for brand new model....that should show you something.........
 

Veri

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DUDE!!! Stay away from SMSL when you start out like that. SMSL is like you but it, you get a driver and that´s it.
I´ve never seen them update any driver.
It may have happened but I didn´t see it myself.

Better go for Topping...they do Update drivers....but this is not sure too.
My D70 almost a year old now does have 4.86 driver Version.
You can generally just install whatever driver they have for their latest model, since they simply sign the driver with their manufacturer PID, so as long as they make new updated DACs with never XMOS drivers they tend to be compatible. You don't really -need- to use the D70 provided one for example, just same brand i.e. Topping. Same thing for SMSL. Lots of drivers here: https://download.shenzhenaudio.com/#all
 

Magnifico

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That is true....found out because SMSL website was very badly managed a while ago and download data maintenance wasn´t exactly SMSLs best job ;)
Used a newer driver for a newer device and worked like a charm.


But guess what.....D70s - brand new - has same driver Version like mine old D70.

ALL Smsl devices have 4.82.
 

sq225917

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There's literally nothing in that review that chimes with my own experience of this dac. Bass light? He obviously uses rolled off headphones or speakers that aren't full range...
 

Veri

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There's literally nothing in that review that chimes with my own experience of this dac. Bass light? He obviously uses rolled off headphones or speakers that aren't full range...
People try to hear for major differences... so they hear them. They just don't realise they're making them up on the spot haha
I wouldn't want to be an "audiophile reviewer" ;) I'm sure my adjectives would suck lol
 
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