SMSL M500 DAC and HP Amp Review

[DrCWO]

I have a question regarding S.M.S.L M500:
I like to set up a 2x2 system with two times S.M.S.L M550 and one REM Digiface. Did someone ever measure jitter performance of the M500 with Toslink or S/PDIF input? I expect it would be worse than USB but how much?

 

[MusicNBeer]

I have a question regarding S.M.S.L M500:
I like to set up a 2x2 system with two times S.M.S.L M550 and one REM Digiface. Did someone ever measure jitter performance of the M500 with Toslink or S/PDIF input? I expect it would be worse than USB but how much?

Jitter performance is pretty good because it uses the ESS chip. The big problem is the firmware bug as posted by Liu above.

 

[amirm]

I finally got a chance to confirm the problem with the right channel being driven by itself causing much higher distortion. Review is updated with it:

Recommendation of the product has been deleted in the review and members are cautioned about this problem.

I have also formally asked SMSL to respond to this issue.

 

[mslim]

How is this test run that is "missed" by the routine battery of tests? Probably needs a video to explain this

 

[Jimbob54]

I finally got a chance to confirm the problem with the right channel being driven by itself causing much higher distortion. Review is updated with it:

Recommendation of the product has been deleted in the review and members are cautioned about this problem.

I have also formally asked SMSL to respond to this issue.

I think it might reassure readers if you could run this test on the Topping D90SE, as a 9038Pro based device , to prove this is an implementation issue, not common to all 9038Pro DACs had the test been run. EDIT- YOU ALREADY DID- AND IT WASNT THERE- HURRAH!

Perhaps it could become part of the suite of tests and only mentioned by exception?

(side note- I had misunderstood the nature of the issue. I thought it was when L/R were both playing but playing different levels, the higher the difference , the higher the HD)

 

[aandres_gm]

I think it might reassure readers if you could run this test on the Topping D90SE, as a 9038Pro based device , to prove this is an implementation issue, not common to all 9038Pro DACs had the test been run.

Perhaps it could become part of the suite of tests and only mentioned by exception?

(side note- I had misunderstood the nature of the issue. I thought it was when L/R were both playing but playing different levels, the higher the difference , the higher the HD)

Check the D90se thread

 

[Jimbob54]

Check the D90se thread

I just have. 15 minutes too late! I'll edit my post!

 

[amirm]

Perhaps it could become part of the suite of tests and only mentioned by exception?

More or less that is what I intend to do until it becomes obvious that this was an isolated case....

 

[Jimbob54]

More or less that is what I intend to do until it becomes obvious that this was an isolated case....

Great, thanks.

Ideally manufs would run such tests themselves . The last thing anyone wants is exceptional performance in everything but real world scenarios. The "listen with your ears and music, not graphs and test tones" brigade would have a field day.

 

[JohnYang1997]

A small suggestion on future testing. Maybe just run or performed various different tests but without screenshot, saving or writing anything just to make sure something unexpected does show up. Like polarity test(saw tooth), left right channel, 1khz left + 2khz right, 0dB left -20dB right, even DSD files. Just compile a list of these test files and just simply run them. Only write about it when something weird shows up. This way you check many different things without wasting a lot of time.

 

[amirm]

I am really not setup to be the QC shop for companies. Nothing is cost free. Tonight I was going to review a new product but the whole evening got dedicated to this one test across three devices.

 

[Massimo]

SMSL has benefited enormously from this site and owes the ASR community an explanation on how they will to address this issue. Thankfully there are companies with high integrity like Topping and Khadas that make good when issues like this are uncovered on this forum.

 

[LTig]

I finally got a chance to confirm the problem with the right channel being driven by itself causing much higher distortion. Review is updated with it:

Recommendation of the product has been deleted in the review and members are cautioned about this problem.

I have also formally asked SMSL to respond to this issue.

The graph says right channel driven, the text in the review says left channel driven.

 

[Shoaibexpert]

Subsequent to this review, an issue has come up where if the left channel is driven by itself, it shows much more distortion than if both channels are driven. I have confirmed this issue:

This is really welcome. Does this mean that if L/R channels are driven in mono...that's where we see this issue and not in normal use case scenario where both channels are connected to amps and driven in stereo? Sorry if I am Missing something obvious here ....

 

[Jimbob54]

This is really welcome. Does this mean that if L/R channels are driven in mono...that's where we see this issue and not in normal use case scenario where both channels are connected to amps and driven in stereo? Sorry if I am Missing something obvious here ....

No. If L signal is different to R, you get the high harmonic. The greater the difference, the greater the distortion. This would be peak.

Mono should be fine as L R are identical. But stereo by definition is different L /R.

 

[Blew]

No. If L signal is different to R, you get the high harmonic. The greater the difference, the greater the distortion. This would be peak.

Mono should be fine as L R are identical. But stereo by definition is different L /R.

I don't understand how this is considered inaudible. If the distortion kicks in at 90dB, isn't that easily audible when outputting to amplified speakers on low volume?

 

[Jimbob54]

I don't understand how this is considered inaudible. If the distortion kicks in at 90dB, isn't that easily audible when outputting to amplified speakers on low volume?

It's harmonic distortion at - 90db, not noise. As to audibility, who knows!

 

[EReich]

Hi... I've had the SMSL M500 since last year January and the remote control stopped working entirely. I thought it needed a battery replacement but that did nothing. Is there a remote control sold separately to replace these? Any help would be really appreciated

 

[Toku]

Hi... I've had the SMSL M500 since last year January and the remote control stopped working entirely. I thought it needed a battery replacement but that did nothing. Is there a remote control sold separately to replace these? Any help would be really appreciated

First, go back to the beginning and replace the remote control battery.
Then press the C button and then try each button operation.
If that doesn't work, order only the remote control from the shop.
I've seen SMSL remote controls sold in web shops.

 

[EReich]

First, go back to the beginning and replace the remote control battery.
Then press the C button and then try each button operation.
If that doesn't work, order only the remote control from the shop.
I've seen SMSL remote controls sold in web shops.

Oh my goodness. It worked!! Thank you so much!!