-
WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!
SMSL M500 DAC and HP Amp Review
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
The Ver. Displayed on the M500 display is the hardware and system software Ver.
The USB firmware version is not displayed on the M500 display.
To check the USB firmware update version, you must look at the driver properties.
The M500 I purchased was the product of the first lot, but the PCM 32bit could be played back. However, there was a problem of noise.
The USB firmware version is not displayed on the M500 display.
To check the USB firmware update version, you must look at the driver properties.
The M500 I purchased was the product of the first lot, but the PCM 32bit could be played back. However, there was a problem of noise.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2019
- Messages
- 340
- Likes
- 488
Does anyone know if the system software can be updated by the user, assuming SMSL would make an update?
Thanks for the information. Do you know if it’s possible to update the system software? Also what features are handled by the two parts, USB firmware and system software?
strangeskies
Member
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2019
- Messages
- 50
- Likes
- 65
It's certainly been confusing/unclear. I updated the USB firmware (from 1.07 to...1.05?). I went from two small tolerable pops...to no pops. Nothing popping at all. MQA decoding working great.
That is the latest version of M500.
There was a report that the noise problem of PCM768kHz that I reported before with the installation of Ver 1.08 has been improved.
The M500 I purchased before has already been returned. I will order again from Shenzhen Audio on Black friday starting on November 29 and confirm the operation.
Last edited:
No! at least in my case.
They need a SMSL M500 version 2 like SU-8 v2. Too much glitches on this device.
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2019
- Messages
- 340
- Likes
- 488
Why in the world are we doing 768KHz sampling rates and 32 bit depth? That is insane overkill.
Veri
Master Contributor
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2018
- Messages
- 9,599
- Likes
- 12,041
Bragging rights. And the fact that people actually look at whatever's "newest" when buying electronics.
1536kHz XMOS implementation DACs will be the next fad soon, I guess...
Do you have a test file to try this? I am curious if I have the same issue?
Because it is in the specs. And I do like the sound signature when hqplayer does the upsampling work instead of dac internal filters.
Adi-2 with 4493 have the potential to do DSD512, BUT RME didn’t put it in specs. My old dac 2014 N-70A spec DSD 128,but it can play DSD 256 flawlessly. SMSL need to make his product match the spec.
Last edited:
Perhaps the files used by most people participating in this forum are MQA files and files up to PCM192kHz.
The reason I need a high bitrate file is to make sure it is made correctly as an industrial product.
It doesn't matter whether you use high bit rate files or not.
Unfortunately, I can't feel the difference between PCM192kHz and PCM768kHz.
The difference between PCM and DSD can be felt faintly.
In that sense, your opinion will be correct.
I have prepared files up to PCM44.1 ---> 768kHz 16/24/32bit and DSD 64 ---> 1024.
High bit rate files that are not available on the web are created by using file conversion software.
I will test whether the purchased DAC works according to the catalog specs using these files.
Amirm will provide you with electrical data. I trust this data. There is no smell of corporate advertising.
Last edited:
I had Chord Mojo and SMSL M500 for two weeks and compare them with different headphones. And I was owner for chord mojo for 2 years and I know this dac from my heart.
I have these headphone:
- DT990 pro 250Ohm
- Mr.Speaker AEON C
- Shure IEM 535
And let me summarize my test for M500 and Mojo but before that what surprise me that shure 535 was able to show me more clearly how they sound different.
M500 simply destroys Mojo in sound quality.
- More transparency
- Better dynamic
- Details seems more in m500 and that maybe because it is more transparent.
- Sound stage and channel separation way better and wider and more accurate of sound position from far left to far right.
- Maybe and I'm not sure that M500 has better bass decay with Mr.speaker Aeon C.
The difficult thing was to level match them and to evaluate them and I tend to increase mojo sound level to check if that will show better dynamic or more details but that was not the case, m500 always sound better and the sound structure still intact and well control at any volume level.
I used ROON and grope zone theme to send the usb signal to mojo and m500 at the same time so I switch my headphone in 1 second between them without interruption.
What surprised me M500 sound filter: they didn't change the sound at all and I think SMSL playes with us ?!!!!!!
Last surprise when I connect both M500 and Mojo to external amplifier Gilmore MK2 lite which has input switch and I can compre M500 and Mojo in 0.01 sec. The Gilmore sound signature dominate the listing and both m500 and mojo sound so close and I barely hear a different.
I have these headphone:
- DT990 pro 250Ohm
- Mr.Speaker AEON C
- Shure IEM 535
And let me summarize my test for M500 and Mojo but before that what surprise me that shure 535 was able to show me more clearly how they sound different.
M500 simply destroys Mojo in sound quality.
- More transparency
- Better dynamic
- Details seems more in m500 and that maybe because it is more transparent.
- Sound stage and channel separation way better and wider and more accurate of sound position from far left to far right.
- Maybe and I'm not sure that M500 has better bass decay with Mr.speaker Aeon C.
The difficult thing was to level match them and to evaluate them and I tend to increase mojo sound level to check if that will show better dynamic or more details but that was not the case, m500 always sound better and the sound structure still intact and well control at any volume level.
I used ROON and grope zone theme to send the usb signal to mojo and m500 at the same time so I switch my headphone in 1 second between them without interruption.
What surprised me M500 sound filter: they didn't change the sound at all and I think SMSL playes with us ?!!!!!!
Last surprise when I connect both M500 and Mojo to external amplifier Gilmore MK2 lite which has input switch and I can compre M500 and Mojo in 0.01 sec. The Gilmore sound signature dominate the listing and both m500 and mojo sound so close and I barely hear a different.
As I said earlier in the thread, level match both these units won't be easy, unless using instrumentation.
Good Idea. Then, once proper level-match can be done, you have to ask somebody to switch inputs for you (you, being unable to see which gear is playing).
Nope. @amirm measured differences. But as said many times, differences are often outside of hearing range (18Khz or above). AKM Super Slow filter however, show a much earlier drop in frequencies and could be really heard.
I also do not hear any difference, but in the measurements of the review it did show up?
What would be expected sound wise for each of the different filters? Does anyone actually hear any difference?
Veri
Master Contributor
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2018
- Messages
- 9,599
- Likes
- 12,041
You mean the response to white noise? All these filters will have next to no effect on frequency response. Depending on filter (minimum phase ones) can cause a change in phase, which most people cannot hear, again.
So most people will be deluding themselves if they think they hear a ('big') difference
Similar threads
