SMSL M500 DAC and HP Amp Review

[pua]

I had a prebox s2 version with an amplifier
Smsl m500 sound quality 100% better
The prebox s2 itself plays quite flat.
Connecting the amplifier improves the quality but the equalization for low power is not equal

 

[Jimmy]

There seem to be 3 hardware revisions, the latest one 1.0.3. Probably the latest firmware is only compatible with the latest version.

If they track serial numbers it should be easy for them to tell which firmwares are compatible by SN range.

This is one of the things that I don't like from some manufacturers, frequent silent revisions that may be necessary to fix problems, but should be documented.

Hello, what was the usb firmware version of your M500 before you update to 2.01 ?

1.05 ?
1.07 or 1.08?

Thanks for your answer.

 

[Jeriko]

I've just bought it and..... I successfully upgraded it to v2.01 (from 1.07 to 108 and 1.08 -> 2.01) but i can't enable "purple" M500 encoding in Tidal. I tried various settings.
Do you have any idea how to make it "work"?

See my post here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/smsl-m500-owners-thread.9547/post-381645
And the post from SoyBean: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/new-smsl-m500.8857/post-245519

I also get magenta/purple when I set it to "render mode" in roon and on Tidale based on the played title the "green" or "blue" provenance indicator.
But if you read the official documents about MQA the highest possible "unfolding level" you get with an "decoder".

So I think tidal is doing it right and identifies the m500 as a decoder, so Tidal lets the M500 do all the ”unfolding”.
In "rendering mode" you can see in your screenshot, roon does the first stage of “unfolding”.

And if I understand it right, in this case the provenance indicator goes purple because the m500 identifies the incoming signal is already unfolded and has the same frequency as the "original file" -> purple = Original Frequency of Sampling.
So in blue or green the M500 will do the unfolding work, thats why the incoming signal has not the original frequencies (purple indicator).

Blue = „MQA Studio“ confirms/ authenticates the incoming signal is the same that the sound-engineer, producer or artist has approved.
Green = “MQA” confirms the incoming signal comes from an MQA production process but is not approved by anyone
Magenta/Purple = the in coming signal has the same frequencies as the original file.

 

[YoYo]

There seem to be 3 hardware revisions, the latest one 1.0.3. Probably the latest firmware is only compatible with the latest version.

If they track serial numbers it should be easy for them to tell which firmwares are compatible by SN range.

This is one of the things that I don't like from some manufacturers, frequent silent revisions that may be necessary to fix problems, but should be documented.

Yes it is certainly true for the DAC firmware but not for the USB firmware...

And there seem to be only two hardware versions sold to consumers.
It seems to me that no one has a HW 1.1 version ...

SW: 1.4 HW: 1.2 2019-07-28
SW: 1.5 HW: 1.2 2019-10-9
SW: 1.6 HW: 1.3 2020-3-2

The USB firmware is only for the USB interface and XMOS XU-216.

I have version SW: 1.5 HW: 1.2 2019-10 and I can't update to 2.01.
Users who have the same version can update to 2.01 but not all...


The problem is that the updates don't work every time. And after it is no longer possible to make any update and the dac is stuck in 1.05...

 

[TheKasarR]

Yes it is certainly true for the DAC firmware but not for the USB firmware...

And there seem to be only two hardware versions sold to consumers.
It seems to me that no one has a HW 1.1 version ...

SW: 1.4 HW: 1.2 2019-07-28
SW: 1.5 HW: 1.2 2019-10-9
SW: 1.6 HW: 1.3 2020-3-2

The USB firmware is only for the USB interface and XMOS XU-216.

I have version SW: 1.5 HW: 1.2 2019-10 and I can't update to 2.01.
Users who have the same version can update to 2.01 but not all...


The problem is that the updates don't work every time. And after it is no longer possible to make any update and the dac is stuck in 1.05...

Look at your DAC tabs in XMOS Control Panel. When my hardware was on v1.7 i had the "Volume" tab.
With v1.8 it disappeared while it appeared again on v2.01

Do you miss one tab while being on lower software/hardware rev.?

@Jeriko That explains a lot!

 

[YoYo]

Look at your DAC tabs in XMOS Control Panel. When my hardware was on v1.7 i had the "Volume" tab.
With v1.8 it disappeared while it appeared again on v2.01
View attachment 61299
Do you miss one tab while being on lower software/hardware rev.?

@Jeriko That explains a lot!

Yes, "volume tab" isn't present on 1.08.

On my first M500, I used 1.05 firmware for 2 weeks and updated it to 1.07. After I used 1.07 firmware also for 2 weeks.
Then I was never able to update this unit to 1.08...
The first M500 recovered in 1.05 during the 1.08 update...

I bought a second M500 (1.05 Factory) and updated it to 1.08.
I used it for 4 months with 1.08 firmware.

Then I wanted to update the second unit to 2.01 but the update did not work and my second unit is again downgraded and blocked on 1.05 firmware.

And unfortunately this firmware is full of bugs : 32 bits files cannot be played / DSD >128 is broken.

I'm not the only one with these update issues... and it is painful...

 

[Galaxian]

Yes, "volume tab" isn't present on 1.08.

On my first M500, I used 1.05 firmware for 2 weeks and updated it to 1.07. After I used 1.07 firmware also for 2 weeks.
Then I was never able to update this unit to 1.08...
The first M500 recovered in 1.05 during the 1.08 update...

I bought a second M500 (1.05 Factory) and updated it to 1.08.
I used it for 4 months with 1.08 firmware.

Then I wanted to update the second unit to 2.01 but the update did not work and my second unit is again downgraded and blocked on 1.05 firmware.

And unfortunately this firmware is full of bugs : 32 bits files cannot be played / DSD >128 is broken.

I'm not the only one with these update issues... and it is painful...

Does 32 bits show under device properties in Windows?

 

[YoYo]

Does 32 bits show under device properties in Windows?

No 24 bits max

But it does not matter... I just received a new unit with firmware 2.01
SW: 1.6 HW: 1.3 2020-3-2

Now 32 bits show under devices properties in Windows.

 

[Galaxian]

I'm on 1.05. Applying 2.01 (failed) has limited me to 24/384 when I had 32/384.

 

[Galaxian]

No 24 bits max

But it does not matter... I just received a new unit with firmware 2.01
SW: 1.6 HW: 1.3 2020-3-2

Now 32 bits show under devices properties in Windows.

How have you sourced the unit? What guarantee did you have re the above specs?

 

[osasglo]

I've just bought it and..... I successfully upgraded it to v2.01 (from 1.07 to 108 and 1.08 -> 2.01) but i can't enable "purple" M500 encoding in Tidal. I tried various settings.

Do you have any idea how to make it "work"?


EDIT: Very strange things happens with Roon tho....


When normally connected -> View attachment 61187

Through SMSL Asio settings but still blue instead of purple -> View attachment 61188

EDIT 2: I've managed to get magenta but only while using SMSL (Renderer Only)
Still Blue in Roon tho...?? -> View attachment 61189

I have reported this to Tidal support several times, the core decoder in Tidal is basically broken with this device, once it detects the device can decode MQA it doesn't bother with the core decoding no matter if you enable it or not.

 

[Jimbob54]

I have reported this to Tidal support several times, the core decoder in Tidal is basically broken with this device, once it detects the device can decode MQA it doesn't bother with the core decoding no matter if you enable it or not.

So what happens to mqa content then? Full decode on the m500 (blue or green light)? Not the magenta?

 

[osasglo]

So what happens to mqa content then? Full decode on the m500 (blue or green light)? Not the magenta?

The problem is Tidal core decoder with this device doesn't work the way its supposed to when you want it to so you can't use this device as an MQA renderer at will with Tidal except you go through the hassle of turning off and on the device or unplugging and plugging in the usb cable.

 

[Jimbob54]

I just did the same thing today, the windows stock driver seems to work the best. I also noticed there is a volume difference between the windows stock and the xmos driver from the XLR out. The windows driver sounds quieter and the volume intensity is somewhat equal from the xlr out and rca, it might just be the gain is lower with the windows stock driver but I prefer it this way.

Ah, right. PiTA then! I use Roon normally but might try some MQA on the Tidal desktop app over USB , see what happens.

EDIT- quoted the wrong post- reply to one directly above!

 

[TheKasarR]

The problem is Tidal core decoder with this device doesn't work the way its supposed to when you want it to so you can't use this device as an MQA renderer at will with Tidal except you go through the hassle of turning off and on the device or unplugging and plugging in the usb cable.

Have you created a ticket for Tidal support? Any response? Will they repair it or just simply forget about it? I don't want to buy lifetime audirvana license or roon just because Tidal failed with their job :/

 

[osasglo]

Have you created a ticket for Tidal support? Any response? Will they repair it or just simply forget about it? I don't want to buy lifetime audirvana license or roon just because Tidal failed with their job :/

I have created a ticket for this twice but I still haven't gotten any meaning response from them. I also even noticed that MQA playback on my LG V40 isn't done right on the most recent versions of the Tidal app on android. The most recent version of the app on android that did it right was the version 2.21, it sent the bits directly to the quad dac and the analog signal cannot be altered. With the versions of Tidal after that including the latest release, applying volume normalization, dtx:x or changing the equalizer, sound preset, and digital filter modify the sound during MQA playback meaning its basically not MQA anymore. I reached out to Tidal about this as well but no meaningful response so far, now I have to rely on UAPP for clean sound on my phone.

 

[YoYo]

I think it is the normal operation of the Tidal application which forces the full MQA decoding when a DAC with MQA decoder is detected.
The Tidal app does exactly the same thing with my Meridian Explorer 2 DAC.

Why use MQA rendering on the M500 when it allows full decoding ? Seriously ?

 

[OP1M.DR3M]

Are most of you having issues with getting the M500 to update properly using Windows or Mac? I'm curious as I'm considering this dac and use a Mac.

 

[Toku]

Are most of you having issues with getting the M500 to update properly using Windows or Mac? I'm curious as I'm considering this dac and use a Mac.

The M500 can be used on both Windows and MAC, but the USB DAC Driver firmware update tool is provided by XMOS and is only for Windows. It cannot be executed by MAC. I think it's probably Apple's reason.

 

[OP1M.DR3M]

The M500 can be used on both Windows and MAC, but the USB DAC Driver firmware update tool is provided by XMOS and is only for Windows. It cannot be executed by MAC. I think it's probably Apple's reason.

I see.. good to know, thank you.