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SMSL M500 - Owners' Thread

icsi85

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Aug 5, 2020
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Hello everyone,

I used to just read the forum and reviews without having an account. So first of all I wanted to thank you all for sharing all that knowledge. I am not an audio connaisseur at all but I am trying to learn.

I bought a M500 based on the review with the 2.01 firmware, SW 1.6 HW1.3. And I was wondering where you guys managed to get the 2.06 firmware ? The only one I found is the M400. Are they compatible ? And is there any release note to know what changed ?

Cheers,
Abe

Don't bother updating, soundwise nothing will change.
 

Eagle

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May i ask some starters-Audio questions?
Wanted to improve my computer (Windows-10) audio experience first on playing quality audio files on active speakers and later using a Sennheiser HD 6XX headphone.
Bought an SMSL M500 DAC/AMP having the folowing credentials: SW: 1.5 HW: 1.2 2019-10-9 v2.06 device revision.
Installed v4.67.0.36759 USB driver, attached M500 to USB port on computer and speaker to M500's RCA output.
Installed Foobar2000 (standard install v. 1.6.2) as audioplayer.
First impression on my not so experienced ears are very good.

1. Whatever I play (MP3, FLAC 24-192, WAV SACD, FLAC 24-44.1 [MQA] etc. M500 displays I am playing PCM 48 kHz for all of them shouldn't this change depending on resolution playing?

2. I read about some plugins which can be added to Foobar2000 like: ASIO support 2.1.2, WASAPI output support 3.4 and a plugin called foo_input_sacd-1.2.6 enabling Direct DSD playback for compatible devices. Is it advisable to install these plugins?

Any Advice highly appreciated.
 

renaudrenaud

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May i ask some starters-Audio questions?
Wanted to improve my computer (Windows-10) audio experience first on playing quality audio files on active speakers and later using a Sennheiser HD 6XX headphone.
Bought an SMSL M500 DAC/AMP having the folowing credentials: SW: 1.5 HW: 1.2 2019-10-9 v2.06 device revision.
Installed v4.67.0.36759 USB driver, attached M500 to USB port on computer and speaker to M500's RCA output.
Installed Foobar2000 (standard install v. 1.6.2) as audioplayer.
First impression on my not so experienced ears are very good.

1. Whatever I play (MP3, FLAC 24-192, WAV SACD, FLAC 24-44.1 [MQA] etc. M500 displays I am playing PCM 48 kHz for all of them shouldn't this change depending on resolution playing?

2. I read about some plugins which can be added to Foobar2000 like: ASIO support 2.1.2, WASAPI output support 3.4 and a plugin called foo_input_sacd-1.2.6 enabling Direct DSD playback for compatible devices. Is it advisable to install these plugins?

Any Advice highly appreciated.

You need to install ASIO driver and then specify to Foobar to use this driver.
 

icsi85

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With Linux there is a problem without this update. Soundwise the difference is very important, you cannot hear anything without it.

If without it its not working that's a different situation.
But telling people to update it(with m400 firmware), and not telling they are risking bricking it... :-(
----
On M500
SW: 1.7, HW: 1.3
2020-5-30
---
On pc(win10)
xmos driver 4.82.0
revision 2.06
---
 

renaudrenaud

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If without it its not working that's a different situation.
But telling people to update it(with m400 firmware), and not telling they are risking bricking it... :-(
----
On M500
SW: 1.7, HW: 1.3
2020-5-30
---
On pc(win10)
xmos driver 4.82.0
revision 2.06
---

You're right, there is a risk. But without the update, the sound level was by far too low with my Linux things. So I updated... And learn later there was a risk.

But without the update, it was not usable for me (I use Linux players like Raspberry or other Single Board Computers with Linux / Daphile).
 
Last edited:

Crohnic

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Has anyone here from North America with HW 1.2 SW 1.5 sent their unit back to China to be reflashed? How long did it take and how much was it?

I was really dumb and tried updating the firmware when I knew there were issues and I am beyond the 1 year warranty so SMSL wants me to send it back to their factory on my own dollar.
 

miguelx74

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hi guys, i would like to buy the M500.

I have two questions :
1. can it drive the DT 770 PRO 250 Ohm or a Sennheiser HD 660s?
2. why should I choose the M500 and not the Sabaj d5?

Thanks in advance for your answers
 

Veri

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hi guys, i would like to buy the M500.

I have two questions :
1. can it drive the DT 770 PRO 250 Ohm or a Sennheiser HD 660s?
2. why should I choose the M500 and not the Sabaj d5?

-Yes and yes. Especially since you've gotten the newer 660, it is more easy to drive than the 600/650 ;)
-Both are good options. The M500 has more power single ended, the Sabaj D5 is better from balanced headphone output.
So to me it's simple, if you're not going to use the Sabaj D5 from the 4-pin XLR output, the M500 is the better performer.
 

miguelx74

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I use Tidal Hi-Fi and Foobar from Windows PC.
I use wasabi in foobar.
So is it correct that Asio is not active?
 

Veri

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I use Tidal Hi-Fi and Foobar from Windows PC.
I use wasabi in foobar.
So is it correct that Asio is not active?
Yes, WASAPI achieves the same thing basically but it will not show as 'asio:active' since it is another protocol.
 

Satyadhara

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Which DPLL setting do you use? Did you leave it at default level (7) or did you change it? Any changes to the sound quality or playback dropouts etc.?
 
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