SMSL PA400 GaN 500W

[Roland68]

I feel like my dual mono PA-X’s (similar to PA400) have a lot more headroom than my dual PA200’s. But these are sighed tests….

The PA200s are significantly smaller in terms of power output and also have a smaller power supply than the PA-X and PA400.

Does anyone know if there's any difference between the PA400 and PA-X other than the housing or front panel?

 

[Roland68]

посмотрев на официальном сайте сравнение обеих моделей закрадывается подозрение что это одни и те же усилители просто более старая модель имеет ниже напряжение питания усилительной части. взаимопроникновение каналов 75дб это позорно для техники такого уровня в обеих моделях.

Welcome to the forum.
Could you please write in English?

The PA-X and PA400 are likely identical devices with different housings and displays, distributed through different channels and dealers. Even though the PA-X says SMSL on it, it's a Shenzhen Audio product, and they're responsible for the warranty and support.
The power supply, operating voltage, and power output should be the same.

Do you have any other information?

 

[Serg-hi-res-83]

Welcome to the forum.
Could you please write in English?

The PA-X and PA400 are likely identical devices with different housings and displays, distributed through different channels and dealers. Even though the PA-X says SMSL on it, it's a Shenzhen Audio product, and they're responsible for the warranty and support.
The power supply, operating voltage, and power output should be the same.

Do you have any other information?

I wrote that the 200,400 and X models are essentially the same thing with a difference in the power supply of the amplifiers. What confuses me most is the interpenetration of channels of 75 dB, which is very weak for this class of equipment.

 

[Tommy_Tango]

I feel like my dual mono PA-X’s (similar to PA400) have a lot more headroom than my dual PA200’s. But these are sighed tests….

Hey I’m thinking of buying the PA-X to run a magnepan lrs+, but only one unit so not mono. Do you think it will be stable considering magnepans impedance and i dont have to worry about it going into protection mode if i turn the volume up?

 

[LumiAudioNut]

Hey I’m thinking of buying the PA-X to run a magnepan lrs+, but only one unit so not mono. Do you think it will be stable considering magnepans impedance and i dont have to worry about it going into protection mode if i turn the volume up?

I’ve been powering a Magnepan 2.7i’s with a pair of SMSL PA-X’s operating in mono mode for months now with absolutely no issue (they beat out every amplifier I have including: Purifi, Rotel, and even a Pass Labs XA25).

 

[Tommy_Tango]

I’ve been powering a Magnepan 2.7i’s with a pair of SMSL PA-X’s operating in mono mode for months now with absolutely no issue (they beat out every amplifier I have including: Purifi, Rotel, and even a Pass Labs XA25).

View attachment 489792

Thanks for the advice, I went and bought a pa400 since it is a little cheaper and seems to be identical with the pa-x. So i will report back on the hype train when i have tested it with my own speakers which is ø-audio icon 15 and with magnepan lrs+ later this year. Gonna compare it to a Parasound A21 which will be interesting considering how many people rave about Gan amps.

 

[Svend P]

Thanks for the advice, I went and bought a pa400 since it is a little cheaper and seems to be identical with the pa-x. So i will report back on the hype train when i have tested it with my own speakers which is ø-audio icon 15 and with magnepan lrs+ later this year. Gonna compare it to a Parasound A21 which will be interesting considering how many people rave about Gan amps.

Just make sure to level match and do it blind. The result will suprice you

 

[Roland68]

Thanks for the advice, I went and bought a pa400 since it is a little cheaper and seems to be identical with the pa-x. So i will report back on the hype train when i have tested it with my own speakers which is ø-audio icon 15 and with magnepan lrs+ later this year. Gonna compare it to a Parasound A21 which will be interesting considering how many people rave about Gan amps.

The PA400 and PA-X are likely identical amplifiers, except for the front panel and display. The circuit board layout might also differ slightly, but this shouldn't affect functionality.
It's common practice at SMSL to offer the same devices with different designs and displays for different distribution channels/manufacturers.

In this case, the PA400 is an SMSL device and is assigned to SMSL for support, etc. The PA-X is a device from Shenzhen Audio, who are also responsible for support, and the device is only sold through their distribution channels.

 

[EJ3]

Thanks for the advice, I went and bought a pa400 since it is a little cheaper and seems to be identical with the pa-x. So i will report back on the hype train when i have tested it with my own speakers which is ø-audio icon 15 and with magnepan lrs+ later this year. Gonna compare it to a Parasound A21 which will be interesting considering how many people rave about Gan amps.

Really like the use of the terms "hype train"!

 

[LumiAudioNut]

Thanks for the advice, I went and bought a pa400 since it is a little cheaper and seems to be identical with the pa-x. So i will report back on the hype train when i have tested it with my own speakers which is ø-audio icon 15 and with magnepan lrs+ later this year. Gonna compare it to a Parasound A21 which will be interesting considering how many people rave about Gan amps.

I’ll be very interested to hear your listening impressions (the Parasound A21 is a well regarded class AB amp).

-Lumi

 

[Svend P]

I’ll be very interested to hear your listening impressions (the Parasound A21 is a well regarded class AB amp).

-Lumi

Most likely they will sound the same

All amplifiers do not sound the same

Who even came up with this bullshit?? And why was there no backtalk?? Why was this allowed to stand??? Objective?? Objective would be "all amplifiers which reach sufficient thresholds in key parameters will sound the same." Done. This stupid Dunning-Kruger inaccurate pseudo objectivist bullshit...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[jmc06]

May I ask if it is necessary to purchase two PA400 amplifiers for Linton85th in a 39 square meter living room to form a single channel? Or is one enough?

 

[Tommy_Tango]

May I ask if it is necessary to purchase two PA400 amplifiers for Linton85th in a 39 square meter living room to form a single channel? Or is one enough?

One is enough, it got a 90db sensitivity (1 watt @ 1 meter). So one pa400 has boatloads of headroom for the Linton85, and if after some time you get bored and you want more power you can buy one more and use them as monoblocks, or just buy a better amplifier.

 

[Roland68]

May I ask if it is necessary to purchase two PA400 amplifiers for Linton85th in a 39 square meter living room to form a single channel? Or is one enough?

That would be utter nonsense.
The Lintons are rated at a maximum amplifier power of 200 watts. According to the specs, the PA400 delivers over 200 watts at 6 ohms.
I don't think you'll ever run the speakers at that kind of power, as that would be well over 100 dB.

With two PA400s, you have a good chance of accidentally destroying the speakers.

 

[Tommy_Tango]

That would be utter nonsense.
The Lintons are rated at a maximum amplifier power of 200 watts. According to the specs, the PA400 delivers over 200 watts at 6 ohms.
I don't think you'll ever run the speakers at that kind of power, as that would be well over 100 dB.

With two PA400s, you have a good chance of accidentally destroying the speakers.

It's not at all dangerous to have the pa400 set in mono on these speakers. On my previous setup my speakers could only handle 80 watts @ 4 ohm but I still used 400 watts for each channel. Actually you can have a 3000 watt amplifier too if you prefer so. More power means more headroom so you use less of the volume knob and you have better low end control/dynamics. The amplifier does not output that power unless you max volume, which would probably destroy your hearing before your speaker cone blows. Peak power handling on a speaker is not a the same as amplifier rated power.

 

[Roland68]

That would be utter nonsense.
The Lintons are rated at a maximum amplifier power of 200 watts. According to the specs, the PA400 delivers over 200 watts at 6 ohms.
I don't think you'll ever run the speakers at that kind of power, as that would be well over 100 dB.

With two PA400s, you have a good chance of accidentally destroying the speakers.

I know of two cases, including the Lintons, where amplifiers with three times the power rating destroyed the speakers.
In one case, it was a DAC that directly drove the power amplifiers and which the owner had accidentally started in DAC mode. In the few seconds it took him to react, both tweeters and one woofer were damaged.
In the other case, it was a child whose parents hadn't put the remote control out of reach.

So the warning about "accidentally" was based on sound reasoning and experience.

 

[Serg-hi-res-83]

I know of two cases, including the Lintons, where amplifiers with three times the power rating destroyed the speakers.
In one case, it was a DAC that directly drove the power amplifiers and which the owner had accidentally started in DAC mode. In the few seconds it took him to react, both tweeters and one woofer were damaged.
In the other case, it was a child whose parents hadn't put the remote control out of reach.

So the warning about "accidentally" was based on sound reasoning and experience.

Where's the common sense here?)) Everything you've listed is improper use of technology and a safety violation. Something like, "Don't install manual transmissions in cars because you can leave it in gear and drive off the road when you start it!") You don't need to make a knife so sharp because you can cut yourself with it!) Who's to blame for not supervising the child? Who's to blame for the high signal level on the DAC? The amplifier or the person?))

 

[Svend P]

Where's the common sense here?)) Everything you've listed is improper use of technology and a safety violation. Something like, "Don't install manual transmissions in cars because you can leave it in gear and drive off the road when you start it!") You don't need to make a knife so sharp because you can cut yourself with it!) Who's to blame for not supervising the child? Who's to blame for the high signal level on the DAC? The amplifier or the person?))

Topping E70 randomly went to MAX volume..

Not sure what happened but all the sudden the E70 went from -30db or so to 0db. Basically blew out my ears for a few seconds and it was stuck on 0db, I couldn't even lower it. Tried spinning the volume control on the E70 for a few seconds, it was locked at 0db. Afraid to put my windows volume...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Tommy_Tango]

Testing the Smsl Pa400 against Fosi v3 Mono and Parasound Halo A21.

OK, so here is my verdict comparing the PA400 to the Fosi V3 Mono and the Parasound Halo A21. The speakers I used are Ø Audio horn speakers.

I first tried the PA400 on the horns, playing from 900 Hz and up, to compare it to the Fosi V3 Mono I had there before.

The PA400 has worse imaging than the Fosi monoblocks. The PA400 sounds crisp, clean, and clear with better instrument separation, but I was a bit underwhelmed by how small the overall improvement was over the Fosi V3 Mono (when just playing from 900 Hz).

Now comparing it to the Parasound Halo A21 on the mid-bass woofer playing from 1100hz and down, I find the PA400 to be less warm than the Parasound (not very surprising, but still something to note). The PA400 also has less punch and dynamics in the low end than the Parasound. However, it is very clean and detailed; I hear more detail and texture in the low end on the PA400 than on the Parasound. The PA400 is flatter, but I don't feel like I'm missing out on any fidelity. It doesn't sound like an old classic Class A or AB amplifier, but that doesn't mean it sounds bad—just different and modern.

Maybe someone with passive crossover speakers will get a bigger benefit from Class AB or A designs, but for me, Class D sounds very good.

 

[Svend P]

The PA400 has worse imaging than the Fosi monoblocks. The PA400 sounds crisp, clean, and clear with better instrument separation, but I was a bit underwhelmed by how small the overall improvement was over the Fosi V3 Mono (when just playing from 900 Hz).

All competently designed amplifiers sound the same when not driven into distortion. You need to test blind and level matched.

Don't let the headline fool you:

Double Blind tests *did* show amplifiers to sound different

In many online debates, position taken by some that when amplifiers are used that have flat frequency response and low distortion that no double blind tests have shown them to sound different. Well, I managed to dig up a 32 year old test that says otherwise. What is fascinating is that one of...

www.audiosciencereview.com