SMSL PL20 Review (CD Player)

[HeadBanger]

No this player is adding gaps between tracks regardless of the cue file.

I think that we are saying the same thing.

HB

 

[M.C. Logan]

My point is they are not rare. You don't seem to realise what is meant by gapless. It's not just music that continues on into the next track. It's transferring to the next track with no added gap.

Seriously? You care about an extra second of silence between tracks? Which literally almost zero people would notice unless they obsessively played the same album every day for months then changed CD players. Again, 99.99% of people don't care. Many UPNP systems don't do gapless, mine didn't for years, only when I went to play DSOTM (which I do perhaps twice in a decade) did I realise this was a thing.

 

[Haskil]

My point is they are not rare. You don't seem to realise what is meant by gapless. It's not just music that continues on into the next track. It's transferring to the next track with no added gap.

Bravo !

I repeat, the majority of classical music CDs consist of separate tracks... But these tracks shouldn't be interrupted by the characteristic noise of non-gapeless playback. Just as rock or pop CDs shouldn't be gapless either. Non-gapeless playback introduces an audible flaw. And sometimes a very audible one.

And I'll reiterate that the CD standard imposed by Philips and Sony is gapless playback.

And I'll add that a player that isn't gapless will be problematic for anyone who, having it, needs to buy a CD requiring gapless playback... a CD they would love... In short, MC Logan's staunchly defended position makes no sense. A CD that doesn't play gaplessly is a defective device that doesn't meet the CD-Audio standard.

 

[M.C. Logan]

And once again, for MOST people, while it may be out of spec for Redbook (as are thousands of CDs incidentally), it isn't an issue, just as it hasn't been an issue for MOST people with countless iterations of local streaming which also don't do gapless. The difference in "silence" between tracks is utterly irrelevant, we are listening to the music, not the flipping intertrack pauses, which are equally inconsistent if you use program play, which by this measure would also be a 'flaw'.

 

[HeadBanger]

I would think that most music enthusiasts and audiophiles will care and I'd be surprised if there were many on this forum that didn't fall into one or both of these camps.

I have countless albums with tracks that segue into each other. Take a DJ EDM mix album for example - why would anyone think it's OK and not care about gaps of silence added between the mixed tracks? Added gaps like this are very jarring; the whole point is to hear it as one continuous piece of music that flows as one. Granted it's not so much of an issue where the music is already fading or is quiet but it is still wrong and once you know it's wrong and should not be there you cannot un-hear it.

The very first CD players from the eighties correctly played gapless. It's poor and there's no defensible excuse for something released >40 years later not to paly CDs correctly IMO.

HB

 

[drmevo]

And once again, for MOST people, while it may be out of spec for Redbook (as are thousands of CDs incidentally), it isn't an issue, just as it hasn't been an issue for MOST people with countless iterations of local streaming which also don't do gapless. The difference in "silence" between tracks is utterly irrelevant, we are listening to the music, not the flipping intertrack pauses, which are equally inconsistent if you use program play, which by this measure would also be a 'flaw'.

MOST people also aren’t on audio hardware websites looking at measurements and specs and graphs and trying to get the best performance for their money. Heck, a lot of the stuff people argue about here isn’t even audible!

I think you’re wrong to dismiss how annoying lack of gapless can be. It’s all over popular music. Lots of Radiohead is gapless. Airbag into Paranoid Android even has 4-beep “click track” at the end of the Airbag which is supposed to go right into the opening guiro scrape that anticipates beat 1 of Paranoid Android. It’s REALLY jarring when there’s a gap there after you’ve heard it correctly for years.

 

[M.C. Logan]

MOST people also aren’t on audio hardware websites looking at measurements and specs and graphs and trying to get the best performance for their money. Heck, a lot of the stuff people argue about here isn’t even audible!

I think you’re wrong to dismiss how annoying lack of gapless can be. It’s all over popular music. Lots of Radiohead is gapless. Airbag into Paranoid Android even has 4-beep “click track” at the end of the Airbag which is supposed to go right into the opening guiro scrape that anticipates beat 1 of Paranoid Android. It’s REALLY jarring when there’s a gap there after you’ve heard it correctly for years.

Again, a single example, I have one example in my collection, across all my CDs and LPs, and I am fairly wide ranging in my choices, And, once again, as I've said, if a lot of live albums, proggy stuff or whatever is ones bag, then don't buy this CD player, I'm simply stating a clear observation, which is that for a huge (majority) of CD listeners it simply isn't an issue to worry about. The heyday of CD was 80s to Noughties, an era of mostly basic pop and rock, 99/9%+ of which is not gapless. It bothers a bunch of peole here, fine, I get that, but it won't bother, any more than the odd crappily authored CD bothers people, the vast majority of ordinary folk.

 

[drmevo]

Again, a single example, I have one example in my collection, across all my CDs and LPs, and I am fairly wide ranging in my choices,

Yes, but as I said, there are many. Check this thread for a ton other examples just within Radiohead’s catalog:

https://www.reddit.com/r/radiohead/comments/rhtcor/what_are_some_good_examples_of_seamless

If you only have one example in your entire catalog, then I would suggest that it’s either fairly limited or you aren’t aware of which tracks are gapless.

The decision to have gapless tracks is an artistic one. The artist intended for us to hear it that way, so in my book it’s a form of lowering the fidelity to introduce gaps. Even if it’s one in 50 albums where it’s an issue, why wouldn’t I want that capability? I get you’re saying most people don’t care…but most people wanting to achieve CD playback would buy the cheapest player they can find on Amazon, plug into the headphone output (or connect via BT), and be done.

 

[Fletcher Munson]

Again, a single example, I have one example in my collection, across all my CDs and LPs, and I am fairly wide ranging in my choices, And, once again, as I've said, if a lot of live albums, proggy stuff or whatever is ones bag, then don't buy this CD player, I'm simply stating a clear observation, which is that for a huge (majority) of CD listeners it simply isn't an issue to worry about. The heyday of CD was 80s to Noughties, an era of mostly basic pop and rock, 99/9%+ of which is not gapless. It bothers a bunch of peole here, fine, I get that, but it won't bother, any more than the odd crappily authored CD bothers people, the vast majority of ordinary folk.

You know they make three wheeled cars as well. who needs four?

 

[Haskil]

M. C. Logan,

Not at all! There are no pressed CDs that fall outside the mandatory constraints set by Philips and Sony.

The few publishers who didn't comply were forced to exchange all the faulty CDs, at the behest of Philips and Sony, then reprint the sleeves and use transparent cases that no longer displayed the term "CD-Audio"... EMI still remembers this with its infamous "Copy protected" label that caused them so much trouble... since, supposedly unreadable only by computer CD burners, it was also unreadable on many home CD players and car stereos.

In short, an audio CD can have separate tracks (no problem with that, and as I mentioned, the vast majority of classical music CDs are like that), and still comply with the standard and/or also have tracks linked together.

Streaming services are not subject to the rules imposed by Philips and Sony on the playback of pressed audio CDs. However, it's worth noting that when a platform adopts gapless playback, it's presented as an improvement to the service.

See Qobuz, for example, which, despite its efforts, failed to achieve gapless playback and could only do so via AirPlay (and even then, not always), and especially via Roon and Audirvana.... And see the endless discussions on the topic of gapless playback on Chromecast.

In short, a CD player that isn't gapless and doesn't mention this defect on its packaging is a device with a design flaw. Therefore, throughout Europe, the buyer must be reimbursed if they make a claim under the warranty against hidden defects.

 

[Daniele CL]

We talk about hi-fi (high fidelity), then we put pauses where the author didn't put them!!! Shame !
Then the pauses aren't RED BOOK compliant, shame again!

 

[ChenHui]

Following the PL20, SMSL quickly launched the PL100 PRO, priced at $159. https://smsl.shop/products/pl100-pro
It’s already available for purchase.
The brand’s frequent new releases often leave consumers perplexed, with its product strategy unclear.

 

[Bleib]

Following the PL20, SMSL quickly launched the PL100 PRO, priced at $159. https://smsl.shop/products/pl100-pro
It’s already available for purchase.
The brand’s frequent new releases often leave consumers perplexed, with its product strategy unclear.

So, the uglier front is back and the backside now offers XLR out

Edit

[td] SMSL has updated the highly praised PL100 to the PL100 PRO. This sleek player redefines expectations for a modern CD transport, offering a foundation for exceptional sound quality, ready to be unlocked through its high-precision digital output.​ ​ ​

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[/td]

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[td] Features: - Built-in 2x CS43131 high-end decoding chips to maximize the performance of CD - With optical and coaxial digital RAW DATA output, it supports connecting MQA decoding - Auto mobile grad Slot-in mechanical component, which supports long-term anti-vibration and is suitable for vehicle use - Support MP3 format CD player, support up to 200 tracks - With a balanced XLR output interface - With 3.5mm and 4.4mm (balanced) high-power headset output - The output volume is adjustable, so it has PRE AMP function​ ​ ​

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[/td]

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[tiagosv]

Damn, if it wasn't for the lack of gapless playback, this could've been the best and cheapest new cd transport that passes all the "scratch" tests?

In your opinion @NTTY :
1. What's the best CD player/transport that passes all the scratch tests?
2. What's the cheapest option that also passes the tests?
3. Is there a cd player/transport that's passes all the scratch tests that also supports and displays cd-text?

Final question: is there a thread on this forum where you have a link compilation of all your CD player reviews?

Thanks for all your great work!

 

[Head_Unit]

Would be interesting to test one of those very basic Sony models. They are promiscuous (CD , SACD, DVD, blu-ray) and play damaged CDs very well.

Yes, someday I will have to buy one to play all my discs at this location. Or figure out how to rip everything...

 

[Head_Unit]

Seriously? You care about an extra second of silence between tracks?

Yes, it is annoying as hell on some material. And I think the point is, why this incompetence nearly 50 years later? I had a $100 player that did gapless, good grief how hard can it be?!?

 

[Audioagnostic]

Damn, if it wasn't for the lack of gapless playback, this could've been the best and cheapest new cd transport that passes all the "scratch" tests?

In your opinion @NTTY :
1. What's the best CD player/transport that passes all the scratch tests?
2. What's the cheapest option that also passes the tests?
3. Is there a cd player/transport that's passes all the scratch tests that also supports and displays cd-text?

Final question: is there a thread on this forum where you have a link compilation of all your CD player reviews?

Thanks for all your great work!

I am not @NTTY but the Tascam he reviewed comes close.
Bought a second hand unit for 100 euro after reading the review because I also wanted a player able to handle scratched disks well.

It works fine but my pioneer cdj 1000 mk3 and Sony blu-ray 6700 player are even better in playing damaged disks.

I use these players as transport, the Sony only in a surround system.

All cheaper and way better than the badly designed player of this thread.

 

[Haskil]

Après la PL20, SMSL a rapidement lancé la PL100 PRO, au prix de 159 $. https://smsl.shop/products/pl100-pro
Il est déjà disponible à l’achat.
Les nouvelles sorties fréquentes de la marque laissent souvent les consommateurs perplexes, sa stratégie produit étant peu claire.

 

[Haskil]

Following the PL20, SMSL quickly launched the PL100 PRO, priced at $159. https://smsl.shop/products/pl100-pro
It’s already available for purchase.
The brand’s frequent new releases often leave consumers perplexed, with its product strategy unclear.

Gapless or not ?

 

[aagstn]

Gapless or not ?

I would not anticipate the PL100 Pro to be gapless until it is tested and proven. SMSL switched to Fujitsu drives on the PL150 and it is no longer gapless according to several people that have purchased it. If the new PL100 Pro is using the same drive it also may no longer be gapless. SMSL has a poor track record of updating devices to fix bugs so I'm very doubtful they would ever go back and correct the issue. I have moved SMSL to my avoid list based on the bugs and issues I have had with their DACs and other products.