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SMSL PS 200 internal view
- Thread starter ICIETDIYEUR
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staticV3
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ICIETDIYEUR
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Hi staticV3 
I didn't want to make 'false arguments' but I don't think a review of the SMSL PS200 will be done...
... it could 'disturb' DAC manufacturers, including SMSL, so to speak
I didn't want to make 'false arguments' but I don't think a review of the SMSL PS200 will be done...
... it could 'disturb' DAC manufacturers, including SMSL, so to speak
staticV3
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I can assure you that Amir does not have any agenda of the sort.Hi staticV3
I didn't want to make 'false arguments' but I don't think a review of the SMSL PS200 will be done...
... it could 'disturb' DAC manufacturers, including SMSL, so to speak
If a DAC lands on Amir's doorstep, either sent by a customer or directly from the manufacturer, then it will be reviewed in due time. No exceptions.
I wonder whether it would be possible to mod the PS200 to use an external clock source? I'd love to, for instance, patch out the clock of the ADCiso into the PS200, but without schematic of either wouldn't know where or if to start. Anyone have ideas?
Hi Zek, latest driver is on SMSL site https://www.smsl-audio.com/portal/product/downlist/id/11.html
PS 200 is plug and play (no need to install this driver on my Win 10 laptop). However i use a Win 7 or Win 8 laptop for media and above SMSL driver will not load. PS200 will not "start" as per device manager driver window, it seems that it needs usbaudio2.sys however Win 7 and 8 come with usbaudio.sys.
For some reason the SMSL driver package does not load at all on my Win 7 and 8 machines. Just got the DAC, will return to Amazon if its not compatible with Win 7 and 8 and i cannot get it to work.
Thank you StaticV3. I did not notice the Win 7 drivers down on the bottom left of the web page. After installing some win updates the SMSL Win7 drivers did the job. DAC sounds very good and is as i hoped it is an improvement over my 6 year old Sound Blaster DAC.
I will also add that I do not know which one I would choose, PS200 or SU-1. Both modified. SU-1 with Muses02 plays a bit less analytically but is also musical like this PS 200. On the other hand, SU-1 with the OPA627 amplifier inserted also plays musically but less analytically and is less tiring after a longer listening session.
Hi Everyone,
This is my SMSL PS200 measured with a Cosmos E1AD (Grade O) together with the Scaler (all on batteries):
SINAD is 117.3dB on my side, probably some loop back noise, even if I use a USB isolator (and PC is on battery too, but both the SMSL and the Cosmos are connected to the same PC). I used FlexASIO diver for both the SMSL and the Cosmos, and I run the E1AD in stereo mode.
Cosmos input was 192kHz and FFT size 128k (32 averages).
I see a very precise clock, I could measure 1ppm, very good.
IMD DIN is nailed too (noise measured up to 96kHz!):
We see more the power supply related noise (mains at 50Hz in Europe) because I increased the FFT size to 512k for this test (but at -135dB, crazy low, impossible to hear).
This is amazingly good for the price. When I get the time, I'll perform all measurements I usually go for.
This is my SMSL PS200 measured with a Cosmos E1AD (Grade O) together with the Scaler (all on batteries):
SINAD is 117.3dB on my side, probably some loop back noise, even if I use a USB isolator (and PC is on battery too, but both the SMSL and the Cosmos are connected to the same PC). I used FlexASIO diver for both the SMSL and the Cosmos, and I run the E1AD in stereo mode.
Cosmos input was 192kHz and FFT size 128k (32 averages).
I see a very precise clock, I could measure 1ppm, very good.
IMD DIN is nailed too (noise measured up to 96kHz!):
We see more the power supply related noise (mains at 50Hz in Europe) because I increased the FFT size to 512k for this test (but at -135dB, crazy low, impossible to hear).
This is amazingly good for the price. When I get the time, I'll perform all measurements I usually go for.
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staticV3
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FYI, there's no reason to mess about with ASIO bridge drivers in modern 64-bit versions of REW.
Wasapi Exclusive, called "Java EXCL" there, is natively built into REW and provides the same multi-device, bit perfect I/O but with less setup and greater stability.
PS200 is better to SU-1 cause capicitors to +-12 OPA line. Jitter is very poor on USB according to poor clock. Much better SQ is from coaxial from Gustard u18. Also power from linear PS is very important. THD or SINAD is not everything importand. More importnad arę another measures.
Thanks, and indeed nearly the same:
FFT length was 512k for this test, so we see PS leaks a little above -140dBr.
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J-Test as Amir does it (24bits/48kHz input, view 20Hz to 20kHz, linear frequency scale):
He would comment: Text book perfect.
The SMSL is powered by the USB connector: the PC.
Clock is precise beyond requirements for audio, as I mentioned (1ppm).
If anyone wants a specific measurement, just ask.
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One more, I did a THD+N vs Frequency measurement taking noise into account up to 91kHz (sampling rate at 96kHz, and REW stops including noise at 91.2kHz in that case):
The THD+N remains below -110dB even with noise calculated up to 91kHz, this is extremely good on my perspective.
On the graph, I left THD alone too, which is below -120dB up to 10kHz. It is calculated with with H2 to H9 harmonics.
And I add the same measurement, in a different view, this time in log scale with H2 to H5 included. Note the axis change, from -80dBr down to -160dBr (to show H4):
Same colors as before, THD+N is grey (dominated by noise), THD alone is black, H2 (red), H3 (orange), H4 (yellow) and H5 (green). Plot is on 1kHz, so you can read the respective values in the legend.
Cheers
Flo
The THD+N remains below -110dB even with noise calculated up to 91kHz, this is extremely good on my perspective.
On the graph, I left THD alone too, which is below -120dB up to 10kHz. It is calculated with with H2 to H9 harmonics.
And I add the same measurement, in a different view, this time in log scale with H2 to H5 included. Note the axis change, from -80dBr down to -160dBr (to show H4):
Same colors as before, THD+N is grey (dominated by noise), THD alone is black, H2 (red), H3 (orange), H4 (yellow) and H5 (green). Plot is on 1kHz, so you can read the respective values in the legend.
Cheers
Flo
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Thanks for the measurements. I have this ps200 but I just bought MDA-1 RAW. And I have to say that it plays great on usb. There is no difference between usb and cosxial with Gustard u18. I have many r2r dacs and only this DS sounds nice. I have to try Topping D90 discrete.
Hi everyone,
I played again with the SMSL PS200 and did some measurements of different IMD vs level. I show you 4 of them.
First the IMD DIN and IMD AES-17 MD. I've put what they are below:
These are measurements from -60dBFS up to -2dBFS (not more else we are above full scale, and that would mean clipping). I think the IMD DIN shows what is known here as "ESS IMD hump".
Next is the standard IMD SMPTE which is 60Hz and 7kHz (ratio 4:1) played at the same time. But I did also a "European" version of it, for fun, as I replaced the 60Hz by our 50Hz we get from mains here:
The traces are nearly identical and these are very good results.
Cheers
I played again with the SMSL PS200 and did some measurements of different IMD vs level. I show you 4 of them.
First the IMD DIN and IMD AES-17 MD. I've put what they are below:
These are measurements from -60dBFS up to -2dBFS (not more else we are above full scale, and that would mean clipping). I think the IMD DIN shows what is known here as "ESS IMD hump".
Next is the standard IMD SMPTE which is 60Hz and 7kHz (ratio 4:1) played at the same time. But I did also a "European" version of it, for fun, as I replaced the 60Hz by our 50Hz we get from mains here:
The traces are nearly identical and these are very good results.
Cheers
Before I move on to something else, here are some more final measurements from the SMSL PS200 (USB in - RCA out).
Multitone for left and right channels:
We have more than 21bits of distortion-free range (excellent).
The linearity is nailed down to -120dBr, that is 20bits:
The two traces (fundamental and measured result) are split because with max output of the SMSL, I am at -2.34dBFS input of the Cosmos ADC that I use for measurement. So we should find 2.34dB difference all the way from 0dBFS to - 120dBFS (fundamental is blue, result is green). And the graph shows that at -120dBFS, the deviation is only 0.24dB. So the PS200 is linear down to -120dBFS: excellent.
Below is the bandwidth at 48kHz:
The two channels perfectly match, as you can see, which is again excellent.
And to finalize measurements, this is a view of the oversampling filter responses at 44.1kHz, 48kHz and 96kHz sampling rates (Linear frequency view up to 80kHz):
The attenuation is minimum -100dB which is good.
Overall this little low cost DAC does a perfect job, I could not find an issue with it.
Cheers.
Multitone for left and right channels:
We have more than 21bits of distortion-free range (excellent).
The linearity is nailed down to -120dBr, that is 20bits:
The two traces (fundamental and measured result) are split because with max output of the SMSL, I am at -2.34dBFS input of the Cosmos ADC that I use for measurement. So we should find 2.34dB difference all the way from 0dBFS to - 120dBFS (fundamental is blue, result is green). And the graph shows that at -120dBFS, the deviation is only 0.24dB. So the PS200 is linear down to -120dBFS: excellent.
Below is the bandwidth at 48kHz:
The two channels perfectly match, as you can see, which is again excellent.
And to finalize measurements, this is a view of the oversampling filter responses at 44.1kHz, 48kHz and 96kHz sampling rates (Linear frequency view up to 80kHz):
The attenuation is minimum -100dB which is good.
Overall this little low cost DAC does a perfect job, I could not find an issue with it.
Cheers.
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