SMSL RAW-MDA 1 DAC & Headphone Amp Review

[IgorD]

@JIW, thank you.
So if I understood it correctly for DL200 and RAW MDA 1 it's this way on firmware 1.00, right? :

SMSL FL1 - Minimum phase slow roll-off low dispersion (ESS #8) SMSL FL2 - Minimum phase (ESS #1) SMSL FL3 - Linear phase apodizing fast roll-off (ESS #2) SMSL FL4 - Linear phase fast roll-off (ESS #3) SMSL FL5 - Linear phase fast roll-off low ripple (ESS #4) SMSL FL6 - Linear phase slow roll-off (ESS #5) SMSL FL7 - Minimum phase fast roll-off (ESS #6)

https://www.smsl-audio.com/upload/portal/undefined/RAWMDA1MCUV101.zip You might as well update

I will consider. Thank you.

 

[JIW]

@JIW, thank you.
So if I understood it correctly for DL200 and RAW MDA 1 it's this way on firmware 1.00, right? :

SMSL FL1 - Minimum phase slow roll-off low dispersion (ESS #8) SMSL FL2 - Minimum phase (ESS #1) SMSL FL3 - Linear phase apodizing fast roll-off (ESS #2) SMSL FL4 - Linear phase fast roll-off (ESS #3) SMSL FL5 - Linear phase fast roll-off low ripple (ESS #4) SMSL FL6 - Linear phase slow roll-off (ESS #5) SMSL FL7 - Minimum phase fast roll-off (ESS #6)

I will consider. Thank you.

Yes, on the original firmware.

 

[zql9843]

I can hear white noises after few hours of continuous operation (and the annoying pop/clicks when switching songs/sample rate are there too) and must reboot the device to reset. The replacement unit from SMSL has the exact same issue. For any potential buyer, if u can't live with having to restart the device once in a while, I suggest looking for better quality alternatives. I suspect it's caused by heat dissipation problem. I am changing the USB DAC output format to 24 bit and see if it getting any better. It's a pity that SMSL fail to make this great sounding device robust at all.

 

[RHO]

What are you all doing with your devices?
Mine is working faultless since day 1.

 

[zql9843]

What are you all doing with your devices?
Mine is working faultless since day 1.

32bit USB input+headphone AMP out.

 

[zql9843]

BTW, the stock USB type-C wire they sent with the device is so bad that it can't be used to update the firmware. Have to replace it with a Type C cable of my smartphone..

 

[Bleib]

BTW, the stock USB type-C wire they sent with the device is so bad that it can't be used to update the firmware. Have to replace it with a Type C cable of my smartphone..

Sounds like a faulty cable. I still use the included cable for everything, works fine.
(and this is by far my favorite DAC, maybe Topping DX5 II will be better?)

 

[IgorD]

Issue: anemic low frequencies driving high-impedance headphones.
I have issue with headphone amplifier of my recently acquired SMSL RAW-MDA 1.

I was listening to Sennheiser HD800 and HD600 connected to MDA 1 already for 3 weeks. I noticed something is off already during first day but I thought that my ears needed to adjust. Well, my ears didn't adjust to it.

The problem is that MDA 1 headphone amp drives HD800/600 producing weak bass and dynamics. Sound is simply anemic. It does sound loud enough, but I need to crank sound a lot to hear any reasonable amount of low frequencies, but my ears can't stand that loud. The issue was partially resolved by selecting HPA in high gain. It's better, but still anemic. When I connected HD800/HD600 back to my previous device (old but still functional Benchmark DAC1), everything was back to normal/perfect.

Blind A/B test
I suspected placebo was f... playing with me, so I arranged test with one of my friends.
It wasn't perfect blind test; volume was adjusted to be the same on both as close as possible for my personal taste and normal usage. No perfect measurements and big delays while USB and headphone in/out were changed. I didn't tell to my friend what is all about, just device A / device B randomly will be selected. I allowed him to listen device A (MDA 1), device B (DAC1) for listening test material to get familiar with sound of both.

First listener was my friend who spot 5 times of 5 - 100% of correct answers. His impression was: "DAC1 has more body, sounds great and better overall than another one. SMSL RAW-MDA 1 sounds detailed, but like a foil, thin, lack of body ...."
I was second also with successful 5/5 trials.

No issue with XLR output. SMSL drives my JBL LSR305 studio monitors perfectly, stellar.

I want to understand what has happened.

The questions are: Is SMSL RAW-MDA 1 capable to drive high impedance headphones? Could it be low voltage swing or any other explanation? Or is it just my device could be faulty?

P.S. AS JIW has mentioned, on the original firmware, filter 4 is Linear phase fast was used. This one was used. BTW sound of headphone amp doesn't change much if at all.

 

[RHO]

Listening with my HD6XX now. No lack of bass to be detected (relative to it's normal bass output).
I'm afraid you need some measurements to verify your findings.
Did you use the same source for both DACs during your test?

 

[JIW]

Issue: anemic low frequencies driving high-impedance headphones.
I have issue with headphone amplifier of my recently acquired SMSL RAW-MDA 1.

I was listening to Sennheiser HD800 and HD600 connected to MDA 1 already for 3 weeks. I noticed something is off already during first day but I thought that my ears needed to adjust. Well, my ears didn't adjust to it.

The problem is that MDA 1 headphone amp drives HD800/600 producing weak bass and dynamics. Sound is simply anemic. It does sound loud enough, but I need to crank sound a lot to hear any reasonable amount of low frequencies, but my ears can't stand that loud. The issue was partially resolved by selecting HPA in high gain. It's better, but still anemic. When I connected HD800/HD600 back to my previous device (old but still functional Benchmark DAC1), everything was back to normal/perfect.

Blind A/B test
I suspected placebo was f... playing with me, so I arranged test with one of my friends.
It wasn't perfect blind test; volume was adjusted to be the same on both as close as possible for my personal taste and normal usage. No perfect measurements and big delays while USB and headphone in/out were changed. I didn't tell to my friend what is all about, just device A / device B randomly will be selected. I allowed him to listen device A (MDA 1), device B (DAC1) for listening test material to get familiar with sound of both.

First listener was my friend who spot 5 times of 5 - 100% of correct answers. His impression was: "DAC1 has more body, sounds great and better overall than another one. SMSL RAW-MDA 1 sounds detailed, but like a foil, thin, lack of body ...."
I was second also with successful 5/5 trials.

No issue with XLR output. SMSL drives my JBL LSR305 studio monitors perfectly, stellar.

I want to understand what has happened.

The questions are: Is SMSL RAW-MDA 1 capable to drive high impedance headphones? Could it be low voltage swing or any other explanation? Or is it just my device could be faulty?

P.S. AS JIW has mentioned, on the original firmware, filter 4 is Linear phase fast was used. This one was used. BTW sound of headphone amp doesn't change much if at all.

How does the RAW MDA1's XLR output compare to that of the DAC1? It could be that some capacitors have gone bad on the latter.

Maybe you could also connect the headphone outputs to the speakers if you have the cables and adapters for that. Since the input of the speaker has a very high impedance for a headphone amp, if there is any issue with high impedance loads, it should show up as well.

 

[IgorD]

Listening with my HD6XX now. No lack of bass to be detected (relative to it's normal bass output).
I'm afraid you need some measurements to verify your findings.
Did you use the same source for both DACs during your test?

Yes, exactly the same source which is my laptop, same audio player foobar2000. As of measurements, I am considering to buy not expensive oscilloscope (at least to measure output level at different frequencies).

How does the RAW MDA1's XLR output compare to that of the DAC1? It could be that some capacitors have gone bad on the latter.

I didn't perform blind test on speakers connected via XLR to dacs.
But my experience is good with both and I think RAM MDA1 XLR drives my speaker somewhat better.

As of capacitors, Bench DAC1 was repaired two months ago (first time in 11-12 years since I bought it). Knob has become faulty/noisy, disbalance and distortion in all outputs XLR/RCA/HPA. Company who has repaired the device told that capacitors were in bad shape as well so they changed them all by high quality ones. I don't hear any audible difference before failure/after the repairment. It's all good.

Maybe you could also connect the headphone outputs to the speakers if you have the cables and adapters for that. Since the input of the speaker has a very high impedance for a headphone amp, if there is any issue with high impedance loads, it should show up as well.

if I'll have free time I'll try to buy cables and do it. Thank you for suggestion.



As for now I'm using DAC1 while I don't give up on SMSL RAW MDA to use it at some point. I just need one single device for XLR/HPA, I don't want to mess with different outputs as MDA for XLR + DAC1 for HPA.

 

[flake]

Sorry new to this forum, but for the life of me I can't get the firmware upgrade working. I've put it into USB, copied the files, its done its thing and reset and when I check the version it still showing 1.00

 

[zql9843]

Sorry new to this forum, but for the life of me I can't get the firmware upgrade working. I've put it into USB, copied the files, its done its thing and reset and when I check the version it still showing 1.00

I think it's probably a bug. Can u check the version through xmos info panel?

 

[flake]

I think it's probably a bug. Can u check the version through xmos info panel?

Yeah it is. I contacted support and they confirmed it. Don't believe you can via the xmos info panel or I can't see it.

 

[templebuda]

Hello everyone. This week I bought the MDA1 and I'm very happy with it, however yesterday while using the balanced 4.4 output with my headphones, the MDA1 started rebooting constantly. Then I decided to change the selected output to balanced XLR and RCA and it works normally, but when I select the headphone output again it starts rebooting endlessly. I disconnected all the cables, leaving only the power cable, and the problem persists. I tried another power cable and the same thing. I've already reset and reinstalled the firmware, but nothing has worked. I don't know if it's permanently defective or if there's a non-electronic solution, some kind of hard reset or something like that... It's as if a protection device has been triggered and it reboots. I would greatly appreciate it if someone could help me with this situation. Regards.

 

[JIW]

Hello everyone. This week I bought the MDA1 and I'm very happy with it, however yesterday while using the balanced 4.4 output with my headphones, the MDA1 started rebooting constantly. Then I decided to change the selected output to balanced XLR and RCA and it works normally, but when I select the headphone output again it starts rebooting endlessly. I disconnected all the cables, leaving only the power cable, and the problem persists. I tried another power cable and the same thing. I've already reset and reinstalled the firmware, but nothing has worked. I don't know if it's permanently defective or if there's a non-electronic solution, some kind of hard reset or something like that... It's as if a protection device has been triggered and it reboots. I would greatly appreciate it if someone could help me with this situation. Regards.

Does it do the same thing with the 6.35 mm output? Have you checked if the cable is wired properly?

 

[templebuda]

I can't even test any of the headphone outputs now, because as soon as I select the headphone output on the MDA1, it reboots.
And yes, as you can infer, it seems to have been a problem with the cable I used, as they were a little loose and/or the solder joints were stuck together. I checked it later.
What I'd like to know is if it's reversible or if the headphone output is already dead...

 

[JIW]

I can't even test any of the headphone outputs now, because as soon as I select the headphone output on the MDA1, it reboots.
And yes, as you can infer, it seems to have been a problem with the cable I used, as they were a little loose and/or the solder joints were stuck together. I checked it later.
What I'd like to know is if it's reversible or if the headphone output is already dead...

If it does that without anything connected and after a factory reset, it is broken. It may have gone into protection if the cable had shorted it but it seems permanently dysfunctional.

 

[templebuda]

Probably. Thanks!

 

[dasherzx]

i have this for a while now and I can attest to this being more than endgame adequate.
Question though, I plan to get a subwoofer, can i use the xlr for my active speakers as is, while hooking the rca to the subwoofer?