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SMSL RAW-MDA 1 DAC & Headphone Amp Review

Rate this DAC & HP Amp

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 2 0.7%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 5 1.7%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 29 10.1%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 252 87.5%

  • Total voters
    288
Using what software and in which mode of operation?

I'm using Tidal and Foobar. What do you mean by mode of operation? Usually DL200 works as a dac in my no. 1 system but sometimes I listen to headphones with it aswell. SU-1 used to be dac in my 2nd system but I replaced it with a Topping E30II lite.

There's a lot of discussion in DL200 thread about the click/pop problem some users have.

PS. sorry for my English.
 
@amirm Thanks for the review and glad that it is in your recommendation list, which I wished it to be
 
Well, I had told you so!
I was one of the first to buy this unit and post my very positive impressions.
Enough to say I sold my SU-10 for 600£ after getting this for 215£ shipped from Shenzhenaudio because a blind test suggest me to do do....
 
The biggest contribution of this DAC is the doubling of the coax and optical inputs but limited to 24/192 (so not suitable for DSD format SACD players). As it is, this dac can be enough to meet most real needs, especially since USB does all formats.

No regular SACD player can output DSD on the coaxial output that I know of. I believe this has been always hindered by licensing and copyright issues.

Some professional equipment supports DSD over two coax (SDIF3), as well as some high-end equipment (not sure if they are compliant to SDIF3 though).
 
The measurements are also better.


'audibly transparent'

if you cant afford this or cant justify the 'high end' features like the dual optical, dual coax the DL200 or even the DL100 would suffice if performance is all you are after.

I think people can tally up over a half a dozen SMSL products in this price category that would compare well to this.
 
Also looks like this 50mV chart is missing the Topping L30 II that measured at 100dB?
See here:
 
Between that and DL200 I would get the later only because of the fonts and color of the display.

Nice one otherwise.

Thanks Amir!
 
@SMSL-Mandy SMSL RAW-MDA 1 - does this device have a digital or analog volume control? My current DAC (ESI DR DAC Prime) has an analog volume control and the difference in volume between channels has become too noticeable.
 
@SMSL-Mandy SMSL RAW-MDA 1 - does this device have a digital or analog volume control? My current DAC (ESI DR DAC Prime) has an analog volume control and the difference in volume between channels has become too noticeable.
Digital
 
I do wish there was trigger output though to turn our a power amplifier in home stereo setting.

I feel like this is the perfect all-in-one desktop solution. Swap the headphone amplifier for a network streamer, eARC and a 12v trigger and you have the perfect livingroom device.
 
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After seeing the Topping D50 III with built-in parametric EQ it's hard to get interested about DACs without it anymore. Still waiting for a combo device like this with PEQ for a reasonable price though.
 
After seeing the Topping D50 III with built-in parametric EQ it's hard to get interested about DACs without it anymore. Still waiting for a combo device like this with PEQ for a reasonable price though.
Sadly the D50 III remote goes to sleep too often and it takes time to wake it up, this is certainly not user friendly. I fear the always on LCD screen isn't going to last forever either.
But apart from PEQ it has 12v trigger and 4v as selectable output rather than 5v, and what appears to be better firmware support.
 
What happened to output impedance and power clipping at various (low) impedance loads?
Not that I am ungrateful! ;)
I just wish, somebody would make something like this in a small portable format.
That would be grrrreat!
 
Anybody know why there is a "raw" in the model name ie any meaning or is it just naming coincidence ?
Feel free to think of a creative acronym. I challenge everyone reading this! I'm too tired to think of anything funnier than 'Real Audiophiles @ Work' right now, but I'm sure more talented writers are on this forum.
Chinese manufacturers apparently have overtaken the Japanese in 'random-meaningless-lettercombo-model-naming', so my bet is: just random, or as good as.
 
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