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SMSL RAW Pro-DAC1 Balanced DAC Review

Rate this DAC:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 2 1.0%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 8 4.1%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 50 25.6%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 135 69.2%

  • Total voters
    195
I bought from Aoshida through Amazon, the item (Topping amp) died in a few days but they were very good about return/refund.
Yes, I will edit that this was after amazon return period and in the manufacturer warranty period
 
Boring. I want to see a bad measuring DAC again, it’s been too long.
Just send in an expensive “ boutique” DAC and you get what you are looking for..
 
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am sure I am not the only one who enjoys using DLBC or other RC and would like to have 4 DAC channels. Until then, minidsp seems to be the only game. (yes there are Focusrite and MOTU but I don't think they are designed for the so called 2.2 stereo applications.
RME ADI-2/4 has a four channel DAC and four other channels on digital outputs if you run it in multichannel USB mode. If you need more analog outputs add two of the cheap Topping D50III and you have the perfect multichannel solution. This also can be used with Roon or Roon bridge :)
 
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That’s price in Germany using Euros or pounds. Does not include VAT or shipping costs for the US. Hard to make a comparison. To calculate final delivery price they want my full address and email and phone number. I consider that shady business practice. They want to harvest my personal information before I know the final price. No thanks.
Thomann is a very reputable retailer in Europe
Where I live I can buy ADI-2 for less than $ 1100, full VAT from a local retailer. Buying Raw Pro from Aliexpress is more than $900 (preliminary tax). RME is still more expensive yes the gap is much more smaller to even consider :)

With that said, if someone buy this DAC it is their money their choice. They could do worse, people have spent much more money on a much worse DAC, objectively. As in my previous post I don't see except the look why would someone pay > $300 for these DACs. If you want to spend more money, spend on features/cs/support that matter
 
The main thing I use my streamer for is music on my local DLNA server; no need for Musk or anyone else’s internet. Being able to play qobuz through it is a rather convenient bonus, though.
The cell phone doesn't connect from the inside of my home. Neither does anything else that uses any kind of radio based signal.
I could (& in fact, eventually want to) have a NAS with all my music on it & stream from it. But as to something external to the house, NO.
The density of the forest, the tree cover, with a small river just off my front deck, pretty much preclude anything getting to me unless it's via a landline.
The very NOT dense population here is 120 people per square mile. For me, that is just fine.
 
It’s been said in this thread, but at price points like this I just cannot see the reasoning for making these anymore.

For $70 more I can get a balanced Minidsp Flex, with a Dirac license. Totally competent and transparent performance, the ability to do real stereo crossovers, amazing room correction, accept and process analog inputs, etc etc…


I hope to see some 4+ output DSP dac/preamps and some new portable balanced (or at least higher output) DSP headphone dac/amps (better performance than qudelix) in 2025.
 
The cell phone doesn't connect from the inside of my home. Neither does anything else that uses any kind of radio based signal.
I could (& in fact, eventually want to) have a NAS with all my music on it & stream from it. But as to something external to the house, NO.
The density of the forest, the tree cover, with a small river just off my front deck, pretty much preclude anything getting to me unless it's via a landline.
The very NOT dense population here is 120 people per square mile. For me, that is just fine.
Sounds really nice. Where are you located if you are comfortable disclosing such a thing.
 
Sounds really nice. Where are you located if you are comfortable disclosing such a thing.
Fairly good surfing is only about 50 miles away, at Folly Beach, South Carolina. It's not usually great surfing (though, when hurricanes are off shore, it usually is). Most of the rest of the time, it's good enough to keep you in shape & entertained.
I am in an area called the ACE River Basin, in a part of Colleton County, on the Edisto River. I frequently see Kayaks and various boats 12-18 ft.
It is rare to see a vehicle on the two track old wagon trail to my home. There are no homes beyond me. A couple of times a year, someone in an all 6 wheel drive (F-750?) truck comes by & leaves within an hour or so.
 
It's in his profile.
I use the profile location (which is where our family home is, on a salt water creek, about 40 miles from my actual location). James Island was not densely populated when I was a kid, it was mostly farmland.
It became a densely populated suburb of Charleston, SC, which is across the harbor.
I moved down the road about 40 miles, onto a freshwater river (the property has been in my family since I was born, 1957).
It suits me better.
+ with references, such as the above, no one would find where I live (even with very explicit instructions, I usually have to go meet them at a place on a main road about 8 miles away.
Not on Google (or any other) maps except for the Colleton County home map (maybe, I have had problems with them that required old surveys from 1957 to get straightened out due to river erosion of my property.
 
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Fairly good surfing is only about 50 miles away, at Folly Beach, South Carolina. It's not usually great surfing (though, when hurricanes are off shore, it usually is). Most of the rest of the time, it's good enough to keep you in shape & entertained.
I am in an area called the ACE River Basin, in a part of Colleton County, on the Edisto River. I frequently see Kayaks and various boats 12-18 ft.
It is rare to see a vehicle on the two track old wagon trail to my home. There are no homes beyond me. A couple of times a year, someone in an all 6 wheel drive (F-750?) truck comes by & leaves within an hour or so.
Sounds pretty idyllic. You found your slice of paradise I take it. Congratulations.
 
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Sounds pretty idyllic. You found your slice of paradise I take it. Congratulations.
Small Western Pacific Islands are good, too. My wife has a condo on one that stays leased out (it's her income generator that helps with my SS income, since she is not yet of SS age) She keeps her income, I keep mine. It minimizes money fights (maybe why we have been married going on 20 years).
 
Small Western Pacific Islands are good, too. My wife has a condo on one that stays leased out (it's her income generator that helps with my SS income, since she is not yet of SS age) She keeps her income, I keep mine. It minimizes money fights (maybe why we have been married going on 20 years).
Separate money is always good, as is enough private space for each partner.
 
I use the profile location (which is where our family home is, on a salt water creek, about 40 miles from my actual location). James Island was not densely populated when I was a kid, it was mostly farmland.
It became a densely populated suburb of Charleston, SC, which is across the harbor.
I moved down the road about 40 miles, onto a freshwater river (the property has been in my family since I was born, 1957).
It suits me better.
+ with references, such as the above, no one would find where I live (even with very explicit instructions, I usually have to go meet them at a place on a main road about 8 miles away.
Not on Google (or any other) maps except for the Colleton County home map (maybe, I have had problems with them that required old surveys from 1957 to get straightened out due to river erosion of my property.
I also live in the South Carolina low country. I’ve had rural property down by the Savannah river. You can actually buy property down here that is hard for people to find. Transplanted from Kentucky 40 years ago. James island to the Savannah River is sparsely populated save the coastal area of Charleston, Beaufort ,Hilton head , Savannah. My rural property had sporadic to no cell phone or internet connection. Kinda nice.
 
She keeps her income, I keep mine. It minimizes money fights (maybe why we have been married going on 20 years).
We’re coming up on 20yrs too. We don’t quite go to that level (far too many shared expenses for it to be practical), but we worked out early on in our marriage that us both having money to spend on whatever we wanted made life a lot more pleasant. Neither of us have to ask/negotiate/beg the other one when we want to buy the latest useless thing, and there’s never any judgement or guilt.
 
I also live in the South Carolina low country. I’ve had rural property down by the Savannah river. You can actually buy property down here that is hard for people to find. Transplanted from Kentucky 40 years ago. James island to the Savannah River is sparsely populated save the coastal area of Charleston, Beaufort ,Hilton head , Savannah. My rural property had sporadic to no cell phone or internet connection. Kinda nice.
Sorry about off topic post. Amir thanx for the review.
 
Really nice industrial design. I wish the average receiver, etc. would step up their design game. Those boxes are boring and have looked the same for decades. Arcam has improved the game.
 
We’re coming up on 20yrs too. We don’t quite go to that level (far too many shared expenses for it to be practical), but we worked out early on in our marriage that us both having money to spend on whatever we wanted made life a lot more pleasant. Neither of us have to ask/negotiate/beg the other one when we want to buy the latest useless thing, and there’s never any judgement or guilt.
It's "our" money in our bank accounts. But, she doesn't spend more than what she gets from the property (which she put in my name, too) and her other endeavors that have earned her some money.
That's just how she rolls and we've never had an argument that was because of money. If she needs some, I give it to her (that has happened twice, both because I told her not to work at the time, so she was bored & wanted to take some courses at the local university).
I guess that you could say that it was my fault that she needed it.
 
Sorry about off topic post. Amir thanx for the review.
Yep, me too. To much time on my hands, since my wife went on an extended trip a few days ago. H'mm, I think I'll go crank up the stereo to volumes that I prefer.
 
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