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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 4.0%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 51 25.8%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 137 69.2%

  • Total voters
    198
Doubt that an iPhone user will be interested in this class of DAC....
May I ask how you came to that conclusion?
Many acquaintances and friends have iPhones and Macs and use DACs in this class (between € 300-1500), just like me.
 
This DAC has bluetooth - I imagine the vast majority of devices connecting that way would be phones.
EQ over bluetooth is not in the cards in these DACs. They use the XMOS processor which acts on streaming data on USB. Supporting other sources is possible but not likely unless the BT adapter supports it. Either way, someone who just wants to use BT should get a much lower cost DAC.
 
EQ over bluetooth is not in the cards in these DACs. They use the XMOS processor which acts on streaming data on USB. Supporting other sources is possible but not likely unless the BT adapter supports it. Either way, someone who just wants to use BT should get a much lower cost DAC.
It's not about "just" wanting to use bluetooth; it's about sometimes wanting to use it and still having the same EQ. For example, my lounge room setup is [AppleTV, consoles] -> TV -> WiiM PP -> Amp. No matter whether someone's playing the xbox, watching something on AppleTV, streaming music or connected to the WiiM via bluetooth, it all gets EQ'd the same.

There might be a technical reason why these DACs can't easily EQ bluetooth, and that's fine. But that doesn't mean that there's no use-case for it.

TBH I wouldn't be surprised if WiiM start to take over the DAC market. If they released an Ultra Pro Plus (lol) with slightly better measurments, a few more inputs and balanced outputs, there'd be very little reason to look at any other DAC options.
 
This DAC has bluetooth - I imagine the vast majority of devices connecting that way would be phones.
I would use it (as I do now, when I have just started being at my mother's house for a while to nurse her because they put a PICT in her arm for meds twice a day) to send my desktop computers signal via a Bluetooth Audio transmitter from an upstairs bedroom (through 2 walls to the stereo downstairs [where my mother is staying to avoid the stairs] {since she has WIFI, I added a WIFI setup to my desktop and a Bluetooth transceiver to her stereo}). This Bluetooth gear was gear that a friend had laying around but it works. Now, any music (or even just the audio of video's of Austrian Folk Music (her favorite) being played on YouTube some other site) that I pull up can be sent to her stereo.
I wouldn't buy a DAC based on it having Bluetooth, but I do feel that it adds value if it would support:

AptX
Bit Depth: 16-bit (AptX); Up to 24 bits (AptX HD)

Sampling Rate: 48kHz (AptX); 48kHz (AptX HD)

Bit Rate: Up to 384Kbps (AptX); 576Kbps (AptX HD)

A series of AptX codecs exist. There's the standard AptX, low latency AptX LL, and AptX HD. These options have their specific purposes. And if you are an audiophile, AptX HD provides a spectacular experience with its bit rate reaching insane levels.

LDAC
Bit Depth: Up to 24-bit

Sampling Rate: Up to 96kHz

Bit Rate: Up to 990Kbps

LDAC maxes out all the audio specs on Bluetooth streaming. It offers an exceptional audio experience. However, one of its major drawbacks is that it shares specs with much lower codecs when it has a fallback.
One of the ways that AptX HD surpasses LDAC is by staying on a consistent bit rate, ensuring your audio experience is undeterred.
Apple devices don't support LDAC (using AAC instead), and like many of the options on this list, it has high latency.

The information above is based on my reading around the internet recently, so I cannot say that it is the most current information or not.

If I had a need for a DAC, I think that Bluetooth capability would be a great thing & now that I know that it exists in a DAC, I would be looking for it. Not having Bluetooth available is actually one of the reasons that I would just stick with the DAC in my oPPo 205 UDP.
But, I love my separates. Easy to just put another piece of gear in place if something goes wonky in one piece of gear that is in the system (yes, I have either an exact duplicate of each item in my system or at least something that can functionally replace it).
If I think something that I am using in my system is great after a period of time, I typically buy a second one.
 
EQ over bluetooth is not in the cards in these DACs. They use the XMOS processor which acts on streaming data on USB. Supporting other sources is possible but not likely unless the BT adapter supports it.
That is an issue that I was unaware of. If one is sending the signal from a computer, could one EQ in the computer and then send the signal through the Bluetooth? That would be my use case.
If not, the Bluetooth aspect would be useless to me, anyway.
 
What is the exact advantage of having limited capabilities PEQ in DAC as opposed to sort out DRC/EQ in the source/playback SW?
Depending on how one finds particular solutions easy or difficult to set up and use, you can go either way.

If you have both a software solution (Minimserver in my case) and the RME DAC (or other), you can use one of them to compensate for your speakers while you vary the other depending on the sort of music being played.
 
If you have both a software solution (Minimserver in my case) and the RME DAC (or other), you can use one of them to compensate for your speakers while you vary the other depending on the sort of music being played
I didn't realize Mimin could do EQ; that's pretty cool. I don't need it, but ... cool.
 
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Depending on how one finds particular solutions easy or difficult to set up and use, you can go either way.

If you have both a software solution (Minimserver in my case) and the RME DAC (or other), you can use one of them to compensate for your speakers while you vary the other depending on the sort of music being played.

Stacking 2 DRC's/EQ's on top of each other creates lot of opportunities to completely ruin the sound and/or speakers.

ANd [but this is just my personal opinion] - adjusting for specific music/tracks is something I avoid - if it sounds like sh..t and it was artist intent, then it should sound like sh..t. :oops:
 
EQ over bluetooth is not in the cards in these DACs. They use the XMOS processor which acts on streaming data on USB. Supporting other sources is possible but not likely unless the BT adapter supports it. Either way, someone who just wants to use BT should get a much lower cost DAC.
Both the XMOS XU-316 and Qualcomm QCC5125 inside the SMSL support EQ, so it's just a matter of implementing this in firmware and software.
 
Stacking 2 DRC's/EQ's on top of each other creates lot of opportunities to completely ruin the sound and/or speakers.

ANd [but this is just my personal opinion] - adjusting for specific music/tracks is something I avoid - if it sounds like sh..t and it was artist intent, then it should sound like sh..t. :oops:

Yeah, the RME also has bass, treble, and loudness controls, but you better not use them, cuz you might damage your speakers ... or trigger a fire in the battery of your electric car.
 
Too bad there aren't "Golfing Panther" modifiers. I for one would humbly propose the "Wankery" subcategory.

How did the topic veer to EV battery fires anyway? No need to reply, too sleepy to catch up on 9 (8) pages of
;)
Hope everyone's having a good new year so far :)
 
EQ over bluetooth is not in the cards in these DACs. They use the XMOS processor which acts on streaming data on USB. Supporting other sources is possible but not likely unless the BT adapter supports it. Either way, someone who just wants to use BT should get a much lower cost DAC.
Can the Bluetooth be used for firmware updates?
 
Thanks to Amir for the review and measurements.

I've read the comments from others who have commented on the "boring" nature of the unit and it seems many are complaining about the lack of PEQ/DSP functionality. I'd suggest they look at the FiiO K19 DAC which seems to have everything they asked for (like 31-band EQ/DSP) plus HDMI IN/OUT/ARC, Optical out, Headphone amp with SE and BAL 4.4 and XLR outputs, 12V trigger in/out etc. SINAD is 10dB lower than SMSL / TOPPING and most of the parameters are already measured and posted by the manufacturer themselves.
 
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FiiO K19 has an impressive set of features. But with their performance target and current price around $1200 they could use dual ES9039Q2M chips, achieve the same performance and be a bit cheaper.
 
FiiO K19 has impressive set of features. But with their performance target and current price about $1200 they could use dual ES9039Q2M chips, achieve the same performance and be a bit cheaper.
with the price of 1.2k , should be dual ESS9039Pro chips :cool:
 
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