SMSL SA300 / Infineon Class D

[Neven]

Just to conclude my story, I got $42 refund. And I noticed that the volume knob goes into the menu instead of increasing or decreasing the volume when I turn it. Overall a poor user experience for sure.

 

[ripmixburn]

Wirecutter notes:

 

[NgtFlyer]

Wirecutter notes:
View attachment 90251

Where was this from?
I place little faith in reviewers with "golden ears" but plenty of it in those who use measurement equipment and post the graphs and data.
I am still enjoying mine. It drives a pair of Phase Tech 2.5 bookshelf speakers in my bedroom and it sounds very good.

 

[palatin8]

coaxial digital input

Trustworthy, not so much.

 

[ripmixburn]

Where was this from?
I place little faith in reviewers with "golden ears" but plenty of it in those who use measurement equipment and post the graphs and data.
I am still enjoying mine. It drives a pair of Phase Tech 2.5 bookshelf speakers in my bedroom and it sounds very good.

Link is on word Wirecutter above.

 

[NgtFlyer]

Link is on word Wirecutter above.

Ah, missed that. Thanks.

 

[eXistenZ78]

Hi everyone,
I have been lurking the forum for a while now. Now I need a little help.
Now I was listening to my music (stored on a Synology NAS) through a Scythe SDAR 2100 amplifier + Kro Craft speakers, connected to an old Apple Airport Express.
To reach better sound I bought an SMSL Sanskrit 10th MkII DAC, and I'm happy with it.
But now I feel like the amp is not enough. (I will change speakers too in the future).
But I cannot decide between SMSL Sa300 and Topping Pa3 (Sice I have a DAC yet).
I didn't found in depth reviews, so my questions are:
- Someone tried them and can tell if there's a great difference in sound quality?
- If I buy the SA300 which has a DAC itself, will make the Sanskrit unnecessary? Or it's a good idea to leave the DAC work to Sanskrit and use the SA300 just as an amp?

Thank you (and sorry if my English is not so good. Hope it's understandable at least).

 

[NgtFlyer]

Hi everyone,
I have been lurking the forum for a while now. Now I need a little help.
Now I was listening to my music (stored on a Synology NAS) through a Scythe SDAR 2100 amplifier + Kro Craft speakers, connected to an old Apple Airport Express.
To reach better sound I bought an SMSL Sanskrit 10th MkII DAC, and I'm happy with it.
But now I feel like the amp is not enough. (I will change speakers too in the future).
But I cannot decide between SMSL Sa300 and Topping Pa3 (Sice I have a DAC yet).
I didn't found in depth reviews, so my questions are:
- Someone tried them and can tell if there's a great difference in sound quality?
- If I buy the SA300 which has a DAC itself, will make the Sanskrit unnecessary? Or it's a good idea to leave the DAC work to Sanskrit and use the SA300 just as an amp?

Thank you (and sorry if my English is not so good. Hope it's understandable at least).

Well if you have the budget, I'd consider stepping up. The SA300 is a pretty good little amp and in my experience, its internal DAC sounds decent. Disclaimer, I use mine in my bedroom. It's not a critical listening system. I have no experience with the PA3. Perhaps you need something that can deliver more current than either of those? You have a very good DAC, maybe stepping up to a dedicated amplifier is what you need to do?
I am sure others will speak from their experience. Apologies that this isn't a definitive answer, but hopefully it helps.

 

[Toku]

Hi everyone,
I have been lurking the forum for a while now. Now I need a little help.
Now I was listening to my music (stored on a Synology NAS) through a Scythe SDAR 2100 amplifier + Kro Craft speakers, connected to an old Apple Airport Express.
To reach better sound I bought an SMSL Sanskrit 10th MkII DAC, and I'm happy with it.
But now I feel like the amp is not enough. (I will change speakers too in the future).
But I cannot decide between SMSL Sa300 and Topping Pa3 (Sice I have a DAC yet).
I didn't found in depth reviews, so my questions are:
- Someone tried them and can tell if there's a great difference in sound quality?
- If I buy the SA300 which has a DAC itself, will make the Sanskrit unnecessary? Or it's a good idea to leave the DAC work to Sanskrit and use the SA300 just as an amp?

Thank you (and sorry if my English is not so good. Hope it's understandable at least).

I bought the PA3 before, but I was disappointed with its flat sound quality and sold it in a week.
I've bought a lot of Class D amps so far.
Currently, I have purchased and are using 3 SA300s. The SA300 is one of my favorite Chinese digital amplifiers.

If you are attracted to the PA3's TDA7498E chip, I recommend the SMSL SA-98E over the PA3. Furthermore, I think that AIYIMA A07 & A04 etc. using TI chips will deliver better sound to you.

 

[eXistenZ78]

... If you are attracted to the PA3's TDA7498E chip, I recommend the SMSL SA-98E over the PA3. Furthermore, I think that AIYIMA A07 & A04, etc. using TI chips will deliver better sound to you.

First of all, thank you for your reply.
I'm not attached to TDA7498E, I never heard it. I mentioned the Topping as an AMP-only alternative to the SA300.
So why do you think AIYIMA A07 & A04 are better than SA300 for me?
It's because I have a DAC yet, so I can spend less with them? Or they actually sound better than SA300?

Since you use 3 SA300s, do you use their internal DACs? Or do you connect them to external DACs?
Because my main question is: It makes sense to use the SA300 with the Sanskrit? Does it make a real difference in sound instead of using it alone?

 

[Toku]

First of all, thank you for your reply.
I'm not attached to TDA7498E, I never heard it. I mentioned the Topping as an AMP-only alternative to the SA300.
So why do you think AIYIMA A07 & A04 are better than SA300 for me?
It's because I have a DAC yet, so I can spend less with them? Or they actually sound better than SA300?

Since you use 3 SA300s, do you use their internal DACs? Or do you connect them to external DACs?
Because my main question is: It makes sense to use the SA300 with the Sanskrit? Does it make a real difference in sound instead of using it alone?

The SA300's built-in DAC does not sound as good as an external USB-DAC. This is just an additional feature of the bonus.
It is absolutely recommended to connect an external USB-DAC to demonstrate the performance of the SA300. No matter who hears it, the difference in sound is immediately apparent.
You already have an SMSL Sanskrit 10th MkII DAC, so connect and use it.
I have an SMSL M500 and a Topping E30 connected to my SA300. The sound quality is overwhelmingly superior to the built-in DAC.
The AIYIMA amp I introduced was introduced as a better amp than the PA3. I use these amps side by side with the SA300 and they are very good products. It's very cheap.
ASR has its own forum.
(I'm not good at English. I think there are many strange sentences)

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/which-tpa3255-amp-do-you-recommend.9148/

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...generic-tpa3251-and-tpa3255-amplifiers.10065/

 

[NgtFlyer]

First of all, thank you for your reply.
I'm not attached to TDA7498E, I never heard it. I mentioned the Topping as an AMP-only alternative to the SA300.
So why do you think AIYIMA A07 & A04 are better than SA300 for me?
It's because I have a DAC yet, so I can spend less with them? Or they actually sound better than SA300?

Since you use 3 SA300s, do you use their internal DACs? Or do you connect them to external DACs?
Because my main question is: It makes sense to use the SA300 with the Sanskrit? Does it make a real difference in sound instead of using it alone?

Here's another thought, why not consider the SMSL DA-8s? It uses the same amp chip as the SA-300, has the same ratings but lacks an internal DAC chip. The DA-8s also features both RCA and balanced inputs which gives you an upgrade path should you decide to experiment with higher-end DACs. And it has Bluetooth as does the SA300. I think the DA-8s might be a better match for your use case. And the price is almost the same. I may consider a DA-8s in the future for another small system I may put together using an external DAC.

 

[eXistenZ78]

Here's another thought, why not consider the SMSL DA-8s?...

It's a good point.
But the price is not exactly the same, at least in Italy, I find the SA300 at 139€ and the DA8s at 169€, DA8s don't have the DAC (which I don't need), but has balanced inputs. My doubt is, I received the Sanskrit just a week ago, so I don't plan to try a higher-end DAC in the near future, but a future proof amp could be a good idea.
On the other hand, if I buy the SA300, I save 30€ for a pair of new speakers, and those will be the next upgrade for sure (don't make sense to me, investing in a new amp, and maybe higher DAC using Kro Craft speakers).

 

[Toku]

Supplement about SU-8s.
SU-8s is a product planned by Shenzhen Audio and manufactured by SMSL.
The power amplifier part of SU-8s is the same as SA300, but the input circuit is different.
The SU-8s' XLR balanced input is like a virtual balanced circuit and is not a full-fledged one.

 

[ripmixburn]

Archimago to the rescue! http://archimago.blogspot.com/2020/11/measurements-smsl-sa300-infineon-merus.html#more

 

[boblo]

Hello all, I'm new in this forum and I have read the whole thread.

The fact is that I'm interested in this miniamplifier, but I have some doubts before buying it. I currently have a broken Vincent SV-236 tube amp (100w * 2 output power at 8 ohms) and I'm searching for a replacement with similar (or higher) sound quality (but not necessarily the same power). I'm going to use it with TIDAL (standard subscription) and my old CD player at moderate volume levels. Well, my questions are:

- Since this device has no optical input, how can I connect my old Denon DCD-1450 CD player to it without using RCA connections? I have read in this thread that SA-300 internal DAC is not good, but I think it would be better than my Denon's, so I would not like to connect it by RCA. The problem is if a device (not a DAC, but an "extractor") with optical input and USB output exists in the market... or do you have any other solution for this? Please don't tell me to use the bluetooth connection with a transmitter/receiver device connected to the player. Also please note that my budget is very limited at this moment and I don't know if I could afford an external DAC. Topping E30 is recommended in this thread but it's expensive for me. If there is a cheaper DAC with reasonable quality (better than my Denon's), please let me know.

- I plan to use this device with these floor speakers (not with bookshelf speakers as many people do): BOSE 901 Series VI direct/reflecting speakers. Do you think the SA-300 will drive these speakers well? Or maybe this is a bad decision? Keep in mind that I'm going to use it at moderate volume levels.

There were some other chinese class D digital amps on my short list: Douk Audio SUC-A10, Topping MX3, Sabaj A4 and SMSL AD18... but after reading this thread I think the SA-300 is the best in terms of sound quality. I was tempted by the SUC-A10 because of its output power (60w * 2 at 8 ohms if I'm not wrong), but I think it has worse sound quality than SA-300. If you think there is another alternative for my needs, please let me know.

So I would appreciate some (expert) advice and excuse me if I said something stupid, but I'm a complete noob.
Many thanks for reading this and regards.

 

[NgtFlyer]

Well, the SA-300 only has USB input for it's DAC. I use the internal DAC a lot, and it sounds good. At least plenty good enough for music listening at low to medium volume in the bedroom. It doesn't sound bad at all, and I would argue that it is fine for 90% of listeners out there, the other 10% being ones who don't listen to music, rather who listen to their equipment using music.

Point being you'd have to use an external DAC in line, or just connect the outputs from your DCD-1450 to whichever amp you choose. There are many, MANY CD players with worse on-board DACs than your Denon.

 

[PierreV]

- I plan to use this device with these floor speakers (not with bookshelf speakers as many people do): BOSE 901 Series VI direct/reflecting speakers. Do you think the SA-300 will drive these speakers well? Or maybe this is a bad decision? Keep in mind that I'm going to use it at moderate volume levels.

How do you plan to connect the Bose equalizer?

With 901s, the quality of the current DACs or your CD is more than enough. Don't get me wrong, these boxes can be fun, I bought a pair some 29 years ago, still have them and still use them now and then. But they are not the most precise speakers on the market...

 

[Toku]

Hello all, I'm new in this forum and I have read the whole thread.

The fact is that I'm interested in this miniamplifier, but I have some doubts before buying it. I currently have a broken Vincent SV-236 tube amp (100w * 2 output power at 8 ohms) and I'm searching for a replacement with similar (or higher) sound quality (but not necessarily the same power). I'm going to use it with TIDAL (standard subscription) and my old CD player at moderate volume levels. Well, my questions are:

- Since this device has no optical input, how can I connect my old Denon DCD-1450 CD player to it without using RCA connections? I have read in this thread that SA-300 internal DAC is not good, but I think it would be better than my Denon's, so I would not like to connect it by RCA. The problem is if a device (not a DAC, but an "extractor") with optical input and USB output exists in the market... or do you have any other solution for this? Please don't tell me to use the bluetooth connection with a transmitter/receiver device connected to the player. Also please note that my budget is very limited at this moment and I don't know if I could afford an external DAC. Topping E30 is recommended in this thread but it's expensive for me. If there is a cheaper DAC with reasonable quality (better than my Denon's), please let me know.

- I plan to use this device with these floor speakers (not with bookshelf speakers as many people do): BOSE 901 Series VI direct/reflecting speakers. Do you think the SA-300 will drive these speakers well? Or maybe this is a bad decision? Keep in mind that I'm going to use it at moderate volume levels.

There were some other chinese class D digital amps on my short list: Douk Audio SUC-A10, Topping MX3, Sabaj A4 and SMSL AD18... but after reading this thread I think the SA-300 is the best in terms of sound quality. I was tempted by the SUC-A10 because of its output power (60w * 2 at 8 ohms if I'm not wrong), but I think it has worse sound quality than SA-300. If you think there is another alternative for my needs, please let me know.

So I would appreciate some (expert) advice and excuse me if I said something stupid, but I'm a complete noob.
Many thanks for reading this and regards.

I recommend the Loxjie A30 over the SMSL SA300 because your Denon DCD-1450 CD player has an OPT COAX output.
Loxjie is a company in the same group as SMSL and has a similar design. The SA300 and A30 are the same power amplifier, and there will be no big difference in sound quality. The input of the Loxjie A30 has a COAX OPT USB BT.

Loxjie A30 ASR Forum
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/loxjie-a30-amplifier-review.17547/

Loxjie A30 product page
http://www.loxjie-audio.com/productshow.asp?id=157

 

[boblo]

@NgtFlyer , @PierreV , thank you very much for your replies.

@NgtFlyer : Ok, which (affordable) DAC do you recommend? As I said before, the Topping E30 is expensive for me. How about Topping D10s?
Or do you think I can use the SA-300 internal DAC by connecting my CD player to the SA-300 by RCA and still get good results? And finally, do you really think the SA-300 internal DAC is better than my Denon's?

@PierreV: The equalizer supports several connection arrangements. The simplest setup only uses 1 line input on the amp (the SA-300 only has one, right?) I have temporarily connected my CD player to my very old Denon PMA-1080R amp as you can see in the following pictures:

On the other hand, I'm concerned about the power of the SA-300: Is 40w per channel (8 ohms) too little to drive the 901 speakers? Would the SUC-A10 be a better option? (60w per channel, 8 ohms). However, I still think the SA-300 outperforms the SUC-A10 in terms of sound quality.

Thanks again.