SMSL SU-1 Stereo DAC Review

[SKBubba]

No EQ is a problem IMO with just a DAC/Amp setup.

Roon.

 

[VintageFlanker]

I'm hoping Amir can get a Topping DX1 to review one day too

Already done there:

Measurements of Topping DX1 USB DAC/HPAmp - L7Audiolab

台式设备 国内卷厂拓品（Topping）的低端产品线其实一直不是很完整的，解码从599元的D10s开始，搭配上他家的L30-2已经总价过了千元。即使是最便宜的一体机PA3s也已经达到了四位数的价格，在数百元价位中一直没有相应的产品，直到这款 Topping DX1 出现

www.l7audiolab.com

 

[poxymoron]

Thanks for the review Amir. Perfect little DAC for a powered sub.

 

[JeremyFife]

Blimey - that's great value. Nit-picking to say that volume control would be nice, but it's pretty amazing.

 

[Bruce Morgen]

For this price I can deal with a product with limited after-sales support.

Exactly. That's why I don't worry about the two dirt-cheap, thermally sub-optimal Aiyima A07s that drive the surround/ambience channels of my system -- I simply bought a spare pair "just in case"!

 

[Herbert]

Single ended (like 90% of all devices in home audio), simple (no filters to mess around and that one cannot tell from each other anyway), great price, 5V input (so a very good power supply could better the results). Perfect!
Does it automatically switch the source or does this has to be done always manually?

 

[Bruce Morgen]

No EQ is a problem IMO with just a DAC/Amp setup.

There are EQ apps for most source devices, e.g. Equalizer APO for Windoze and undoubtedly equivalents for Android.

 

[Steve Dallas]

Blimey - that's great value. Nit-picking to say that volume control would be nice, but it's pretty amazing.

Not everyone wants a volume control. It gets in the way of some use cases, including most of mine.

 

[TNT]

-10 dB at fs/2 and a stop band of -100dB is not "excellent". Excellent would be:

-120 dB at fs/2 and -160 stop band.

Also, and this comment is for both DAC and power amp: multi tone is very good to see but it has a flaw - it doesn't stress high level signal handling (and the SINAD as performed don't stress IM so there is a gap in the test suite) - so, a 3 tone test like 100, 18kHz and 19kHz would fix that. Please add for a complete evaluation of the product technical performance.

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[TNT]

Good work SMSL - now do a MA12070 based low power amp (20 watt?) in the same spirit - no extras at all (e.g. no BT, no pot, no nothing...), just max performance. External power OK so that one can have different ambition - but please do provide an optional power brick.

Thanks!

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[DilbertPugh]

So strong has been my reaction to the music industries attempted heist with MQA that I couldn't buy a DAC branded with MQA; unless it was on a peal off sticker.

 

[TNT]

One can see in the multi tone that the DAC seem to lose a dB at 20Hz or so... maybe its about power... we dont know as the FR dont cover the bass - why doesnt it?

The test need to always be the same and complete. Automate the darn thing inc web page generation. Skip the comments in the charts and add them as text in the summary if there is something specific that need a comment.

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[Dj7675]

There are EQ apps for most source devices, e.g. Equalizer APO for Windoze and undoubtedly equivalents for Android.

Can you get that to work with TV as the source?

 

[RickSanchez]

Simple but effective! Most people would probably want a remote & volume control included, but beyond that I can't fault it!

I think it has a remote control? I was just looking at the listing on Apos ...

 

[Red_Red]

Also a perfect one for diy with a nanodigi minidsp (alas no longer manufactured) for an active 2 x 4 way corssover even if the flex eight is a more complete, more compact and integrated replacement.

Thank you Amir for the review.

 

[peniku8]

Another DAC with a failed print on the rear, not telling you which are inputs and which are outputs. Great job. Is that really so hard?

 

[Bruce Morgen]

Can you get that to work with TV as the source?

On a more recent TV with only TosLink and/or digital coax output, no -- you'd have to get an amp with tone controls (which has been adequate here, YMMV), or a basic hardware EQ (Schiit Loki? Bellari EQ-570?) or DSP (Dayton Audio DSP-408?) device to get that functionality.

 

[sarumbear]

For this price I can deal with a product with limited after-sales support.

I agree. They are now commodities.

 

[sarumbear]

Another DAC with a failed print on the rear, not telling you which are inputs and which are outputs. Great job. Is that really so hard?

Duh! It’s a Digital to Analogue Converter. Digital inputs are in, analogue outputs are out

 

[GaryH]

There is some evidence that we can detect slopes of about 0.1 dB/octave

— Dr. Floyd Toole