Roland68
Major Contributor
It's already available for order at HiFiGO and supposedly in stock.
HiFiGO SMSL SU-2 / SU2 ES9039Q2M High Resolution Desktop DAC
It's possible this isn't an SMSL device, but rather one from a specific manufacturer.
-
Welcome to ASR. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!
SMSL SU-1 Stereo DAC Review
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
HiFiGO SMSL SU-2 / SU2 ES9039Q2M High Resolution Desktop DAC
It's possible this isn't an SMSL device, but rather one from a specific manufacturer.
schmalgausen
Member
- Joined
- May 30, 2021
- Messages
- 28
- Likes
- 3
Nobody needs DAC without USB nowadays. I would see real pics.
Roland68
Major Contributor
That may be true for you, but many people see it differently.
I know a great many people who don't need a DAC with a USB connection in their hi-fi system.
And for anyone who wants to avoid potential grounding issues, this is a very affordable way to operate a balanced DAC with a galvanically isolated USB connection.
I'm sure this DAC will sell well.
Adding a USB bridge module would have raised cost, potentially preventing them from offering this device at the $100US price point.
Plenty of other options with USB for this price, albeit probably without balanced, differential outputs.
$100US with good, clean performance will have compromises one way or another.
schmalgausen
Member
- Joined
- May 30, 2021
- Messages
- 28
- Likes
- 3
This is a Chi-Fi manufacturer. I doubt they target group are old school SPDIF users.
*heavy sigh*
Veri
Master Contributor
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2018
- Messages
- 9,665
- Likes
- 12,281
I disagree. It's quite interesting at the price point.
I bought one of these but I'm sending it back to Amazon. Can't get past the issue of it shutting off the output to save power when connected to USB under Linux and then missing a portion of the audio before it comes back on with a couple of pops (barely audible or loud depending on what's hooked up downstream). You name it I probably tried it, or dismissed trying it because the hack sacrificed bit perfection.
It's too bad this tiny little implementation oversight lets it down. And that the SU-2 solves it by dropping USB altogether!
It's too bad this tiny little implementation oversight lets it down. And that the SU-2 solves it by dropping USB altogether!
Last edited:
This problem with XMOS drivers has been solved a long time ago:
XMOS driver settings for no cutoff/delay
I was contemplating on creating a "tutorial" of sorts for all XMOS drivers on devices that have a cutoff -- latency between the start of a sound and the dac "reacting" and actually playing said sound... So here it is: XMOS drivers use a control panel not unlike this: Usually the "Options"...
www.audiosciencereview.com
staticV3
Grand Contributor
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2019
- Messages
- 14,442
- Likes
- 24,979
Not on Linux it has.This problem with XMOS drivers has been solved a long time ago:
View attachment 509094XMOS driver settings for no cutoff/delay
I was contemplating on creating a "tutorial" of sorts for all XMOS drivers on devices that have a cutoff -- latency between the start of a sound and the dac "reacting" and actually playing said sound... So here it is: XMOS drivers use a control panel not unlike this: Usually the "Options"...
Indeed it hasn't.
I tried:
manipulating various auto_suspend settings through the linux device interface (/sys)
disabling usb auto suspend in the linux kernel
using the always_on setting in mpd for the alsa output plugin
Nothing had any effect on the behaviour.
I didn't bother with any of the solutions using another app or command playing a silent track to keep the DAC "awake" as those will always cause some mixing/resampling to occur.
Same on macOS.
It's also possible to add a USB to optical device like the PO100 (AFAIU, this should also help with RCA ground loops).
The lack of digital volume is what really can't be fixed.
Yes, but consider your options for the combined price of a PO100 plus the SU-2. It's a stretch, but at that rate, I'd rather get something like a Topping E50 II (or possibly save money and just get E30 II or E30 II Lite).
I'm sort of stuck on what to get - I have nothing at the moment. I used to have the RME ADI DAC 2 FS and I know it has problem free USB operation. I sold it instead of storing it as I've been travelling the past two years. Now I begrudge spending that much money again - though I loved the feature set.
One thing I know is I have zero tolerance for spurious noises or playback gaps between tracks or missing music. Led Zeppelin - Good Times, Bad Times doesn't hit the same when you press play and the delayed start cuts off half the opening riff.
One thing I know is I have zero tolerance for spurious noises or playback gaps between tracks or missing music. Led Zeppelin - Good Times, Bad Times doesn't hit the same when you press play and the delayed start cuts off half the opening riff.
The Apple dongle is cheap, doesn't make operating noises and it doesn't suffer from the "sleepy DAC" syndrome. Technical performance is not the best but it's audibly transparent... and did I mention it's cheap?
All types of Linux use the same underlying kernel modules. There are only a few options ALSA or pulseaudio or pipewire. I had these issues using ALSA which has been around the longest of these. Maybe the others work better but as I understand it pulseaudio will have a software mixer and it won't be bit perfect for that reason. I haven't tried pipewire.
Can you describe the set up on your Linux PCs? I used two different computers with two different distributions using ALSA and did not have any success. The DAC behaved the same through all of the tests.
Turboscienziato
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2025
- Messages
- 2
- Likes
- 1
I use the device with Daphile on a mini PC and I have not encountered any problems. For me It has great sound.