SMSL SU-1 Stereo DAC Review

[ceausuc]

SMSL C100 looks nicer + has remote for a little more $ ... I find su-1 not interesting.
SMSL D6 is the balanced version. Plenty of options for everyone's need.

 

[kopczas]

I find su-1 not interesting.

I think it`s great. Few things:
-no knob;
-no display;
-no volume control.

These are useless in my opinion.

 

[Bleib]

SMSL C100 looks nicer + has remote for a little more $ ... I find su-1 not interesting.
SMSL D6 is the balanced version. Plenty of options for everyone's need.

+C200 with headphone amp

 

[lin4265]

Same, DAC with a display is distracting and not a pleasant look. I would have my DAC turned around if I wasn't using the Topping DX1

 

[Bleib]

With most DACs you can make the display turn off quite quickly automatically

 

[Robbo99999]

50Hz-1kHz and 1kHz-20kHz.

Thanks. Ah, ok, so quite a bit wider than the change shown in the frequency response of this DAC (8kHz-20kHz where the slope is happening). Still, it's food for thought!

 

[HappyMetalGuy]

SMSL C100 looks nicer + has remote for a little more $ ... I find su-1 not interesting.
SMSL D6 is the balanced version. Plenty of options for everyone's need.

+C200 with headphone amp

So there's something for everyone. My question is why do companies like Topping and Smsl (and some others are worse) still sell dac's 10 times this price with similar useful features?

 

[Bruce Morgen]

So there's something for everyone. My question is why do companies like Topping and Smsl (and some others are worse) still sell dac's 10 times this price with similar useful features?

Because somebody is buying them, perhaps?

 

[Jazz]

It exists but, I still can't seem to justify it as being significantly better as a replacement for a Schitt Modi 3 I use in my office. The MQA turns me off too. Why are companies still adding it? It just lowers profits and does nothing.

 

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

No doubt that they wouldn't have planned to integrate MQA is this was designed only a few months later...

So we have to wait to get mark 2 version without mqa and it could be potentially 5-10 bucks cheaper?

 

[GaryH]

They can fix the non-flat frequency response while they're at it.

 

[TNT]

Yep this is exactly the point. Absence of linear distortion should be prioritized over infinitesimal levels of non-linear distortion. There's just no excuse for a non-flat frequency response in 2023, at any price.

On the other hand - with a bit of EQ you are golden - the non linear is stuck....

//

 

[TNT]

The vast majority of tracks are mono in bass frequencies.

In the vinyl days yes - not so on CD etc...

//

 

[longma]

SMSL C100 looks nicer + has remote for a little more $ ... I find su-1 not interesting.
SMSL D6 is the balanced version. Plenty of options for everyone's need.

SMSL D6 has plenty of options but comes with 2X the price. For minimalists, SU 1 is a winner.

 

[Ecaroh]

No need for a hub actually. Here are some devices that'll allow you to supply power and data separately:
https://a.aliexpress.com/_EHTv1Dl
https://ifi-audio.com/products/idefender-plus/
https://www.tpdz.net/productinfo/733226.html
https://www.tpdz.net/productinfo/953487.html

Or, if you don't mind some DIY, it's possible to modify this cable for the same purpose: https://www.delock.com/produkt/83176/merkmale.html?f=s
Just have to make a cut into the black cable sleeving and cut the red +5V wire inside.

Many thanks. That mod might be needed for the aliexpress part too?

 

[staticV3]

Many thanks. That mod might be needed for the aliexpress part too?

The +5V wire isn't present from the factory, so no no need to mod.

 

[jasonhanjk]

Well, the Aiyama A08 has tone controls, which Amir struggled to get flat, this was the best he could do:

Those are still pretty small changes though, so I'd say you're probably imagining it or you have the tone controls on the Aiyama A08 set in such a way that it's changing the frequency response. Really though just mind what I said in my previous post: look to your speakers & speaker setup, think about Anechoic EQ / Room EQ, the answers don't really lie in DAC unless you're using the tone controls of your Aiyaima A08.

That's the LC filter response with different load.

 

[Bleib]

So there's something for everyone. My question is why do companies like Topping and Smsl (and some others are worse) still sell dac's 10 times this price with similar useful features?

Well, I wouldn't pay 10x more, but my DX 5 Lite sure looks better than the SMSL and has a bit more features.

 

[Robbo99999]

That's the LC filter response with different load.

It was the wrong DAC anyway, he didn't have that one....but different loads I guess because it's designed to be used with passive speakers. But, to be honest the A08, the DAC he does own, is also designed to be used with passive speakers so praps load dependancy is playing into his perceptions. That convo has finished a while back though.

 

[HappyMetalGuy]

I had o

Well, I wouldn't pay 10x more, but my DX 5 Lite sure looks better than the SMSL and has a bit more features.

Well it's five times more and it doesn't have mqa. it has a nice sound color feature the tube sound (valve) for me it was the one I liked the most. Also I didn't like that you have to power cycle each time you want to access the hidden menus.
But first off all I have 400€ to spend in a system for the office.