I get your rhetorical (but trick) question: The cheapest way I can figure out how to connect a DAC to passive speakers is thru F.M.!
Although that would be unnecessary in the case of active speakers.
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SMSL SU-1 Stereo DAC Review
- Thread starter amirm
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Lelon are largely considered mid-range, and should be sufficient at this price level. Are you implying that this DAC would perform better if they had used "top-tier" caps?
Tell that to the makers of the Wiim “Pro”.
They make little or no difference to the sound when they are working properly. It's about reliability. Having just replaced 4 bloated Lelon caps in my sub amp, I would rather spend the added $1 and get a higher tier caps.
Tom's hardware says fourth-tier for Lelon. I know EEVBlog thinks Lelon is bad, and cries about it when he sees them. Restorer-john, an electronics repairman that is all over ASR thinks they are poor as well. Granted, this DAC is probably the easiest service for any cap there is, but you don't see other quality, low cost DACs resorting to fourth-tier level.
PSUs 101: A Detailed Look Into Power Supplies
The objective of this article is to provide detailed information about the most crucial part of a personal computer (PC) system, its power supply unit. Follow us on this journey into PSU territory and we promise that you will gain valuable knowledge.
JSmith
Master Contributor
Well it is $80... but fair point to an extent. Often it can come down to design though, rather than brand of capacitors used (see below) and in a DAC they're not stressed heat wise really.
JSmith
i get the animosity because if you're actively involved in removing their leaky caps then youre reluctant to buy new products with them
BUT i mean... there's two caps in there... with minimal stresses unlike a PC PSU
i would imagine we will never see bulged or leaking caps on this or any other SMSL dac... or wait 5yrs plus
on an $80 unit i mean chance it...
BUT i mean... there's two caps in there... with minimal stresses unlike a PC PSU
i would imagine we will never see bulged or leaking caps on this or any other SMSL dac... or wait 5yrs plus
on an $80 unit i mean chance it...
SuicideSquid
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What HiFi recently published an article arguing for simple DAC designs. The example they gave was a $15,000 model from TAD.
I'd love to see it measured against this $80 SMSL.
I'd love to see it measured against this $80 SMSL.
It’s not just DAC but also DDC. Probably it does something to the newly created digital out.
Or, probably the SMSL is too cheap?
what a rubbish non sense article. typical for WhatHifi
Which is a streamer, not a standalone DAC.
If SMSL can add the functionality of the Wiim Pro to a DAC with this performance for an extra $70 then you can criticise the Wiim for not outperforming a standalone DAC.
I'll agree about reliability, but in this use case, at this price, I suspect these caps will last through the usable life expectancy (sadly, we live in a disposable world). I suspect that in order to meet the price point, SMSL had to cut costs in ways that would not impact performance.They make little or no difference to the sound when they are working properly. It's about reliability. Having just replaced 4 bloated Lelon caps in my sub amp, I would rather spend the added $1 and get a higher tier caps.
Tom's hardware says fourth-tier for Lelon. I know EEVBlog thinks Lelon is bad, and cries about it when he sees them. Restorer-john, an electronics repairman that is all over ASR thinks they are poor as well. Granted, this DAC is probably the easiest service for any cap there is, but you don't see other quality, low cost DACs resorting to fourth-tier level.
PSUs 101: A Detailed Look Into Power Supplies
The objective of this article is to provide detailed information about the most crucial part of a personal computer (PC) system, its power supply unit. Follow us on this journey into PSU territory and we promise that you will gain valuable knowledge.www.tomshardware.com
As an aside, I know that there have been reliability issues with Chinese caps in the past (defective materials, etc) but one thing that these manufacturers get really good at over time is improving reliability without increasing cost. I wouldn't use this brand in a premium product, but it is probably a fair tradeoff to keep costs down without affecting performance for low cost components.
Many thanks for this. Are you finding a diagram somewhere for that AliExpress splitter? And are all the connectors male? The USB A is, can't tell about the input-side USB C.
Zek
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Which specific splitter are you referring to?
staticV3
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They're all male:
Intended use case is Android phone+ Power bank -> Type-C DAC.
However, there's nothing preventing you from using it with the SU-1 on Windows instead.
SuicideSquid
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No but you don't understand. It adds more depth and a holographic quality to the soundstage and if you think your $150 DAC is sufficient you just don't know anything about audio and obviously have tin ears.
/s
I'm giving you a Like only because I think you forgot a Smilie at the end.
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