• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. 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-10 DAC Review

Rate this DAC:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 12 3.2%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 14 3.8%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 57 15.4%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 287 77.6%

  • Total voters
    370
Dear specialists. We need your professional opinion. In what mode does the SU-10 sound better? When pre out or fixed. And why did you decide that? What exactly are the differences in sound?
 
Dear specialists. We need your professional opinion. In what mode does the SU-10 sound better? When pre out or fixed. And why did you decide that? What exactly are the differences in sound?
There are no differences in the SU-10's output sound quality between pre out and fixed.

If the volume control functionality is useful to you, use pre out.

If the SU-10's maximum output voltage is too hot for your Amplifier, resulting in increased distortion, use pre out to reduce it.

If neither is true, use fixed. That's it.
 
Yes what staticV3 said...I have found with my mixer(preamp if you will) the fixed out CAN be (track/song dependent) too hot for my inputs. I have now dialed it back to -10dB.
 
Last edited:
Ok I added a -12dB pad to the outputs of my SU-10 to the inputs of my mixer. Now I can use the full(?) output of the DAC without overloading the inputs of mixer. But a question has come up. What is the full output? At what setting of the volume control? If fixed is used the display says 0.5dB. If variable is used it is possible to turn up to 2.0dB. Does this mean gain is being added in the analog domain? Or is it all digital inside the ESS9038? Are the numbers on the display arbitrary?
 
Ok did some math(log) At 0dB on display output is nominally 4 Vrms balanced. This is confirmed by Amir's measurements. So +2.0dB is 5Vrms. I am going to assume this is all in the digital domain inside the ESS9038. Also I am assuming full modulation during testing.
 
Ciao, qualcuno può aiutarmi!? I trasformatori del mio smsl dac su 10 si sono bruciati. Conosci le caratteristiche tecniche di questi trasformatori? Grazie.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20250201_154214070.jpg
    IMG_20250201_154214070.jpg
    225.2 KB · Views: 29
Back
Top Bottom