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SMSL SU-8 Version 2 Balanced DAC

olinko

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There's a lot of replies here so sorry if this gets repeated but:
1) is the SU-8 still the best balanced DAC up to $300? I'm planning to buy it with the SMSL SP200 that's coming out
2) can I assume that the SU-8 currently available is the newest revision? I only saw the version 2 tag on Drop.
If not, how to tell if it's the newest revision
 

Veri

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There's a lot of replies here so sorry if this gets repeated but:
1) is the SU-8 still the best balanced DAC up to $300? I'm planning to buy it with the SMSL SP200 that's coming out
2) can I assume that the SU-8 currently available is the newest revision? I only saw the version 2 tag on Drop.
If not, how to tell if it's the newest revision

2) Yes, old version shouldn't be stocked anywhere anymore, so you should be safe there.

As to 1), "best" is pretty relative but it is a good DAC for sure. The Grace SDAC balanced is a better value contender for a cheap balanced DAC, but in that review's conclusion, amir recommends the SU-8 if you want more customization like selecting the digital filter, etc.

However, in the SP200 thread the SMSL engineer actually explains the single ended pathway is slightly less noisy than the balanced one. It is an amplifier optimized for single ended input and output. I quote: "the performance of the RCA input is the best.". Balanced will help with possible ground loops but that's it, the single ended input is slightly better aside from that.

Therefore, I'd simply recommend a DAC like the Topping D50s or upcoming single-ended E1DA 9038d, connect to SP200 via some good RCAs (or 3.5mm to RCA for the not-yet-released E1DA) and call it quits.
 
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olinko

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2) Yes, old version shouldn't be stocked anywhere anymore, so you should be safe there.

As to 1), "best" is pretty relative but it is a good DAC for sure. The Grace SDAC balanced is a better value contender for a cheap balanced DAC, but in that review's conclusion, amir recommends the SU-8 if you want more customization like selecting the digital filter, etc.

However, in the SP200 thread the SMSL engineer actually explains the single ended pathway is slightly less noisy than the balanced one. It is an amplifier optimized for single ended input and output. I quote: "the performance of the RCA input is the best.". Balanced will help with possible ground loops but that's it, the single ended input is slightly better aside from that.

Therefore, I'd simply recommend a DAC like the Topping D50s or upcoming single-ended E1DA 9038d, connect to SP200 via some good RCAs (or 3.5mm to RCA for the not-yet-released E1DA) and call it quits.
Wow you basically answered ten subsequent questions I wouldn't have even thought to ask, thank you!

Since I'd like to avoid importing anything from the US (which disqualifies anything from Drop), I guess the E1DA 9038d is the winner. Whenever it does come out :)
 

Veri

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Wow you basically answered ten subsequent questions I wouldn't have even thought to ask, thank you!

Since I'd like to avoid importing anything from the US (which disqualifies anything from Drop), I guess the E1DA 9038d is the winner. Whenever it does come out :)
Sounds like a plan! Hopefully @IVX will have the single ended E1DA out by the time the SMSL SP200 is available in most stores :) it will be a killer combo for sure!
 

maxxevv

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Shenzhen Audio just shared some picts of the SU-8S.
It now sports a big rotary knob in front. And a bigger display. The rear looks the same though.
Screenshot_20191020-005154~2.png
Screenshot_20191020-005237~2.png
 
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Veri

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what man i bought the SU-8 just a day ago feelsbad why does this happen
how much of an audio difference will there be :(
Who knows. Likely its mostly usability though (big ol' digital volume knob).
 

Nango

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There's a lot of replies here so sorry if this gets repeated but:
1) is the SU-8 still the best balanced DAC up to $300? I'm planning to buy it with the SMSL SP200 that's coming out
2) can I assume that the SU-8 currently available is the newest revision? I only saw the version 2 tag on Drop.
If not, how to tell if it's the newest revision

Or this:
https://geshelli.com/
 

Sak

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Shenzhen Audio just shared some picts of the SU-8S.
It now sports a big rotary knob in front. And a bigger display. The rear looks the same though.
Wow! I wonder what specifications. Remained the same, or changed something.
Hope inside 9038pro chip, instead of mobile version:D
 

maxxevv

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Wow! I wonder what specifications. Remained the same, or changed something.
Hope inside 9038pro chip, instead of mobile version:D
Its an update, doubt if there are major changes as its still a budget oriented product.
Else, they will probably name it differently.
 

Marco66

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In the end, after thinking between EL DAC and SMAL SU-8 V2, I bought SU-8 and it's a very nice DAC, with a lot of build in options.

There is one problem, I'm using Linux and have two outputs from my PC to DAC, USB and optical. When USB input is active, there is no problem at all, the sound is perfect but when I switch to optical one, I can hear random popping from the speakers. Even if there is no music reproducing, I can still hear popping but there is no buzzing. When the music is playing it just cuts off randomly for a very short period. I tried playing through ALSA output, PulseAudio with ALSA plugin for Google Chrome browser, using native PulseAudio with ALSA, also tried deadbeef music player to automatically set clocking rates but no luck, popping is still present. I suspect that the problem is in toslink cable, but it's new. Do you guys have some advice for troubleshooting this issue?
HI Unicore.
I write from Italy. I'm new in the forum.
I'm experiencing exactly the same problems when connecting to optical input from my Samsung qled TV. If connected to the USB port from a pc the sound from su-8 is perfect while using the optical port from the TV, the sound comes and goes randomly, waving from right to left also. Any suggestion? Thanks a lot.
 

Rastanearian

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Is anyone else getting an irritatingly loud pop when the inputs on the SU-8 V2 are changed? It's pretty bad.
 

kernelpanic

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Is anyone else getting an irritatingly loud pop when the inputs on the SU-8 V2 are changed? It's pretty bad.
Yup same here when changing sample rates. It's been mentioned several times on the thread. I tried contacting SMSL and Shenzhen Audio and neither were helpful.

What I noticed is that it only occurs for me when using USB. Optical and Coax can change sample rates without any pops.
 

Rastanearian

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That's unfortunate. It shouldn't be. Maybe it's a bad or dirty relay. Either way I don't like this dac enough to be all that eager to take it apart. But I feel it's unsellable with the popping.
 
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