SMSL SU-9 Balanced DAC Review

[chavdar]

hello, please help. mistakenly installed this PO100 USB2.0 on my su9. now it shows usb version 2.15, and does not reproduce sound through usb. is there a way to restore it to the previous version it was 2.06, or I damaged it permanently?

 

[wje]

hello, please help. mistakenly installed this PO100 USB2.0 on my su9. now it shows usb version 2.15, and does not reproduce sound through usb. is there a way to restore it to the previous version it was 2.06, or I damaged it permanently?

Have you tried flashing/updating your device with the SU9 firmware/uodate?

 

[chavdar]

Have you tried flashing/updating your device with the SU9 firmware/uodate?

i try with this M300SE V1.1,
but it does not want to have Chinese inscriptions, it starts, it says in Chinese. stand at a window with some inscriptions in Chinese and nothing happens

 

[chavdar]

i try with this M300SE V1.1,
but it does not want to have Chinese inscriptions, it starts, it says in Chinese. stand at a window with some inscriptions in Chinese and nothing happens

 

[RandomEar]

@chavdar Looks like you flashed an incorrect firmware. The device is likely bricked and can only be "resurrected" by SMSL using some serial programming interface. You need to contact SMSL support.

 

[nowonas]

SMSL front-/techsupport won't help him, since SU-9, SU-9n, SU-10 and what products are shenzhenaudio exclusive. Why no one told that?
They are weaseling themselves out by pointing toward shenzhenaudio and shrugging with their shoulders.
And if one is out of 1/2 years warranty period, shenzhenaudio won't help for free either. Asking 70 - 90 bucks for shipment to China to flash that device.

What a fugging scummy people. Never buying anything from smsl anymore.
People are paying 400 bucks and above to get a quality product.
Instead of telling their customers of the problems their products have by sending them e-Mails (they have it after payment) or displaying it directly on their website for everyone to see, they intentionally kept quiet for years, telling no one.
Intentionally waiting for warranty period to run out.
Scumbags! >:-(

 

[SashaR]

As far as I know, you cannot update the firmware on the SU-9 yourself. In Europe, the devices had to be sent to Audiophonics at the time.
I seem to remember that the changed firmware could only be recognized by a sticker, since SMSL had not given the new firmware version a new "number".

The bug of the left channel was fixed 2 years ago. So, in this matter you can be rest.
The updates are published on the SMSL site.

 

[marcom22]

after 3 years of honorary carrier it songs still like a beast in my studio Audio. Wonderful Device !!!!

 

[Roland68]

The bug of the left channel was fixed 2 years ago. So, in this matter you can be rest.
The updates are published on the SMSL site.

Just to put the correct information here:
- Firmware for the SU-9 problem exists, but has never been published or made available to users.
- All devices that were already on sale outside of China at the time of the firmware update (Amazon, retailers, etc.) were simply sold with the problem. At the time there were several interesting offers on Amazon in the EU for the SU-9 (€300-350).
- According to my information, the SU-9 can only be flashed with the latest firmware at Shenzhenaudio or Audiophonics.
- Since SMSL has neither used nor changed an identifier or a different firmware version/additional letter etc. in the firmware, it is not possible to tell which firmware version is on the device. Unless there is a sticker with the information on the device.

@SashaR
It would be great if you could provide the owner of the SU-9 with a download link for the latest firmware and information about the flash tool and the procedure.
This would make a lot of people happy.

 

[marcom22]

Just to put the correct information here:
- Firmware for the SU-9 problem exists, but has never been published or made available to users.
- All devices that were already on sale outside of China at the time of the firmware update (Amazon, retailers, etc.) were simply sold with the problem. At the time there were several interesting offers on Amazon in the EU for the SU-9 (€300-350).
- According to my information, the SU-9 can only be flashed with the latest firmware at Shenzhenaudio or Audiophonics.
- Since SMSL has neither used nor changed an identifier or a different firmware version/additional letter etc. in the firmware, it is not possible to tell which firmware version is on the device. Unless there is a sticker with the information on the device.

@SashaR
It would be great if you could provide the owner of the SU-9 with a download link for the latest firmware and information about the flash tool and the procedure.
This would make a lot of people happy.

Totally Correct, my SU-9 has been flashed by ShenzenAudio after that I bought from Amazon.

 

[Jimster480]

Just to put the correct information here:
- Firmware for the SU-9 problem exists, but has never been published or made available to users.
- All devices that were already on sale outside of China at the time of the firmware update (Amazon, retailers, etc.) were simply sold with the problem. At the time there were several interesting offers on Amazon in the EU for the SU-9 (€300-350).
- According to my information, the SU-9 can only be flashed with the latest firmware at Shenzhenaudio or Audiophonics.
- Since SMSL has neither used nor changed an identifier or a different firmware version/additional letter etc. in the firmware, it is not possible to tell which firmware version is on the device. Unless there is a sticker with the information on the device.

@SashaR
It would be great if you could provide the owner of the SU-9 with a download link for the latest firmware and information about the flash tool and the procedure.
This would make a lot of people happy.

I think that there definitely should be a way that consumers can flash their own device rather than having to mail it to a specific place.

 

[SashaR]

Just to put the correct information here:
- Firmware for the SU-9 problem exists, but has never been published or made available to users.
- All devices that were already on sale outside of China at the time of the firmware update (Amazon, retailers, etc.) were simply sold with the problem. At the time there were several interesting offers on Amazon in the EU for the SU-9 (€300-350).
- According to my information, the SU-9 can only be flashed with the latest firmware at Shenzhenaudio or Audiophonics.
- Since SMSL has neither used nor changed an identifier or a different firmware version/additional letter etc. in the firmware, it is not possible to tell which firmware version is on the device. Unless there is a sticker with the information on the device.

@SashaR
It would be great if you could provide the owner of the SU-9 with a download link for the latest firmware and information about the flash tool and the procedure.
This would make a lot of people happy.

This is a tool for fixing a bug in the first exemplars of SU-9: The effect of its use is very clearly audible.

I tried to do everything possible to make as many SU-9 owners happy as possible, but I could not attach 52 MB even when cut into three parts. If AmirM agrees to participate, then he too can download the files from this link:

SMSL SU-9 Firmware Upgrade.7z

drive.google.com

At the moment I cannot attach a photo of the USB adapter burning the firmware under the control of this tool, but I am afraid that even if I manage to take this photo, it will not help much in understanding the design of the adapter. The second end of the cable is shown in the materials located in the files.

I will be very grateful to those who will provide a PERMANENT and SECURE PLACE for these files!

 

[somebodyelse]

I will be very grateful to those who will provide a PERMANENT and SECURE PLACE for these files!

You could probably put it all (files, documentation etc.) on github, gitlab or similar. The adapter is probably one of the widely available ones, so a photo may help identify it.

 

[SashaR]

You could probably put it all (files, documentation etc.) on github, gitlab or similar. The adapter is probably one of the widely available ones, so a photo may help identify it.

It would be extremely kind of you to put the files that I have provided for public use and place them where you think is right.
As for the adapter, it looked like something that was made by SMSL itself for one-time use due to the need to upgrade an erroneous FW.
I'm pretty sure and hope that SMSL will agree to talk (in one form or another) about how to make this adapter.

You're absolutely right: these two things can make a lot of people happy if they can burn through that FW the right way. Two years after that accident, SMSL may have no reason to continue to hide it and will agree to end this story with a chivalrous act. And you put the instructions and FW in the right place.
Good luck to you two!
With respect and gratitude
-- Саша

 

[somebodyelse]

Having looked at the 7z file, most of the 52MB is the windows executable for the programming tool which probably shouldn't be shared. The firmware file itself is only 1M, for an stm32, to be programmed via SWD. The good news is that programmers for this are cheap and commonly used by hobbyists - you can even do it using some of the pins on a Raspberry Pi using OpenOCD. The not-so-good news is not knowing the pinout of the fpc cable - that's where pics of the programmer and SU-9 board may help. I can absolutely see why SMSL wouldn't want to ask end users to do this.

 

[SashaR]

Having looked at the 7z file, most of the 52MB is the windows executable for the programming tool which probably shouldn't be shared. The firmware file itself is only 1M, for an stm32, to be programmed via SWD. The good news is that programmers for this are cheap and commonly used by hobbyists - you can even do it using some of the pins on a Raspberry Pi using OpenOCD. The not-so-good news is not knowing the pinout of the fpc cable - that's where pics of the programmer and SU-9 board may help. I can absolutely see why SMSL wouldn't want to ask end users to do this.

I don't know if anything can change in our understanding of the status of these 52 MB - but I will tell you that I received both the adapter and the link to the programs from the very kind gentleman at SMSL - Please note that this happened later more than one year (or even two!?) after I acquired one of the very first SU-9s.

In that huge number of documents located in 52 MB, is there an opportunity to understand something that was not clear after a quick look (cable wiring)?

 

[somebodyelse]

The programming tool is a free download from Segger. They have versions for linux and Mac too: https://www.segger.com/products/debug-probes/j-link/#software
From your description of the board it may be a 3rd party j-link compatible board, or SMSL may have made a custom one following Segger's J-Link OB details. I haven't found a standard pinout for the flat cable (FPC) for SWD use, so that may be a custom SMSL thing too. It may be possible to work out the pinout from photos of either the programmer board or the SU-9, concentrating on the area around the connector and the STM32 controller. Or SMSL might be kind enough to tell us, or start selling the programmer boards. I don't have an SU-9 so can't try any of this, but I have programmed other things via SWD. I used a Pi but the ST-Link is another cheap and widely available option, so long as we can find the pinout.

 

[SashaR]

The programming tool is a free download from Segger. They have versions for linux and Mac too: https://www.segger.com/products/debug-probes/j-link/#software
From your description of the board it may be a 3rd party j-link compatible board, or SMSL may have made a custom one following Segger's J-Link OB details. I haven't found a standard pinout for the flat cable (FPC) for SWD use, so that may be a custom SMSL thing too. It may be possible to work out the pinout from photos of either the programmer board or the SU-9, concentrating on the area around the connector and the STM32 controller. Or SMSL might be kind enough to tell us, or start selling the programmer boards. I don't have an SU-9 so can't try any of this, but I have programmed other things via SWD. I used a Pi but the ST-Link is another cheap and widely available option, so long as we can find the pinout.

I'm VERY sorry that I haven't yet found the adapter with the cable I received from the extremely kind person at SMSL. I hope that an appeal to SMSL on this forum can be met with understanding and sympathy: there is not a single reason to refuse a request to tell the cable pinout and adapter type (if it is NOT, as it seems to me, made by SMSL for the firmware of this patch).

 

[Jimster480]

I'm VERY sorry that I haven't yet found the adapter with the cable I received from the extremely kind person at SMSL. I hope that an appeal to SMSL on this forum can be met with understanding and sympathy: there is not a single reason to refuse a request to tell the cable pinout and adapter type (if it is NOT, as it seems to me, made by SMSL for the firmware of this patch).

So have you contacted SMSL?

 

[SashaR]

So have you contacted SMSL?

Yes, on this forum.