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SMSL SU-9n Review (Balanced Stereo DAC)

Spkrdctr

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After reading some test results on MQA, why would anyone want such a disaster in any product? Are there that many crazy people out there?
 

ta240

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I keep wondering how deep the DAC market really is, given we get a new top performing example on a biweekly basis, and where all the old DACs go to die.

It wonder how many DACs some people own. On most of the informercials, the comments are full of ones from people that already have multiple similar DACs; but now feel the need to own the latest one.

The quest to achieving the sound that gets hyped is never ending.
 

bennetng

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I was surprised to see two new "Customized" filters in the already large set provided:


SMSL SU-9n Measurements Balanced Filter XLR USB Stereo DAC.png


I have no use for them though give the fact that they roll off early and don't cut out much. I looked in the manual but there is no documentation on them.
I guess at least one of the "customized" filters is using "OSF (oversampling filter) bypass", so that users (filter nerds) can run their own software upsampling in playback software (up to 768kHz?). Perhaps someone from SMSL can explain more.
 
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gvl

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I guess at least one of the "customized" filters is using "OSF (oversampling filter) bypass", so that users (filter nerds) can run their own software upsampling in playback software (up to 768kHz?). Perhaps someone from SMSL can explain more.

If you run at 768khz the internal filter is bypassed anyway, I think.
 

HiFidFan

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Thanks @amirm, great review.

This would be a contender as the front end of my desktop system, if I can get over the tacky looks. Other than that, great job @SMSL.
 

Jazz

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If it weren't for the chrome ring on the volume knob, I'd want this component to replace my Adcom preamp.

DACs are so good now that silly aesthetic preferences like this can be a major consideration in the purchase decision. (I'm aware my admission here doesn't reflect well on me.)
As a professional designer and design educator, I agree. I have not bought a lot of products because the company has no industrial or graphic designers on staff nor contracts with an outside firm (like many smaller companies do). I often see either too large a reduction in useful information presented on the user interface (the physical front) or, it is trying to be nostalgic for no reason.
We live today. But audio designs are often trapped in the past or just badly executed by companies lacking any kind of “Joni Ive” industrial designer or a graphic designer for interfaces and typography (industrial designers suck at that stuff, you need both at a product manufacturer).
My latest disappointment is Yamaha no longer doing only orange LED and going blue. If they are no longer orange, then I might as well look at any comparably performing brand for an AVR or amp. Blue is terrible for dark room viewing and, we see way way too much of it. All I can think is that, blue LEDs are cheaper.
The bean counters end up costing companies more in the end (see 1970 to 2010 GM for example). Designers end up making companies more (see Apple for an example).
Do not confuse design with styling and decoration! That chrome is decoration. No function. Equally, design engineering is different than industrial or graphic design. Easy affordance, function, and design all matter in product design.
 

levimax

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The classic signature ESS DAC chip IMD "hump" is there, albeit, very much reduced to be a non-issue.
I have an older SMSL DAC with the "ESS hump" .... is there any evidence that the "ESS hump" on some of the previously tested DAC's is audible? Is getting rid of the "ESS hump" a rational reason to "upgrade"?
 

JRS

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Lol, well there goes the golden sample theories out the window.


I feel attacked.


——————

This DAC is actually insane. 22 bits in the multi tone test (and not the usual SOTA 21). Unbalanced performance that actually lowers distortion respectably in my view while lowering power output by half compared to balanced with very little bit to noise. And also the bonus extra slow filters for the NOS type nuts out there while keeping the standard ESS filters I appreciate.

I don’t think anyone is really tired of the great products. We seem to just take them for granted at this point. I just wish these companies would take a break from the SINAD race for a second and start focusing on features. Let’s get some more inputs, let’s get some networking, or some DSP functionality. We need RME competitors, and we could use some ADC love by way of Motu competitors for example. Let’s get some streamers (I know SMSL actually has two off the top of my head, but I’m not sure if one is even being sold anymore).

I think people just want some cool new sort of stuff functionally (give us better UI, or volume controls, or nice big screens that could display cover art while having loaded on to an SD card the device can accept).

The SINAD wars need to cease a bit, ESS doesn’t care about making a new flagship it seems, and AKM has burned down so no real new chips from them for a while. Until these two companies start competing again, not sure why DACs need any performance bumps. SMSL again, does pretty cool stuff like that one amp with a screen, or another with relay volume control. We need more of that stuff.
Add streaming, a Roon badge, maybe a bigger footprint? (undecided) and this would be an absolute giant killer. All those 1.5k$+ units dead in the water w/o any excuses.
 

pseudoid

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Thank you @amirm. Much appreciated and kinda wish my WXC-50 dies, so that I can justify SU-9n.:rolleyes:
But who is MQA and what is a bartok?
 

Omar Cumming

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I would like to see testing of the Bluetooth input as I wonder what the SINAD would be. This applies to any Bluetooth capable Dacs as the use of Bluetooth is quite popular.

Cheers
 

JRG123

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2ae456864ec7161e0e531628abd348c7_2048x2048.jpg
It seems they finally changed the remote. I can't tell if construction wise the new model is better but the design at least looks more logical, with proper volume buttons instead of using the arrows. But it's probably just the same thing with the buttons re-arranged
 

Lambda

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for this price I wonder if it would be possible to make this/any DAC a Mono DAC and bridge the output for even better performance?!
Should be a easy firmware thing to set the DAC up to just output left or right data but on both outputs.

But maybe @amirm can do test if combining to outputs actually incenses performance?
Just play a Mono signal and bridge the outputs together with a Y cable.
 

GimeDsp

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Super cool!
This is definitely on the list, internal power supply and XLR for this price is great.

ONLY with they had something in silver, gold, yellow, or red.

I sold my miniDSP and went back to my old SMSL Sanskrit 10 DAC, it still working and sounding great.
 

dualazmak

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After looking at this nice review, I do believe SMSL is really capable of manufacturing 8-CH (XLR balanced out) nice multichannel DAC, like OKTO's DAC8PRO (I have one), by fully utilizing single ESS9038pro. SMSL would be also even capable of making 16-CH (XLR balanced out) full sync multichannel DAC using two of ES9038pro, for which I really expecting to have for my multichannel project.

The major issue in this perspective would be currently very small market size for such multichannel DACs...
 
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OP
amirm

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Thank you @amirm. Much appreciated and kinda wish my WXC-50 dies, so that I can justify SU-9n.:rolleyes:
But who is MQA and what is a bartok?
My pleasure. MQA is a proprietary audio format which Tidal streams high resolution content in. Bartok is a model number of dCS (high-end) DAC. Its measurements were published recently and it was around 115 dB or so. Yet it cost $15,000 (it is a custom DAC). So folks naturally complain about its high cost relative to delivered performance.
 
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