SMSL VMV A1

[ThoFi]

I bought this tiny amp and used it with different speakers with very nice results.
The box has good build quality and a nice remote and costs €599.
The amp is a so called Class A with 15W@4Ohms.
Because there are no reviews to find I would like to start this thread.
I would like to ask…
is the amp really Class A, or high biased A/B.
what are the differences?
Are there any measurements?
Any user experiences?
How could this tiny, low powered amp run any reasonable speakers?

 

[ppataki]

I believe this is what you are looking for:

Fast&Simple Review of SMSL VMV A1 PowerAmp - L7Audiolab

台式设备 五一回来之后，我曾经宣布会有一两周时间很难更新网站。原因在于我们这边某安全演习定于5月10日开始……而我作为扫地的，面对着一堆什么X盟啦、X恒啦、X安信啦等等老鼠苍蝇蟑螂和蚊子……但是今天我简单测了一下 SMSL VMV A1 功放……，这大半夜的我可不那么困了啊……

www.l7audiolab.com

and

SMSL VMV A1 音量调音传闻抽丝剥茧 - L7Audiolab

台式设备 之前我发过 SMSL VMV A1 的快览 Fast&Simple Review of SMSL VMV A1 PowerAmp。首先我说明一下，我无数次强调过关于测量与听感的关系，简单地说，我并不认为测量表现不好的产品听起来就一定不好。在快览的评论中，我看到一则评论非常有意思：

www.l7audiolab.com

 

[SiamXIII]

I bought this tiny amp and used it with different speakers with very nice results.
The box has good build quality and a nice remote and costs €599.
The amp is a so called Class A with 15W@4Ohms.
Because there are no reviews to find I would like to start this thread.
I would like to ask…
is the amp really Class A, or high biased A/B.
what are the differences?
Are there any measurements?
Any user experiences?
How could this tiny, low powered amp run any reasonable speakers?

Is there any chance it will sound good with KEF Q350 at 87db?

 

[ThoFi]

Is there any chance it will sound good with KEF Q350 at 87db?

…good is subjective.
if it could run your kind of speaker depends on speaker sensitivity, impedance, listening level, listening distance, dynamic range of your music.
I have no issues with 87dB, 6ohm speakers.

 

[SiamXIII]

…good is subjective.
if it could run your kind of speaker depends on speaker sensitivity, impedance, listening level, listening distance, dynamic range of your music.
I have no issues with 87dB, 6ohm speakers.

Already pulled a trigger on it. It will arrive in about a month. Just really want to try it.

 

[ThoFi]

Already pulled a trigger on it. It will arrive in about a month. Just really want to try it.

please let us know your impressions!

 

[ppataki]

Already pulled a trigger on it. It will arrive in about a month. Just really want to try it.

@SiamXIII Can you please share your experience?
Thank you

 

[ppataki]

I wonder if I would use two of these amps with only 1 speaker connected would power be doubled?
So the 2x10 watts could add up to 20 watts if I connect 1 speaker only? Or would it be just 1x10 watts?....

 

[SiamXIII]

I wonder if I would use two of these amps with only 1 speaker connected would power be doubled?
So the 2x10 watts could add up to 20 watts if I connect 1 speaker only? Or would it be just 1x10 watts?....

10 watts will be enough in most cases.

 

[SiamXIII]

please let us know your impressions!

Got it today. My room is about 6m x 4m. Distance to speakers is about 2.5m. Listening loudness is 80db or less.

My setup is:
- CCA (going to replace it with pi4 soon)
- SMSL D300 DAC
- SMSM VMV A1 amp
- Kef Q350 speakers (87db sensitivity)
- Canton AS 85 SC Sub

A1 set at 69/70 volume to work as pure amp. DAC volume is set at 38-44 from 99 depending on composition.

Compared to SMSM AO200 it is much smoother with no harshness. Sibilance on track, where it was present, is also mush less pronounced. Bass is tight and well controlled. Also it's not bloated or boomy. Jazz, folk, rock, country and vocals sound very nice. The only tracks my system is struggles with is some fast deathcore with very fast bass drum, but this may be due to speakers not very suitable for this genre.

So far I'm very satisfied with this amp and looks like it stays with me for a long term.

 

[ppataki]

Got it today. My room is about 6m x 4m. Distance to speakers is about 2.5m. Listening loudness is 80db or less.

My setup is:
- CCA (going to replace it with pi4 soon)
- SMSL D300 DAC
- SMSM VMV A1 amp
- Kef Q350 speakers (87db sensitivity)
- Canton AS 85 SC Sub

A1 set at 69/70 volume to work as pure amp. DAC volume is set at 38-44 from 99 depending on composition.

Compared to SMSM AO200 it is much smoother with no harshness. Sibilance on track, where it was present, is also mush less pronounced. Bass is tight and well controlled. Also it's not bloated or boomy. Jazz, folk, rock, country and vocals sound very nice. The only tracks my system is struggles with is some fast deathcore with very fast bass drum, but this may be due to speakers not very suitable for this genre.

So far I'm very satisfied with this amp and looks like it stays with me for a long term.

Very happy to hear that!

I also got very much intrigued by this amp but then after doing some online 'research' I decided to order a Chinese class A clone instead
It might be a bad idea (according to this thread) but I definitely want to test it and if I don't like it I can send it back (won't be cheap but the testing is worth it in my opinion)
I will report my findings in a separate thread

 

[SiamXIII]

It sounds so good, it almost brings tears of joy to my eyes. Guess I'll never go back to D class amps.

 

[Snoopy]

It sounds so good, it almost brings tears of joy to my eyes. Guess I'll never go back to D class amps.

I would use the D300 in DAC mode (fixed volume) that way you are able to use DSD with it as well. I really enjoy DSD512 upsampling for some reason. (Roon).

It's nice that the A1 is powerful enough. I assume you are not using a software EQ?

If you are using it with a subwoofer and you could cut-off the low frequencies from the loudspeakers that should definitely help.

Your previous class D amp had probably problems with low impedance load .. I think your kef speakers dip down to 2.x ohm.

 

[SiamXIII]

I would use the D300 in DAC mode (fixed volume) that way you are able to use DSD with it as well. I really enjoy DSD512 upsampling for some reason. (Roon).

It's nice that the A1 is powerful enough. I assume you are not using a software EQ?

If you are using it with a subwoofer and you could cut-off the low frequencies from the loudspeakers that should definitely help.

Your previous class D amp had probably problems with low impedance load .. I think your kef speakers dip down to 2.x ohm.

Kefs dip down to 3.8ohms. No EQ.

I use D300 in preamp mode for 2 reasons:
- A1 have no sub out, so D300 is connected to sub and sub have out which connected to A1. No HPF, AFAIK. So volume should be adjusted on D300 to affect both.
- when volume on A1 set to 67-70 it wotks in pure amp mode and sounds better, AFAIK.

 

[SiamXIII]

For bass management I half-plucked rear ports. It really helped.

 

[Snoopy]

For bass management I half-plucked rear ports. It really helped.

That's not what I mean with bass management. Removing the low frequencies from the loudspeakers is the best option with a low powered amplifier.

 

[SiamXIII]

That's not what I mean with bass management. Removing the low frequencies from the loudspeakers is the best option with a low powered amplifier.

I know, what you mean. But have no options to do so.

 

[ppataki]

It sounds so good, it almost brings tears of joy to my eyes. Guess I'll never go back to D class amps.

I know what you mean...a few years ago I tried a JLH 1969 clone amp (also class A) and I felt the same as you do now
Power was not adequate though hence I stayed with my Ncore NC250MPs, but the Aleph 3 clone I mentioned above might be sufficient, will see

 

[SiamXIII]

Is it safe to drive Kef R3 with this amp? How would I know if it's clipping?

 

[KimbaWLion]

Hello people,
I have some questions and REALLY want some advice!!! I wanted to compare the SMSL VMV A1, Nobsound JLH 1969 Clone, and the new Topping offering an AB amp, the LA90.
I have the A1 and the Nobsound here. The Nobsound was quite the bargain at $220 on sale delivered and I got the A1 from Apos on sale 15% off.

I am using my computer as the source using USB to go into an SMSL VMV D1 DAC. I picked up a pair of Klipsch RP600M2s on sale for $450, upgrading from my Emotiva Airmotive 4s. I actually heard them in a real audio store, compared them to the Focal 806s and Dynaudio Emit10s etc. and for the money I got what I liked best SOME reviewers be darned! . I am using for a preamp a pretty neat piece of technology,the Luminous Audio Axiom II passive preamp with the walker mod. It's amazing how it changed my sound. I got the Preamp with the 1 XLR input and 2 XLR outputs for a good price and trust me it's worth every penny for what it does. The other out goes to a Topping A90D headphone amp, and I know it has a preamp with an extension but for my purposes I opted the above Axiom II.

Here come the questions with that long winded introduction to give all the backup information.
1. Does it pay to keep the A1 vs. the Nobsound given from research the JLH is a really a Class A amp vs. a highly biased AB almost A amp in the SMSL.
2. Return the Nobsound JLH 1969 keep the A1 and don't even think about the Topping LA90?
3. Return both the Nobsound and the SMSL A1 and just get the Topping LA90?

I realize those are loaded questions, but I am sure some here have some strong feelings about this. I would really like to hear opinions on this as there are times one can get lost on the journey and get caught in one's own over thinking vs. just doing what should be right. Thanks in advance for any help offered, and yes, I do realize there really isn't a 100% right or wrong answer. I just know there are people here that have a TON more experience than I do!