SMSL VMV P2 Headphone Amp Review

[JIW]

From the product page:

Since its maximum voltage for balanced headphones output seems to be around 15 V RMS or 23.5 dBV, for a 2 V RMS, i.e. 6 dBV, input, the gain required for maximum output is 7.5 or 17.5 dB. For a 4 V RMS, i.e. 12 dBV, input, the gain required for maximum output is 3.75 or 11.5 dB.

The unbalanced headphone output has half the maximum voltage of the balanced output, i.e. 7.5 V RMS or 17.5 dBV. For a 2 V RMS, i.e. 6 dBV, input, the gain required for maximum output is 3.75 or 11.5 dB. For a 4 V RMS, i.e. 12 dBV, input, the gain required for maximum output is 1.875 or 5.5 dB.

Thus, high gain seems about 6 dB too high for typical input voltages.

For the ADI-2 DACs 19 dBu, i.e. 16.8 dBV, balanced line-out, a gain of about 6.7 dB is required for maximum output on the balanced headphone output.

 

[ALaylowguy]

$999 is too expensive but it almost made Amir jumped which is rare so I give it a pass

 

[oleg87]

It's an amp I guess. No idea why you'd buy it.

 

[nerdemoji]

I feel like people are misunderstanding the point of the voting system here. Just because better value exists elsewhere doesn’t mean that the product is “Fine” or “Not Terrible”. I don’t think that there has ever been a better power capability measurement for a HP amp. And to all the people saying “I‘d rather get this other product.”, seriously? If this doesn’t fit into “Great” for a HP amp then I don’t know what does.

 

[dtaylo1066]

Can be used as a pre-amp, but I believe no remote.

 

[oleg87]

I feel like people are misunderstanding the point of the voting system here. Just because better value exists elsewhere doesn’t mean that the product is “Fine” or “Not Terrible”. I don’t think that there has ever been a better power capability measurement for a HP amp. And to all the people saying “I‘d rather get this other product.”, seriously? If this doesn’t fit into “Great” for a HP amp then I don’t know what does.

Like it or not, products exist in a competitive marketplace. If something is entirely adequate and costs far more than other entirely adequate products and has no discernable value-add (unless the aesthetics here count, and for me they do not), it's not "great", it's overpriced. Maybe next year they'll copy-paste even more op-amps into the schematic and it'll have more 3db more headroom into 32 ohms, but unless you have one of like 3 headphones that might conceivably need it, who cares?

 

[maverickronin]

This is very far from an "average pot". A well executed analog pot is better in every way, it is just hard and expensive to execute well.

35dB of useful range isn't that great. This amp's 3 gain settings (plus the gain differences between the balanced and SE outputs) would would help..except some clown put all the switches on the back to pinch pennies on their flagship model.

 

[formdissolve]

I actually like the new look of these. They have that "Future Retro" look you see in TV shows and movies that take place in the future but still use older technology. That said, the switches on the rear are an immediate "disqualified" for me since I switch between balanced and SE fairly frequently.

Also, it seems like SMSL's SP400 is dropped off the chart there.. it should still be near the top.

 

[nyxnyxnyx]

If you truly drop your bias about price, brand name and aesthetic, this is a great product and it's hard to debate differently.

 

[Rhamnetin]

So the A70 Pro is better (R2R volume control, remote, more power, negligible improvements in other measurements) for half the price, and the L70 is better for almost 1/3 the price. Seems like SMSL has lost the plot? Voted not terrible.

 

[trl]

A nice winter headphone amplifier.

You should get the Burson Soloist Voyager (with its 70 W of idle power consumption) if you really want a better way to warm up your living room.

 

[pseudoid]

Thank you for the review, @amirm,
I have finally realized that my threshold for up-voting to a "Golfing Panther" (from just a "Fine Panther") is about $500.

 

[bequietjk]

Absolutely gorgeous. Stunning, even. To have that sitting on the desktop would be killer. Having said that, I would have loved to see a digital volume pot for perfect channel balance at this price point. May not be a deal breaker for some but is definitely for me. The balance does look very good, though.

Thank you for the review, Amir!

 

[phoenixdogfan]

At this price point not having an R2R volume pot is inexcusable. Otherwise performance is excellent, though not as good as the Topping A70 Pro at half its price.

 

[Music1969]

A90, I dont trust the 70, too many failed units

A70Pro ?

Not many reports of issues now, 6 months after release

Only failures I saw was VU meter mode

 

[Music1969]

So the A70 Pro is better (R2R volume control, remote, more power, negligible improvements in other measurements) for half the price, and the L70 is better for almost 1/3 the price. Seems like SMSL has lost the plot? Voted not terrible.

And everyone forgets SMSL SH-9 and SP400

 

[Rhamnetin]

And everyone forgets SMSL SH-9 and SP400

Yeah... comparable power and measured performance in the SP400 which has R2R volume control, making it basically a Chinese made Benchmark HPA4 for under 1/5 the price. These companies like to compete with themselves.

 

[Bruce Morgen]

A decent pot lasts 30-40 years.

Yup. The seven-gang motorized pot in my Yamaha DSR-100 Pro has been working -- and tracking -- perfectly since 1987 or so. By way of contrast, the little yellow-orange Matsushita small signal relays in my old Yamaha C-50 preamp were such an ongoing PITA that I gave up on the danged thing and went back to my even older, relayless SAE 2900.

 

[3125b]

For the ADI-2 DACs 19 dBu, i.e. 16.8 dBV, balanced line-out, a gain of about 6.7 dB is required for maximum output on the balanced headphone output.

For the ADI-2 Pro's 28dBu you'd actually need the low gain setting.

Just like the Topping DAC a couple days ago this product is summed up best with:
"Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should"
Sure, it's good, but does anybody need this for the price? If they want to market this to audiophiles a different brand would probably be a better idea.

 

[DLS79]

For the ADI-2 Pro's 28dBu you'd actually need the low gain setting.

Just like the Topping DAC a couple days ago this product is summed up best with:
"Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should"
Sure, it's good, but does anybody need this for the price? If they want to market this to audiophiles a different brand would probably be a better idea.

Some members here are just as bad. They spend more time complaining about what doesn't meet their expectations than they do what does.

And if any piece of equipment is to expensive it won't sell enough units to make a profit, and the company will stop producing it.