I'd love to see a scientific explanation on how unscrewing the screws makes it sound better
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irontortoise
Member
It's the same physics principle as painting flames on a t-top Firebird. It lifts the veils of the horsepower!I'd love to see a scientific explanation on how unscrewing the screws makes it sound better
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Just watched it. Looks like another 'Subjective reviewers hearing subjective things'
Jimster480
Major Contributor
AKM Sucks? There is basically no difference tbh.... What user is hearing a difference and how is it a difference? Have they done real ABX testing?
I have tested various AKM, TI, ESS chips.... I actually like to test all the different ones and honestly there is no real difference between them.... every once in a while I will find some very very slight difference, but that is likely due to the design of the different DACs themselves and not the chips.
I have tested various AKM, TI, ESS chips.... I actually like to test all the different ones and honestly there is no real difference between them.... every once in a while I will find some very very slight difference, but that is likely due to the design of the different DACs themselves and not the chips.
student of history
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Just received mine. It matches or even exceeds my expectations. I have not heard any clicking noises, though I haven't tested COAX or optical yet. I'm running JRMC 29 via USB on a Mac Mini 2018 running Monterey. I love the dual output. I have the TRS feeding a Topping PA3s and Polk S15s, and the SE feeding an Aiyima A07, with passive low-pass filters for my Dayton Pucks (can't have a real sub in this room without disturbing others in the house). This is just temporary until I migrate it to my main system (currently NAD C320BEE and NHT Super Twos). The D-6 is firmware 1.00.
It sounds completely transparent, as expected. JRMC allows DSD encoding of PCM. I'm listening now to PCM (Apple Lossless format) encoded as DSD 256 and it sounds the same as the original PCM. And no clicks when switching to DSD (unlike my Topping DX3 Pro V2, not that it really bothers me).
I'm curious about the SC-1 through SC-4 that is not mentioned in the manual (but mentioned earlier in this thread). I'm not able to discern a difference (yet).
I agree with Amir that the display is a bit confusing. But I'm getting used to it.
This tech has improved so much that I think of this as a 'wish I could start over' piece of gear. Meaning I wish I could have just got something like this many audio components ago. Its size/form factor, features, performance, and price (!) are all right up my tree.
It sounds completely transparent, as expected. JRMC allows DSD encoding of PCM. I'm listening now to PCM (Apple Lossless format) encoded as DSD 256 and it sounds the same as the original PCM. And no clicks when switching to DSD (unlike my Topping DX3 Pro V2, not that it really bothers me).
I'm curious about the SC-1 through SC-4 that is not mentioned in the manual (but mentioned earlier in this thread). I'm not able to discern a difference (yet).
I agree with Amir that the display is a bit confusing. But I'm getting used to it.
This tech has improved so much that I think of this as a 'wish I could start over' piece of gear. Meaning I wish I could have just got something like this many audio components ago. Its size/form factor, features, performance, and price (!) are all right up my tree.
Jimster480
Major Contributor
I always like reading about people finding what they like especially in lower cost products. Just FYI though PCM is not an Apple lossless format/codec. It is the standard audio format which has been around for 40+ years AFAIK.
Apple's Codec is called AAC (Apple Audio Codec). Just to be informative
student of history
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What I meant is that the files are Apple lossless, but JRMC allows me to playback those files as PCM or DSD with its encoding feature. Me and PCM go way back, long before Apple Lossless existed.
Jimster480
Major Contributor
So this is ALAC (Apple Lossless)What I meant is that the files are Apple lossless, but JRMC allows me to playback those files as PCM or DSD with its encoding feature. Me and PCM go way back, long before Apple Lossless existed.
About lossless audio in Apple Music - Apple Support
Learn about lossless audio in Apple Music and how to turn it on or off for your device.
The player you are using outputs DSD or PCM basically. Its jRiver Media Center and apparently a plugin.
I think that playing a ALAC PCM file as DSD is just changing the PCM into DSD. The entire idea of DSD recordings are that they are recorded that way originally and played back in their native format.
I own SU-6, DO100, and recently D-6. All three are transparent as expected. For usability, I would like to say that the pop noise issue depends on your usage.
If you use it with MAC, no pop noise issue at all.
If you use it with Windows, you will hear pop noise when you play music in native DSD format (simply pause and play will produce the pop noise). For pop noise, DO100 > D-6 > SU-6. SU-6 pop noise is quite faint, for DO100, you will notice it immediately. The workaround in this case is to use DoP (DSD Over PCM).
If you use it with Raspberry Pi/Armbian SBCs, you are unlucky here.
DO100 would produce quite loud pop noise when changing from DSD -> PCM (which is always the case during Raspberry Pi booting process). For DO100, there is a workaround by using USB 1.1 (without DSD, pop noise has gone). For SU-6, the pop noise is not that loud, and quite acceptable.
For D-6, the pop noise is not as loud as DO100, but still I don't like it. There is no USB 1.1 mode to choose in D-6. I even tried to force USB 1.1 on D-6, but it didn't work out (when you force it, raspberry pi will use USB 1.1 to communicate with D-6 USB 2.0, and you got noise not music). So, I ended up using D-6 in another room as a standalone unit without Raspberry Pi.
I guess that SMSL did not test their products with Raspberry Pi/Armbian SBCs, which could be understood. Nevertheless, it would be much better if their product could work with Raspberry Pi/Armbian SBCs. For pop noise, I don't know that it comes from improper firmware or electronic circuit. If SMSL could solve this pop noise problem, their products would be much much better.
If you use it with MAC, no pop noise issue at all.
If you use it with Windows, you will hear pop noise when you play music in native DSD format (simply pause and play will produce the pop noise). For pop noise, DO100 > D-6 > SU-6. SU-6 pop noise is quite faint, for DO100, you will notice it immediately. The workaround in this case is to use DoP (DSD Over PCM).
If you use it with Raspberry Pi/Armbian SBCs, you are unlucky here.
DO100 would produce quite loud pop noise when changing from DSD -> PCM (which is always the case during Raspberry Pi booting process). For DO100, there is a workaround by using USB 1.1 (without DSD, pop noise has gone). For SU-6, the pop noise is not that loud, and quite acceptable.
For D-6, the pop noise is not as loud as DO100, but still I don't like it. There is no USB 1.1 mode to choose in D-6. I even tried to force USB 1.1 on D-6, but it didn't work out (when you force it, raspberry pi will use USB 1.1 to communicate with D-6 USB 2.0, and you got noise not music). So, I ended up using D-6 in another room as a standalone unit without Raspberry Pi.
I guess that SMSL did not test their products with Raspberry Pi/Armbian SBCs, which could be understood. Nevertheless, it would be much better if their product could work with Raspberry Pi/Armbian SBCs. For pop noise, I don't know that it comes from improper firmware or electronic circuit. If SMSL could solve this pop noise problem, their products would be much much better.
Does this popping noise only happen with SMSL products (where newer DACs are concerned). For me, using a tempotec DAC there is popping on two occassions - I play DSD and switch to flac or I play DSD64 and switch to DSD128 or vice-versa. When playing flac and switching to DSD there is no pop, nor is there when I am stopping playback, only when starting it. I am living with this, but of course it would be better if there is no popping. Another solution, besides DOP would be to upsample everything to DSD and then nothing pops.
I think not as I'm currently using D-6 with bluetooth/optical & coaxial inputs. Pop noise is an issue with USB input on specific OS.
By the way, I'm just talking with SMSL staffs. They're currently trying to reproduce this pop noise issue in their own equipment & environment. I just provide them more details on this issue. If they can identify and fix this pop noise issue, I will post an update here.
alpha_logic
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You'll get a pop/click noise when switching sample rates, how noticeable will depend on the rest of your equipment; this will happen independently of whatever input is used.
alpha_logic
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Totally disagree with that review; this DAC is ultra-clean, and transparent.
I had a chance to test the BT + LDAC input on the D-6 and it also exhibits the same 2 sec output starting lag as the DO100, but considering it's price point it's hard to fault it IMO (it also sounds wonderful BTW).
One can "solve" this problem by hooking a separate LDAC receiver box with SPDIF/Coax out like the Fiio BTA30 Pro, but this combo is pretty close in price to a Topping EX5 that also has an added headphone amp so YMMV.
My other minor quibble about the D-6 is the LED display is still way too bright on the lowest setting, and there's also no display auto turn off function like on the Topping DX3+ and D50s. Personally, I think vendors should at least pay some attention to usability to any product regardless of price.
One can "solve" this problem by hooking a separate LDAC receiver box with SPDIF/Coax out like the Fiio BTA30 Pro, but this combo is pretty close in price to a Topping EX5 that also has an added headphone amp so YMMV.
My other minor quibble about the D-6 is the LED display is still way too bright on the lowest setting, and there's also no display auto turn off function like on the Topping DX3+ and D50s. Personally, I think vendors should at least pay some attention to usability to any product regardless of price.
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Is the 2 sec output lag at the time of starting the DAC or switching from say, coaxial to LDAC?
If happens every time when you stop the audio stream on your source BT device for more than around 5 secs and then restart it back.
Its of little consequence when your usage consist mostly of continuous playback, but it becomes annoying when your usage pattern consists of switching between playing lots of short videos for example.
carlcamper
Active Member
Same here with Bluetooth and USB. Are you saying this also happens with the DO100?
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