VMV D1se2 Stereo DAC Review

[Deleted member 51584]

Competition is starting to advance feature set with fancy display and such. Hope SMSL follows the same trend and give us something to look at while playing music!

The recent EverSolo Streamer/DAC at £765/$850 with its build quality, feature set and superb software/app makes all these "rinse-and-repeat" Topping, SMSL etc. boxes look like third rate overpriced rubbish. The displays always seemed laughably awful. Moreover, dealers are falling over themselves to stock EverSolo, so in the UK you get full 2-year consumer rights.

 

[Deleted member 51584]

Great product, technically, but why drop $720 on a DAC? Probably the same reason I prefer to drink $15 bottles of wine instead of those selling for $150— my ears and taste palate (and ego) are no longer that discriminating

Judging by last night's consumption, I beg to differ, even with the crazy export price of this Californian wine to the UK.

 

[Rednaxela]

I see a EQ control on the remote. What does that do?

Not sure.

The manual is not clear on this. Might be for these 9 or so sound color modes.

 

[Rednaxela]

Software glitch = 100% volume.

100% volume doesn’t have to be damagingly loud right?

 

[Snoopy]

100% volume doesn’t have to be damagingly loud right?

Into a Poweramp? Depends on what U got. But in most cases I imagine it will.

 

[Trell]

100% volume doesn’t have to be damagingly loud right?

That's the assumption and I'd say that's quite a common risk.

 

[Rednaxela]

Not wanting to go off topic too much, but wouldn’t one actively want to make sure that 100% is not damagingly loud? For instance by choosing power amplification with appropriate or adjustable input sensitivity?

 

[little-endian]

But then somehow the cat also bites its own tail as how would one then ever want to achieve the full dynamic range of the source (really needed or not, but from an academic point of view)?

Maybe it is worth a dedicated thread as this issue of DSP-based gain attenuation, pre-amplification and safety is a general one and not specific to a certain DAC or similar product.

 

[polmuaddib]

I honestly don't understand the very existence of this product, tho

I agree. Many of those different, but same Topping and SMSL DACs.
It's almost like they make slightly different model with miniscule upgrade in SINAD just so that ASR could publish them and thus get free advertisement.

 

[DrIacozKnows]

I'm just wondering if there will be any audible difference between the smsl su-9 pro ($499.99) and this one ($720.00).

 

[Jimster480]

I'm just wondering if there will be any audible difference between the smsl su-9 pro ($499.99) and this one ($720.00).

Of course not. They are both beyond Audibly perfect.

 

[Lambda]

Of course not. They are both beyond Audibly perfect.

For any normal used yes.

But it depends how mush gain (and Power) you put behind them.
If you used them as software volume control and your normal listening level is super attenuated and "100%" is damaging the speakers.
(Like some here mentioned)
And if you uses Software EQ...

 

[Jimster480]

For any normal used yes.

But it depends how mush gain (and Power) you put behind them.
If you used them as software volume control and your normal listening level is super attenuated and "100%" is damaging the speakers.
(Like some here mentioned)
And if you uses Software EQ...

Honestly even in those situations the performance is so close to not be audible. Also the aforementioned situations are quite rare as to make such a difference even if the performance gap was a bit higher...

 

[HappyMetalGuy]

The recent EverSolo Streamer/DAC at £765/$850 with its build quality, feature set and superb software/app makes all these "rinse-and-repeat" Topping, SMSL etc. boxes look like third rate overpriced rubbish. The displays always seemed laughably awful. Moreover, dealers are falling over themselves to stock EverSolo, so in the UK you get full 2-year consumer rights.

I agree. Many of those different, but same Topping and SMSL DACs.
It's almost like they make slightly different model with miniscule upgrade in SINAD just so that ASR could publish them and thus get free advertisement.

Honestly even in those situations the performance is so close to not be audible. Also the aforementioned situations are quite rare as to make such a difference even if the performance gap was a bit higher...

I don't understand why do Topping and S.M.S.L keep outputting the same products over and over and we buy them. They have to start looking for the eversolo dmp-a6, start to include some kind of room correction and parametric eq. I would spent 1000€ or even a bit more for a such device.

 

[ThatGuyYouKnow]

Why people keep buying these similar DACs is the right question. You'd think that expectations would have evolved a bit by now.

 

[Snoopy]

Why people keep buying these similar DACs is the right question. You'd think that expectations would have evolved a bit by now.

Because you can do all the DSP you want in software.
And some people have more than one Setup.
And it's a hobby after all.

If you are into watches or sneakers you probably have multiple of each as well.

There will probably more devices like the Eversolo A6 in the future and approaches that AVR clientele.

 

[ThatGuyYouKnow]

Because you can do all the DSP you want in software.
And some people have more than one Setup.
And it's a hobby after all.

If you are into watches or sneakers you probably have multiple of each as well.

There will probably more devices like the Eversolo A6 in the future and approaches that AVR clientele.

I suppose some would question why I have bought so many headphones, though that is more reasonably explained.

I know I should never appropriate my wants onto the wants of others, but I do find it perplexing how something as simple and practical as a 12v trigger in/out is not universally requested for these devices.

 

[Puddingbuks]

Did the intern design that display?

Colours, fonts, …

 

[Rednaxela]

Because you can do all the DSP you want in software.

Yeah but not so easily in a setup with multiple sources.

 

[Snoopy]

Yeah but not so easily in a setup with multiple sources.

And what if you use a stereo set-up, headphone amp with multiple headphones (with different PEQ or convolution settings) with such a DAC?

I rather choose presets trough a tablet and a software like roon.

Can't imagine going through presents on a tiny DAC display and let alone setting up everything.

And if U want to do all that with a tablet or computer you might as well just use software on a computer.