Warning for desktop users: SMSL stacks have issues without workarounds (PC/Mac)

[bbrown]

Had the C200, too. Replaced it with the SMSL C100 (and a suitable amplifier) which has a XMOS XU-316. It works perfectly fine now.

That's good to know. I wish I could find something that's known to work with the Mac that has USB, SPDIF, Toslink, BT, headphone out (with gain) and balanced outputs. I'm still going round and round with my SMSL reseller trying to get a resolution to this issue.

 

[Wekhrlin]

That's good to know. I wish I could find something that's known to work with the Mac that has USB, SPDIF, Toslink, BT, headphone out (with gain) and balanced outputs. I'm still going round and round with my SMSL reseller trying to get a resolution to this issue.

I've combined the C100 with an HO100 amplifier. And now it is basically the same as the C200 divided in two devices. The biggest difference may be the HQ-Bluetooth of the C200, since the C100 only supports AAC/SBC. For a complete balanced setup, you could use a Topping E50?
I have given up communicating with the reseller, since don't want to do their work and beta test the C200 ;-)

 

[Wekhrlin]

A small addition to the C100: It can cause slight electrical noise because it is operated directly via USB. I have a Topping E30 v2 here for testing, which is absolutely quiet. However, with the C100 you can only hear it on high gain and when you turn up the amplifier completely. Even if I need another power supply then, I will probably keep the Topping DAC because (in addition to the non-existent noise) it also switches off automatically when it is not needed.

By the way: the Topping E30 has the same XMOS Chip as the C200 and no clicking noise here. Well (done, Topping!

(EDIT) One more addition: The optical input and coax of the C100 are quite noisy, even when the unit is connected to a good power supply and nothing else is attached. Perhaps one should really be careful with the SMSL C100.

 

[metalrufflez]

Got a DX5 Lite on sale, same XMOS chip, I got the same issue with "losing" the first half a second of any notification sound on MacOS, this further solidifies that XMOS takes a bit longer to "wake up" than other Chips.

However, no more clicking even on more sensitive IEMs with high gain (using this combo just for testing purposes) and the display doesn't blink 50% of the time that a notification sound pops up.

 

[analogue]

However, no more clicking even on more sensitive IEMs with high gain

Can you explain more about this? The problem does not occur on high gain?

 

[bootleg]

Recently purchased a SMSL M500 mkIII, does the same thing with an xmos 316.

Changing the streaming mode to "always on" fixed the issue completely, but before you could hear a very slight audible switch or deep click when the USB/XMOS chip went into sleep while not receiving audio. USB dacs that I have previously owned have always had some weird switching sounds and stuff, so it was expected.

I may honestly just run toslink, but it's another layer of realtek drivers and junk to include that I need installed and another device turned on in the motherboard bios. I've always just been more of an "as needed" pc user as more usually leads to problems.

 

[ethanhallbeyer]

Was this ever resolved? is there a firmware update for it? read something about modifying windows driver file to allow it to be always on also. Is there any workaround like that for Mac?

What about mobile OS like iOS/Android?

 

[Snoopy]

Was this ever resolved? is there a firmware update for it? read something about modifying windows driver file to allow it to be always on also. Is there any workaround like that for Mac?

What about mobile OS like iOS/Android?

Updating to MacOS Sonoma fixes the issue OR you use a external streamer like a raspberry pi with ALSA (RoopieXL etc).

The problem is how MacOS handles powersaving for usb ports and memory pressure.

 

[analogue]

Updating to MacOS Sonoma fixes the issue OR you use a external streamer like a raspberry pi with ALSA (RoopieXL etc).

The problem is how MacOS handles powersaving for usb ports and memory pressure.

I don't think that's true, as this is not an OS problem but a driver problem. Did you test the issue on Sonoma to confirm that it's fixed?

 

[Snoopy]

I don't think that's true, as this is not an OS problem but a driver problem. Did you test the issue on Sonoma to confirm that it's fixed?

I'm on Sonoma. All good so far. But I use roon with a raspberry pi and alsa

 

[analogue]

I'm on Sonoma. All good so far. But I use roon with a raspberry pi and alsa

Roon might keep the connection alive, the issue is experienced when there is no DAC client for a while, which makes the DAC goes to powersaving mode, leading to 0.5s of silence on new sounds.

 

[Snoopy]

Roon might keep the connection alive, the issue is experienced when there is no DAC client for a while, which makes the DAC goes to powersaving mode, leading to 0.5s of silence on new sounds.

So you increase the buffersize in soundsource or use apps like amphetamine and "drive alive". Upsample everything to the same sampling rate and using a few milliseconds Crossfeed helps Also with some issues.

 

[analogue]

So you increase the buffersize in soundsource or use apps like amphetamine and "drive alive". Upsample everything to the same sampling rate and using a few milliseconds Crossfeed helps Also with some issues.

You don't seem to have the issue: there is no way to increase the buffersize in all software available out there. A better workaround is to not buy any of those DACs until they actually fix this issue.