Which 400€ DAC should I get?

[juliangst]

Hey,
I want an upgrade over my smsl Sanskrit 10 to go with my Topping A30 pro.
I‘m considering the SMSL SU9n (400€) or Topping D30 Pro (350€) or maybe the topping E50 (270€). Im mainly using my DT1990 and LS50 in near field.

The features on the smsl look nice and I’ve heard that the quality control is also better with smsl compared to the D30 pro (people had popping noises on coax and stuff like that).

Which one would you get?

 

[NiagaraPete]

Hey,
I want an upgrade over my smsl Sanskrit 10 to go with my Topping A30 pro.
I‘m considering the SMSL SU9n (400€) or Topping D30 Pro (350€) or maybe the topping E50 (270€). Im mainly using my DT1990 and LS50 in near field.

The features on the smsl look nice and I’ve heard that the quality control is also better with smsl compared to the D30 pro (people had popping noises on coax and stuff like that).

Which one would you get?

I own a D30 pro and have never experienced popping or any noise with it.

 

[Snoopy]

I've ordered the smsl D300 (rohm DAC chip) from Amazon.de and it has been a great experience so far.

 

[MCH]

I guess you refer to the spdif "compatibility" issues of the D30pro. Yes, i can confirm they are real. More info in the D30pro thread.

 

[juliangst]

I guess you refer to the spdif "compatibility" issues of the D30pro. Yes, i can confirm they are real. More info in the D30pro thread.

I’ll mainly be using the optical or coax for my hifiberry raspberry pi streamer running Volumio. But if there are issues with the spdifs in I might go for the smsl

 

[NiagaraPete]

I’ll mainly be using the optical or coax for my hifiberry raspberry pi streamer running Volumio. But if there are issues with the spdifs in I might go for the smsl

I use the HiFiberry via coaxial. What the other poster was referring to is CD players with hi jitter not functioning correctly.

 

[MCH]

Yup, my experience is summarised here:
Post in thread 'Toslink issue or just Old Stuff problem?' https://audiosciencereview.com/foru...-or-just-old-stuff-problem.29296/post-1024703

 

[juliangst]

I use the HiFiberry via coaxial. What the other poster was referring to is CD players with hi jitter not functioning correctly.

Good to know. The topping is cheaper but the sound profiles and the whole menu system on the smsl look really intriguing

 

[NiagaraPete]

Good to know. The topping is cheaper but the sound profiles and the whole menu system on the smsl look really intriguing

I don't have any experience with the SMSL.

 

[RandomEar]

Good to know. The topping is cheaper but the sound profiles and the whole menu system on the smsl look really intriguing

I've got the SU-9n since a couple of days. No problems. Display timer and brightness can be configured, which was a plus for me. Display is IPS instead of OLED -> no burn in. Lots of PCM filters and sound profiles to choose from, but to be honest, I wouldn't expect the differences to be audible. Sound color seems to affect harmonic distortion and - as far as I could determine - increases that to at most -60 dB on the highest level (3). Nonetheless, nice to have something to tinker with

My only gripe with it: The remote. The IR transmitter is pointed forward and downward and the IR receiver seems to be rather directional. That means you have to aim somewhat decently to get it to register the remote commands. I've had better ones, but it works once you're used to it.

 

[NiagaraPete]

One thing. I believe the D30 Pro has a bit more output voltage which you may want with the A30 Pro.

 

[juliangst]

One thing. I believe the D30 Pro has a bit more output voltage which you may want with the A30 Pro.

Topping is 4,148v and smsl 4,116v according to Amir‘s measurements so I don’t expect much of a difference.
I would like to know if there are any sound differences because the topping used cirrus logic dacs and the smsl saber dac chips, but I guess only subjectivist could tell a real ‚difference‘ between those

 

[NiagaraPete]

The smsl 9 is 3.7v is that not the model?

 

[RandomEar]

Topping is 4,148v and smsl 4,116v according to Amir‘s measurements so I don’t expect much of a difference.
I would like to know if there are any sound differences because the topping used cirrus logic dacs and the smsl saber dac chips, but I guess only subjectivist could tell a real ‚difference‘ between those

The SU-9n goes to 4.9 V on XLR. Don't know about the D30 Pro. The voltages shown on the dashboard in each review are not the maxima of each device.

 

[juliangst]

The smsl 9 is 3.7v is that not the model?

SMSL SU-9n Review (Balanced Stereo DAC)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the SMSL SU-9n balanced USB stereo DAC with Bluetooth support. It was sent to be my Shenzhenaudio and costs US $399. From the outside, the SU-9 looks like the recent DACs from SMSL: And from the back side for that matter: A side story. When...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Vict0r]

Why do you want to upgrade your current DAC? Any features you're missing?

 

[juliangst]

Why do you want to upgrade your current DAC? Any features you're missing?

Balanced, build in psu, better performance