This Cheap DAC is Tiny and Mighty - SMSL SU1 Review
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- Опубликовано: 31 июл 2024
- SMSL SU1 amzn.to/44ARP2v ($80)
Hifiman 400 SE ($109)
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0:00 Start
0:39 Intro
2:50 Under the Hood
5:18 Comparisons
8:29 How does it Sound?
12:13 Final Thoughts
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Развлечения
SMSL SU1 amzn.to/44ARP2v ($80)
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For those just discovering this review, I have a tip. I think this may have already been covered. The power you send this DAC is very important to the sound. I stupidly had it plugged into a cheap home automated multi plug. I didn't notice any problem until today. I thought the cord might be the problem, but the power source was giving me a faint Morse code-like noise.
Tried several devices until I found that my receiver USB was absolutely dead quiet. Back to 70's funk!
Hope this helps at least one person.
the morse code like noise is probably interference from your wifi router or extender
I got an SU-1 for Christmas and the difference from the internal DAC in my Wiim Mini is literally night and day. It is incredible
Excellent, thank you. Your channel keeps getting better and better. BTW, love the Maxell shirt.
thanks!
Got this on this latest Prime Day event, and even after reviews I am pleasantly surprised and impressed. For a secondary system using a thrift store bought bluray player as a transport , an Ayima A07, some old precision acoustic bookshelf speakers, I can't tell much a difference from my main system using a Yamaha Home theater receiver. Keep up these kind of product reviews. When you have a budget , the "cheap" works very well for me.
How much did you get it for ?
@@tsyriac I got it about 71$ at the same Prime day. Now it's 80, but still a way more has a value than that. I'd spend 100$ for it.
Love your plain spoken audio intelligence. This S.M.S.L. SU-1 makes my 2yr old, broken in Koss Pro 4AA cans sound amazing. Two other budget dacs couldn't do it. Falling in love again!!! Thanks for helping to convince me to buy this dac.
Thanks for the review. Just picked this up as it allows me to utilize usb, coaxial and optical going to my Kanto YU4s at a good price.
I have one of these, from tv to my Musical Fidelity amp. Sounds just brilliant 👍
I like that you put these things into context. Some people tell you products like this suck because they don't sound as good on their 2.5k headphones which these never were intended to be used with
Best and most fun intro yet!
Noticed your shirt. I had a poster of that way back when. I believe it was included in 10pack of cassettes
Now, that was fun! Great intro.
You've been hazed; that explains a lot😮! Love the new intro 👍
Love the Review and the Skee-lo reference!!! 👍👍👍
Loving the new intro sequence
Thanks very much for the review. I saw this on Ali a few weeks back and was hoping you were going to review it. I couldn't find a DAC at that price point that could input USB,OPT and Coax. I had a feeling it was going to sound OK and I'm glad you confirmed it. It looks like it is what I am looking for as I am on a very strict budget and conversion rates + postage or local retailer markups make US produced gear too expensive for me in Australia.
The Aiyima dac a2 has all you are looking for but at a much lower cost. Under 40 usd.
@@stevelouie5928 Thanks, I will look into the budget Ayima/Fosi Audio ones a little more. Hard to find good reviews on them though.
Thankyou for the review. It sent me on an exploration of trial and error between a few DACs. After pushing music through the dac via optical to my active eris 5 (cheap monitors) I could hear a crystal clean sound from the su-1 but it sounded too digital and failed on various frequencies with typical dance music and was harsh and week or too edgy and not worth it even for £60. Though it was better than a non branded dac of £30 I've now settled with a modi 3. The modi 3 I think is the base level and is warmer sounding. It sounds great with accoustic guitar and vocals but even that might be too detailed and fatiguing if listening to dance music for hours, but it gets away with it. The modi 3 is palatable for dance music and a joy with live music. Better than the su-1. So my advice - don't waste your money on this su-1. Get a modi 3 or better. Anything less than £100 I think is wasted money. You maybe ok just listening on headphones, but why not spend an extra £40.
Perfect execution, like the other guy said..."Randy's back"...love the whole vibe and layout of this review...Thank You for all your hard work bringing us information and entertainment...😊
thank you! this video was a lot of fun to make.
Digging the schitt outta the new intro!
Great intro. Again!!
I have the smsl su-1 + wiim mini to a marantz sr6015 receiver and it's great!
I have an onkyo tx-nr6050 with a wiim pro plus, would it make sense to pair with this dac? Would it sound better? Or should I only stick with the wiim pro plus dac?
Also, would it improve the sound if i pair klipsch's The fives + wiim pro plus + this Dac?
Get a better DAC.
Great review and at this price it would be something to consider to compare to my current sabre dac.
Hey! I have that T-shirt! Love that shop in my home town!
I love my SMSL C200. Just got it a few weeks ago, and it’s such an excellent allrounder DAC and headphone amplifier. It really has stepped up my digital music listening experience. The timing is spot on, it’s more tonally balanced, and I’m hearing details in the music I wasn’t hearing before. SMSL really make great audio! Thinking I might upgrade my headphones and go with the Hifiman Sundara’s, and dive into the planar magnetic headphone world!
Ok, Randy, lol. Bought the SMSL and Wiim Pro after your reviews. I plan on pairing them with my Grace Digital powered speakers. I'll let you know. Thanks! Go Navy
Hey I also have a Metallica guitar pick that I caught in the croud, it was in little Rock Arkansas. Very useful info here, thank you I'm learning about dac's 😊
I've been using a RPi4 with volumio and a topping D10s and since powering it with a battery pack to power the Pi I've been impressed with the performance. If I use the toppings bridge function to go from the RPi4 usb to Opitcal out of the topping into this SMSL SU1 do people think this is a upgrade or a sidegrade. Or should I just wait for a better DAC with the AKM chip inside. Really interested to know what people think on this. Cheers!
Is it worth while buying for this a separate power supply?
If so how does one connect a separate power supply as the USB is used for both data and power.
Are there any good budget power supplies you can recommend?
Randy is back! Great review injected with that CAM humor we've been missing. Be bop a loo bop - I'm the DAC Man - would have been a good theme intro.
thanks!
Epic intro!🎉
thanks!
Hey randy was thinking on upgrading my listening experience & first time purchasing my dac/amp combo stack, but i was wondering is purchasing the Smsl c200 dac/amp combo a better alternative to actually doing a stack combo like you did with the Smsl SH-6 & Su-1 ? Really trying to get a better understanding of this whole hobby. (Mainly going to be using this for desktop purposes only). Love the videos btw !
I followed your link and ordered this from Amizon a month ago and I'm still waiting for it. The two Fosi amps I bougth on Ali came much quicker.
Dumb question? I'm new to all this. This would be my first DAC. Power adapters. I have a variety of phone chargers all around the house. They probably have different wattages. Newer ones a bigger, say for my Pixel phone. Anyway, does the choice matter much? Besides impact on sound quality, it can handle any adapter to USB-C without burning or dying? There's another adapter on the inside?
Not sure where to put this but I would really like to see a review of the jack of all trades amp from Arylic, the modest looking B50. 😎
I have been wondering for quite some time how all the DACs that you have reviewed stack up to the Emotiva ones. Months ago, I bought a PT1 on sale to get FM tuning, preamp, DAC, headphone amp and phonoamp all at once. (still in the box as I save up for T3 speakers and proper amp/monoblocks) Friends, Romans, Randy, keep lending us your ears!
I bought the PT1 and plugged it into my existing system, and my advice is DON'T WAIT! I noticed a big difference right away, my system has never sounded better.
Based on your recommendation, I went ahead and purchased the SMSL SU-1 to use with my iPhone 12 or my iPad. Now the interesting part begins. Nobody has a video or article showing what parts you need. Based on what I read, it is better to use the Coaxial DAC input to connect the iPhone, that way I can use the USB DAC port can be used for supplying the DAC with power. What cables do I need?
Edit on 3/13/24: Thanks, but I got somebody else to help me.
Carlos in Texas
Q: is there a way to control my smsl d-6 volume via IR or toslink through a Chromecast remote? I really don't wanna have multiple remotes.
Just ordered smsl d-6 as I have some weird buzzing from my gpu, like coil whine, but it goes not via air, but through hdmi cables to the tv and then through tv to the kali active speakers. No ground loop since its all on one socket and one extension cord. So I've just decided to go balanced. I did try everything to remove isolate the issue, unless it's toslink it keeps going through hdmi and rca cables from gpu to speaker ground pins. I'm afraid to use hum destroyers as some people said it can degrade audio quality. Lifting kali ground pins work, but i read you can get electrocuted this way so a nogo. Also don't wanna buy some fancy 100$+ ifi gnd stuff, that's just too much money.
Do you think Fosi Audio BT20A PRO would be a good match for this DAC ?
How this compares to the SMSL PO100 ? They seems to share same Chips. I am looking for one to use along with my pair of Rokit5 speakers.
Hi! I am very new to audio world and would like to get some advice.
Would it really improve and give noticeable improvement for music and movies?
I am planning to use Smart TV - DAC - Powered Speaker(Klipsch the Fives)
My TV would feed PS4 and ATV 4k via HDMI.
Thank you for the review. I’m going to connect this DAC to active studio monitors. Could you please recommend a volume controller with a remote control
Hi Randy.
Love the channel!
What’s your take on Audioengine DAC’s?
Well this is something, just ordered this DAC to replace my SMSL M100. The micro USB connection on the back is going out (surprise, surprise). Using it with my laptop set up because the main computer I have has a Geschelli stack with the better headphones. Needed this for when I'm downstairs watching your reviews and some music listening. Looks like I made a solid choice.
let me know what you think of it
I'm currently testing the SMSL SU-1 DAC. Sounds wonderful, but...
When I switch songs from Tidal, it always cuts off the first second. Very frustrating. This happens on coaxial. On USB it is less noticeable.
My streamer is ifi zen stream. Can something be done about it, any ideas?
It ruins whole experience
How does this compare to the Fosi Audio DAC-Q4?
How can you power the SMSL SU-1?
USB-C connects to the back?
Do you need to turn the unit on and off or is it automatic?
Love the new intro! 😂
just having some fun with it. hopefully it will morph over time
@@cheapaudioman having fun is the best way to work!
I wonder how this new SMSL DAC would compare to the older Emotiva XDA-2 DAC? Anyone have any ideas?
Hi, I got the Fosi Audio Q4, with headphones amp (similar price) Is this a better Dac to consider chance mine for this one?, is there a several diference?
Just bought one to connect my iPhone 11 to my hifi. I know I would use the RCA out to my amp but how do I connect my phone to the DAC. I am completely useless with technology so any advice is appreciated.
This is exactly what I have been waiting for. Just ordered it. Thanks Cheapaudioman!
I bought this DAC because of this video. However, there is a half second of silence before this DAC starts to output sound when I start to play, so I miss the start of the music. I wonder if this is the problem with this DAC or a common problem with external DACs. I am simply playing RUclips videos on my PC, and I see the video start to play before the sound comes out.
Will it work with apple devices? Does it supports ALAC PCM up to 24bit/192kHz? thanks
I have first gen active vanatoo transparent one speakers . Would I want to upgrade to external DAC like this?
Can it decode MQA directly from Tidal app? Thanks for the great review as usual!!!
2:33 AIUI battery power banks use PWM switching to keep the output voltage constant..
Nice review, would this improve my stereo performance on my onkyo tx-rz50. I have a WiiM mini as well.
Has anyone used this successfully with iPad/iPhone? However could not get working with a direct USB connection. Do I need a powered USB Hub to give enough power here? The manual is not helpful. The SMSL website does not have any information even the scant user manual on it's webpage. I did get it working with optical from WiiM Pro and with Coax from CD transport. Thanks.
How do you play DSD files through it? USB from computer or ?
It doesn't have a hand controller, but they did give you a too short cable for a power wall wart. I have my own high quality cable (6 feet) to find the power strip.
Is gain just a pre-set increase, or decrease that affects volume for centering volume controls, or does it affect tone in any way???
I couldn't find the remote. as it was, it was fixed output for this one. maybe the remote is sold separately but I didn't see a ir receiver anywhere on it
Will this dac be an upgrade to the stock deck on a emotiva pt1?
Would I hear a big sound difference if I add this to my desktop setup? Right now my audio is just directly coming from my PC which has built in dac supremefx s1220a and its shielded....I don't hear any noise out of it. Will this SMSL SU1 dac provide an even better experience especially using the optical out? Just trying to decide if it's worth spending the $67 for it right now.
Yes
Randy have you tried the Emotiva Big Ego+?
Just ordered a S.M.S.L SU-1, should be here in 2-3 weeks. Going to see if it ups the game on my Pioneer Elite PD-59. Great transport that could use a little sprucing up. ;)
Already arrived?
@@Erbsengeneral Yes. My PD-59 is a changed machine! What a bargain!
@@steveschwartz9421 okay, Then i will try it too. Thx Man :)
@@ErbsengeneralIt really cleaned things up. Opened up the sound, improved accuracy in the highs tightened up the control and range of the low end output. Cleaned up cymbals, all subtle but in my system, noticeable. I have an Oppo 95 that I usually use for listening. But I have an PD-59 and Elite PDR-19RW. The PD-59 feeds the recorder and is a great transport. Hooked this up for fun, m ay buy another for the other room too! Is it as good as my Oppo, no, but it is a heck a lot better than the 20year old Pioneer DAC hands down
smsl su1 or schiit Modi+ ?
Will it work with IOS devices or does it support pcm up to 24/192?
The sibilance one is the SMSL D6 DAC Review!
Hi, SMSL SU-1 or TOPPING DX1?
i've had both...the schiit modi USB port stopped working after two years...$55.00 to fix.....I prefer the sound of the SMSL...the coaxial port sound is phenomenal for the price
7:18 It's not just about affordability. I'm in the process of returning a MOJO 2 because I don't like the "house" sound; I also sold a MOJO 1 for similar reasons, back in the day. A few years ago I got a Benchmark DAC3L and feeding a Rupert Neve RNHP (via balanced) got pretty much the "plugged into the mastering desk" audio I was after; the MOJO 1 was unmasked, much like the emperor, by the truth. If the SU1 has a decent implementation of the DAC chip with a well designed analogue interface, then price is irrelevant, much to the chagrin of the likes of Chord, et al.
Any follow up about the remote control?
Thanks Randy. I'm sure this DAC is a great choice, but for the little extra cost I'd rather buy from our friends and neighbors at Schiit.
I hope you and your family are happy and well, Kevin
tell em rounded 12v innce s... -.-
This or second hand e30? (Same price)
Does this turn on when power is fed or do I have to turn it on seperately every day when Power is turned on in my office?
You have to turn it on manually by pressing the power button a little bit longer.
Just got a Zen Blue Air...great sounds!
the nuforce icon hd from 15 years ago is built and designed much better, probably sounds much better and has a great headphone amp for around the same price used if you can find one.
How does it compare to SMSL C100
A SIMPLE, GREAT BUDGET DAC. GREAT REVIEW, RANDY!
When I see that intro, I can’t help but think “Hm! Hm-hm! Fire! Fire! Hm-hm!”
I have a Sanskrit 10th mkIII, which uses the same 4493S chip. It is very transparent, clean, and detailed. Compared to my Schiit Modi Multibit, it’s more analytical and flatter sounding, and not quite as immersive. But, for half the price, it’s a great performer.
I work at Goodwill and we got a Sanskrit 6th anniversary in about a week ago. I'm time limited from buying stuff for a minimum of 24 hours and sometimes more, but someone got it for $50. I would have charged more.
Been looking for something small like this to hook up to my active desktop speakers. WIll this make a sizeable difference compared to just running signal out of the onboard audio on my PC?
Probably depends if you have a dedicated sound card on your pc already. I bought a cheapo aiyima dac 02 for under $40 and it made a huge difference running it to the aiyima a07 amp. Best $40 I ever spent.
yeah it makes a difference... i have a asus rog x570 board that has a dac chip they say is the best.... well when i ran a separate dac (the topping d10s) to a pair of edifier powered speakers it made quite the difference, an $80 difference? yes.... a $120 difference? yes..... a $200+ difference? not really thats kinda stretching it if you dont have the power and speakers that could "utilize" the difference. since then i have kinda replaced everything in my system, started off with just the edifier powered speakers (i think the BT1100s or something, the ones that are stupid popular) and got some kef ls50s and an emotiva ta2.... after upping system to well over $2k now, the dac i still use is the topping d10s, it was the cheapest but best upgrade i made. spending money on better equipment is only going to be helpful if the signal thats sent is good to begin with and that starts with the dac as its the "start" of the analog chain. usually separates are better, and this little smsl unit looks better than what you would have currently for sure.
Yes, if you use HDMI out from PC to TV and out to coax input on DAC. Then RCA to speakers. Must send analog to speakers NOT digital.
Thanks
Can i use this dac with my cheap sony dvd player to connect it to the amplifier ?
Kind regards
Yes you can I just recently got one and have it hooked up to my dvd player as a cd transport as long as your dvd player has digital coaxial on the back your good to go
@@superunknown2812
Thank you very much
Kind regards
I loved the Skee-lo song reference.
SMSL has put out some great products recently, at all price brackets. SU-8s, SH-8s, DA-9, SH-9 and similar from those series, with some patience can be found under $200. These are all incredible values, have built in power supplies, offer balanced connections, and great performance. Similarly this SMSL SU1 at $79 is an incredible value. I dont think anyone would find complaint with its performance. The primary reason to step up to the next price tier is not performance gains but convenience. The extra money gets you additional features such as more connecting options on back, volume control, display screen, which for many are unnecessary add-ons.
If someone just wants performance at low cost this might be unbeatable at $79, as long as it has the connections you need.
You saved my life as a DJ of 1940´s.................................. Tango songs..
I wish i had a rabbit in a hat with a bat.... Skee loo 🎶 Two turntables and a microphone, Where it's At
Thanks for this review. I'm going to dip my toe into the DAC experience and use it with my desktop pc. Mostly I listen to MP3's and FLAC so I'm hoping to hear and improvement. This Windows 10 system plays through and older Kenwood AV reciever into a pair of Paradigm Mini Monitor v.2 speakers and a subwoofer turned down pretty low. My other pc is a recent install of Windows 7, validated but left off line into a Fosi Audio BT300 Pro using a pair of Klipsch R-14m speakers stacked on top of the Paradigms and using an old Bose subwoofer bypassing the dead plate amplifier. Of course the first system sounds better but I love the convenience of being able to ajust the base and volume on the Fosi. Not sure which system I will put the SU1 on yet. Any comments will be welcome.
Added SU-1 yesterday to my Windows 10 PC. Hdmi out to TV and TV coax out to DAC. This device replaced my Volt 2 audio interface DAC $300 with Unknown ($3) chip, and sound output is massive upgrade. Blue ray (CD) transport, movies, sports, Windows media player .wav, .flac all great. Amazon Music (PC app) 24/48k+ without need for streamer.
I have the WIIM pro running right into a carver analog preamp and a Chromecast audio on another system running right into a integrated analog amp not using any DAC and love them. Would I really benefit by plugging in these streamers int this DAC? Keto up the great work.
I was in the same position when I bought the Wiim Pro. Do I? Don't I. I decided to buy the latest version of the Schiit Modi + due to Randy's and other like minded reviews. I paid over the odds as I'm in the UK but what a difference it made. It now brings a smile to my face each time I listen to it. In my mind, the Wiim Pro DAC is sort of okay but very harsh on the higher frequencies, and to be honest it grated on me after a while.
Yes. The Schitt Modi really helped with bass 'pop'. Made a noticable improvement in the sound from my wiim
Just got mine today... and I already have a gripe. The light on the front that indicates the source is kind of bright and blinks whenever you aren't playing music. At night with no other lights on your room is blinking like a strobe light. I'd give it 5 stars for the sound quality per dollar but I'm going to have to take a star away for the piece of black electrical tape I had to put on the front to cover the light.
Dude: Get yourself a powersocket with remote, they cost next to nothing these days. I've got 8 Technics components and a streamer. They all have stand-by LED's that make my living room look like one of them rooms where you develop your oldschool photo's. What's that called, a redroom?
@@Daandeslions I don't want to turn it off.
@@kraig7777 why not, you use it as a searchlight when you come in the room to sleepwalk? So you can see, but won't wake up because you don't have to turn on the lights?
@@Daandeslions Because I'm sitting right in front of it playing records, or surfing the internet on a laptop, or watching TV. I have other things to listen to besides just a DAC.I understand for a poor person it might be all they have to listen to but I have other options.
@@kraig7777 I understand that a poor person has only one place to sit and listen in their tiny home.
could you review the aiyima a5 max dac?
Thumbs up just for the Skee-lo I wish song
Time to do a new Dac tier?
All batteries bank are not the same inside, the best uses 18650 battery which are built rolled like capacitors, other power bank that uses sandwich battery are bad sounding
I have the SMSL D300. Im thinking of picking up another dac for another setup, and wonder how this would sound in comparison. I like how small it is!
same here, recently sold the smsl d300 and got schiit modi 3e. Totally regret it. The d300 is the best sounding dac I have ever had. I wonder if the topping e70 velvet is better than the d300, if not i am getting the d300 again.
@@fatboyvin the d300 really does sound fantastic. I did pick up the c100, which is basically the su1 with a display and bluetooth, And I gotta say... It sounds just as good and smooth (with filter 4) as the d300 does. Its different, but not a bad different. I am happy with it for use with a 2nd system, so I am not tempted to buy another d300, for now. Lol.
@@JDM613 does that mean the su1 will sound similar to d300 too? if so, it would be a steal
I tested both SMSL c100 and the SU-1 DAC in my system. I returned the c100, the SU-1 just sounded much better, even though they had the same AKM chip.
Actually I'm buying another SU-1. I put the old SU-1 with my surround soundbar and immediately the sound got much better.
I want to use this dac with my laptop. I won't use usb. What kind of 3.5mm to RCA coaxial cable do I need? Digital?
You can only use this with a digital output from you computer. You’d need to user either usb or an optical spidf if your computer is equipped. If you went 3.5mm out of your computer you’d be using the dac in the computer.
thank you @@cheapaudioman
I hear great things about Topping. I was told I HAD to buy Topping instead of Schiit. ASR is a Topping fan page. Problem is, unlike Schiit, they have horrible customer service, a high fail and arrive DOA rate. "Well, it sounded good for 15 minutes until it failed and I had to send it back..." Then, I got the Modius maximus and it's been working great since It was new on the market.
I also bought a Topping E30 because of ASR. They judge gear based on measurement and believe all dacs sound the same. Thanks to Randy, I bit the bullet and got a Denafrips Ares. Now I have a Gustard R26 and it sounds way better than E30.
@@onionknight9431 Channels like Randy's help dispel the Topping myth (halo effect) and I hope it helps end the topping cult. I swear ASR is the fox news of audio. Lies and cults. Topping products have the highest fail rate of any DAC. They are mass produced like garbage with little quality control. Ever try to return a topping product? It took me MONTHS and multiple e-mails to get them to admit is was defective and nothing *I* did to damage the DAC. Even when I had it the sound was "meh". There are lower cost DACs that measure and sound better than Topping, and all of the name DACS are built better.
@@onionknight9431 Seems to be a daft comparison given the huge price difference.
in terms of chip and form factor, this looks much like the topping dx1 which actually also has an hp amp. only has a usb input though. but if you're looking for something like that and you only want to use it on pc, i'd say go for the dx1.
Skylabs! ❤
This vs topping e50? would be interesting if the smsl can outcompete!
Buy whatever is cheaper, and save the rest of money on future speaker or headphone upgrades ;)
My Schitt Modi DAC stopped working when my laptop windows did an auto update. Schitt wouldn't help. I'll give this a try!
I hope that it works for you
Windows Updates: Known audio killers. I have experienced a Win 10 update that clobbered a Creative Labs X-Fi card that had worked all through Win 7 into the first half dozen Win 10 updates. With my current convoluted audio setup I view the constant stream of Windows updates with a clenched sphincter and dread.