I have had one all year. My only gripe is the blinking input light when there is no input. I do love the 5v power and have it in a junction box with a Fosi V3 and WIIM mini for my patio system. A Shelly relay controls power on the box. Interestingly I have more expensive DACs that I A/B tested against and I cannot perceive any difference. I am in the camp that all dacs sound the same (under $1k at least). Also in the camp that not all audiophiles are flat earthers, but all flat earthers are audiophiles. 😂
I have one of these SU-1 DACs, I put it in my last system and it sounded rather veiled and congested, so I put it away. I have a new system, and said why not? This silly little DAC blew me away. It reminded me quite a bit of the Denafrips Ares II, and it was only $80? Damn impressive.
I have one. Excellent value for money. It converts D to A without adding its own sound. Most importantly, there is no software to keep updating or that'd go obsolete on you.
I had a SU-1 and bought it for my pc using USB and the optical for my cd player. I downloaded and installed the driver on my pc and I had no issues with volume control on the pc. The DAC sounded very good but I was getting audible tic's while typing on my keyboard. I contacted SMSL they did get back to me and had no suggestions other than to send it back to Amazon for a replacement which I did. The replacement will be here in a few days. If this one does the same thing it's my pc and will connect it via the optical input and swap the cd player for my cd/dvd player and use it's coaxial output and power it with a 2 amp Samsung phone charger, fingers crossed.
I have been an owner of the SU1 for the last 6 or 8 months and it packs a solid punch, especially for the price. My problem was that I was getting a lot of hum-like distortion and buzzing, when the SU1 was connected via USB to my PC. But that is not a problem of the SU1 itself, but rather my PC setup. So I ended up using the SU1 as a DAC for my Marantz CD player's optical out, and it works great in that role.
Here’s my review. Gave my old AKM Schiit Modi 3 to my son so he can use his PS5 to a stereo. It was on my office system which is an Arcam Alpha 8 and Triangle Titus speakers. Replaced it with the SU 1. Subjectively the SU 1 decodes Tidal via a WiiM mini as well as the Modi3.
It's a wonderful little box. I use it with my Wimo streamer into a Willsenton R8 tube amp and Tannoy Revolution floor standers . It's all I will ever need.
I agree with everything you said. The SU-1 was my first DAC. Unfortunately, mine had problems straight out of the box. When it worked, it was well worth the price and sounded great. The return for warranty 4 days after the Amazon 30-day window was miserable. But with persistence, Amazon's customer service was amazing in getting me my full refund + return shipping cost. I now have no faith in SMSL or the seller on Amazon. Saying that, I just ordered a Schitt Modi. Would I recommend the SU-1, probably but with a caveat, if you have any questionable issues regardless of the problem and if you order from Amazon, return it within the 30-day return window.
Subjectivism in listening to music cannot merely be perception to the sound of the music and the subjective feelings it generates for the listener, but rather what kind of relationship is formed between mental and moral universe of the listener and the music being played. The same compositions that aroused great excitements and very unique personal feelings during teens and young age, does not do so when life has gone through a series of experiences. The opposite is also true. Am wondering whether this subjective transformation is a result of objective change or subjective change! I like SMSL SU-1's sound.
Sound in its purest form is objective. It's what we interpret from sound is what we call subjective. Sound is a wave made from particles. You can predict it measure it and quantify it. Sound is an electrical impulse from the nerve endings in our ears, which is then being interpreted by our brain, at which point it becomes subjective.
Have bought a couple of these for my two son's 'starter' systems. Both lads = very happy. Powered via a mobile-phone charger w/USB-C cable. Fuss-free, clean sound. No caveats.
usb input sounds significantly better than spidif in my testing. I've ditched the wiim pro and am now using a mini pc with volumio. Very detailed, lacks the sonic refinement and musical flow of more expesive dacs, but unbeliveably good sound for the price
Users of these DACs might find themselves running into a problem... If you are using it with an HTPC to feed your amplifiers. If you are controlling the system through a wireless keyboard or the on-screen Windows volume control... you may have no volume control. The on-screen slider and the media keys will stop working, leaving your system at full volume. While you can control media playback from inside the media player, the rest of Windows sounds will still play at full volume... which with a couple of hundred watts on hand can be quite the moment! Just thought I should let people know about this nasty little Gotcha with these things.
I've had my SU1 for almost a year. It was definitely an upgrade to the DAC I had been using (onboard DAC in a Yamaha A-S 801), which kinda suprised me for being so inexpensive. I've discovered 2 issues however: when streaming from a Bluesounde Node using the coax input I kept getting dropouts, so had to switch to the optical input. (have since found out others have this issue with Nodes to S.M.S.L. dacs). And I can't use the tone controls on my Yamaha amp - have to use the 'pure direct' mode on it or the DAC doesn't think it's connected. Wish I had discovered these issues while the return window was still open.
If the Dac is connected to the amp with an RCA cable you don't have to leave it in direct mode. I think the difference will be subtle (direct mode on or off ). You can get the sound of the dac and tone control if you turn the direct mode off.
@@astandupcooks I do have to leave it in direct mode with RCA cables - If I take it out of direct mode the DAC doesn't recognize it's connected to the Amp for some reason. It stops sending a signal.
@@BruTay5454 that sounds strange. I have a Marantz PM6006 and the smsl SU1 sends a signal when its in pure mode and when it isnt. Might be worth contacting SMSL or whoever you purchased it from and exercise your warranty. As there might something wrong with your device. And as you had it less for a year you might still have warranty. Hope you get it sorted. Also might be worth trying a different RCA input on your amplifier and see if that works .
I have my SMSL M8 DAC which I got as a bundle in 2015 with their VMV VA2 headphone amp and P1 Linear PSU. The rear DAC connections are colour coded, so not sure when they stopped doing this on later models. Very satisfied with it all and would buy again.
What a great review. Betty should do deadpan stand-up comedy on the side to earn extra income, because she uttered some of that stuff without cracking up once. This weekend for Father's Day I purchased from a local fellow one of the last consumer-grade tube/valve receivers made by a company that rhymes with "buy an ear" -- just for nostalgia purposes, mind you. I am happy to report some of the harshness of the cathodes has finally begun to burn off this device after 500,000 hours.
I am very much drawn to the SMSL concept. No wall warts, no fru-fru. This would be a very useful product in the studio or on the road for me, giving any of my computer devices a high fidelity output to my mixer. My only complaint is it’s a bit on the large side and that’s not enough to chase me away.
Such a cute looking little DAC, but I'm a fan of minimalist featureless black boxes. My aging Myryad Z20 isn't large, but dwarfs the SMSL. Will be interesting to put one of these el cheapo options up against my old DAC when I get a chance. Subjectivists will claim measurements don't tell the whole story, but I tend to agree with No Theme Reviews insofar as good DACs sound very similar, if not exactly the same. Maybe R2R and FPGA designs sound different from delta sigma ones. Hopefully I'll get a chance to experiment for myself in the future once I find a suitable place with a decent room for the two channel rig.
I may have to give this thing a whirl. My built in DAC is pretty good. If this little thing can sound better why not? It has to be decent or you would not have bothered to do a review on it. Price point is very doable to. Thanks!
One of the first thing I noticed when watching John Darko in Berlin was the door-stops (I assume) he used on his equipment to avoid the dreaded 'power-on shift'. Perhaps I should start a YT channel reviewing heavy audiophile door-stops. "Is this Aldi stop heavy enough in the base?"
@@Douglas_Blake_579 I didn't think of the weight of the cables. If I were flogging the cables you are describing I'd be including lead-shielding to add gravitas. It all goes to show that there is a lot of money looking for a good (or questionable) home.
Sorry to be pedantic David but there isn't a full-stop after the L in the DAC's name. Just saying, as you told us you like to be precise. I can't help feeling Betty is giving me 'come hither' looks, Salacious little Jezebel.
Does the SU-1 still have the firmware 'sleep' function that turns the USB receiver off after a few seconds of no signal? You'll notice it as a second or so of silence at the beginning of playback and then a couple of soft (but irritating) pops as it comes back to life (IOW, you'll get it if you're browsing your library take more than a few seconds between tracks). This appears to be default/baked-in behaviour for the receiver for dongle/mobile applications but it didn't seem to occur to SMSL that saving a watt or two is hardly an imperative in a desktop device. This is raised about 25 pages in (IIRC) to a long thread/review on Audio Science Review - the fix is to download the XMOS driver for a different model (there isn't one specific to the SU-1) and then edit an XML config file to make an "Always On" (rather than "On when Needed") option visible in the 'XMOS USB DAC Driver Control Panel' that becomes available (unfortunately only for Windows, if you're using a Mac ...).
So, I bought one of these "Big sound" DACS direct from the manufacturer. Connected it via Coaxial cable to my Yamaha DVD/SACD player. Marginal improvement over the stock dacs. $80.00 worth? Hardly. I then connected it to my 15-20 year old Shanling S100 (British piece, you may know the company). Took the life right out of that player. I mean, literally destroyed the sound of that CDP. Compared to the stock DACS, the SMSL had lower output, compressed the sound stage terribly, made my $15K time and phase aligned speakers sound as if someone placed a wet blanket over them. Mids were recessed, top end subdued, bass muddied. So, I hooked it up to an Oppo universal player. Again, no real improvement. Moved on to a cheap $29.00 Sony DVD player. You know, the ones IDIOTS on RUclips say can replicate the sound of an audiophile CDP with this DAC? Well, that's a bunch of b.s.. I'm a recording engineer. Former high end audio salesman. Musician. My ears are specifically trained over decades to hear minute differences in audio. My wife, is none of those things. I sat her down for a "what do YOU hear" listen between the Yamaha/SMSL and the Shanling stock units. She had but one word. She said "Wow" When asked to explain "Wow", she said "That Yamaha sounds bad compared to the other one" Nothing wrong with the Yamaha piece. Works as designed. But this RIDICULOUS notion that you can take a $25.00 Walmart DVD player, plop this DAC on it and get high end CDP sound simply has to stop.
@@artysanmobile If "credibility" was a requirement to post (or review) on RUclips, this place would be deader than most malls. I spent 15 years in high end retail audio. Need more? I helped deign speakers that won "speaker of the year". More? Yamaha called me to advise them on amplifier design. More? I've been a recording engineer for 30 years. More? Musician for 50 years. More I've read 1,000's of technical audio white papers. More? My hearing has been tested to "Better than textbook". More? I wrote a newspaper column on audio. On top of that I actually purchased the DAC in question, directly from the manufacturer, brand new. The system it was connected to was in excess of $30K, including those award winning speakers. I think that gives me all the "credibility" needed to post on RUclips. Not sure what the HELL is wrong with YOUR hearing if YOU can't hear what I EASILY heard and my wife EASILY heard. Maybe YOU have "zero credibility" I'd be MORE than happy to test my hearing to yours. In fact, lets do that. Joni Mitchell's "Blue" album. Give it a listen and tell me what's wrong with it. I heard it within 30 seconds. I e-mailed Steve Hoffman, remastering guru and asked him about what I was hearing. His reply was "You can hear that"? So have a listen, hot shot. Tell me what's wrong with this album, from a recording point of view. It's on the entire album, so it should be EASY for one with so much "credibility" as yourself.
@@AudioMasterclass ya i am not requesting tapehiss as a necessary - its is just part of that recording. F.e. Tool uses tapehiss when they start their song Pneuma and then it disappears. I personally have no tape left. I use Tidal on CD Quality and store the stuff i like on an SD in my cellphone to not have to stream songs i like again and again. Invironmental impact and such. CD where a lot of weight in form of plastic - i prefer having multiple of those stored on way less plastic.
I was going to grab one of these based on your review, but I realized I don't have any rips at 768kHz in my collection. Rats, will have to start all over again.
If you have the experience with WiiM, can you suggest whether in an appropriately resolving system one might hear an improvement with the SMSL SU- 1 DAC over the built in DAC in a WiiM Pro?
It definitely should be. If you’re not sure though, you could buy it on Amazon then you have a month to return it for your money back, if it’s not big enough of an improvement.
@@AudioMasterclass I remember being glued to my stereo in the 89ies listening to Oxygene and Equinoxe 🙃 Thanks for another entertaining review - I am not actually interested in buying anything at the moment, just enjoying the banter 😂
I bought one to use my iPhone 11 with Apple Music to connect to my amp. Thought it would be better sound quality than using my Bluetooth streamer a Bludento BLT. Unfortunately the phone won’t power it through the usb so how would I connect it to my phone? Do I need a separate streamer like a Wiim?
In simple terms,…On this device the Coax is a digital input meaning information runs into the Dac from another source like a tv or computer. RCA is an analog output meaning it outputs the converted analog signal to your powered speakers or amplifier etc.
A stand alone, decent, entry level dac is far from useless. I got this for a friend to improve his active speaker set exactly because he didn’t want any extra volume controls to use or any extra buttons to learn. He suffered a stroke a few yrs back and has memory issues. So it’s great for people that aren’t very technical and just want a sound quality increase from existing systems without a whole bunch of new extra functionality to learn to navigate. Also pair this with a WiiM mini through the optical and you’d probably have some pretty decent sound quality for just £160.
I don't know of any exceptions but if something claims to be USB powered then in my experience you can plug it into any USB. Free advice comes without guarantee.
It is powered by the USB jack. If you are using it with a PC or Laptop you don't need (or want) a special power supply. Otherwise you need one of those little USB charger blocks and a type c charging cable.
@@Douglas_Blake_579 obviously, lol. Exactly the same as the power supplies you mentioned, I was just adding another easy inexpensive way to power it. It’s pretty obvious that if he was using the usb, he wouldn’t need a separate power supply. Lol
I don’t suppose a long term test is possible with these cheap little boxes, they seem to rarely work for more than a month. I also worry about cheap power supplies burning the house down, but then again I also worry about scented candles setting fire to the curtains. I don’t think the high stakes world of chi-fi is for me.
This is a well built, well performing basic DAC at a low price but not cheap qualiry. I've had mine for almost 2 years and no issues (btw, it was an Amazon open-box warehouse deal). It doesn't come with a power supply; you can use a standard 5V 1A USB adapter (just make sure it's CE or UL certified and you'll be safe). Totally agree with you on candles...
My only criticism is the single usb power source. If that’s plugged into your computer, then your computer must be running all the time to power it when listening from other sources. Either that or you have to swap out a wire. Mildly irritating.
@@steven2809 what am missing? If there’s a product that lets me have a usb input from the computer when I’m listening from that, and a separate power supply connected to the dac for when the computer is switched off and I’m listening from the WiiM mini, then let me know.
David, what is the point of your latest review? Your previous post was very critical about the abundantly pointless RUclips reviews of audio products. Reviews that can't possibly demonstrate that the sound quality is sufficiently noticeable to have any meaning. I haven't counted the amount of times that you say that they're all pointless, but you make a point about it. Is this really what you think? I think you're missing the point about how and why a reviewer of any product should be informing their audience about the products capabilities. As I have already said, your previous post is continuously emphasizing the point about the pointlessness, or the waste of time trying to compare sound qualities, because of the fact that RUclips, doesn't support lossless audio. I say that It doesn't need to. Your reviews should be based solely on your personal qualifications and expert knowledge about what makes good sound reproduction. Also you have a real understanding of the technical data, you have an understanding and have the ability to explain it to us mere mortals. Moreover you should be analysing these products in a purely objective manner. All we really need to know is if this little box of tricks can actually improve the sound of a digital source. If you haven't twigged yet, it's a DAC! You can connect a CD player or any other digital component, via either of the coaxial or optical inputs. We need to know if it will make a CD player sound better than the onboard DAC?. Sound on Sound used to be a paper based publication, and so was What HiFi and all the other magazines that review audio products. How exactly did anyone that read a review in one of these publications get to hear the item? Some of your reviews are really quite naive in content . For instance: The strength of the digital audio signal output of broadcasters varies significantly. If you were serious about home cinema sound reproduction, you will know that to get the best out of the equipment is by using the HDMI interconnects. I have a fairly basic Yamaha AV receiver, lets say that its adequate. However, most times times, RUclips sounds unbelievably good , especially some of the professional audio content. Amateur recordings can be suspect particularly speech being over peak level, but generally I have no complaints. Surely you must realize that when listening to RUclips on a laptop or TV with just the built in speakers, this won't reveal anything, but as soon as I plug the laptop into my AV amp with an HDMI cable the sound is transformed. I don't actually have my laptop plugged in to my amp. (I have on occasion used the DVD player) I usually watch RUclips on my TV. I have a Manhattan Freeview recorder and a Toshiba smart TV. There are many combinations of how I can listen to RUclips, For instance I could use any of the optical outputs into my Marantz amp, or I could connect the Manhattan to my own external DAC. I could then connect this to my Quad 405. I just happen to think that my AV amp is the best option for all round use, especially when watching TV. So everything that is TV related is fed through the AV amp via HDMI. My Av amp comes a distant second for listening to a stereo , 2 channel sound reproduction when compared to the Quad. You seem to miss the point of this DAC's functionality. Most TV's have an optical audio out, you could have mentioned in your review that if someone wanted to connect a TV but don't have HDMI, they can with an optical output, connect into an ordinary stereo amp, via this DAC, it just might improve the sound quality. I have the S.M.S.L. C200 DAC. I bought this model because of the remote function and the volume control. Enough has been written that by using an external DAC will improve the audio signal over any onboard DAC. Forget about using ridiculous or flamboyant adjectives to verbally convey sound quality. I will just say that the S.M.S.L. C200 has greatly improved my listening experience. This it has achieved by having clearer separation, and of the definition of instruments. Bass is now better controlled without losing strength or overpowering the rest of the frequency range. I can now hear a lower bass extension, this was previously being obscured by the upper bass frequencies. I saw your review of the Fosi Audio SK01. I thought your review was so informative that I bought one. Remember, you did a live sound review, you also asked a technical question about the test that you had carried out. I listened to the sound clip and decided that the audio signal that you had input, came out the other end fairly accurately without adding or losing definition. For all intents and purposes I'm listening to RUclips through Hi- definition inputs. Is loss less sound going to be that much better to my 67 year old ears? I can honestly say that the an AV amp processes the sound better via an HDMI input than when using the optical input . Even if my system doesn't live up to somebody else's expectations. My point here is that the sound quality is good enough that I can hear a difference than if I was just listening to RUclips on the TV or laptop. By not including a sound review, you are copping out, and by not even giving your own opinion verbally on sound quality of the device that is on review. I think is a complete failure. Even the review that I recently saw on a Crosley cruiser had a sound comparison audio clip.
You can find other reviewers who will tell you in detail how dacs, amps, etc sound. But how do you know whether they’re just making it up? If I hear anything bad in any of my reviews, don’t worry I’ll tell you. Other than that I’m an objectivist and will remain so.
Your review could've been for any DAC on the market for over £30 & do we need 11 minutes for a review that doesn't give a definitive answer, no we don't!
The biggest problem with audio is the listeners perception
Agree 100%. Like your style not to over-analyse. It is a cool little dac and I use it on my 2nd stereo system.
I have had one all year. My only gripe is the blinking input light when there is no input. I do love the 5v power and have it in a junction box with a Fosi V3 and WIIM mini for my patio system. A Shelly relay controls power on the box.
Interestingly I have more expensive DACs that I A/B tested against and I cannot perceive any difference. I am in the camp that all dacs sound the same (under $1k at least).
Also in the camp that not all audiophiles are flat earthers, but all flat earthers are audiophiles. 😂
I have one of these SU-1 DACs, I put it in my last system and it sounded rather veiled and congested, so I put it away. I have a new system, and said why not? This silly little DAC blew me away. It reminded me quite a bit of the Denafrips Ares II, and it was only $80? Damn impressive.
Sometimes it's just about playing subpar recordings. Use the really HQ stuff and suddenly the whole stereo can wake up
I have one. Excellent value for money. It converts D to A without adding its own sound. Most importantly, there is no software to keep updating or that'd go obsolete on you.
This is why for production I prefer an audio interface that doesn't need its own software.
I had a SU-1 and bought it for my pc using USB and the optical for my cd player. I downloaded and installed the driver on my pc and I had no issues with volume control on the pc. The DAC sounded very good but I was getting audible tic's while typing on my keyboard. I contacted SMSL they did get back to me and had no suggestions other than to send it back to Amazon for a replacement which I did. The replacement will be here in a few days. If this one does the same thing it's my pc and will connect it via the optical input and swap the cd player for my cd/dvd player and use it's coaxial output and power it with a 2 amp Samsung phone charger, fingers crossed.
I have been an owner of the SU1 for the last 6 or 8 months and it packs a solid punch, especially for the price. My problem was that I was getting a lot of hum-like distortion and buzzing, when the SU1 was connected via USB to my PC. But that is not a problem of the SU1 itself, but rather my PC setup. So I ended up using the SU1 as a DAC for my Marantz CD player's optical out, and it works great in that role.
Did u ever find a different pc without that problem? That should not be a thing at all.
@@artysanmobile No, sorry. I ended up using the SU1 with the CD play I mentioned.
Here’s my review. Gave my old AKM Schiit Modi 3 to my son so he can use his PS5 to a stereo. It was on my office system which is an Arcam Alpha 8 and Triangle Titus speakers. Replaced it with the SU 1. Subjectively the SU 1 decodes Tidal via a WiiM mini as well as the Modi3.
I have one and It's all I need...nuff said
It's a wonderful little box. I use it with my Wimo streamer into a Willsenton R8 tube amp and Tannoy Revolution floor standers . It's all I will ever need.
I agree with everything you said. The SU-1 was my first DAC. Unfortunately, mine had problems straight out of the box. When it worked, it was well worth the price and sounded great. The return for warranty 4 days after the Amazon 30-day window was miserable. But with persistence, Amazon's customer service was amazing in getting me my full refund + return shipping cost. I now have no faith in SMSL or the seller on Amazon. Saying that, I just ordered a Schitt Modi. Would I recommend the SU-1, probably but with a caveat, if you have any questionable issues regardless of the problem and if you order from Amazon, return it within the 30-day return window.
using this to convert the optical out from my pc to my audiolab 8000a. Sounds great.
Subjectivism in listening to music cannot merely be perception to the sound of the music and the subjective feelings it generates for the listener, but rather what kind of relationship is formed between mental and moral universe of the listener and the music being played. The same compositions that aroused great excitements and very unique personal feelings during teens and young age, does not do so when life has gone through a series of experiences. The opposite is also true. Am wondering whether this subjective transformation is a result of objective change or subjective change!
I like SMSL SU-1's sound.
What kind of screen name is going on here?
Sound in its purest form is objective. It's what we interpret from sound is what we call subjective. Sound is a wave made from particles. You can predict it measure it and quantify it. Sound is an electrical impulse from the nerve endings in our ears, which is then being interpreted by our brain, at which point it becomes subjective.
You’re trying way too hard. Your life changes are yours only.
Have bought a couple of these for my two son's 'starter' systems. Both lads = very happy. Powered via a mobile-phone charger w/USB-C cable. Fuss-free, clean sound. No caveats.
usb input sounds significantly better than spidif in my testing.
usb input sounds significantly better than spidif in my testing. I've ditched the wiim pro and am now using a mini pc with volumio. Very detailed, lacks the sonic refinement and musical flow of more expesive dacs, but unbeliveably good sound for the price
Users of these DACs might find themselves running into a problem...
If you are using it with an HTPC to feed your amplifiers. If you are controlling the system through a wireless keyboard or the on-screen Windows volume control... you may have no volume control. The on-screen slider and the media keys will stop working, leaving your system at full volume. While you can control media playback from inside the media player, the rest of Windows sounds will still play at full volume... which with a couple of hundred watts on hand can be quite the moment!
Just thought I should let people know about this nasty little Gotcha with these things.
I've had my SU1 for almost a year. It was definitely an upgrade to the DAC I had been using (onboard DAC in a Yamaha A-S 801), which kinda suprised me for being so inexpensive. I've discovered 2 issues however: when streaming from a Bluesounde Node using the coax input I kept getting dropouts, so had to switch to the optical input. (have since found out others have this issue with Nodes to S.M.S.L. dacs). And I can't use the tone controls on my Yamaha amp - have to use the 'pure direct' mode on it or the DAC doesn't think it's connected. Wish I had discovered these issues while the return window was still open.
If the Dac is connected to the amp with an RCA cable you don't have to leave it in direct mode. I think the difference will be subtle (direct mode on or off ). You can get the sound of the dac and tone control if you turn the direct mode off.
@@astandupcooks I do have to leave it in direct mode with RCA cables - If I take it out of direct mode the DAC doesn't recognize it's connected to the Amp for some reason. It stops sending a signal.
@@BruTay5454 that sounds strange. I have a Marantz PM6006 and the smsl SU1 sends a signal when its in pure mode and when it isnt. Might be worth contacting SMSL or whoever you purchased it from and exercise your warranty. As there might something wrong with your device. And as you had it less for a year you might still have warranty. Hope you get it sorted. Also might be worth trying a different RCA input on your amplifier and see if that works .
Your unboxing music would make good hype music for a sporting event.
Ciao, come posso collegare il mio rapsberry al dac? Uso Volumio con il mio hd. Grazie
I have my SMSL M8 DAC which I got as a bundle in 2015 with their VMV VA2 headphone amp and P1 Linear PSU. The rear DAC connections are colour coded, so not sure when they stopped doing this on later models. Very satisfied with it all and would buy again.
What a great review. Betty should do deadpan stand-up comedy on the side to earn extra income, because she uttered some of that stuff without cracking up once. This weekend for Father's Day I purchased from a local fellow one of the last consumer-grade tube/valve receivers made by a company that rhymes with "buy an ear" -- just for nostalgia purposes, mind you. I am happy to report some of the harshness of the cathodes has finally begun to burn off this device after 500,000 hours.
You're starting to get the properly matured electrons. The younger ones are not so mellow.
your unboxing music is getting better
Wot? I was trying to make it increasingly irritating.
Was looking forward to a nice little unboxing music but that corny shakuhachi at the start almost made me feel I was being trolled 🤯
Don’t worry! Google will tell you why that sample is a classic.
I am very much drawn to the SMSL concept. No wall warts, no fru-fru. This would be a very useful product in the studio or on the road for me, giving any of my computer devices a high fidelity output to my mixer. My only complaint is it’s a bit on the large side and that’s not enough to chase me away.
Such a cute looking little DAC, but I'm a fan of minimalist featureless black boxes.
My aging Myryad Z20 isn't large, but dwarfs the SMSL. Will be interesting to put one of these el cheapo options up against my old DAC when I get a chance. Subjectivists will claim measurements don't tell the whole story, but I tend to agree with No Theme Reviews insofar as good DACs sound very similar, if not exactly the same. Maybe R2R and FPGA designs sound different from delta sigma ones. Hopefully I'll get a chance to experiment for myself in the future once I find a suitable place with a decent room for the two channel rig.
A good video - thank you! BTW I will be 76 years on the 7th of July. I have most of my own teeth, and most of my faculties David.
I missed the "look what's inside" part. Like Williston Audio Labs 😉
Will the usb power from Cambridge AXR85 power this dac? It’s 5v 400ma
I may have to give this thing a whirl. My built in DAC is pretty good. If this little thing can sound better why not? It has to be decent or you would not have bothered to do a review on it. Price point is very doable to. Thanks!
One of the first thing I noticed when watching John Darko in Berlin was the door-stops (I assume) he used on his equipment to avoid the dreaded 'power-on shift'. Perhaps I should start a YT channel reviewing heavy audiophile door-stops. "Is this Aldi stop heavy enough in the base?"
I'll watch your channel. The first couple of videos anyway.
I wondered if it was wise to put a big chunk of cast iron on top of electrical equipment, something non-conductive/magnetic would surely be better?
The weights are to keep the oversized/overpriced/overhyped fat cables from pulling the thing off the shelf.
@@Douglas_Blake_579 I didn't think of the weight of the cables. If I were flogging the cables you are describing I'd be including lead-shielding to add gravitas. It all goes to show that there is a lot of money looking for a good (or questionable) home.
Sorry to be pedantic David but there isn't a full-stop after the L in the DAC's name. Just saying, as you told us you like to be precise.
I can't help feeling Betty is giving me 'come hither' looks, Salacious little Jezebel.
Well you out-precised me there. No prize unfortunately.
Does the SU-1 still have the firmware 'sleep' function that turns the USB receiver off after a few seconds of no signal? You'll notice it as a second or so of silence at the beginning of playback and then a couple of soft (but irritating) pops as it comes back to life (IOW, you'll get it if you're browsing your library take more than a few seconds between tracks). This appears to be default/baked-in behaviour for the receiver for dongle/mobile applications but it didn't seem to occur to SMSL that saving a watt or two is hardly an imperative in a desktop device.
This is raised about 25 pages in (IIRC) to a long thread/review on Audio Science Review - the fix is to download the XMOS driver for a different model (there isn't one specific to the SU-1) and then edit an XML config file to make an "Always On" (rather than "On when Needed") option visible in the 'XMOS USB DAC Driver Control Panel' that becomes available (unfortunately only for Windows, if you're using a Mac ...).
i'd be interested to hear about the inspiration for your stellar unboxing music and Betty's critique of the same.
The best value in DAC with performance thats neutral.
So, I bought one of these "Big sound" DACS direct from the manufacturer. Connected it via Coaxial cable to my Yamaha DVD/SACD player. Marginal improvement over the stock dacs. $80.00 worth? Hardly. I then connected it to my 15-20 year old Shanling S100 (British piece, you may know the company). Took the life right out of that player.
I mean, literally destroyed the sound of that CDP. Compared to the stock DACS, the SMSL had lower output, compressed the sound stage terribly, made my $15K time and phase aligned speakers sound as if someone placed a wet blanket over them. Mids were recessed, top end subdued, bass muddied. So, I hooked it up to an Oppo universal player. Again, no real improvement. Moved on to a cheap $29.00 Sony DVD player. You know, the ones IDIOTS on RUclips say can replicate the sound of an audiophile CDP with this DAC? Well, that's a bunch of b.s.. I'm a recording engineer. Former high end audio salesman. Musician. My ears are specifically trained over decades to hear minute differences in audio. My wife, is none of those things. I sat her down for a "what do YOU hear" listen between the Yamaha/SMSL and the Shanling stock units.
She had but one word. She said "Wow" When asked to explain "Wow", she said "That Yamaha sounds bad compared to the other one" Nothing wrong with the Yamaha piece. Works as designed. But this RIDICULOUS notion that you can take a $25.00 Walmart DVD player, plop this DAC on it and get high end CDP sound simply has to stop.
You’re a real agenda king. Zero credibility.
@@artysanmobile
If "credibility" was a requirement to post (or review) on RUclips, this place would be deader than most malls. I spent 15 years in high end retail audio. Need more? I helped deign speakers that won "speaker of the year". More? Yamaha called me to advise them on amplifier design. More? I've been a recording engineer for 30 years. More? Musician for 50 years. More I've read 1,000's of technical audio white papers. More? My hearing has been tested to "Better than textbook". More? I wrote a newspaper column on audio. On top of that I actually purchased the DAC in question, directly from the manufacturer, brand new. The system it was connected to was in excess of $30K, including those award winning speakers. I think that gives me all the "credibility" needed to post on RUclips.
Not sure what the HELL is wrong with YOUR hearing if YOU can't hear what I EASILY heard and my wife EASILY heard. Maybe YOU have "zero credibility" I'd be MORE than happy to test my hearing to yours. In fact, lets do that. Joni Mitchell's "Blue" album. Give it a listen and tell me what's wrong with it. I heard it within 30 seconds. I e-mailed Steve Hoffman, remastering guru and asked him about what I was hearing. His reply was "You can hear that"? So have a listen, hot shot. Tell me what's wrong with this album, from a recording point of view. It's on the entire album, so it should be EASY for one with so much "credibility" as yourself.
I do like to listen a lot to a song called Echoes from Pink Floyd recorded at Pompeii. The weird thing is - i like the recording tape hiss.
You know, I don't mind a bit of tape hiss for nostalgia, or maybe for creative purposes. Mostly though, I prefer to live without it.
@@AudioMasterclass ya i am not requesting tapehiss as a necessary - its is just part of that recording. F.e. Tool uses tapehiss when they start their song Pneuma and then it disappears. I personally have no tape left. I use Tidal on CD Quality and store the stuff i like on an SD in my cellphone to not have to stream songs i like again and again. Invironmental impact and such. CD where a lot of weight in form of plastic - i prefer having multiple of those stored on way less plastic.
I was going to grab one of these based on your review, but I realized I don't have any rips at 768kHz in my collection. Rats, will have to start all over again.
This has only a single AK4493S chip I understand. What do you lose in terms of audio quality by not having dual chip ?
Can this be powered by an iPad (pro) 's USB-C port ?
If you have the experience with WiiM, can you suggest whether in an appropriately resolving system one might hear an improvement with the SMSL SU- 1 DAC over the built in DAC in a WiiM Pro?
It definitely should be. If you’re not sure though, you could buy it on Amazon then you have a month to return it for your money back, if it’s not big enough of an improvement.
All DACs sound the same Evil One.
The tinny switch sound observation put me in Hospital.
Will this improve RUclips music streaming,as I find the quality significantly lower than Amazon music.
Whether any DAC can improve the quality of the digits coming in is something audiophiles will philosophise over endlessly.
Did I hear a bit of Jean Michel Jarre at the end of the unboxing soundbed? 😊
It isn't impossible you heard a similar element since we're probably using the same synths. He's the one making the money.
@@AudioMasterclass I remember being glued to my stereo in the 89ies listening to Oxygene and Equinoxe 🙃 Thanks for another entertaining review - I am not actually interested in buying anything at the moment, just enjoying the banter 😂
I don't know what you would use this for. 😄
Not as a doorstop, that's for sure.
IT'S A DAC ! 😂
I bought one to use my iPhone 11 with Apple Music to connect to my amp. Thought it would be better sound quality than using my Bluetooth streamer a Bludento BLT. Unfortunately the phone won’t power it through the usb so how would I connect it to my phone? Do I need a separate streamer like a Wiim?
Yep. A WiiM mini would do it
Does it work with Windows Plug and Play?
What speed and sample sizes do you get on USB?
Does it require a sepecial driver?
yes
@@silkhead44
Dang, that's a good but short answer.
whats thge difference between rca and coax. They look the same
In simple terms,…On this device the Coax is a digital input meaning information runs into the Dac from another source like a tv or computer. RCA is an analog output meaning it outputs the converted analog signal to your powered speakers or amplifier etc.
Same connector ... RCA is analog, Coaxial is digital.
Absolutely, DAC on its own is useless. At least it should have an amp, and these days streaming is very useful.
A stand alone, decent, entry level dac is far from useless.
I got this for a friend to improve his active speaker set exactly because he didn’t want any extra volume controls to use or any extra buttons to learn. He suffered a stroke a few yrs back and has memory issues.
So it’s great for people that aren’t very technical and just want a sound quality increase from existing systems without a whole bunch of new extra functionality to learn to navigate.
Also pair this with a WiiM mini through the optical and you’d probably have some pretty decent sound quality for just £160.
The power is via the USB? How many volts? My TV USB puts out 5v. Is that too much?
I don't know of any exceptions but if something claims to be USB powered then in my experience you can plug it into any USB. Free advice comes without guarantee.
@@AudioMasterclass I guess I was just more concerned about the voltage.
It’s always 5v for usb it’s the amps that vary.
USB is standardized for 5 volts, 500ma.
Sorry David, you have to be an Audiophile or Audio Phil to notice the hardness and edge. Regards, an Audiophile
Rumour has it that when Phil detects any hardness or edge his ears produce more wax to compensate.
@@AudioMasterclass Once enough ear wax has been harvested, is this made into 78rpm records?
What brand and model of power supply would you recommend for this DAC?
It is powered by the USB jack. If you are using it with a PC or Laptop you don't need (or want) a special power supply. Otherwise you need one of those little USB charger blocks and a type c charging cable.
Or even a usb powerbank/batterypack.
@@aj8ky
Only if you are not using the USB input.
@@Douglas_Blake_579 obviously, lol. Exactly the same as the power supplies you mentioned, I was just adding another easy inexpensive way to power it.
It’s pretty obvious that if he was using the usb, he wouldn’t need a separate power supply. Lol
@@aj8ky
Yep. I was just unsure if you realized the USB DATA and POWER were both on the same connector.
I don’t suppose a long term test is possible with these cheap little boxes, they seem to rarely work for more than a month. I also worry about cheap power supplies burning the house down, but then again I also worry about scented candles setting fire to the curtains. I don’t think the high stakes world of chi-fi is for me.
This is a well built, well performing basic DAC at a low price but not cheap qualiry. I've had mine for almost 2 years and no issues (btw, it was an Amazon open-box warehouse deal). It doesn't come with a power supply; you can use a standard 5V 1A USB adapter (just make sure it's CE or UL certified and you'll be safe). Totally agree with you on candles...
Had mine for about a year and has worked flawlessly.
@offbeatinstruments You need anxiety meds......🙄
My only criticism is the single usb power source. If that’s plugged into your computer, then your computer must be running all the time to power it when listening from other sources. Either that or you have to swap out a wire. Mildly irritating.
Don't be silly you can use any 5v PSU with USB C cable....
@@steven2809 yeah but then if you want to take input from your computer you have to swap the usb cable over to that.
@@hgodfrey 😖
@@steven2809 what am missing? If there’s a product that lets me have a usb input from the computer when I’m listening from that, and a separate power supply connected to the dac for when the computer is switched off and I’m listening from the WiiM mini, then let me know.
@@hgodfrey Yes it's called a USB hub. 🙂
David, what is the point of your latest review? Your previous post was very critical about the abundantly pointless RUclips reviews of audio products. Reviews that can't possibly demonstrate that the sound quality is sufficiently noticeable to have any meaning. I haven't counted the amount of times that you say that they're all pointless, but you make a point about it. Is this really what you think? I think you're missing the point about how and why a reviewer of any product should be informing their audience about the products capabilities. As I have already said, your previous post is continuously emphasizing the point about the pointlessness, or the waste of time trying to compare sound qualities, because of the fact that RUclips, doesn't support lossless audio. I say that It doesn't need to. Your reviews should be based solely on your personal qualifications and expert knowledge about what makes good sound reproduction. Also you have a real understanding of the technical data, you have an understanding and have the ability to explain it to us mere mortals. Moreover you should be analysing these products in a purely objective manner. All we really need to know is if this little box of tricks can actually improve the sound of a digital source. If you haven't twigged yet, it's a DAC! You can connect a CD player or any other digital component, via either of the coaxial or optical inputs. We need to know if it will make a CD player sound better than the onboard DAC?. Sound on Sound used to be a paper based publication, and so was What HiFi and all the other magazines that review audio products. How exactly did anyone that read a review in one of these publications get to hear the item? Some of your reviews are really quite naive in content . For instance: The strength of the digital audio signal output of broadcasters varies significantly. If you were serious about home cinema sound reproduction, you will know that to get the best out of the equipment is by using the HDMI interconnects. I have a fairly basic Yamaha AV receiver, lets say that its adequate. However, most times times, RUclips sounds unbelievably good , especially some of the professional audio content. Amateur recordings can be suspect particularly speech being over peak level, but generally I have no complaints. Surely you must realize that when listening to RUclips on a laptop or TV with just the built in speakers, this won't reveal anything, but as soon as I plug the laptop into my AV amp with an HDMI cable the sound is transformed. I don't actually have my laptop plugged in to my amp. (I have on occasion used the DVD player) I usually watch RUclips on my TV. I have a Manhattan Freeview recorder and a Toshiba smart TV. There are many combinations of how I can listen to RUclips, For instance I could use any of the optical outputs into my Marantz amp, or I could connect the Manhattan to my own external DAC. I could then connect this to my Quad 405. I just happen to think that my AV amp is the best option for all round use, especially when watching TV. So everything that is TV related is fed through the AV amp via HDMI. My Av amp comes a distant second for listening to a stereo , 2 channel sound reproduction when compared to the Quad. You seem to miss the point of this DAC's functionality. Most TV's have an optical audio out, you could have mentioned in your review that if someone wanted to connect a TV but don't have HDMI, they can with an optical output, connect into an ordinary stereo amp, via this DAC, it just might improve the sound quality. I have the S.M.S.L. C200 DAC. I bought this model because of the remote function and the volume control. Enough has been written that by using an external DAC will improve the audio signal over any onboard DAC. Forget about using ridiculous or flamboyant adjectives to verbally convey sound quality. I will just say that the S.M.S.L. C200 has greatly improved my listening experience. This it has achieved by having clearer separation, and of the definition of instruments. Bass is now better controlled without losing strength or overpowering the rest of the frequency range. I can now hear a lower bass extension, this was previously being obscured by the upper bass frequencies. I saw your review of the Fosi Audio SK01. I thought your review was so informative that I bought one. Remember, you did a live sound review, you also asked a technical question about the test that you had carried out. I listened to the sound clip and decided that the audio signal that you had input, came out the other end fairly accurately without adding or losing definition. For all intents and purposes I'm listening to RUclips through Hi- definition inputs. Is loss less sound going to be that much better to my 67 year old ears? I can honestly say that the an AV amp processes the sound better via an HDMI input than when using the optical input . Even if my system doesn't live up to somebody else's expectations. My point here is that the sound quality is good enough that I can hear a difference than if I was just listening to RUclips on the TV or laptop. By not including a sound review, you are copping out, and by not even giving your own opinion verbally on sound quality of the device that is on review. I think is a complete failure. Even the review that I recently saw on a Crosley cruiser had a sound comparison audio clip.
TLDR?
Billy no-mates has spoken....for waaaaay too long! 😂
@@steven2809 Edit: Apologies, I misreplied. My comment is deleted.
@@AudioMasterclass I was referring to the 'verbose' Raymond Reeves ..not you! 🙂
@@steven2809 Ooh sorry about that. I'll edit my previous comment.
Get a real D.A.C. Get the terminator DAC. You have money to burn.
Your review is pointless. All is in the ear of the beholder. I have had an SU-1.
Exactly. Everyone's opinion but yours is pointless.
@@AudioMasterclassI agree with the notion that the only one that needs to enjoy your system is you!
Don't waste your time, go to another review
Is this your best shot? Let's have some reasons, some facts. Come on...
@@AudioMasterclass
We need to know about how it sounds. More detail please.
You can find other reviewers who will tell you in detail how dacs, amps, etc sound. But how do you know whether they’re just making it up? If I hear anything bad in any of my reviews, don’t worry I’ll tell you. Other than that I’m an objectivist and will remain so.
Your review could've been for any DAC on the market for over £30 & do we need 11 minutes for a review that doesn't give a definitive answer, no we don't!
You’ll need to watch other people’s reviews then. It’s as simple as that.
Dacs are a waste of money... period.
Yes, kid yourself as long as you want. If your system is entry level, sure an entry level dac is alright "period"
Not if you want to listen to music.
This su-1 beats out dacs over $ 600..you get absolutley nothing more for the extra money but a few filters that do nothing
Just bought my first Dac/headphone amp. An older Teac UD-501 used for $250. It was worth every penny.
🤔Uh oh Dave, you've joined the RUclips cheap audio reviews team🫵😵💫
Dunno what you're talking about - I normally use my £9 Apple adapter.
"Im sorry Dave ..I cant let you do that " "this conversation can serve no purpose "
Bringing the beats!!!😅