Привет. По рекомендации с этого видео я заказал SMSL SU-10 и вчера я получил его с доставкой. С первого включения звук произошёл все мои ожидания. Очень чистый, детализированный и густой звук. Я начал переслушать свою музыкальную библиотеку и с первой песни я просто начал слушать не перематывая на следующую от радости прослушивания. ЦАП стоит своих денег и за такое качество звучания как у него это очень выгодное предложение. Я слушал в живую и Gustard R26. Да у него конечно другой уровень но он и дороже стоит. Так что спасибо тебе большое что я нашел твой обзор на этот замечательный ЦАП. Я очень доволен покупкой.
received the smsl do 200 mkII today. Bought after watching your review. The sound is exactly as you described! This is the perfect dac for my system. (Monitor audio Silver 6 , Marantz PM8006). thank you very much for your videos, certainly the best on youtube. good evening !
Due to my respect for your comments and evaluations, it has led me to purchase the SMSL SU 10 . I am not disappointed. Thank you for your detailed information regarding the description of the unit and more importantly, the sound. Your videos are first rate and thank goodness without the drama and guru persona that is so common with audiophile presenters. So. THANK YOU 🤗
Thank you, as always, for this valuable, in-depth evaluation and opinion. Your insights and perceptions are always very helpful. I would love to see you review the Geshelli AKM DAC.
I have similar trauma remembering my aunt with her plastic seat and sofa covers which kept her furniture new for guests but she never had guests other than family and they never came off because we weren't "guests".Guess that's why I am still in therapy 40 years latter
Another great review! Can't think of another reviewer on CZcams who matches your ability to go this in depth when it comes to sound descriptions. Well done! Hi-end DACs like the Gustard and others make sense if the rest of your system is on a level that would be able to resolve and capitalize on all those minute differences and subtleties. If not, just don't bother. Spending more money on speakers first would be a better idea.
I enjoyed the review of the SU-10 very much, but it is a bit over my price limit. So I'm hoping your new favorite sub $500 dac is the SU-9 pro! I hope you review it soon!
Great review...if the SU-1 sounds great already, I can only imagine the stellar improvement the SU-10 has...btw, Laura Marling's recording LUMP is first rate, very lush, full, and full of instrumentations
RME ADI 2 FS is first DAC I’ve heard where pre-amp section was brilliant. Usually DAC preamps are thin, two dimensional, and lack texture and body…basically the opposite of musical 🎵
your dac and amp reviews 100% achieve to paint a picture of how a device sounds just buy talking about it. hope things are going well for you and we will see many more reviews in the future!
Now let's hope SMSL have upped their QC too. I had 2 SU-9 DACS that broke down, one of them practically DOA, the second one after one year. Which was totally annoying, because I really liked the SU-9 sound....
SMSL D300 review helped me make decision on purching in hope for improving my old musics from CDs and I am glad i made the purchase. I can now enjoy the old CDs more. Thank you.
Please produce a video comparing the SU-10 and the Gustard X26. Your approach is enjoyably balanced & organic: neither qualitatively sterile nor subjectively wishy-washy. Молодец! (Добро урађено)
X26 def sounds better. I ab’d unscientifically. But bass, soundstage, and performers’s presences are much more palpable with x26. Wish it wasnt so heavy though
Another great vid my man. You truly have golden ears. I can’t come anywhere close to catching as much details in A/B testing as you can. I bought the SU9 and DA9 stack for my office nearfield use cos of you. Matched that with Spektor2s and REL T0. Mostly Spotify music via Ifi Stream. Pretty happy with that. Don’t think my ears can handle much more details than that. Unless you can recommend a suitable nearfield speaker upgrade to this set-up.
Very entertaining. Great to see your sense of humor come through. There’s a Dac here in the US I wish you could get your hands on called Geshelli J2. Its quite impressive for $250 if you don’t need a USB input. It’s US made and I think they have some kind of restriction selling in the EU so you may not have access. I’m continuously impressed with your mastery of English. Especially with the different characters for the alphabet. Bravo.
Agreed. This was an excellent and extremely eloquent review but once again I have to respectfully request that you would review the Gishelli labs J2 AKM chip DAC relative to other DACs in this price range. It is clearly a very good DAC. The question is, to what level of competition in sound and price can it compare. You are the man I trust to let me know the real audio quality showdown.
@@notguilty5802 I agree. I have the Geshelli J2 AKM and it's the best sounding DAC I've ever owned. I added a linear power supply, but it was great without it.
Would love for him to be able to review the J2 AKM, but apparently the EU has regulations on direct to consumer sales from outside the EU. Schiit Audio and Denafrips use an EU distributor in Europe, which of course increases pricing. Obviously we don't have that kind of protectionism here in the US, which is a definite benefit for us lol. 90% of my gear in my main system is direct to consumer stuff, and that has no doubt allowed me to put together a much higher end system than would have been possible if I'd have had to go through dealers with the same budget.
I wonder if the M500 MKIII comes a bit closer. It has a similar opamp implementation 9 instead of 3 in the MKII This is because it is using all 8 channels of the chip. Of course the SU 10 has a better power supply and uses two DAC chips. My MkIII arrived today.
Well I can report it sounds great even on a 1975 receiver connected with some cheap goobay interlinks on early eighties speakers, I could hear and feel a vast improvement. Who says gear has to be in the same general price class.
Does anyone have or own SMSL su 9 and su 10? I am running an su-9 pro which I am absolutely in love with, but I am about to build another bedroom difference. Diminishing marginal value aside, do you prefer your SU-10 a lot more than your SU-9? Or if you have an SU-X I would be keen to know more too
These are very nice DACS however I have read more reports of failures/dead on arrival with SMSL DACs than nearly all other brands and this is a pain to deal with unless you live in China
I think they produce a different type sound oweing to the very different technologies in each. I do think you'll be getting better resolution from the SU-10, but maybe it would sound too clinical compared to the Pegasus. It would depend on the rest of your system and your preferences as to which you'd value more. Having said that, I think I would enjoy a Pegasus more than an SU-10, especially if there was €600 difference!
if the preference is not focusing to fine details of the music (bassline, timbres, whatever), but simply sit down, lean back and expecting to feel a three dimensional soundstage that makes you smile and you can immerse yourself in the music. I mean like to get a feeling that the soundstage feels even wider than my room. Or to feel that the speakers disappear in the music... Then is any of these DACs capable of doing that? Or is there a DAC in lower range that can already produce somewhat this feeling. Or we are far from it still?
Surprisingly it seems you have never reviewed the RME ADI-2 DAC FS. I am trying to decide between it and the SMSL SU-10. I would love your thoughts? I second the many compliments, grate channel.
I really enjoy your reviews and respect the work you do. So, don't take my words as offensive in any way. The amount of chinese DACs that are coming into the market by the day is just ludicrous. I'm not referring to the market strategy, of which I'm not an expert, but to the idea that such devices are really associated with major improvements in sound quality. Watching your videos over the last couple of months I always feel like I should try these DACs that produce such incredible SQ (soundstage, imaging, detail, tonal balance, etc, etc). If one takes these reviews at face value, it would lead us to the conclusion that the lastest DACs are almost magical and a game changer. In fact, I suspect that 95% (or something like it) of the sound qualities you're describing are due to your amplification and speaker system. This is what REALLY configures the sound signature of an HIFI system, IMHO. Dacs are also important but well designed and manufactured DACs (most of them are these days) won't make big changes to the sound signature of an HIFI system. This will happpen primarily by changing the speakers and then the amplification part of it. So, in pratical terms, what I'm saying is that describing how DACs sound without proper context of the entire system is not that meaninful. Comparing DACs within the same HIFI system is ok, provided you state HOW MUCH that changes or improves the SQ, not just HOW. For example, I have an Hegel H120 (Roon Ready) and Revel Performa M3 106 speakers and like the sound signature of this rig, especially for acoustic music. I also have an external combo of iFi Zen Stream+Ifi Zen Signature V2, connected to the Hegel Analog inputs. To my hears Roon sounds slightly better using the external combo, a tad more relaxed and a little less bright. But it's a minor difference, although the Hegel and the Ifi are very different DACs. The same goes for using the internal DAC of my REGA Apollo CD player (Wolfson) or the internal Hegel DAC (AKM). I prefer the latter, but just! So, sometimes I ask myself "would one of these more expensive DACs (like the SU-10) make a big difference in SQ in my system? is it worth the additional cost?" My guess is that it might yield an improvement but just a minor one, because the Amp+Speakers, as well as the room, are really defining the sound signature of my system. Then comes the next problem. Why would I buy this DAC now if SMSL already has new DACs (with AKM and ESS chips) that look even more technological advanced in the market, at around the same price point, let alone so many other brands? Sorry for the long post and thanks. Cheers
Thanks and no offense taken. You ask some very valid questions here. I probably can't be as objective as I want because I was hooked enough on this hobby to start comparing devices and posting them on YT a few years ago. Now I have started doing that full-time, upgraded my system substantially, treated my room a bit too, and also trained my perception in the meantime by doing this every day. It's a big chunk of my life now, and I get excited about new products and better bangs for the buck. However, I fully get that it might look overenthusiastic or even insincere looked from the outside by someone that's not as invested in this whole hobby as I am. Because of that, I often try comparing up and down the chain - so viewers can realize how a very good $500 device is not that far behind a good $1000 device. No single device in a HiFi chain will make a huge difference all by itself... and in my Hegel H90 review for example I mentioned just how much money I have to pour down the drain to just slightly surpass its own internal DAC. I really hope that viewers can take a healthy approach to all of this - seeing what is the latest best-value product in different price categories but not feeling compelled to buy it immediately. I do that for PC gaming for example - I love watching GPU reviews but I only upgrade once every few years when I really feel the itch. I watch all those reviews in the meantime simply because I enjoy watching them and being continuously informed about the progress. But as long as I'm not getting at least twice the performance of my current GPU (more if possible) I'm not doing the upgrade.
@@iiWiReviews You never sounded insincere to me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the kind of sound quality of any DAC, as well as its impact in a sound system, is highly dependent on the AMP+Speakers combo. Therefore, the kind of qualities you describe may not be perceived at all by people who buy a given DAC to be coupled with HIFI system that is very different from yours. Likewise, the incremental differences between DACs (say an SMSL DO200 MKII and and the SU-10) may only be worth the double price if, and only if, the downstream system is up to task of revealling such qualities. So, take my remarks more as a skeptical view of DAC reviews without the context of the system where the DAC is going to be used. Thank you again
I believe the sound colour modes are not DSP. They seem to be a great advantage in order to tailor the dac's sound to your system. Did they actually make a difference? Was the difference artificial or natural sounding? Thank you very much for your time and your fine analysis sir.
They actually sound pretty natural.. my favorite being rich 3 and tube 3 .. crystal setting making it sound digital every drunk kick sound has any sorts of echoes removed.. rich 3 does make the sound thicker thus give you a slightly warmer tone which i enjoy.. i use a tube preamp so i dont usually go over to tube 3 so much
Hi! Thank you for the excellent reviews. Could you review one or two dacs from Nuprime ? Something that would be from another culture, and it would be interesting to hear from you how do they sound/compare in the context of Smsl or Topping... Have a nice day !
How do those mid range dacs perform when idle? Don't they consume too much power compared to a mojo 2 for a 24/7 pc ? Are there smaller versions of high quality dacs only to drive high end iems ?
Great content as usual! How would you compare this to Aune X8 XVIII with the Sparkos op-amps; you seemed to be very enthusiastic about the latter. Thanks.
Great review again! Is it possible to compare or make any comments about SMSL SU-10 versus Topping E50? An owner of a Topping D90 SE and previously of an E50 told me that, due the price difference, despite a wider soundstage of the D90SE, it not worth the upgrade. Also, I do not have a "perfect" room to listen aventual nuances of this and that, so, if not a great upgrate, I realize that I´d have to agree with my friend. Thank you in advance.
Hey, no need to feel embarrassed about the "Voices of love" album. I checked it out and some of the tracks are great -- I have discovered Julienne Taylor from it, for example. You've also helped me discover Rodrigo y Gabriella. I don't give a monkeys what anyone else thinks about the music I like. All that matters is that _I_ like it, and I daresay it's the same for anyone else. Good lord, I even like some tracks by Aled Jones (try his version of Amazing Grace, which contains a really nice slide guitar solo). An idea for a video from you one time when the gear isn't flowing in might be an episode devoted to your favourite music, which is after all in the end what the hobby is all about. It'd tell me more about you as a person as opposed to a reviewer, and might help me discover other musical gems. You didn't mention comparison with the Aune x8 + Sparkos combo, which I'd find interesting as that now resides in my main system. Not as if I'd change it for the SU-10 because the Aune is good enough for me, but just, like I said, out of idle curiosity.
If you remember comparison of Aune/Sparkos to Pegasus in that video... Almost the same goes for SU-10. Similarly revealing, but SU10 has bigger soundstage and fuller/richer tone. Aune/Sparkos will sound leaner and narrower in a direct comparison.
Hello! Am I the only one who doesn't hear a difference between each "sound color" settings? I have pretty good ears, and my hi-fi system is quite decent, but no matter how I listen, I can't hear anything noticeable. All presets are somehow the same. Does anyone hear any difference by changing the "sound color" settings? I know the fact that it's all based on added second and third harmonic distortion, which some say is good, others say bad... I also have an SMSL DAC, an SU-10, and I love it. I tried with several types of music and with really high-quality audio materials. What did I do wrong? Surely there is such an audible difference between "rich" and "tube" and "crystal" settings? If so, what can I do to hear it? What should I pay attention to? Or maybe my device is faulty if I can't hear anything in the "sound color" settings, because really the differences in sound should be so obvious?
please help me to. decide smsl su-10 or something else to add to s17pro and he1000se? one year later you affirm that lampucera is the best dac you've ever tried but in this video your emotion is palpable. i'm a musician and i need microdinamic and textur and not muffled sound, the most musical amp i listened to is my diy dht 45 valve amp so generally i exitate in front of such thiese "sterile" objects
You really have to review ifi neo idsd. I have that and things its really good for price. Would love to know How it compare to smsl, topping, ares 2 and so on.
In Tharbamar's test sound sample, Topping had better dynamics and transients. These are all just matters of taste, where synenergy with other equipment is important. Is the rest of your equipment lean and analytical or lush and thick. However, the dac should only be transparent, which does not color the sound in any direction. If it's like this, the only differences are soundstage, transients and dynamics.
iiWi - great reviews... thank you... How does it compare to the new S.M.S.L D400EX which uses dual AK4499EX? Last question: if you connect it to Sonor AMP - does Sonos Amp is capable to amplify the highly resolved signal without losing the resolution?
I guess if you add a DDC or the topping usb bridge these dacs they can come close or beat the Gustard r26 or Pegasus. I personally tried the r26 in my system and didn’t care for it.
Hi like your reviews bought this and the xlr s are upside down ground is up ? Was your unit like that ? Ty this dac is really good as it out shines my ps audio direct stream dac . Ty
I have parasound p6/A21+ amp swith Arendal 1723 towers. P6 already has ess sabre dac. Thinking of trying another dac. Already a very neutral sounding system. Thoughts on SMSL su-10?
I have been waiting for the SU-10 to get out there for people to listen to and comment! Another great video. Interesting comparison between the D90, M500 and SU-10. All use the same DAC chip (E9038PRO) and the same OPAMPs (OP1612A) whilst only the SU-10 has the newer XMOS 316 chip set. Could that be the difference? Is it the number of OPAMPs (and hence design) of the output stage? The D90 has only one DAC chip whilst the others have 2 - could that be it? I can only suppose....
The cut away showing the 2 transformers smashed together and in the same orientation made me shudder a little bit. Throwing high end parts at something doesn't necessarily mean the layout and implementation is done well. This does look like a versatile little DAC has all the inputs and outputs even AES and I2S.
you say this now that it has raised the bar and within a onth or two another raising of the bar ... and on and on it goes, a never ending chase of the dragon's tail
If you're buying a DAC now this is the most relevant information, if you're buying it in 6 months maybe it won't be. But nobody needs to chase the tale and buy into these incremental improvements every time a new one comes out. I provide current info about the latest stuff I've tried, and you decide what to do with it or do you even need it. For example, I watch PC hardware videos all the time. I enjoy having the latest information but I don't buy a new CPU or GPU every time something a bit faster comes along. I'm simply armed with a very solid knowledge in case I (or anyone close to me) needs it.
I think my advice to SMSL - is to keep going with their current models - and *stop* changing them. And it seems like delta sigma has really come of age - my current reference DAC is the Geshelli Labs J2 AKM (with a LPS). It is definitely better than my Ares II in every way *including* soundstage depth and width, and layering. In fact, I suspect it is as good or better than the SU-10, based on your comparison with the Pegasus. Edit: the only lack of this SMSL SU-10 for me would be that it doesn't have a second coax connection. And this is why I am still hoping for a way to get a J2 AKM into your hands for you to review - it costs just $250US with S/PDIF inputs, and $300 if you want/need a USB input. Add about $75-100 or so for a decent LPS, and I think it is a giant killer.
Neil, I asked Sherry about the EU in DC. She said they have no access there for some reason. I agree in that I wish Srboljub could get his hands on it to review.
@@bornces Sure, but I can't post a link - if you want to just power the J2, the BRZHiFi 12V 25W model with the Talema brand transformer sold on Ali Express. Or, you can get a US made one from Pine Tree Audio. If you want to also power something else like a streamer or headphone amp, then you can get a dual voltage (or just dual output 12V) for this.
Привет. По рекомендации с этого видео я заказал SMSL SU-10 и вчера я получил его с доставкой. С первого включения звук произошёл все мои ожидания. Очень чистый, детализированный и густой звук. Я начал переслушать свою музыкальную библиотеку и с первой песни я просто начал слушать не перематывая на следующую от радости прослушивания.
ЦАП стоит своих денег и за такое качество звучания как у него это очень выгодное предложение.
Я слушал в живую и Gustard R26. Да у него конечно другой уровень но он и дороже стоит.
Так что спасибо тебе большое что я нашел твой обзор на этот замечательный ЦАП. Я очень доволен покупкой.
received the smsl do 200 mkII today. Bought after watching your review. The sound is exactly as you described! This is the perfect dac for my system. (Monitor audio Silver 6 , Marantz PM8006). thank you very much for your videos, certainly the best on youtube. good evening !
Due to my respect for your comments and evaluations, it has led me to purchase the SMSL SU 10 . I am not disappointed.
Thank you for your detailed information regarding the description of the unit and more importantly, the sound.
Your videos are first rate and thank goodness without the drama and guru persona that is so common with audiophile presenters.
So. THANK YOU 🤗
Thanks. 🙂 Enjoy it
It’s a masterpiece. But you may have a hard time hearing the difference from other DACs half the price
Thank you, as always, for this valuable, in-depth evaluation and opinion. Your insights and perceptions are always very helpful. I would love to see you review the Geshelli AKM DAC.
I have similar trauma remembering my aunt with her plastic seat and sofa covers which kept her furniture new for guests but she never had guests other than family and they never came off because we weren't "guests".Guess that's why I am still in therapy 40 years latter
made my day! 😂
Another great review! Can't think of another reviewer on CZcams who matches your ability to go this in depth when it comes to sound descriptions. Well done!
Hi-end DACs like the Gustard and others make sense if the rest of your system is on a level that would be able to resolve and capitalize on all those minute differences and subtleties. If not, just don't bother. Spending more money on speakers first would be a better idea.
I just want to thank you for another fantastic video! You seem to be really enjoying yourself - brilliant! 😁😁
I enjoyed the review of the SU-10 very much, but it is a bit over my price limit. So I'm hoping your new favorite sub $500 dac
is the SU-9 pro! I hope you review it soon!
Hello if the SU-10 is over priced for you, take a look at the VMV D1SE by SMSL you might like it. 👍
Check out Soncoz SDG1
Excellent components. I had the AS1200 and love it now I’m rocking the Musical Fidelity M5SI and I’m now I’m a believer of the brand.
I was playing with pcm filters and felt that the soundstage really opens up with "fast minimum"
Great review...if the SU-1 sounds great already, I can only imagine the stellar improvement the SU-10 has...btw, Laura Marling's recording LUMP is first rate, very lush, full, and full of instrumentations
Please enable subtitles in the settings.Everything you say is very valuable to us.
RME ADI 2 FS is first DAC I’ve heard where pre-amp section was brilliant. Usually DAC preamps are thin, two dimensional, and lack texture and body…basically the opposite of musical 🎵
Try Antelope Audio Zodiac Gold. It's real brilliant.
U are such a good talker. Listening to yr talk abt various dacs is just a fun.
your dac and amp reviews 100% achieve to paint a picture of how a device sounds just buy talking about it. hope things are going well for you and we will see many more reviews in the future!
Thanks!
Thanks for your support man! 🙏👍
Now let's hope SMSL have upped their QC too. I had 2 SU-9 DACS that broke down, one of them practically DOA, the second one after one year. Which was totally annoying, because I really liked the SU-9 sound....
I've had mine for about 2 years now and have never shut it off for more than 5 minutes without any issues... Guess I was lucky!
How does the SU-10 compare to the Chord Mojo 2?
Digging my Tradutto, Thanks. Cool runnings
Thanks man! 👍🎶
I've started keeping up with this channel just for the music recommendations. Don't even need to buy anything right now
Perfect, it's really best when it's music first - upgrade ich last kind of affair. 👌
Tack!
Much appreciated!
Merry Christmas!
Thoroughly enjoy your Content, Narrative and Humor. "Gives Me Chills", 🤣 that was Classic🤙
SMSL D300 review helped me make decision on purching in hope for improving my old musics from CDs and I am glad i made the purchase. I can now enjoy the old CDs more. Thank you.
D300 is very musical. Special DAC.
Please produce a video comparing the SU-10 and the Gustard X26. Your approach is enjoyably balanced & organic: neither qualitatively sterile nor subjectively wishy-washy. Молодец! (Добро урађено)
X26 def sounds better. I ab’d unscientifically. But bass, soundstage, and performers’s presences are much more palpable with x26. Wish it wasnt so heavy though
Another great vid my man. You truly have golden ears. I can’t come anywhere close to catching as much details in A/B testing as you can. I bought the SU9 and DA9 stack for my office nearfield use cos of you. Matched that with Spektor2s and REL T0. Mostly Spotify music via Ifi Stream. Pretty happy with that. Don’t think my ears can handle much more details than that. Unless you can recommend a suitable nearfield speaker upgrade to this set-up.
Or he is just hearing what he wants to hear. We're talking about warming up DAC here ;) zeros are more round and electrons break the speed of light!
@@Karto86cry about it 😭
@@Hetsu.. no worries :)
The refreshing rate from chinese dacs is incredible these days 😱 with Gustard A26 and SMSL D400EX(S) still on their way 😅
Totally agree that only a proper preamplifier can help to deliver decent sound quality 👌👌good review, thank you ✌😎✌
its good solution for those who has good amp but not satisfied w the sound
Very entertaining. Great to see your sense of humor come through. There’s a Dac here in the US I wish you could get your hands on called Geshelli J2. Its quite impressive for $250 if you don’t need a USB input. It’s US made and I think they have some kind of restriction selling in the EU so you may not have access. I’m continuously impressed with your mastery of English. Especially with the different characters for the alphabet. Bravo.
Agreed. This was an excellent and extremely eloquent review but once again I have to respectfully request that you would review the Gishelli labs J2 AKM chip DAC relative to other DACs in this price range. It is clearly a very good DAC. The question is, to what level of competition in sound and price can it compare. You are the man I trust to let me know the real audio quality showdown.
@@notguilty5802 I agree. I have the Geshelli J2 AKM and it's the best sounding DAC I've ever owned. I added a linear power supply, but it was great without it.
Would love for him to be able to review the J2 AKM, but apparently the EU has regulations on direct to consumer sales from outside the EU. Schiit Audio and Denafrips use an EU distributor in Europe, which of course increases pricing. Obviously we don't have that kind of protectionism here in the US, which is a definite benefit for us lol. 90% of my gear in my main system is direct to consumer stuff, and that has no doubt allowed me to put together a much higher end system than would have been possible if I'd have had to go through dealers with the same budget.
There's two more new dacs from SMSL..D400 es and D400ex..
Love to see your reviews on these two..
Highly enjoy your excellent, honest reviews.....
best description I‘ve ever heard.
Hopefully it is correct. I will order one.
I was afraid of the analytic, cold sound of the ESSs….
Hi, please review the new SMSL VMV D1SE2
I wonder if the M500 MKIII comes a bit closer. It has a similar opamp implementation 9 instead of 3 in the MKII This is because it is using all 8 channels of the chip. Of course the SU 10 has a better power supply and uses two DAC chips. My MkIII arrived today.
Well I can report it sounds great even on a 1975 receiver connected with some cheap goobay interlinks on early eighties speakers, I could hear and feel a vast improvement. Who says gear has to be in the same general price class.
Does anyone have or own SMSL su 9 and su 10? I am running an su-9 pro which I am absolutely in love with, but I am about to build another bedroom difference. Diminishing marginal value aside, do you prefer your SU-10 a lot more than your SU-9? Or if you have an SU-X I would be keen to know more too
Nice review! any plans to review the Holo Audio Spring/May DACs, particularly the KTE version, seeing quite a craze for these.
Thanks for your reviews. I really enjoyed them. Between the SMSL SU9 Pro, SU10 and DO300, which is your favorite DAC out of these three?
Excellent review. Would be great to hear you review Musician Aquarius!
Great review as always 👍. How does the SU-10 compare to the SMSL VMV D1se?
Great question. I just picked one up and it sounds amazing with my Topping Pre90. Leaps and bounds over my SU-9
How is this in Comparison to VMV D1se. Thank you for all your great reviews and Video's!
These are very nice DACS however I have read more reports of failures/dead on arrival with SMSL DACs than nearly all other brands and this is a pain to deal with unless you live in China
How much better is this then SMSl M400 and VMV D1SE into SA400?
SRBOLJUB , the budget can’t support your channel …BUT I CAN … Have a great day.🤗💚💚💚
excellent review as always
Thanks for your insights.
Will you be reviewing the D400EX?
I'd be really interested how that one compares to the SU-10 and the Gustard A26.
In this hobby you can have 2 speakers for every amp but 10 dacs for every amp you have.
600 euro's difference between musician pegasus and su-10 in my country. I can't imagine the sound will be 600 euro better.
I think they produce a different type sound oweing to the very different technologies in each. I do think you'll be getting better resolution from the SU-10, but maybe it would sound too clinical compared to the Pegasus. It would depend on the rest of your system and your preferences as to which you'd value more.
Having said that, I think I would enjoy a Pegasus more than an SU-10, especially if there was €600 difference!
Great channel.
if the preference is not focusing to fine details of the music (bassline, timbres, whatever), but simply sit down, lean back and expecting to feel a three dimensional soundstage that makes you smile and you can immerse yourself in the music. I mean like to get a feeling that the soundstage feels even wider than my room. Or to feel that the speakers disappear in the music... Then is any of these DACs capable of doing that? Or is there a DAC in lower range that can already produce somewhat this feeling. Or we are far from it still?
What you're describing about the soundstage I only heard from R2R and higher-end Tube DACs so far. No lower-range DAC is there yet-
Is the M500 MK III review coming soon?
Part with removing protector foil is the best.....yeeessss
Surprisingly it seems you have never reviewed the RME ADI-2 DAC FS. I am trying to decide between it and the SMSL SU-10. I would love your thoughts?
I second the many compliments, grate channel.
czcams.com/video/CFECxn3PJGM/video.html
First of all this has the highest SINAD in ASR forum my question how does it compare with SMSL SU-X This has both dual chips and similar power supply
How does it compare to the Qutest? I own one and love it except for the fact that it could use a bit more slam.
How does it compare with Gustard R26?
I really enjoy your reviews and respect the work you do. So, don't take my words as offensive in any way. The amount of chinese DACs that are coming into the market by the day is just ludicrous. I'm not referring to the market strategy, of which I'm not an expert, but to the idea that such devices are really associated with major improvements in sound quality. Watching your videos over the last couple of months I always feel like I should try these DACs that produce such incredible SQ (soundstage, imaging, detail, tonal balance, etc, etc). If one takes these reviews at face value, it would lead us to the conclusion that the lastest DACs are almost magical and a game changer. In fact, I suspect that 95% (or something like it) of the sound qualities you're describing are due to your amplification and speaker system. This is what REALLY configures the sound signature of an HIFI system, IMHO. Dacs are also important but well designed and manufactured DACs (most of them are these days) won't make big changes to the sound signature of an HIFI system. This will happpen primarily by changing the speakers and then the amplification part of it. So, in pratical terms, what I'm saying is that describing how DACs sound without proper context of the entire system is not that meaninful. Comparing DACs within the same HIFI system is ok, provided you state HOW MUCH that changes or improves the SQ, not just HOW. For example, I have an Hegel H120 (Roon Ready) and Revel Performa M3 106 speakers and like the sound signature of this rig, especially for acoustic music. I also have an external combo of iFi Zen Stream+Ifi Zen Signature V2, connected to the Hegel Analog inputs. To my hears Roon sounds slightly better using the external combo, a tad more relaxed and a little less bright. But it's a minor difference, although the Hegel and the Ifi are very different DACs. The same goes for using the internal DAC of my REGA Apollo CD player (Wolfson) or the internal Hegel DAC (AKM). I prefer the latter, but just! So, sometimes I ask myself "would one of these more expensive DACs (like the SU-10) make a big difference in SQ in my system? is it worth the additional cost?" My guess is that it might yield an improvement but just a minor one, because the Amp+Speakers, as well as the room, are really defining the sound signature of my system. Then comes the next problem. Why would I buy this DAC now if SMSL already has new DACs (with AKM and ESS chips) that look even more technological advanced in the market, at around the same price point, let alone so many other brands? Sorry for the long post and thanks. Cheers
Thanks and no offense taken. You ask some very valid questions here. I probably can't be as objective as I want because I was hooked enough on this hobby to start comparing devices and posting them on YT a few years ago. Now I have started doing that full-time, upgraded my system substantially, treated my room a bit too, and also trained my perception in the meantime by doing this every day. It's a big chunk of my life now, and I get excited about new products and better bangs for the buck. However, I fully get that it might look overenthusiastic or even insincere looked from the outside by someone that's not as invested in this whole hobby as I am. Because of that, I often try comparing up and down the chain - so viewers can realize how a very good $500 device is not that far behind a good $1000 device. No single device in a HiFi chain will make a huge difference all by itself... and in my Hegel H90 review for example I mentioned just how much money I have to pour down the drain to just slightly surpass its own internal DAC.
I really hope that viewers can take a healthy approach to all of this - seeing what is the latest best-value product in different price categories but not feeling compelled to buy it immediately. I do that for PC gaming for example - I love watching GPU reviews but I only upgrade once every few years when I really feel the itch. I watch all those reviews in the meantime simply because I enjoy watching them and being continuously informed about the progress. But as long as I'm not getting at least twice the performance of my current GPU (more if possible) I'm not doing the upgrade.
@@iiWiReviews You never sounded insincere to me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the kind of sound quality of any DAC, as well as its impact in a sound system, is highly dependent on the AMP+Speakers combo. Therefore, the kind of qualities you describe may not be perceived at all by people who buy a given DAC to be coupled with HIFI system that is very different from yours. Likewise, the incremental differences between DACs (say an SMSL DO200 MKII and and the SU-10) may only be worth the double price if, and only if, the downstream system is up to task of revealling such qualities. So, take my remarks more as a skeptical view of DAC reviews without the context of the system where the DAC is going to be used. Thank you again
I believe the sound colour modes are not DSP. They seem to be a great advantage in order to tailor the dac's sound to your system. Did they actually make a difference? Was the difference artificial or natural sounding?
Thank you very much for your time and your fine analysis sir.
They actually sound pretty natural.. my favorite being rich 3 and tube 3 .. crystal setting making it sound digital every drunk kick sound has any sorts of echoes removed.. rich 3 does make the sound thicker thus give you a slightly warmer tone which i enjoy.. i use a tube preamp so i dont usually go over to tube 3 so much
I use tube 3 and brickwall pcm filter. I really like these settings. I run it with a 7581A SE tube amp.
Hi! Thank you for the excellent reviews. Could you review one or two dacs from Nuprime ? Something that would be from another culture, and it would be interesting to hear from you how do they sound/compare in the context of Smsl or Topping... Have a nice day !
Is there big difference with SMSL D300?
Most of these advantages you mentioned are due to the higher output voltage ...
How do those mid range dacs perform when idle? Don't they consume too much power compared to a mojo 2 for a 24/7 pc ? Are there smaller versions of high quality dacs only to drive high end iems ?
Great video as always. Please can you advise whether the SU-10 is a better option to pair with my Audio Gd Master 19 than the Aune S8 or EverSolo Z8?
Great content as usual! How would you compare this to Aune X8 XVIII with the Sparkos op-amps; you seemed to be very enthusiastic about the latter. Thanks.
Similar level of deteils and soundstage but X8 has colder and SU10 fuller tonality.
Great review again! Is it possible to compare or make any comments about SMSL SU-10 versus Topping E50? An owner of a Topping D90 SE and previously of an E50 told me that, due the price difference, despite a wider soundstage of the D90SE, it not worth the upgrade. Also, I do not have a "perfect" room to listen aventual nuances of this and that, so, if not a great upgrate, I realize that I´d have to agree with my friend. Thank you in advance.
Hey, no need to feel embarrassed about the "Voices of love" album. I checked it out and some of the tracks are great -- I have discovered Julienne Taylor from it, for example. You've also helped me discover Rodrigo y Gabriella. I don't give a monkeys what anyone else thinks about the music I like. All that matters is that _I_ like it, and I daresay it's the same for anyone else. Good lord, I even like some tracks by Aled Jones (try his version of Amazing Grace, which contains a really nice slide guitar solo). An idea for a video from you one time when the gear isn't flowing in might be an episode devoted to your favourite music, which is after all in the end what the hobby is all about. It'd tell me more about you as a person as opposed to a reviewer, and might help me discover other musical gems.
You didn't mention comparison with the Aune x8 + Sparkos combo, which I'd find interesting as that now resides in my main system. Not as if I'd change it for the SU-10 because the Aune is good enough for me, but just, like I said, out of idle curiosity.
If you remember comparison of Aune/Sparkos to Pegasus in that video... Almost the same goes for SU-10. Similarly revealing, but SU10 has bigger soundstage and fuller/richer tone. Aune/Sparkos will sound leaner and narrower in a direct comparison.
I share your disgust of protective film etc left on devices and had to laugh at those comments you made.
Hello!
Am I the only one who doesn't hear a difference between each "sound color" settings? I have pretty good ears, and my hi-fi system is quite decent, but no matter how I listen, I can't hear anything noticeable. All presets are somehow the same. Does anyone hear any difference by changing the "sound color" settings?
I know the fact that it's all based on added second and third harmonic distortion, which some say is good, others say bad... I also have an SMSL DAC, an SU-10, and I love it.
I tried with several types of music and with really high-quality audio materials. What did I do wrong? Surely there is such an audible difference between "rich" and "tube" and "crystal" settings? If so, what can I do to hear it? What should I pay attention to?
Or maybe my device is faulty if I can't hear anything in the "sound color" settings, because really the differences in sound should be so obvious?
DPLL setting at minimal is too warmth, there is a sudden changes from level 2 for some reason. Level 2 is very good with more details and engaging.
Are you using coaxial? Dpll does nothing for USB connection.
please help me to. decide smsl su-10 or something else to add to s17pro and he1000se? one year later you affirm that lampucera is the best dac you've ever tried but in this video your emotion is palpable. i'm a musician and i need microdinamic and textur and not muffled sound, the most musical amp i listened to is my diy dht 45 valve amp so generally i exitate in front of such thiese "sterile" objects
What about a comparison between SMSL SU-10 and SMSL D400 EX which are in the same price range but use different chips (ESS Vs AKM)?
You really have to review ifi neo idsd. I have that and things its really good for price. Would love to know How it compare to smsl, topping, ares 2 and so on.
Waiting on your Hidizs XO
In Tharbamar's test sound sample, Topping had better dynamics and transients. These are all just matters of taste, where synenergy with other equipment is important. Is the rest of your equipment lean and analytical or lush and thick. However, the dac should only be transparent, which does not color the sound in any direction. If it's like this, the only differences are soundstage, transients and dynamics.
I Have SMSL A0200/D0200 stack and my L70/E70 stack sounds much better to me.
iiWi - great reviews... thank you... How does it compare to the new S.M.S.L D400EX which uses dual AK4499EX? Last question: if you connect it to Sonor AMP - does Sonos Amp is capable to amplify the highly resolved signal without losing the resolution?
Thanks.
I guess if you add a DDC or the topping usb bridge these dacs they can come close or beat the Gustard r26 or Pegasus. I personally tried the r26 in my system and didn’t care for it.
Hi like your reviews bought this and the xlr s are upside down ground is up ? Was your unit like that ? Ty this dac is really good as it out shines my ps audio direct stream dac . Ty
I have parasound p6/A21+ amp swith Arendal 1723 towers. P6 already has ess sabre dac. Thinking of trying another dac. Already a very neutral sounding system. Thoughts on SMSL su-10?
I have been waiting for the SU-10 to get out there for people to listen to and comment! Another great video.
Interesting comparison between the D90, M500 and SU-10. All use the same DAC chip (E9038PRO) and the same OPAMPs (OP1612A) whilst only the SU-10 has the newer XMOS 316 chip set. Could that be the difference? Is it the number of OPAMPs (and hence design) of the output stage? The D90 has only one DAC chip whilst the others have 2 - could that be it?
I can only suppose....
It also has 2 toroidal transformes, which greatly affects sound quality.
why is this dack not placed in the vmv line? is this not better tyan my D1SE?
Will SMSL SU-10 be a good combination with Unison Research Unico Nuovo?
Would like to hear your take on the VMV A2 amp, if possible.
Hi, have you had a chance to review the SMSL D400EX? Appreciate if you could share some thoughts..
Has the same chip as the hidizs s9pro. So i stick with my dongle ??
Hello ,
I play music files through an internal dac of a Rotel 1592 MK ll amplifier. Can smsl su10 improve the sound quality?
Regards
Loved your “fat man walking” metaphor. Great review.
The cut away showing the 2 transformers smashed together and in the same orientation made me shudder a little bit. Throwing high end parts at something doesn't necessarily mean the layout and implementation is done well. This does look like a versatile little DAC has all the inputs and outputs even AES and I2S.
SU-10 v SU-X?
you say this now that it has raised the bar and within a onth or two another raising of the bar ... and on and on it goes, a never ending chase of the dragon's tail
If you're buying a DAC now this is the most relevant information, if you're buying it in 6 months maybe it won't be. But nobody needs to chase the tale and buy into these incremental improvements every time a new one comes out.
I provide current info about the latest stuff I've tried, and you decide what to do with it or do you even need it.
For example, I watch PC hardware videos all the time. I enjoy having the latest information but I don't buy a new CPU or GPU every time something a bit faster comes along. I'm simply armed with a very solid knowledge in case I (or anyone close to me) needs it.
SMSL D400ES and SU-10, which is better?
Which Is the portable dac with wider stage u ever heard ?
Thank you for the review! Do you like it better than the Qutest?
I do prefer SU10 personally. It has richer tone timbre and doesn't need additional linear power supply to sound its best.
@@iiWiReviews thank you!
They also raise 2x the price.. but, but...does sound twice as good as it older brother su-9 pro? Apparently slightly but 2x the price. Hmmm....
what is so great compared to R2R dacs?
Glad to see a defeatable display!
I think my advice to SMSL - is to keep going with their current models - and *stop* changing them.
And it seems like delta sigma has really come of age - my current reference DAC is the Geshelli Labs J2 AKM (with a LPS). It is definitely better than my Ares II in every way *including* soundstage depth and width, and layering. In fact, I suspect it is as good or better than the SU-10, based on your comparison with the Pegasus.
Edit: the only lack of this SMSL SU-10 for me would be that it doesn't have a second coax connection.
And this is why I am still hoping for a way to get a J2 AKM into your hands for you to review - it costs just $250US with S/PDIF inputs, and $300 if you want/need a USB input. Add about $75-100 or so for a decent LPS, and I think it is a giant killer.
Neil, I asked Sherry about the EU in DC. She said they have no access there for some reason. I agree in that I wish Srboljub could get his hands on it to review.
Neil, would you mind telling me which LPS your using?
@@bornces Sure, but I can't post a link - if you want to just power the J2, the BRZHiFi 12V 25W model with the Talema brand transformer sold on Ali Express. Or, you can get a US made one from Pine Tree Audio. If you want to also power something else like a streamer or headphone amp, then you can get a dual voltage (or just dual output 12V) for this.
Wow, in Hungary this unit costs almost 1200EUR :(
What preamp do you recc for D30pro with active speakers?
Which setting/filter are you using out of 7 I think?
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