Affordable Balanced DACs - Review SMSL SU-8 vs. M300 MKII
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- čas přidán 7. 05. 2020
- Looking for a high quality but affordable DAC for your setup? How does the well loved but aging SU-8 compare with the M300 MK II (now with a remote, Bluetooth, and external power supply)?
- Věda a technologie
One thing I failed to mention is that both units have a lot of configurable settings (PCM filters and sound profiles) that allow you to tweak the sound. I compared them in their default modes.
Great reviews and choice of products, do keep up!
Thanks! got a lot of other videos I'd like to do including all in one dac/amp shootout, anodes vs lcd-2c, balanced cables, etc.
An su8 lover here. It just works. It just sounds good. Who couldnt love it?
...soo many dac snobs!! ✊ 🥳
The optical and coax go into one place only? How?
I have a pair of Regielaitsprecher active speakers connected to smsl SU8 through XLR ports. Can I connect a subwoofer to the smsl ports ?
There's some kind of annoying rattle from the microphone throughout the video - might be worth checking?
there are surprisingly few options nowadays for budget DAC-pre's that are not all-in-one-combined with a weak amp of some kind or that have balanced xlr outputs. The soncoz la-qxd1 is one of the only ones these days. I don't understand why exactly, since just about everyone is using some kind of ES9038 dac chip. seems like the design is pretty simple. i'm going with a soncoz la-qxd1 & magnius for a budget higher power stack.
Would getting the M300 if I already have a SA300 make a difference?
Probably. I'm not familiar with the SA300 but I believe I think it is just a stand along amp, correct? Assuming you are using a laptop or phone as your source and connecting that to your SA300 via the headphone out you are still using the built in DAC on your computer or phone. Integrated DAC chips are not typically as good at converting the digital signal into analog audio so having an external DAC will usually make a significant difference.
Is switching to balanced DACs and Amplifiers worth it?
All my dacs and amplifiers are single ended
As I think I mention in that video "balanced" is a loaded term and tends to be used three ways (dual 3-pin balanced interconnects, balanced circuit design, and 4-pin balanced headphone output) and they each get you something different in terms of performance. Single ended gear can be excellent and balanced does not always mean better. I like to drive my headphones via "balanced" output because you typically get more power and a bit more separation.
Which one is better or rock and metal?
I guess that comes down to personal taste, for me I would say the SU-8 since it is a little smoother. But, if you want to get more detail in the upper range than the M300 would likely be a better fit.
I want to buy one of this,which ones betters?
really depends on your sound preference and what features you need
Will you do a review on the new SMSL M400 DAC?
The M400 looks very promising, I've been tempted to pick one up, but I think my next DAC is going to be a Denafrips Ares II.
I picked one up and have been blind A/B testing it against my dual AKM 4493 based DAC/AMP and absolutely can’t hear a difference. The two DACs were calibrated to within 1% error on SPL, and fully time-aligned. I’ll be returning the M400 due to this, and for lack of independently selectable RCA and XLR outputs, which I need. YMMV.
@@ashmostro I am pretty happy with it. This one has a preamp volume and gives my stereo a whole different boost.
@@SineCraftAudio I would love a denafrips Ares review. It looks very promising
@@BoilerUp985 It just landed, took awhile to get here. Initial impressions are very positive. Once I've had a little time with it I'll share my thoughts.
Interesting - the quality of bad DAC's, like in oem mainboards, is quite discernable. Even a Soundblaster Live sounds way better than forementioned. I've never tried a good one but the SU-8 is on my list now.
What do you think about USB cables - I have seen a video where a youtuber tested another value DAC and he came to the conclusion that a pricey cable(iFi Mercury) sounded the best.
Your thoughts?
I've tried a few USB cables but did not notice an appreciable difference. As with most things in hifi there is typically something to be gained with every tweak but 1) the rest of the system needs to be resolving enough to make it worthwhile, and 2) some areas of investment tend to pay greater dividends.
@@SineCraftAudio THX!
Can you connect a iPhone to this dac.
The M300 support Bluetooth so that would be the easiest. I have run both both off my Android phone but have not checked iOS compatibility. I would assume (always dangerous) that a Lightning to USB cable would do the trick.
you would most likely need the apple "Lightning Camera Adapter" in order to avoid the error the iPhone loves to throw when connecting to DACs via USB.
IEC
Similar inputs and outputs ??? They couldn't be more different !
So USB, optical are more different?
do you need balanced audio? no you do not
If you have a ground hum, yes you do.
Sorry but 8 minutes in and you still didn´t get to the point!
Thanks for the feedback Roger.
@@SineCraftAudio Ignore the impatient child, nice explanation.
@@Tallnerdyguy Same here... Still no clue what is going on after watching the full video. 15 minutes to end up with "they are both awesome" ... Ok...