SMSL SU-1 breaks the rules!
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- Опубліковано 20 лип 2024
- SMSL SU-1 is a DAC costing $79 and this is my review. Read my written reviews with scores at iiwireviews.com/
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00:00 Intro
00:29 About SMSL SU-1
02:47 Sound
04:51 vs SMSL D12 and C200
06:43 vs Topping E30 II
09:25 vs Topping E70
10:14 Other challengers
13:20 Conclusion
Follow me on Instagram for behind the scene stuff: / iiwireviews
Test system:
Pi2Design Mercury streamer: bit.ly/3PLha14
Gustard R26 DAC: bit.ly/3XLyNCF
Acoustic Invader AMP and PREAMP (Fulcrum version): acousticinvader.com/
Spirit Wind Speakers
KEF LS50 speakers: amzn.to/2ztRg0s
Head-Fi:
Topping A90D: bit.ly/3Mrk0KY
Verum 1: www.verum-audio.com/store
Goldplanar GL2000: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DkW...
AKG K702: amzn.to/3TSlnUF
#hifi #audiophile #dac #stereo - Наука та технологія
Cheers Serb, good to have your channel on hand.
Great to hear that budget equipment is improving so much. Makes getting back into music so much easier. Thank you for your time and effort to share this with us all.
Yuu are the Best, most honest reviewer I've ever seen or heard! Seriously! Hats off.....
@iiWi Reviews - Thanks for another great review. So valuable to have someone with a good set of ears testing equipment for us. This seems like a great DAC, but it's missing a display, so I'd pass and pay more (E30 II?) to be able to verify the bitrate at which a stream is coming in. Probably just because it makes things more fun...
The SMSL SU1 is a fantastic DAC and your review nailed it. Your review prompted me to purchase this DAC and I can confirm it really is as good as you eloquently articulated. I am continuously comparing this DAC against others and using it with different audio set ups and it never ceases to deliver a compelling performance.
I admire people who can hear and discribe so nice the difference of similar equipment sound
Beautiful review mate! So detailed and thorough and helpful! 😁Actually, I just edited this comment because I DID find your review of the SMSL DO200 (you kept calling it that, which is the one I have, but the title is actually I BELIEVE the 'upped' model MKII) and you seemed really to like it. I HOPE that you were referring to the original SMSL DO200 as you kept saying in the review because that Is the one I have. Thanks SO much!
i mean electricity external noise are real and could possibly interfere data/ signal transfer, although yeah if everything good it would be as impactful as 256kbps mp3 vs 320
I've had one for a few weeks now and for my ears it's my end game DAC. For me that just means I need to upgrade virtually every other part of my system before it would be worth it to upgrade my DAC. It sounds that good.
Very good explanation of the supply of SU-1. Thanks.
I paired the SU 1 with my BlueSound Gen 3 Node with fantastic results. I use a vintage Yamaha CA 2010 with vintage Acoustic Energy AE 2 speakers. Dramatic difference in sound with the SU 1 inserted. Excellent review.
Did the SU-1 sound better than the dac in the Node? I have also have the Get 3 Node and would be interested in a cheap upgrade if it actually made a difference.
@@jamesoconnor5903it improved the sound using a Node 2i for me as well. I love the SU-1.
Good review with excellent comparisons!
I bought one, a week ago, and hooked it up to my Wiim Mini. I am very happy.
Same here. Very impressive
Thanks for the review. i just bought it SMSL SU1.👍😊
Neverovatno šta se dobija za ove (male) pare. Absolutni best buy. SMSL SU-1 svira strašno dobro, bolje nego većina izvikanih i višestruko skupljih DAC-ova.Visoki, srednji i basovi na mestu, neutralno kako baš treba. Hvala Srboljube za odličan i objektivan test.
Very good recomendation. I bought it (over your link) and it is really very good despite the price. Thanks
Glad you like it!
Nice review! But what I miss in many reviews (not only yours) is the influence from adding a High-end preamp instead of using the volume control of the dac - if available…
Great review, just ordered one 👍
Another awesome review as always.
I just purchased this DAC as an upgrade to the original E30 I have had for a few years. I am pairing it with a SMSL DA9 that I purchased a year ago also based on your review of that unit.
I was originally looking to spend around $500 US for a DAC upgrade that included balanced outputs. But, for the price and how excited you are on the sound I couldn't pass up giving this a try. If I like it I might put off getting a $500 DAC for 6 - 12 months.
Why is this one considered an upgrade to the E30?
heyy me too!! exact situation!! how did it turn out for you?
How did it work out???? Help us out!!!! Haha!!!
Koristim ga mjesec dana, izvrstan je a kupila sam ga nakon pregleda vaše recenzije 👍👍Prije dva dana spojila sam ga sa zvučnicima Edifier S880DB i napokon sam veoma zadovoljna zvukom uz ukupno pristupačnu cijenu. Pratim vaš kanal, hvala 😊
Merci beaucoup pour cette revue 🎉
Nisam puno očekivao od ovako jeftinog uređaja, ali je ovaj mali neverovatan. Moj sadašnji DAC koji sam platio preko 800 evra ide na prodaju i SMSL SU-1 preuzima njegovo mesto.
Can you tell me what brand of dac you had. Thank you.
I bought this when I read the review on a very well known forum . It's a cracker for no money . Well done smsl .
Thank you for the review .
i got this a month ago playing wiht my marantz amp and mA silver 100 speakers and a pioneer DVD player feeding digital to this DAC. Could not be happier with the sound. Highs are smooth and detailed. Lows are just right not boomy.
Great you have identified another gem. How about the next one up price wise the Sanskrit 10th Mk 2 that you have highly praised? I am also auditioning the Mk 3 which Smsl claims an improvement over the Mk 2 and wish you could also review sometime soon.
this is a great product . it immediately upgrade the sound output of my laptop , either feeding pc speakers or my main system . great baseline , great natural lushy mids , clear natural sound and very good soundstage . this is a very musical sounding device that works for the music and not the impression . for the price it adds to much . Thank you for bringing this little box to my attention and your honest review .
The SMSL DAC'S are coming of age. The early ones I tried were a bit clinical and cold in sound with the added quality control issues. For their price, they did sound good, but not for the audiophile.
Now I currently have the SMSL DO200 first edition and it really sounds good with a warm, richer sound signature and no quality issues. They definitely offer good bang for your buck now.
I got this a month ago and I agree with you. Best cheap dac at the moment.
You are the best audio reviewer !!!!!!
Thank you for finding a budget friendly product that is functional.
Thanks to Steve huff I found a DAC I think you should review. The Weiss dac205. It's about $1600. He reviewed the dac204, the only difference being the added dad section. But the main DAC in both units is exactly the same. You've covered so many other excellent dacs. I would really love to hear your thoughts on this one. His review actually has me highly considering selling my ladder schumann for the dac205.
Same here! I wonder if I really need usb version (204)? Don’t care about dsd or very high khz files….would the other inputs have the same quality as usb?
Does it make sense to pair with onkyo tx-nr6050, wiim pro plus and this dac? Will my audio improve?
I don't have any experience with that Onkyo model so not sure that I can advice you on this.
Amazing review, love your accent too
I love my Tradutto. Thanks to you. Cool runnings
Thanks Slobo, cheers!
Too bad Tradutto measures so bad at Audio science review , ... 😁
@@VirusForPrez😅
Great review! Have you happened to audition SMSL Sanskrit 10th MK3? Thanks!
I like to use stand alone tiny usb dac since hrt streamer (pcm1793) and ODAC (es9023). Now I'm using old e30 (ak4493) and willing to 2023's dac, smsl su1 is one been eyeing
Sometimes, even a piece of audio gear which costs two, three and more thousands of dollars could be considered to be a considerable value, as long as it performs on par or even better than a much more expensive piece. Please do more comparisons, "hidden gems" and the "giant killers". They do not necessarily need to be cheap, as long as they provide great value for the money paid.
Hi and thanks, It replaced my little Khadas Tone Board on my desk. I generally prefer the AKM DACs sound compared to the ESSs one. Have you tried it with a good linear power supply? Is it worth it?
I have this for a week now and I am loving it. But if I could nitpick here for just one small thing, is that I wish it has an auto-off and on feature. I know I could just leave the device on all the time but if I do that, the light keeps blinking if it doesn't detect a signal, and that's annoying. So I just turn the device off but I wish I don't have to.
The specs is top notch, this review is convincing. But I only listen to FLAC’s that are stored on my PC, and therefore I needed a streamer to deliver those files to my amplifiers. All streamers come with built in DAC, and it seams counter intuitive to stream - DSP - DAC, and than sending the analog audio to a higher quality DAC (internally ADC - DAC). I’m currently using Arylic Pro streaming DAC, at 24bit/192kHz the sound amazes me already. Hope SMSL could internally add a WI-FI streamer to SU-1.
You wouldn't be sending the analog signal into the new DAC anyway.. You would use the optical out on your Arylic to send a digital signal to SMSL SU1 so you would not be losing anything in the transfer.
Depending on your other equipment you may see a minor improvement in tonality but if you are already happy with the sound from the streamer might not be worth it.
Based on your review, I bought the SU1 (out of curiousity). It's everything you described, really had to pinch myself, lol. It's now in my main system. Thanks man!
Thanks for a great review. Really enjoy your videos.
I’m interested in trying this DAC in my current set up of WiiM Pro, Audiolab 6000a, and Dali Oberon 5’s. I am using the ESS9018 SABRE 32 inside the 6000a and sometimes the upper mids and treble can be a little harsh to my ears. I have a mild tinnitus in my right ear.
Do you think that the SU-1 would be ok for me. I listen mostly to classical music. Thanks
Would like it if you could review the new m300 se from smsl. It's a bit more expensive than the su-1 but it offers SO MUCH MORE in terms of features. (remote, screen, balanced circutry, headphone amp, volume knob, bluetooth, independent usb inputs for dac input and power...)
Great review. Do you think it's worth paying the extra for a SU-6? it will be attached to a SH-6 headphone amp
Very nice detailed reviews!
Can you recommend dongle portable dac/amp sound like topping e30 ii? In budget (I care about soundstage 3d sound full warm juicy sound signature) Thanks!
I was curious about this. Another reviewer took one apart and I saw it uses at least one LME49720MA op-amp which is usually seen in much more expensive dacs. There is another op-amp that is not marked, so probably they have tune it with two different op-amps. (I do the same with my little fosi/aiyima tube preamps that have two switchable op-amps)
It sure feels like someone listened to this one and chose parts with care.
Pleasant surprise
Nice review by the way
What amp would you recommend to go with this dac?
SMSL A300 is a great little amp, I did a review on it too.
Just what I was looking for 😊Guess I will get this to pair with my wiim mini.
Same here
Hi Nice review, I want to know if the Dac auto turns on like the E70?
Wondering how this would compare to the D300 when paired with an A300?
does the SU-1 offer an assortment of dac filter options? thanks for your review.
I just wonder how it sounds connected to a 300b SET Amp? Perhaps even a First Watt Solid State? I just worry about the errors in electronic format being to prevalent and exaggerated.
Have you tried the E30 II Lite yet? Should be basically the same unit, but with some extra features.
Would this be a good test to use the Topping HS02 you reviewed , USB power and isolation?
How do you compare it with Schiit Modi 3 or its variants? Thank you.
Can you review the Sanskrit mk3? I would be interested to hear if you think that is an improvement on th mk2 and perhaps a better DAC that the SU1. Thanks, great informative videos.
Love the review! That DAC really looks like killer value. I was wondering whether SU-1 would improve the sound of my system in any way. I have an old Sony TA-FE520R amp and a set of Magnat Monitor Supreme 1000 speakers. I'm streaming music from Deezer on my computer. In your own opinion, would it be a good purchase or should I invest in a better/newer amp instead?
Puno pozdrava! :)
To be honest. For 80 Euro you can't go wrong with one of these. I'd say go for it.
Curious, if you tried with battery (power).
I stream Qobuz and Tidal from my desktop. I have been using the Dragonfly Red for 3 years. It sounds OK but I have been wanting to upgrade. Would you say the SU-1 would be better than the Dragonfly Red? Greetings from Ontario Canada! ✌ Cheers.
Would have preferred he mentioned the DAC chips in the other DACs, besides the unit price. Noob question here, are DAC chips tuned to specific sound signature, or thru other electronic parts on the board?🤔
What power supply did you use ?
Did you try quality Quality LPS and than COAX from CD transport input ?
I went and bought one online. Had high expectations due to all the good reviews. After listening for a week, well.. it's just sounded ok. Not the giant killer i was hoping for. Compared to my Pure i20 ipod Dac Dock and my IQaudio dac pro pi hat, it was not the same league. The SU1 image is small, midrange little thin & dry and high not airy. I keep on switching between the su1 and the other 2 dac and well .. a bit disappointed. Guess if you are a beginner i think for the price its fine. It's not a bad DAC but better not gamble after you heard the good stuffs 😂.
I wonder how the SU-1 compares to Topping DX1 Mini which has also has an amplifier and headphone out.
And would it be possible to review the iFi Zen Air Can? I think it would make a great combination with SU-1 for $180 if it sounds similar to the more expensive Zen Can.
Have the c100(same+ Vol control & BT)🎉
What about vs topping e50?
🙋♂️SRBJ…THANKS 🙏 FOR SHARING THIS INFO WITH US 😎💚💚💚
I always love listening to the audio vampyre!!!!!!
Thank you. Would this make my Bluesound Node n130 sound better (compare to Node internal DAC)
I bought the SMSL SU-1 for my 2.1 channel home theater to convert my TVs optical digital signal to analog for my amp and speakers which it does however the output voltage from the DAC is way too low (314mV rms and 870mV peak to peak) instead of the 2Vrms output that it claims.
Not knowing your measurement method and supposing your results are good... It shouldn't be that low. Everytime I had a 1V DAC (portables) I have to crank up the volume significantly to match it with 2V ones. This time I went from SU-1 to Topping E30 II, SMSL C200, etc. And never noticed that SU-1 has lower output.
So given that you didn't make any mistake and your measurements are correct, there's maybe something fishy with that unit.
Dear iiwi, I already have smsl D300 and topping E70 connected to SMSL A300 amplifier, do you think the SMSL SU-1 will pair just as well or even better with the SMSL A300? Your input will be greatly appreciated. Regards
i have the schiit modi + last version , in your opinion is this one better ?
Does it sound better than the Modi 3 you reviewed a few years ago? Thank you
Is my phone adequate enough to both power the unit and provide signal, or do I absolutely need a 5V power supply?
I have 3 dacs and with this review, I will soon have 4 (Sanskrit 2, Hidizs S9 Pro and Prozar).
Hi first of all thank you very much for all your precious work
I have a question
Did you experiment with different power supplies ? like low noise linear ones for instance ?
usually the lower the noise the more the detail ... and maybe the lower the distortion
Yes, I personally prefer to use a linear power supply everywhere it's possible. The result is always the same, calmer and richer sound with cleaner and darker background.
@@iiWiReviews hi thank you for the very kind and valuable advice
The only thing that I would like to see is a proper and separate DC socket
I don't like to mess data and Power lines together in a plug
Expecially tiny USB plug
I like the standard 5.5/2.5 mm type
More contact surface
What power supply did you use when testing this DAC?
Good news, thank you.
How does it compare to the Lusya Usb back you reviewed a while ago?
Got one for 90 uk. Use it as a dac from my tv into a Musical Fidelity amp. Brilliant 👍
Hi. The SU-1 looks awfully similar to the older C100 which has the same AKM and XMOS chips, except the C100 has remote, Bluetooth and volume control. Have you tried the C100? Thanks!
I use it with the Yamaha streamer and it sounds good.
Random question, this one vs an old Musician Fidelity V-DAC?
I'm interested in this budged DAC, but it's weird this DAC is not listed on SMSL official web site.
How does this compare to Loxjie D30 I’ve always wanted the AKM chip
Did you try a regulated 5v computer power supply rather than an inexpensive wall wart/cell phone charger for your listening tests? They can make a noticeable difference as well.
yes, it does sound stronger and clearer, your best ps would be the linear and adjustable voltage ps
I'm really curious why the power supply would make a difference? Do you have some keywords I could google or a link, so I can read up please?
Which amp match well ? L30ii or L50 ? Thanks in advance my friend
Have you tested chinese DACs on two ES9038PRO?
The cable that comes with it, is it usb C type on both ends or does it have usb A on one end?
Is the Denafrips Ares still a good DAC? How much better is it over the SU-1 in your opinion?
How do you connect the headphone output of my smartphone to that dac? I want to use it with the smartphone and with an old sony discman
Hi there, will you review the SMSL PS100?
and what about smsl su-1 vs geshelli j2s ? is it a real upgrade ?
Hello, I am new to the DAC world, I am not into high end audio but the good value for money, I think this is where this DAC sits, after watching your video I decided to buy one of these mighty we DACs. I had to order from over seas, I have a question, using the coaxial input (have not used optical as have no cable) my SU-1 is distorted on the loud parts of the audio, all my other gear runs fine, tuner, CD player using RCA, PC and turntable. With all your experience what can casue this to happen? (I have a preamp driving a single ended EL34 tube amp) Thanks Bruce
Hello, hope you doing well! Been watching a lot of your videos lately! I've been eyeballing the e30ii/l30ii and this would be a significant more on par with my budget, any recommendations for a simalar priced headphone amp below 150 USD? Thank you so much!
SMSL SH-6 comes to mind. Really good amp that matches that price.
Ty so much for taking time to reply Srbj! Wishing you a great weekend!
He's not lying! Just got one. Amazing for the money
Did you try it with some better power supply, and if you are, does it change sound noticeable, and do you recomende some for SU-1 ? Btw, thanks for great reviews.
I have tried it with a cheap 5V supply, then phone charger, and with Allo Shanti LPS with very good power cable... Shanti cleaned up the sound nicely and created darker/deeper background. But given the price of that PS with the power cable, I can't say its a logical investment. Topping E70V goes for that kind of money. iFi iPower would be a more logical partner but I didn't have one to try it.
@@iiWiReviews you should perhaps have mentioned this in the video.
Halo, if I use this DAC with my PC, can I still adjust the volume via PC's volume control (or UA-cam/Spotify on web browser)?
How does it compare with Topping DX1 & Topping E30 II Lite?
Hi , greetings from the netherlands.
Great review but would the SU-1 be of any use for me???
I listen mostly from YT and payed Spotify contend and see Netflix films. I have 5.1 set up with cambridge audio azur 640R paired with b&w 601 floorstanding , monitor audio center, yamaha sub and pioneer bi amped back speakers. I don't use headphones on this rig.
Please can you advise me if this one is for me or should i look for a multi channel dac ??
This is stereo only so it limit all your content to stereo sound. Given that you already have 5.1 system, you should try and keep the surround signal. That said, I'm not testing any multichannel devices so can't give any specific advice for it.
Great review! smsl M300 se seems good for its price, any review soon?
I don't think I'll be doing that one. Too many SMSL models, they're like Pokemons, no matter how much you try, you can't catch them all. 😅
whats the coaxial input? isnt that for cable tv? Doesnt have rca inputs or headphone jack inputs?
If i sent a MQA file by Tidal the MQA led doesnt light up. Hoe can you use the MQA port with Tidal MQA files ? Thanks for reply.