I got this unit for about 6 months now and I kinda like it... especially for the money. It is driving my vintage Allison Acoustics AL-120 speakers in my living room. Together with a Topping E30 I connect in to my TV too.
I just bought this amp for my home office. I hooked it up today. Thus far, I'm pretty happy with my choice. Sound, as well as design, were my main areas of concern. I wouldn't call it an A/B killer by any stretch but for playing CDs through an old DVD player, TH-cam videos and conference calls? Works well for me.
I have this and many other SMSL and Topping amps including dual SA98E (one for each speaker) and yet this amp driving Elac 6.2 and 5.2 via an SMSL M200 dac sounds fantastic top-to-bottom.....Combo works so good I even returned a SU-9 dac and kept the M200. . It is much more liquid and "analog" sounding then any other Topping and SMSL amps I have heard and own. I didn't try the internal dac. It just sounds better as the weeks go on.....The Infineon chip is fantastic IMHO. I do prefer a step 1 bump in the bass Tone usually over direct. YMMV. I think the SDB is too much despite other reviewers loving it. This reviewer as usual is spot on in every way.....Thanks again sir
Another detailed and great review. You are my favorite audio reviewer here on TH-cam. I am in the market for a all in one desktop solution for my home office. They will be powering a set of Sony SSC5 speakers. Not looking at spreanding a ton of money as it won't be replacing my reference system.
I've had my SA300 for almost two years. Driving an old pair of Phase Technology 2.5t speakers, the sound is excellent. Surprisingly good in fact. My sources are the internal dac from a PC and I use Bluetooth with my phone at times.
SA300 is 40 wpc @ 8 ohms. Aiyima A07 is 150 wpc with 48 volt 7 amp power supply for $70 but most importantly the A07 measures GREAT according to Imir at Audio Science Review.
If you really think great "measurements" will equate to great sound, or that the people at ASR have 1 single clue about anything HiFi. I've got a bridge to sell you. Cheap! ASR is the Flat Earth of HiFi my friend. They haven't a clue. It's a cult.
just don't forget the aditional functionality this unit has in comparison: bluetooth, USB dac, remote control, screen, eq, tone Control...also, if memory serves me well, amir's review stated that adding the 48v power supply added distortion to the sound...both seem great value Nice sounding units. it's all about what you need the most: the aditional power of the aiyima or the added functionality of the smsl. unless you like to listen to your music really loud or you need to fill a really big sized Room with sound, i'd say the smsl is fine.
@@JoseFerreira-zb7wh Absolutely. There is good value in the wider functionality. I'm a simple old man and have everything wired. PS4 hdmi to LG smart TV optical to Sanskrit 2 to Asgard 3 to Ayima A07 to Klipsch towers.
@@amb3cog You forfeit the debate by name calling and making absurd statements. Ironic that I point out you are a troll. It sounds much, much better than my vintage Fisher receiver.
@@carlsitler9071 I'm sorry, maybe you failed at reading comprehension in school, or something along those lines. But I most certainly didn't call anyone any names, and you can't possibly show a quote of where I did. I pointed out some things. I did not name call. Nice try though. Wanna try again? And BTW you didn't call me a troll either. You made a false accusation yes. But call me a troll? No you didn't. And you can't show a quote of where you did that either. I guess it all goes back to your poor reading comprehension skills. Maybe you should go back to middle school, and straighten that out huh? It might help you in life. Communication is so very important in life, and since so much of it is done online, and in print nowadays. It's more important then ever. And that's why I think you should seriously consider going back to school. I'm not kidding here either. You're seriously at about a 4th grade level. That's not good. Unless you're just a very intelligent 6 year old who's into HiFi. In which case my hat is off to you kid. Keep it up. 😉👍 ✌️
I have both those and the answer is yes unless maybe your room is 20 x 25 or huge. In my 14x16 office this amp and the 6.2 are my reference and yes even on pounding bass heavy eletronic music. i even prefered the Elac 6.2 to the ELAC Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 with the SA300 !!!!
Great video! I just have two quick questions below that would be awesome if you could answer. 1: With the setup, I have now I can run a USB in from my PC and when I want to switch from my PC to my phone via Bluetooth all I have to do is enable Bluetooth on my phone and connect and it will switch automatically without having to mess with anything (to switch back though I have to do it manually though which is fine since I'm at my PC then). Will this also automatically switch over to Bluetooth when a device connects to it? 2: How do you pair a device / is there any security feature such as having to hold a button to pair so that other people nearby can't hijack the connection? Thanks and awesome video!
Nice review and I especially appreciated the comparison to the NAD and Yamaha. If you have an opportunity, take a look at the Loxjie A30. It seems like a slightly more refined version of this amp and includes an optical input for connection to a tv. When using this amp (or any amp with a USB input) it's possible to pair it with an Android phone and create a device equivalent to a Bluesound PowerNode (a streamer with a power amp). I'm using the A30 paired with a Samsung Galaxy S8, which provides me two options. Using a 3rd party Android app, USB Audio Player Pro, it's possible to create a bit-perfect lock to the A30's internal DAC and achieve higher fidelity. The second option is to play music through Samsung's internal Dolby Atmos processing, which can have a pleasing effect. I've found that on higher resolving equipment bypassing Android's internal sound processing and using UAPP is excellent.
Hi, I'm left with a pair of Bose jewel cube, going to purchase this Sa300 and a Edifier T5 subwoofer T5. I'm not an audiophile but do you think this setup works? Going to place them in a 50sq room, I know they look cool but do they sound cool? Thanks
Thank you for the video, very informative! I was thinking about pairing this amp with a pair of Emotiva Airmotiv B1+s. Is this a bad idea or a good idea?
I haven't heard any Emotiva so far and I'm not familiar with their sound signature.That said, SA300 is well balanced amp and it should have no problem matching with most speakers out there. Regarding the power, there is certainly enough in this amp to drive them without a problem.
I don't use it long enough to be able to tell something like that. Best look for user opinions... But the truth is that the unit is too new for anyone to give such info.
i studied some user ratings: some (verry verry few) arrive dead already and are easy retuned besides that the powerbrick failed after 3 month for one customer( thats a 20 dollar part wich can easy be replaced). seems ok quality but noone can say anything when it comes to 2-3-4 years etc
@iiWi Reviews Somethnig no comented in th ereview is that the SMSL SA300 has a subwoofer output, that can help in some systems. As I commented in other comment I have one unit and I am using as descktop system and it's a very good solution.
Would you say this paired with smsl sanskrit 10th mkii and elac debut b5.2 would produce a Nice result? (also thinking about adding a subwoofer later on) i like a bit of warmth but i'm afraid the sound Will lose detail...
Oni su blago analitični ali ovaj SMSL ima topao zvuk, gotovo identičan kao npr. NAD D3020 V2. Trebalo bi da se slažu OK ali nisam ih probao zajedno da mogu to da tvrdim 100%.
Sounds like this would be the perfect starter amp for most people IMO. I would recommend a few things, if you're new to the hobby, and live in the US (maybe other places too, but this is where I'm at, and it's what I know obviously). First, try to get a used one on Amazon, from Amazon Warehouse. Or whoever may be selling them on there. So long as they have a good rating. I've had good luck doing this, and if there's a problem. They pay return shipping. Just read the fine print 1st though. Next, a great place to find quality speakers cheap is either the same way, or on Craigslist. Because it's not easy to ship big speakers. There's usually good deals to be found, and since this has a warm sound signature. A pair of Klipsch, which are usually very easy to come across on CL, would probably work well. And they usually have a high sensitivity. So they'll get louder/have more headroom then most other speakers with the lower wattage if this amp. But if you're in a small room, just want bookshelf speakers, and/or new ones. There's plenty of places to get those too. Most still open box/returns really cheap too. Just be sure to put whatever it is you're looking at into the Google search bar, before you buy. And read any reviews, especially those on Forums, like Audiokarma dot org. To bake sure you've an idea of their sound signature, and quality. And also to make sure you're getting the best price. A website that puts all the used (and often times new, if listed on like Ebay or Reverb, for instance) listings together on HiFi gear is HiFi Shark. And they show the old expired ads too. So you can get an idea of the price, even if there's no sales at the moment. Remember there's no sales tax, if you buy from US Audio Mart, or Audio Circle Trader. Versus most websites nowadays. Again, just be sure to buy from a well rated seller, and use PayPal for safety. And if the combo you purchase isn't to your taste, tone wise. Too warm, or too cool. Even with EQ, or maybe if you don't want to use it. You can always change it a bit with an aftermarket DAC upgrade. Which will also improve the sound, and can be found very cheap nowadays. Good luck, and enjoy the music. ✌️
Loxjie D30 is my standing champion at the moment. Great DAC, all important inputs, and very decent headphone amp for 169 USD. If you're looking for even more budget friendly DAC than SMSL Sanskrit 10th MKII.
@@oahupc4688 Loxjie D30 is better than Topping E30 to my ears. Sanskrit 10th MKII is just different (warmer sounding). For more detailed comparison please watch the MKII review, and there's also a sound demo MKII vs E30 here on the channel.
I ordered a smsl su-8s and a da9 on your recommendations but can you tell me can i hookup two da9s to the su8s one to balanced an the other to rca and use both at the same time to power two sets of speakers?
Yes you can. According to the manual. Just look in the menu under outputs. There should be 6 choices (rca, xlr, all/both, rca inverted phase, xlr inverted, and all inverted). Good luck. ✌️
@@amb3cog thanks for the reply. I did look in the manual for the da9 and it doesnt show anything like that. There is option to select balanced, unbalance, or bluetooth. Maybe they changed it?
@@991carreras3 Wait does it say bt? That may stand for both, not Bluetooth. If you have anything else aground that can take an input, just try it. If not buy the cheapest amp you can find, like a tpa3116 amp from Amazon, and try that. Either way the only way to be positive, is to try it anyway, and there tons of cheap amps available nowadays. You could even just go to yard sales this weekend, and find something. When I got into this hobby, my first amp was a free receiver I got from a guy having a yard sale, because he thought it didn't work, but it did.
I had MX3 a long time ago so can't make a direct comparison. But if memory serves me well it had lots of drive but was much edgier and sharper sounding. This one is smoother and richer in tonality. Class D is improving a lot lately and becomes smoother and more natural with every new generation.
Do you know that feel when you watch a review of something you've owned for over a year, and you just get a pat on the head, knowing that what you bought was the good choice? I have owned an SA300 for over a year now, thanks to ZReviews recommending it. By complete accident, I have it paired with the same speakers he used in his review. Though it's a great product, as time went on, I feel like it became a jack of all traits sort of unit. If you want an amplifier, get the Sabaj A10a. According to the Internet, it is basically an SA300 2021 edition. Without the built in dac. Heavily purpose made. But if you only want an amp (and don't mind the hideous display on it), it's a better value. Alternatively, if you want a "sound bar in a box", get something like the Loxjie A30. That said, the SA300 is prettier, and I'm biased towards it because I've owned it for a year now. It's just a pleasant and functional little box.
I've had mine for almost a year now. It is been a reliable and very good sounding addition. Recommended.
I got this unit for about 6 months now and I kinda like it... especially for the money. It is driving my vintage Allison Acoustics AL-120 speakers in my living room. Together with a Topping E30 I connect in to my TV too.
I just bought this amp for my home office. I hooked it up today. Thus far, I'm pretty happy with my choice. Sound, as well as design, were my main areas of concern. I wouldn't call it an A/B killer by any stretch but for playing CDs through an old DVD player, TH-cam videos and conference calls? Works well for me.
I have this and many other SMSL and Topping amps including dual SA98E (one for each speaker) and yet this amp driving Elac 6.2 and 5.2 via an SMSL M200 dac sounds fantastic top-to-bottom.....Combo works so good I even returned a SU-9 dac and kept the M200. . It is much more liquid and "analog" sounding then any other Topping and SMSL amps I have heard and own. I didn't try the internal dac. It just sounds better as the weeks go on.....The Infineon chip is fantastic IMHO. I do prefer a step 1 bump in the bass Tone usually over direct. YMMV. I think the SDB is too much despite other reviewers loving it. This reviewer as usual is spot on in every way.....Thanks again sir
Another detailed and great review.
You are my favorite audio reviewer here on TH-cam.
I am in the market for a all in one desktop solution for my home office. They will be powering a set of Sony SSC5 speakers. Not looking at spreanding a ton of money as it won't be replacing my reference system.
I got mine today and already love it through my Klipsch R-15M speakers.
I've had my SA300 for almost two years. Driving an old pair of Phase Technology 2.5t speakers, the sound is excellent. Surprisingly good in fact.
My sources are the internal dac from a PC and I use Bluetooth with my phone at times.
I have mine for almost a year now pairing with the Topping D90 and Elac UB 52 & the Elac BK 10 Sub, so far so good!
The Infineon chipset used in this amp is supposed to be very, very good. Amazing what SMSL offers here at this price!
SA300 is 40 wpc @ 8 ohms. Aiyima A07 is 150 wpc with 48 volt 7 amp power supply for $70 but most importantly the A07 measures GREAT according to Imir at Audio Science Review.
If you really think great "measurements" will equate to great sound, or that the people at ASR have 1 single clue about anything HiFi. I've got a bridge to sell you. Cheap! ASR is the Flat Earth of HiFi my friend. They haven't a clue. It's a cult.
just don't forget the aditional functionality this unit has in comparison: bluetooth, USB dac, remote control, screen, eq, tone Control...also, if memory serves me well, amir's review stated that adding the 48v power supply added distortion to the sound...both seem great value Nice sounding units. it's all about what you need the most: the aditional power of the aiyima or the added functionality of the smsl. unless you like to listen to your music really loud or you need to fill a really big sized Room with sound, i'd say the smsl is fine.
@@JoseFerreira-zb7wh Absolutely. There is good value in the wider functionality. I'm a simple old man and have everything wired. PS4 hdmi to LG smart TV optical to Sanskrit 2 to Asgard 3 to Ayima A07 to Klipsch towers.
@@amb3cog You forfeit the debate by name calling and making absurd statements. Ironic that I point out you are a troll. It sounds much, much better than my vintage Fisher receiver.
@@carlsitler9071 I'm sorry, maybe you failed at reading comprehension in school, or something along those lines. But I most certainly didn't call anyone any names, and you can't possibly show a quote of where I did. I pointed out some things. I did not name call. Nice try though. Wanna try again?
And BTW you didn't call me a troll either. You made a false accusation yes. But call me a troll? No you didn't. And you can't show a quote of where you did that either. I guess it all goes back to your poor reading comprehension skills. Maybe you should go back to middle school, and straighten that out huh? It might help you in life.
Communication is so very important in life, and since so much of it is done online, and in print nowadays. It's more important then ever. And that's why I think you should seriously consider going back to school. I'm not kidding here either. You're seriously at about a 4th grade level. That's not good. Unless you're just a very intelligent 6 year old who's into HiFi. In which case my hat is off to you kid. Keep it up. 😉👍 ✌️
Looks like a good little unit. Thanks for the review...
i have one of these for the cost you really cant get much better its great for what it is.
Great review!!
Wondering whether would these power elac debut 5.2 or 6.2
Yes it would, no problem.
I have both those and the answer is yes unless maybe your room is 20 x 25 or huge. In my 14x16 office this amp and the 6.2 are my reference and yes even on pounding bass heavy eletronic music. i even prefered the Elac 6.2 to the ELAC Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 with the SA300 !!!!
@@gbmwaz Thank you very much for sharing this!!!
Great video! I just have two quick questions below that would be awesome if you could answer.
1: With the setup, I have now I can run a USB in from my PC and when I want to switch from my PC to my phone via Bluetooth all I have to do is enable Bluetooth on my phone and connect and it will switch automatically without having to mess with anything (to switch back though I have to do it manually though which is fine since I'm at my PC then). Will this also automatically switch over to Bluetooth when a device connects to it?
2: How do you pair a device / is there any security feature such as having to hold a button to pair so that other people nearby can't hijack the connection?
Thanks and awesome video!
Nice review and I especially appreciated the comparison to the NAD and Yamaha. If you have an opportunity, take a look at the Loxjie A30. It seems like a slightly more refined version of this amp and includes an optical input for connection to a tv. When using this amp (or any amp with a USB input) it's possible to pair it with an Android phone and create a device equivalent to a Bluesound PowerNode (a streamer with a power amp). I'm using the A30 paired with a Samsung Galaxy S8, which provides me two options. Using a 3rd party Android app, USB Audio Player Pro, it's possible to create a bit-perfect lock to the A30's internal DAC and achieve higher fidelity. The second option is to play music through Samsung's internal Dolby Atmos processing, which can have a pleasing effect. I've found that on higher resolving equipment bypassing Android's internal sound processing and using UAPP is excellent.
Hi, I'm left with a pair of Bose jewel cube, going to purchase this Sa300 and a Edifier T5 subwoofer T5. I'm not an audiophile but do you think this setup works? Going to place them in a 50sq room, I know they look cool but do they sound cool? Thanks
It will not sound nice.
Thank you for the video, very informative! I was thinking about pairing this amp with a pair of Emotiva Airmotiv B1+s. Is this a bad idea or a good idea?
I haven't heard any Emotiva so far and I'm not familiar with their sound signature.That said, SA300 is well balanced amp and it should have no problem matching with most speakers out there. Regarding the power, there is certainly enough in this amp to drive them without a problem.
@@iiWiReviews Awesome, thank you so much for the reply.
I have it on my desk with KEF Q150… awesome combo, also the SDB eq is really good, i keep it on all the time :)
have enough power without distort.?
@@benegesserit9838 for a desktop use or a small room yes… I tried in a bigger (living) room and then it doesn’t have enough…
This or the Loxjie A30 ? It seems similar but still different, which one to pick up?
Hi. Can you also review Aiyima A08.
Hope you notice my request.
More power!
+1 for this request!
G'day mate, patiently waiting you're review of the Topping D90 SE.
How about the quality and long term use? Will it last long under normal use?
I don't use it long enough to be able to tell something like that. Best look for user opinions... But the truth is that the unit is too new for anyone to give such info.
i studied some user ratings: some (verry verry few) arrive dead already and are easy retuned besides that the powerbrick failed after 3 month for one customer( thats a 20 dollar part wich can easy be replaced). seems ok quality but noone can say anything when it comes to 2-3-4 years etc
@iiWi Reviews Somethnig no comented in th ereview is that the SMSL SA300 has a subwoofer output, that can help in some systems.
As I commented in other comment I have one unit and I am using as descktop system and it's a very good solution.
Would you say this paired with smsl sanskrit 10th mkii and elac debut b5.2 would produce a Nice result? (also thinking about adding a subwoofer later on) i like a bit of warmth but i'm afraid the sound Will lose detail...
👍👍💪💪fantastic thank you for the review
Could you please tell me how much score you would give the Hidizs Sontata HD out of 10 just on basis of sound quality?.
Yes, best choice for this price.
Would you pair this amp with the Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2?
When are you goin to review the Wharfedale Diamond 12s? :)
Please consider reviewing luxury and precision w2.....it is highly regarded in the head fi forums.
thank you
Ćao. Dali može poterati ELAC Debut 2.0 B5.2?
Može za neko slušanje na umerenoj glasnoći.
@@iiWiReviews Hvala. Gledam upravo tu kombinaciju. Malo me plaši tvoj review navedenih zvučnika i zaključak.
Oni su blago analitični ali ovaj SMSL ima topao zvuk, gotovo identičan kao npr. NAD D3020 V2. Trebalo bi da se slažu OK ali nisam ih probao zajedno da mogu to da tvrdim 100%.
@@iiWiReviews Puno hvala na odgovoru. Tvoj kanal je stvarno velika pomoć nekome tko upravo starta u HiFi priču. Jel' imaš PayPal da barem platim pivo?
Sounds like this would be the perfect starter amp for most people IMO. I would recommend a few things, if you're new to the hobby, and live in the US (maybe other places too, but this is where I'm at, and it's what I know obviously). First, try to get a used one on Amazon, from Amazon Warehouse. Or whoever may be selling them on there. So long as they have a good rating. I've had good luck doing this, and if there's a problem. They pay return shipping. Just read the fine print 1st though.
Next, a great place to find quality speakers cheap is either the same way, or on Craigslist. Because it's not easy to ship big speakers. There's usually good deals to be found, and since this has a warm sound signature. A pair of Klipsch, which are usually very easy to come across on CL, would probably work well. And they usually have a high sensitivity. So they'll get louder/have more headroom then most other speakers with the lower wattage if this amp.
But if you're in a small room, just want bookshelf speakers, and/or new ones. There's plenty of places to get those too. Most still open box/returns really cheap too. Just be sure to put whatever it is you're looking at into the Google search bar, before you buy. And read any reviews, especially those on Forums, like Audiokarma dot org. To bake sure you've an idea of their sound signature, and quality. And also to make sure you're getting the best price.
A website that puts all the used (and often times new, if listed on like Ebay or Reverb, for instance) listings together on HiFi gear is HiFi Shark. And they show the old expired ads too. So you can get an idea of the price, even if there's no sales at the moment. Remember there's no sales tax, if you buy from US Audio Mart, or Audio Circle Trader. Versus most websites nowadays. Again, just be sure to buy from a well rated seller, and use PayPal for safety.
And if the combo you purchase isn't to your taste, tone wise. Too warm, or too cool. Even with EQ, or maybe if you don't want to use it. You can always change it a bit with an aftermarket DAC upgrade. Which will also improve the sound, and can be found very cheap nowadays. Good luck, and enjoy the music. ✌️
Can you make a video on all of your dac's and which one is the budget winner... Or just tell me here lol
Loxjie D30 is my standing champion at the moment. Great DAC, all important inputs, and very decent headphone amp for 169 USD. If you're looking for even more budget friendly DAC than SMSL Sanskrit 10th MKII.
@@iiWiReviews so these two now beat out the topping?
@@oahupc4688 Loxjie D30 is better than Topping E30 to my ears. Sanskrit 10th MKII is just different (warmer sounding). For more detailed comparison please watch the MKII review, and there's also a sound demo MKII vs E30 here on the channel.
How does this compare to the Loxjie A30?
I haven't heard that one yet.
I ordered a smsl su-8s and a da9 on your recommendations but can you tell me can i hookup two da9s to the su8s one to balanced an the other to rca and use both at the same time to power two sets of speakers?
Yes you can. According to the manual. Just look in the menu under outputs. There should be 6 choices (rca, xlr, all/both, rca inverted phase, xlr inverted, and all inverted). Good luck. ✌️
@@amb3cog thanks for the reply. I did look in the manual for the da9 and it doesnt show anything like that. There is option to select balanced, unbalance, or bluetooth. Maybe they changed it?
@@991carreras3 That doesn't make sense. Bluetooth is an input, and the RCA, and XLR are both outputs. They should be under separate menus.
@@991carreras3 Wait does it say bt? That may stand for both, not Bluetooth. If you have anything else aground that can take an input, just try it. If not buy the cheapest amp you can find, like a tpa3116 amp from Amazon, and try that. Either way the only way to be positive, is to try it anyway, and there tons of cheap amps available nowadays.
You could even just go to yard sales this weekend, and find something. When I got into this hobby, my first amp was a free receiver I got from a guy having a yard sale, because he thought it didn't work, but it did.
@@991carreras3 Oh, and look at your menu on the DAC, don't go by the manual. It may just be a misprint. Check the actual menu. That will be correct.
Tik Tok gen would say this amp is "way complicated" cos you need to wire things up haha
It should be perfect for the LS50s since they fall apart with high power. I do love my SMSL Sanscrit 2 with the Asgard 3.
should have compared it to the Topping MX3
I had MX3 a long time ago so can't make a direct comparison. But if memory serves me well it had lots of drive but was much edgier and sharper sounding. This one is smoother and richer in tonality. Class D is improving a lot lately and becomes smoother and more natural with every new generation.
Do you know that feel when you watch a review of something you've owned for over a year, and you just get a pat on the head, knowing that what you bought was the good choice?
I have owned an SA300 for over a year now, thanks to ZReviews recommending it. By complete accident, I have it paired with the same speakers he used in his review.
Though it's a great product, as time went on, I feel like it became a jack of all traits sort of unit. If you want an amplifier, get the Sabaj A10a. According to the Internet, it is basically an SA300 2021 edition. Without the built in dac. Heavily purpose made. But if you only want an amp (and don't mind the hideous display on it), it's a better value.
Alternatively, if you want a "sound bar in a box", get something like the Loxjie A30.
That said, the SA300 is prettier, and I'm biased towards it because I've owned it for a year now. It's just a pleasant and functional little box.
Say the price once and then after that use 'for this price', 'for its price', 'good value', 'for how affordable it is' 🤪
Yeah, that would save me from multiple embarrassing moments. 😄
quiero leer en español