SMSL SU1 amzn.to/3Q5UCM8 SMSL M300SE amzn.to/3PLiAeb Enter to Win instagram.com/cheapaudioman. forms.gle/w6qbPKGPFGUKiasX9 check out my other channel www.youtube.com/@cheapwatchman_official Intro graphics by johnvilardi.com Support the Channel! Shop on Amazon amzn.to/3W8vsgK Crutchfield shop-links.co/cguPK8XEGmt Join the best hifi community out there! patreon.com/cheapaudioman TRY ROON www.rofjdjk3ns.com/33G977/2CTPL/ Tidal Deal bit.ly/3siuqSF Amazon Unlimited Music Trial amzn.to/3DRAVj9 Crutchfield shop-links.co/cguPK8XEGmt Best Buy Deals shop-links.co/cf9yDZeYtUH amzn.to/3GkNaop CAM Store (New Products!) bit.ly/30Lgu4K apos.audio?sca_ref=552340.TY98BPcZ6P
Thanks for your review....always informative and well paced. Re your title, Apple Music , I have using my iPhone cabled to the Apple Audio/ video adaptor linked to my Marantz SR 6015 I am using the internal DAC (PCM1502A DAC ). Wondering if you could shed light on significant improvements with one of the DACs recommended here?
I still listen to AM radio. As a side note, I have purchased many DAC's and because I hear so little difference in each, without buying more, I am happy with the Schitt. Sometimes, less is just enough. Enjoy all.
I have a 1936 Silvertone that belonged to my grandparents and I listen to sports talk radio on it. I have a 1940 RCA Victor, a 1942 Silvertone and a 1947 Silvertone. They all work.
@@chungang7037as a kid growing up in Nebraska, id pickup WLS AM out of Chicago late at night. Also CBC out of somewhere Canada. Just fueled my dreams of seeing the world. Streaming feeds just ain't the same.
A streaming DAC is a box with electronics in it that acts as an audio source. It selects a specific stream of blocks of digital data transmitted as sets of ones and zeroes and coverts that stream into channels of analog signals that consist of continuously varying electrical voltages which, when fed into an amplifier, get linearly increased so that the amplified fluctuating voltages and current are strong enough to cause loudspeakers or headphones to reproduce the music or whatever sounds were encoded into the digital signal that went into the Digital Analog Converter, or "DAC."
I bought two Schiit Modi 3 DACS and I love them. In my opinion a DAC should be used as a DAC. It doesn't need a volume control or a remote or a headphone output. All of those can be found further down the audio chain.
Fellow Dallasite here. First time watching your channel. It popped into my recommended feed tonight and the title grabbed me. I have seen a lot of shows at The Factory and the HOB. I prefer The Factory if I can get there early and be very close to the stage. At 5'6", it is a real pain to see over the crowd at Factory. I seem to get better sightlines at Southside Ballroom. Of course, my favorite venue is the Kessler, and have really enjoyed seeing shows at the Texas Theatre as of late. A couple of shows at the Longhorn Ballroom have also been enjoyable. I don't know what a DAC is, so not an audiophile, but I do love listening to music. I'm 53 and used to drum in hair metal cover bands in the 80's/ 90's for reference.
I just purchased a Wiim Pro plus, into my Aiyima T9 pro. Speakers are Polk ES 50 tower with a PSW 10 sub. Sounds amazing!! I replaced my metal jumpers on my speakers with SKW jumpers and to my surprise made a BIG difference on my mids and highs. Thanks for the info.
Do you connect the Aiyima (amplifier?) to the output of the Wiim Pro? (DAC) or does the DAC go at the output of the amplifier? These strange gadgets are all new to me
Ordered a grey aluminum with blue J2 Socketed, no USB, sparco OP. Took a while to get it, but I was patient. I've had it for about 6 months. Sounds fantastic to me, has the inputs I need. Did I mention how fantastic it sounds. It sounds fantastic. :)
I have a very inexpensive Topping D10 USB powered dac.. when I output my Apple Music subscription into it it has the capability to play Hi-Res audio into my stereo.. for 9.95 a month, that’s pretty damn good and it sounds flipping great- but I rarely stream music. I spend so much time playing vinyl and CDs. I usually only stream to investigate certain albums that I might be interested in buying or I stream when we have a small get together and I don’t wanna spend a lot of time flipping LPs or changing CDs. The D10 sounds frikin awesome. I remember buying it for about 60 bucks. The dac chip can be swapped out with other chips (a hack I haven’t investigated).
I learned the hard way, if you are going to be standing on a concrete floor for any length of time, get some of those shoes nurses wear during their 12-hour shifts. I believe Hoka is one brand they love and saves a lot of wear and tear (and pain) on their feet and legs.
Just bought a audiophonics Sabre-EVO and it's super super nice, love it! Easy integration into every streaming service (AirPlay as well), network sharing and accessing local files.
I just wish Amazon would open up spatial atmos audio to more devices. It seems like they've done the hard part - getting the atmos mixes in their database. Just let me pass the audio to my receiver!
OK, I finally took the plunge and bought a DAC. I bought an SMSL SU1 for $80 on Amazon. I plugged it in, between my kitchen radio (it has better sound than you would expect) and the little hockey puck WIIM streamer. I was actually skeptical I would even hear the difference. But OMG WOW! The tunes are so clear, so vivid! The music comes alive! Its amazing. A whole new world for me to enjoy. I immediately ordered 2 more SU1s. I'll need a DAC for my living room stereo of course (it has the best audio but gets the least use). And I need a DAC for my smart TV, which has always sounded pretty dead, in spite of me trying various half decent audio systems with it.
I’m a fan of quality but not at the cost of diminishing returns. I go with the keep it clean and simple method. JDS Labs Element III Mark 2 & Hifiman Sundara cans + the LosslessSwitcher App for MacOS for bit-perfect. Done and done.
Odd to see many folk still like going to see bands just to stand & point their high-held mobile cam's at them, rather than "getting into" the musical experience of live music for it's own sake & regaurdless of the numbing arm'aching shake & not being able to see the cam's view screen, so they've successfully confirmed that they at least tried to film it. luckily, we all know how superb & unmissable those mobile movies are of head's rears, many other high held mobiles & blurry stages with some movement going on. I always look in wonder at friends or colleague's results, wondering what the hell I'm supposed to be looking at & why they bothered to pay to capture that mess on their screen
I don't have a lot of DACs to compare besides stuff inside DVD players but I have been very happy with the Modi+. It is easy to hook up multiple devices and everything just works through USB. Mac, PC, Android, Raspberry Pi. It all just works. Very happy with this DAC.
I don’t buy dedicated DACs. My Marantz built in DAC via HEOS does 24/192 streaming and virtually indistinguishable from dedicated DAC costing thousands.
Question? Also open to your viewers...I am running a Cambridge AXR85 thru klipsch rp-600m. My input source is media computer attached via optical port playing primarily video streaming services TH-cam, Netflix ect. Is an external DCA needed? The Cambridge has an onboard DAC and it is the most amazing sounding system I have ever owned.
Thx to your video I ended up buying a USB-C to Toslink SPDIF Adapter and run an optical line from my Mac Mini to the SMSL SU1 DAC and into my Rotel RC-850>RB850 preamp/power amp combination, driving Celestion Ditton 3 speakers. For my purposes it sounds great. Thank you for making this easy to decide. I was already fretting over having to buy an Eversolo or somthing along those lines but that would have been stupid. And if one day I decide I need even better sound I can get a higher quality DAC but I think that probably the gains become so marginal that it's hard to tell the difference. Btw: I have been a music producer for 20 yrs and an audio engineer but abandoned the game 10+ yrs ago. My ears still do work though. ;-P
I'm rocking a Drop+Grace SDAC to Drop THXAAA789 headphone amp. If I am on the move, a simple Fiio Aspen 2 is all I need. Learned about the world of good DACs when I got into Clarion car audio gear in the 90s. Ever since, gimme good DACS....
I have a chord Dac, Rob Watts is Digital God, his bespoke programming sets them apart from the croud, wonder what he could do with latest Apple designed RISC ( reduced instruction set chips) low power consumption chips, they are so powerful and have revolutionised the computer and tablet market, could be the same with audio.
I did not pick up how I'm wasting my Apple music sub. in not having a DAC? (this was the clickbait headline, after all) I just saw reviews for, well, DACs. What are the advertised DACs doing that the D/A converter in my Apple Studio computer is not doing? Please advise...
DUDE!!!! I just got the SMSL SU-1, 79$, I needed another DAC cuz I have a SchiTT Vali2 with a Modi. It was not acting great with ROON. I have to tell you, you are so right. I hooked my SVS prime Wireless' using RCA output. Oh yea so good. Thank you much. keep up the great work.
Thank you for the video. This set-up in my living room is pretty good with sound staging, accurate sound, and powerful enough to bring out all the details even in low, night-quiet listening: My set-up: PC FLAC files USB input(16,24 bit 192 KHz) Topping D90 DAC SMSL AO 200 MkII Int. Amp. Kef R3 Bookshelf speakers Rel 1003 MKII Subwoofer XLR connections (L and R) Direct (No EQ tweaks) input
So, I bought the SMSL m300se the day your video dropped, when the price was $105. Great deal. BUT, I've had a few issues with the unit. The single-ended side doesn't output, and when I bought the Schiit Midgard for more power to my hungry planars, i never got them to work together. So, I bought the Modius to match the Midgard. Now I'm scared to hook them up just to find they don't work for me because I'm old and ignorant.
I don’t think you’ve done a review on the Chord Mojo2 - I would be really interested what you think of it, maybe in comparison with the Geschelli labs J2.
I love my iFi Zen Blue V2. I prefer vinyl but it’s great to preview a record I’m considering buying. Sounds almost like I’m spinning vinyl. At first I wasn’t impressed, until I realized I should set my Spotify playback to the highest quality. And wah lah! Beautiful. Why do I need a remote control when I simply use my phone?
@cheapaudioman I’ve got the eversolo z8…. VERY impressed. I’ll be taking it to my local hifi dealer I’ve used the last 20 years… They want to test it.and I want to see how it links to ultra hi-end shop stuff 👌
I'll take a look at the SMSL M300SE. For that price, it looks good. I have a Modi 3 and as much as I like the sound quality, I was let down by Schiit customer care and the quality of the DAC. This $100 DAC cost me an extra $30 having to send it back twice for a faulty motherboard.
Love your show, and I think you’re the right guy to make this request to! Would it be possible for you to run through the mysteries of dacs and other components, maybe with cartoons to illustrate? Eg: the path of a source signal through an amp, dac and speaker, and what happens if the amp itself and/or other components have inbuilt dacs already? You might also mention pre-amps, power amps, streamers, bi-wiring, phono inputs, styliiii etc and demystify for the common man? Just a thought. 😊
I was just using the DAC in my avr and I have a Dayton that 200 hybrid and the DAC in that I don't think is very good so I ended up getting smsl su 1 and it sounds really good I don't need a remote control because I control the volume on everything else. I don't think I will ever buy anything else it gets better reviews than smsl more expensive dacs .
Eversolo = China, Geshelli = USA Both at the 7 to 800 range , so Quality is in exchange for VU meters and electronic display IMO. I Like the old-school look. Cmon 200k!
Still rocking two Schiit Modi DACs, the 3+ and 3E. Waiting to figure out what DAC to get in my living room. Leaning towards a Denafrips Ares 12th or maybe Gustard R26. Decisions, decisions. Or heck, the Schiit Bifrost 2/64 (maybe). SMSL has come a long way though. They figured out a little before Topping that people wanted a full-bodied sound, not something thin and analytical sounding.
Honestly I heard some other reviews about the smsl su 1 sounding better than their more expensive ones so I bought one and got a tidal masters subscription for mqa and it's huge upgrade and btw Sevendust is a totally underrated band .
So I currently have the Modi + and like it very much. I mainly use it with a wiim mini to stream music to my vintage receiver and speakers. My next upgrade I wanted to get a J2 DAC. Is it worth it to get the regular AKM, or should I save up a bit more and get the 4499 to hear a bigger difference? Thanks.
Randy has said that the 4499 is a big upgrade in terms of sound quality. Lachlan at Passion for Sound thinks so as well. For a great detailed breakdown of the various J2 configurations, take the time to listen to his post, "GOOD news, BAD news: Geshelli J2 DAC and new AK4499EX version". It is very helpful.
How exactly do you use that thing? What do you connect as the input and what as an output? Your CD player, smartphone or computer? The output is an amplifier or headphones or the speakers? Help and Thank You. I would like a DAC or mini amp for an old Sony discman or if not to a modern Oppo A78 smartphone. Thank You again
Your source, such as your discman or phone, connects to the Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC). The DAC converts the raw digital data into analogue signals that your amplifier or if you have active (ie, with an amplifier built in) speaker, can understand. The advantage is that many, if not all external DACs are probably better quality than the one built into your phone or CD/DVD player. No criticism of your devices - space, limited power budgets and usual use cases for them mean that designers are limited as to what they can do To get the full benefit you need a decent amp and speaker too, of course. Also, make sure your discman has a digital out - if it has one it'll probably be optical - budget for an optical cable for it. Needn’t be expensive. I picked up a stack of them for a few Australian dollars apiece.
I’ve use an Allo Boss2 for almost two years and simply love it. Sadly it seems COVID put Allo out of business as everything in their website is “Out of Stock”.
I have the iFi Zen Blue V2 running into my Denon A/V Receiver. That is how I stream my Spotify music. Also have a Denon CD player, and a Fluance turntable. DAC’s have me thoroughly confused. I see all these videos of people using them all the while having nice equipment too. I just don’t understand the need for one. With what I have what could I do differently and better with one of these DAC’s that cost 1/4 the price of my receiver? Is there any improvement to be had? I think I need to see a good thorough video for DAC’s for us that just don’t know enough about them and how to utilize one.
I just bought a Topping E50. It worked for less than two hours before sending the "d-3" unit is defective code. It goes back tomorrow and I will not be getting another. I decided to go with the Emotiva entry-level pre-amp which has a DAC built in. I might get a Modi for the upstairs listening system as I don't need a remote.
Vinyl is by far better sounding in my stereo setup, more dynamic and bigger sound and more base, i use tidal with a bluesound node also but the sound is more flat and not as open as vinyl. My vinyl setup is Thorens TD1500 and Hegel V10 with Hegel H190.
Ok I have a question so please forgive my ignorance on this subject. I have a little Bravo Audi Ocean headphone amp for listening to my iTunes library. The amp is a single tube amp. My headphones actually sound pretty good with this setup. But what I want to know is, will adding a DAC to this setup improve the sound performance? If so how do you connect a DAC between iPhone and amp? And what do you use to connect the phone to the DAC? Keep in mind I have wired headphones . Any advice is appreciated and thank you in advance.
I built my own 😊 Raspberry Pi4 4gb. HiFiBerry digi2 Pro for coax output Volumio software (free) Which houses a 256gb MicroSD to hold my personal CD > Flac7 files. Fully supports casting. Nice little metal case. Benefits? My device will probably get software updates for years!
Well I just tried using my IPhone 15 Pro connected to my Denafrips DAC using USB connect. To my surprise the results are astonishing V using an Apple adaptor with older lightning IPhones or Mac Mini with USB. I wouldn’t even think of using any streamer using Airplay.
Had the Schitt it failed at less than thirty days. Sadly. It sounded pretty good when paired with Wiim pro. Now just using the Wiim until I can find the dac I am looking for.
I have 2 setups. one is Mac to denafrips DDC then to denafrips DAC then to Muscians headphone AMP. the other is a Eversolo a6me to a denafrips DAC then to Musicians Headphone AMP. use Apple Music and Tidal on each. Both sound the same... irony is the only time I can perceive a difference is depending on the usb cable from the Mac and Eversolo to the denafrips. all those ess and akm dacs over the years all were either sold or are in a drawer. just buy something that is going to be good. that simple. over the years everyones hearing gets worse naturally.
I did a side by side with the Topping E50 & the Schiit Modi ( latest one ), Couldnt tell a ton different but really dug the Schiit. Kept the Schiit and sent the topping back, I didnt need a remote or the added features. Im really starting to dig the Schiit gear and look fwd to listening to more of their products. As for that Geshali J2 its on my radar, in a wood case it just looks so awesome. Keep up the great videos Randy!
If you could barely tell the difference between the Modi+ and the E50, then stick with the Modi+ and save your money. If you upgrade your system, then you could revisit a DAC upgrade, but right now, your money could be used more appropriately elsewhere.
Yeah I really couldnt tell much of a diff and I went back and fourth a few times. Now mind you I was only feeding them from the Airport Express which is limited to cd quality... Airport vs External DAC was noticable.. Just Topping vs Schiit was hard to tell a diff and I am using pretty damn good speakers and gear ( Hafler Amp / ADS Speakers / Marantz Preamp ). @@shipsahoy1793
You missed the Fiio K7. Outstanding headphone dac/amp. Sounds much closer to something to the $500 price range and its only $200. Cant go wrong. You really cant, you just cant go wrong.
How are these DACs going to be better than a tiny $25 DAC from Amazon (24/96)? I have a great analog setup to which this DAC is connected and I don't hear any issues with it, yet I might not know what I'm missing while focusing on my vinyl records and reel-to-reel tapes. 🤷♂️
I see their store the J2 there’s a J2?Socketed. What’s the difference between this and non-socketed? I don’t see the op amps you mentioned Randy. Sorry. This is much more affordable than the denafrips. If my wiim pro had usb outs then the $50 usb option would be great. I’m interested To answer my own question: The J2 Socketed version will have 3x 8pin DIP sockets available on the board. This will allow you to swap out the opamps with the Sparkos 3602, or any of your favorite chips.
No remote control is not the same as no volume level control. The Bifrost has a remote and still does not have volume level control. Schiit has the sys passive preamp that I use for cheap volume control and switching.
I hope you limit your attendance to live rock concerts. After a few years you won't have any hearing over 5K to 10K Hz. On the other hand, you could then audition speakers with lousy tweeters and not notice anything wrong!
I picked up the Emotiva Big Ego + USB DAC for $80. I plug my HiFi Man Sundara head phones into the head phone out put for a very nice result. I wish you would compare it to all the other low price DACS you review.
I'll be honest, I'm pretty happy with my chromecast audio. It was like, $15 when I got it (since it wasn't a commercial success) and it honestly sounds great. That's hooked up to my rather lazy amp situation I have for my living room. When set to the "big speakers" mode or whatever the not limited range setting is on it, it actually sounds great lol. I'll probably just upgrade to an actual AVR or something next. My PC is also hooked up to my home theater setup, so it'll be nice to have something a bit beefier than my SMSL SA-60 from like 10 years ago too, but honestly, it's still fine for what it is. I don't really have a use-case for my Fiio e10k anymore as I rarely use headphones on my PC, but that was also pretty decent too lol.
I still use my Pioneer Elite SC-25, although it is a little long-in-the-tooth, but fills a niche in my sonic pleasure. If your Pioneer still does it's duty, it may not be necessary to change it, but perhaps look at changing speakers first, imo.
No idea why I need a DAC? lol but man, since I started this Cheap "audiophile" journey, I notice so many metal tracks sound terrible on my system and I really like metal...
Yamaha for metal. The loudness knob works wonders for metal. I found a Schiit Modi DAC makes the bass snappier. I use CD mostly though. Some metal, like early anthrax, just isn't well recorded.
I just connected an SMSL-SU1 to my Apple TV via the optical cable, connected to my Pioneer VSX-824. I noticed that when changing the audio source from the HDMI input (Apple TV) to analog input (Apple TV through the SMSL DAC) the volume drops by 5 to 8 decibels. Is this normal?
Was the Apple bashing headline really necessary? Would love to get the Emotiva when I get the media room sorted. Perfect solution I think for all my needs. Also love a good Schiitt.
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Thanks for your review....always informative and well paced. Re your title, Apple Music , I have using my iPhone cabled to the Apple Audio/ video adaptor linked to my Marantz SR 6015 I am using the internal DAC (PCM1502A DAC ). Wondering if you could shed light on significant improvements with one of the DACs recommended here?
Thanks for fantastic video
useless title. do you have to do that?
@@donstoob one of my most popular videos. Thanks for watching.
I still listen to AM radio. As a side note, I have purchased many DAC's and because I hear so little difference in each, without buying more, I am happy with the Schitt. Sometimes, less is just enough. Enjoy all.
AM is magic.
I have a 1936 Silvertone that belonged to my grandparents and I listen to sports talk radio on it. I have a 1940 RCA Victor, a 1942 Silvertone and a 1947 Silvertone. They all work.
@@timharbert7145 There is something calming about it, especially through a mono speaker in my Dad's 1977 GMC truck.
@@chungang7037"Sometimes less is more" seems to ring truer and truer with each passing year.
@@chungang7037as a kid growing up in Nebraska, id pickup WLS AM out of Chicago late at night. Also CBC out of somewhere Canada. Just fueled my dreams of seeing the world. Streaming feeds just ain't the same.
Just finished watching the whole video and I don't even know what a DAC is! 👍👍👍
A streaming DAC is a box with electronics in it that acts as an audio source. It selects a specific stream of blocks of digital data transmitted as sets of ones and zeroes and coverts that stream into channels of analog signals that consist of continuously varying electrical voltages which, when fed into an amplifier, get linearly increased so that the amplified fluctuating voltages and current are strong enough to cause loudspeakers or headphones to reproduce the music or whatever sounds were encoded into the digital signal that went into the Digital Analog Converter, or "DAC."
I bought two Schiit Modi 3 DACS and I love them. In my opinion a DAC should be used as a DAC. It doesn't need a volume control or a remote or a headphone output. All of those can be found further down the audio chain.
I have an older Burson Audio DAC and it only has 2 sets of L/R outputs. USB/Coax/toslink in. It’s been on for 15 years except for power outages.
Fellow Dallasite here. First time watching your channel. It popped into my recommended feed tonight and the title grabbed me. I have seen a lot of shows at The Factory and the HOB. I prefer The Factory if I can get there early and be very close to the stage. At 5'6", it is a real pain to see over the crowd at Factory. I seem to get better sightlines at Southside Ballroom. Of course, my favorite venue is the Kessler, and have really enjoyed seeing shows at the Texas Theatre as of late. A couple of shows at the Longhorn Ballroom have also been enjoyable.
I don't know what a DAC is, so not an audiophile, but I do love listening to music. I'm 53 and used to drum in hair metal cover bands in the 80's/ 90's for reference.
Love the song by Dope that begins and ends with the word "die" Such a sweet and mellow tune.
I just purchased a Wiim Pro plus, into my Aiyima T9 pro. Speakers are Polk ES 50 tower with a PSW 10 sub. Sounds amazing!!
I replaced my metal jumpers on my speakers with SKW jumpers and to my surprise made a BIG difference on my mids and highs. Thanks for the info.
Do you connect the Aiyima (amplifier?) to the output of the Wiim Pro? (DAC) or does the DAC go at the output of the amplifier? These strange gadgets are all new to me
Ordered a grey aluminum with blue J2 Socketed, no USB, sparco OP. Took a while to get it, but I was patient. I've had it for about 6 months. Sounds fantastic to me, has the inputs I need. Did I mention how fantastic it sounds. It sounds fantastic. :)
I have a very inexpensive Topping D10 USB powered dac.. when I output my Apple Music subscription into it it has the capability to play Hi-Res audio into my stereo.. for 9.95 a month, that’s pretty damn good and it sounds flipping great- but I rarely stream music. I spend so much time playing vinyl and CDs. I usually only stream to investigate certain albums that I might be interested in buying or I stream when we have a small get together and I don’t wanna spend a lot of time flipping LPs or changing CDs. The D10 sounds frikin awesome. I remember buying it for about 60 bucks. The dac chip can be swapped out with other chips (a hack I haven’t investigated).
The built in DAC on my Yamaha A-S301 integrated amp seems to work very well.
I have a Schiit and a Geshelli DAC (one in my desktop system and one in my main system). I love them both!!! Great Video Randy!!! 👍👍👍
I have the SMSL…. From my TV to my Musical Fidelity amp. It works brilliantly 👍
I learned the hard way, if you are going to be standing on a concrete floor for any length of time, get some of those shoes nurses wear during their 12-hour shifts. I believe Hoka is one brand they love and saves a lot of wear and tear (and pain) on their feet and legs.
And the scrubs are quite comfy!
What part of this video was about ditching Apple Music?
Just bought a audiophonics Sabre-EVO and it's super super nice, love it!
Easy integration into every streaming service (AirPlay as well), network sharing and accessing local files.
We were in Dallas over spring visiting my son and daughter in bishop arts district.
I just wish Amazon would open up spatial atmos audio to more devices. It seems like they've done the hard part - getting the atmos mixes in their database. Just let me pass the audio to my receiver!
OK, I finally took the plunge and bought a DAC. I bought an SMSL SU1 for $80 on Amazon. I plugged it in, between my kitchen radio (it has better sound than you would expect) and the little hockey puck WIIM streamer. I was actually skeptical I would even hear the difference. But OMG WOW! The tunes are so clear, so vivid! The music comes alive! Its amazing. A whole new world for me to enjoy.
I immediately ordered 2 more SU1s. I'll need a DAC for my living room stereo of course (it has the best audio but gets the least use). And I need a DAC for my smart TV, which has always sounded pretty dead, in spite of me trying various half decent audio systems with it.
I’m a fan of quality but not at the cost of diminishing returns. I go with the keep it clean and simple method. JDS Labs Element III Mark 2 & Hifiman Sundara cans + the LosslessSwitcher App for MacOS for bit-perfect. Done and done.
Odd to see many folk still like going to see bands just to stand & point their high-held mobile cam's at them, rather than "getting into" the musical experience of live music for it's own sake & regaurdless of the numbing arm'aching shake & not being able to see the cam's view screen, so they've successfully confirmed that they at least tried to film it.
luckily, we all know how superb & unmissable those mobile movies are of head's rears, many other high held mobiles & blurry stages with some movement going on. I always look in wonder at friends or colleague's results, wondering what the hell I'm supposed to be looking at & why they bothered to pay to capture that mess on their screen
The gateway drug for me the WiiM Pro and SMSL-SU1
I don't have a lot of DACs to compare besides stuff inside DVD players but I have been very happy with the Modi+. It is easy to hook up multiple devices and everything just works through USB. Mac, PC, Android, Raspberry Pi. It all just works. Very happy with this DAC.
Just bought my first dac, chord mojo2 and love it.
I don’t buy dedicated DACs. My Marantz built in DAC via HEOS does 24/192 streaming and virtually indistinguishable from dedicated DAC costing thousands.
Question? Also open to your viewers...I am running a Cambridge AXR85 thru klipsch rp-600m. My input source is media computer attached via optical port playing primarily video streaming services TH-cam, Netflix ect. Is an external DCA needed? The Cambridge has an onboard DAC and it is the most amazing sounding system I have ever owned.
Thx to your video I ended up buying a USB-C to Toslink SPDIF Adapter and run an optical line from my Mac Mini to the SMSL SU1 DAC and into my Rotel RC-850>RB850 preamp/power amp combination, driving Celestion Ditton 3 speakers. For my purposes it sounds great. Thank you for making this easy to decide. I was already fretting over having to buy an Eversolo or somthing along those lines but that would have been stupid.
And if one day I decide I need even better sound I can get a higher quality DAC but I think that probably the gains become so marginal that it's hard to tell the difference.
Btw: I have been a music producer for 20 yrs and an audio engineer but abandoned the game 10+ yrs ago. My ears still do work though. ;-P
I'm rocking a Drop+Grace SDAC to Drop THXAAA789 headphone amp. If I am on the move, a simple Fiio Aspen 2 is all I need. Learned about the world of good DACs when I got into Clarion car audio gear in the 90s. Ever since, gimme good DACS....
Thanks for this Randy. The SMSL M300 seems right up my Alley. Greetings from Trinidad 🇹🇹
It was very important to me that my DAC not have any of the MQA BS in it. No royalty for the now defunct MQA.
I got a sound card Motu M2 on my MacBook Pro… Should I use a DAC instead?
I have a chord Dac, Rob Watts is Digital God, his bespoke programming sets them apart from the croud, wonder what he could do with latest Apple designed RISC ( reduced instruction set chips) low power consumption chips, they are so powerful and have revolutionised the computer and tablet market, could be the same with audio.
You're so right. I've bought two mojo 2s. Just so that I'm insured!
The Brits are not playing the chip game. Mojo 2 is chipless. Some quantum electron technology.
I did not pick up how I'm wasting my Apple music sub. in not having a DAC? (this was the clickbait headline, after all) I just saw reviews for, well, DACs. What are the advertised DACs doing that the D/A converter in my Apple Studio computer is not doing? Please advise...
Apple Music stuck at aac without external dac!
DUDE!!!! I just got the SMSL SU-1, 79$, I needed another DAC cuz I have a SchiTT Vali2 with a Modi. It was not acting great with ROON. I have to tell you, you are so right. I hooked my SVS prime Wireless' using RCA output. Oh yea so good. Thank you much. keep up the great work.
Thank you for the video. This set-up in my living room is pretty good with sound staging, accurate sound, and powerful enough to bring out all the details even in low, night-quiet listening:
My set-up:
PC FLAC files USB input(16,24 bit 192 KHz)
Topping D90 DAC
SMSL AO 200 MkII Int. Amp.
Kef R3 Bookshelf speakers
Rel 1003 MKII Subwoofer
XLR connections (L and R)
Direct (No EQ tweaks) input
How can these DACS compare to DACS in receivers? Is there any kind of list or standards to compare to?
The Factory in Dallas in Deep Ellum rocks. Parking tough and homeless yes but the venue itself great.
Aune S8 magic dac you can swap Op Amps about $350
I really should’ve checked out this channel before ordering a DAC.
Great channel! Thank you for all your experience and referrals!
So, I bought the SMSL m300se the day your video dropped, when the price was $105. Great deal. BUT, I've had a few issues with the unit. The single-ended side doesn't output, and when I bought the Schiit Midgard for more power to my hungry planars, i never got them to work together. So, I bought the Modius to match the Midgard. Now I'm scared to hook them up just to find they don't work for me because I'm old and ignorant.
Yes, I understand voice loss, great deal Randy
I don’t think you’ve done a review on the Chord Mojo2 - I would be really interested what you think of it, maybe in comparison with the Geschelli labs J2.
I love my iFi Zen Blue V2. I prefer vinyl but it’s great to preview a record I’m considering buying. Sounds almost like I’m spinning vinyl. At first I wasn’t impressed, until I realized I should set my Spotify playback to the highest quality. And wah lah! Beautiful. Why do I need a remote control when I simply use my phone?
I'm in the DAC debacle as well. I need this great information. thank you
@cheapaudioman I’ve got the eversolo z8…. VERY impressed. I’ll be taking it to my local hifi dealer I’ve used the last 20 years… They want to test it.and I want to see how it links to ultra hi-end shop stuff 👌
I'll take a look at the SMSL M300SE. For that price, it looks good. I have a Modi 3 and as much as I like the sound quality, I was let down by Schiit customer care and the quality of the DAC. This $100 DAC cost me an extra $30 having to send it back twice for a faulty motherboard.
Do I even need an external DAC when I have the Buchardt Audio I150 Integrated amp that has a built in Sabre ES9028 Pro DAC?
Thanks for the comparisons of DACs. Also like the discussion on chip sets. You have guided me for my first standalone DAC.
Glad to help!
Love your show, and I think you’re the right guy to make this request to!
Would it be possible for you to run through the mysteries of dacs and other components, maybe with cartoons to illustrate? Eg: the path of a source signal through an amp, dac and speaker, and what happens if the amp itself and/or other components have inbuilt dacs already? You might also mention pre-amps, power amps, streamers, bi-wiring, phono inputs, styliiii etc and demystify for the common man?
Just a thought. 😊
yeah this. i dont know if i need an external DAC if my integrated has one already.
I was just using the DAC in my avr and I have a Dayton that 200 hybrid and the DAC in that I don't think is very good so I ended up getting smsl su 1 and it sounds really good I don't need a remote control because I control the volume on everything else. I don't think I will ever buy anything else it gets better reviews than smsl more expensive dacs .
Eversolo = China, Geshelli = USA Both at the 7 to 800 range , so Quality is in exchange for VU meters and electronic display IMO. I Like the old-school look.
Cmon 200k!
Still rocking two Schiit Modi DACs, the 3+ and 3E. Waiting to figure out what DAC to get in my living room. Leaning towards a Denafrips Ares 12th or maybe Gustard R26. Decisions, decisions. Or heck, the Schiit Bifrost 2/64 (maybe). SMSL has come a long way though. They figured out a little before Topping that people wanted a full-bodied sound, not something thin and analytical sounding.
The Bifrost 2/64 rocks. But the Modi Multibit 2 is no slouch.
@@riffraff9000 100% agree. The MM 2 is sonically very close to the Bifrost.
@@ChicagoRob2sounds like the MM 2 is a bargain then in its price category.
I just brought the Fiio K5 Pro. Excellent DAC with the added bonus of Line In so I run my turntable thru it.
Yup got the same Fiio K5 pro ess on sale for 85 bucks from aliexpress. Still waiting for it to arrive, probably in 3 days.
Honestly I heard some other reviews about the smsl su 1 sounding better than their more expensive ones so I bought one and got a tidal masters subscription for mqa and it's huge upgrade and btw Sevendust is a totally underrated band .
So I currently have the Modi + and like it very much. I mainly use it with a wiim mini to stream music to my vintage receiver and speakers. My next upgrade I wanted to get a J2 DAC. Is it worth it to get the regular AKM, or should I save up a bit more and get the 4499 to hear a bigger difference? Thanks.
Randy has said that the 4499 is a big upgrade in terms of sound quality. Lachlan at Passion for Sound thinks so as well. For a great detailed breakdown of the various J2 configurations, take the time to listen to his post, "GOOD news, BAD news: Geshelli J2 DAC and new AK4499EX version". It is very helpful.
I use a Ifi Signature One, very impressive with Bluetooth.
How exactly do you use that thing? What do you connect as the input and what as an output? Your CD player, smartphone or computer? The output is an amplifier or headphones or the speakers? Help and Thank You. I would like a DAC or mini amp for an old Sony discman or if not to a modern Oppo A78 smartphone. Thank You again
Your source, such as your discman or phone, connects to the Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC). The DAC converts the raw digital data into analogue signals that your amplifier or if you have active (ie, with an amplifier built in) speaker, can understand.
The advantage is that many, if not all external DACs are probably better quality than the one built into your phone or CD/DVD player. No criticism of your devices - space, limited power budgets and usual use cases for them mean that designers are limited as to what they can do
To get the full benefit you need a decent amp and speaker too, of course. Also, make sure your discman has a digital out - if it has one it'll probably be optical - budget for an optical cable for it. Needn’t be expensive. I picked up a stack of them for a few Australian dollars apiece.
I saw Static-X and Dope at the Vogue in Indy. Great show!!
Rock shows are always worth any cost. Rock on, dude! Still trying to decide on my first DAC, so I'm here to stay. Your my new audio guru.
I’ve use an Allo Boss2 for almost two years and simply love it. Sadly it seems COVID put Allo out of business as everything in their website is “Out of Stock”.
What is a DAC? How does it replace streaming music. Still unclear and confused?
I have the iFi Zen Blue V2 running into my Denon A/V Receiver. That is how I stream my Spotify music. Also have a Denon CD player, and a Fluance turntable. DAC’s have me thoroughly confused. I see all these videos of people using them all the while having nice equipment too. I just don’t understand the need for one. With what I have what could I do differently and better with one of these DAC’s that cost 1/4 the price of my receiver? Is there any improvement to be had? I think I need to see a good thorough video for DAC’s for us that just don’t know enough about them and how to utilize one.
I just bought a Topping E50. It worked for less than two hours before sending the "d-3" unit is defective code. It goes back tomorrow and I will not be getting another. I decided to go with the Emotiva entry-level pre-amp which has a DAC built in. I might get a Modi for the upstairs listening system as I don't need a remote.
Wiim Mini x SMSL SU-1 combo for $170. Killing the value streaming game.
I have the wiim mini and was thinking about pairing it with the SMSL SU-1 but wasn’t sure since i can have it all with the wiim pro plus for $40 more.
Vinyl is by far better sounding in my stereo setup, more dynamic and bigger sound and more base, i use tidal with a bluesound node also but the sound is more flat and not as open as vinyl.
My vinyl setup is Thorens TD1500 and Hegel V10 with Hegel H190.
How about CD?
Thanks
Ok I have a question so please forgive my ignorance on this subject. I have a little Bravo Audi Ocean headphone amp for listening to my iTunes library. The amp is a single tube amp. My headphones actually sound pretty good with this setup. But what I want to know is, will adding a DAC to this setup improve the sound performance? If so how do you connect a DAC between iPhone and amp? And what do you use to connect the phone to the DAC? Keep in mind I have wired headphones . Any advice is appreciated and thank you in advance.
This solved my problem. Thx so much.
I built my own 😊
Raspberry Pi4 4gb.
HiFiBerry digi2 Pro for coax output
Volumio software (free)
Which houses a 256gb MicroSD to hold my personal CD > Flac7 files.
Fully supports casting.
Nice little metal case.
Benefits? My device will probably get software updates for years!
Is the dac in marantz sr8015 as good as a stand alone dac? Is there any advantage listing through a dedicated dac then the dac that's built into a AVR
How’s a DAC different / same than a Streamer? If you do use Apple Music or Spotify etc does a DAC or streamer give better product?
Well I just tried using my IPhone 15 Pro connected to my Denafrips DAC using USB connect. To my surprise the results are astonishing V using an Apple adaptor with older lightning IPhones or Mac Mini with USB. I wouldn’t even think of using any streamer using Airplay.
Had the Schitt it failed at less than thirty days. Sadly. It sounded pretty good when paired with Wiim pro. Now just using the Wiim until I can find the dac I am looking for.
I have 2 setups. one is Mac to denafrips DDC then to denafrips DAC then to Muscians headphone AMP. the other is a Eversolo a6me to a denafrips DAC then to Musicians Headphone AMP. use Apple Music and Tidal on each. Both sound the same... irony is the only time I can perceive a difference is depending on the usb cable from the Mac and Eversolo to the denafrips. all those ess and akm dacs over the years all were either sold or are in a drawer. just buy something that is going to be good. that simple. over the years everyones hearing gets worse naturally.
I did a side by side with the Topping E50 & the Schiit Modi ( latest one ), Couldnt tell a ton different but really dug the Schiit. Kept the Schiit and sent the topping back, I didnt need a remote or the added features. Im really starting to dig the Schiit gear and look fwd to listening to more of their products. As for that Geshali J2 its on my radar, in a wood case it just looks so awesome. Keep up the great videos Randy!
The Modi+ is really solid. I love my AK J2 with sparkos opamp and Ifi power supply. If you like the Modi, you'll really like the J2.
If you could barely tell the difference between the Modi+ and the E50, then stick with the Modi+ and save your money. If you upgrade your system, then you could revisit a DAC upgrade, but right now, your money could be used more appropriately elsewhere.
Cant wait to try a J2 @@leodesforges161
Yeah I really couldnt tell much of a diff and I went back and fourth a few times. Now mind you I was only feeding them from the Airport Express which is limited to cd quality... Airport vs External DAC was noticable.. Just Topping vs Schiit was hard to tell a diff and I am using pretty damn good speakers and gear ( Hafler Amp / ADS Speakers / Marantz Preamp ).
@@shipsahoy1793
The Modi + is very good. It has excellent detail and is not harsh in any way. I’ve had all of the Modi iterations and the Modi + is the best, by far.
Great info, Randy. Thanks for the video!
You missed the Fiio K7. Outstanding headphone dac/amp. Sounds much closer to something to the $500 price range and its only $200. Cant go wrong. You really cant, you just cant go wrong.
I bought a HiBy F4 dac because wanted something portable.
How are these DACs going to be better than a tiny $25 DAC from Amazon (24/96)? I have a great analog setup to which this DAC is connected and I don't hear any issues with it, yet I might not know what I'm missing while focusing on my vinyl records and reel-to-reel tapes. 🤷♂️
I see their store the J2 there’s a J2?Socketed. What’s the difference between this and non-socketed? I don’t see the op amps you mentioned Randy. Sorry. This is much more affordable than the denafrips. If my wiim pro had usb outs then the $50 usb option would be great. I’m interested
To answer my own question:
The J2 Socketed version will have 3x 8pin DIP sockets available on the board. This will allow you to swap out the opamps with the Sparkos 3602, or any of your favorite chips.
I'm trying to understand why this "Stop Wasting Your Apple Music subscription!" was in your description of this video?
Probably because they have lossless audio and Spatial Audio and a good DAC brings that detail to life ?
@@MrProfchaos71would be nice if he even made a brief mention of this fact to people who are new to audio stuff and trying to learn 🤔
They also have Hi-Res up to 24-bit/192 kHz.
@@markymo32 So you would CLICK! 😈🫵
I think he meant to say “don’t under utilize your Apple Music subscription”
No remote control is not the same as no volume level control. The Bifrost has a remote and still does not have volume level control. Schiit has the sys passive preamp that I use for cheap volume control and switching.
I hope you limit your attendance to live rock concerts. After a few years you won't have any hearing over 5K to 10K Hz. On the other hand, you could then audition speakers with lousy tweeters and not notice anything wrong!
I wear hearing protection
I picked up the Emotiva Big Ego + USB DAC for $80. I plug my HiFi Man Sundara head phones into the head phone out put for a very nice result. I wish you would compare it to all the other low price DACS you review.
I'll be honest, I'm pretty happy with my chromecast audio. It was like, $15 when I got it (since it wasn't a commercial success) and it honestly sounds great. That's hooked up to my rather lazy amp situation I have for my living room. When set to the "big speakers" mode or whatever the not limited range setting is on it, it actually sounds great lol.
I'll probably just upgrade to an actual AVR or something next. My PC is also hooked up to my home theater setup, so it'll be nice to have something a bit beefier than my SMSL SA-60 from like 10 years ago too, but honestly, it's still fine for what it is. I don't really have a use-case for my Fiio e10k anymore as I rarely use headphones on my PC, but that was also pretty decent too lol.
Congrats on 200,000!
Randomly fell on this video. Subscribed. The True Lies reference got me quick. 😆 And Sevendust > Static. Just saying.
I have an SMSL AO300 ('DAC + Power Amplifier') and Aaron AP3 (6 ohm speakers).
Do I still need the SU-1 ?
Please clarify.
Have a Pioneer 94 elite, it has a DAC, it sounds good, should I upgrade to a new one?
I still use my Pioneer Elite SC-25, although it is a little long-in-the-tooth, but fills a niche in my sonic pleasure. If your Pioneer still does it's duty, it may not be necessary to change it, but perhaps look at changing speakers first, imo.
@@Simon_Hawkshaw thanks
No idea why I need a DAC? lol but man, since I started this Cheap "audiophile" journey, I notice so many metal tracks sound terrible on my system and I really like metal...
Yamaha for metal. The loudness knob works wonders for metal. I found a Schiit Modi DAC makes the bass snappier. I use CD mostly though. Some metal, like early anthrax, just isn't well recorded.
The audio is first processed by the iPhone, so what use is the DAC. What am I missing here.
I got a smsl su9 with a old Parasound amp and pre amp and keff q100, it good
Have you tried hooking up the j2 to one of the nice receivers that uses dirac to see if that made much of a difference?
Newbie here - Q- I stream Apple Music via my Apple TV 4K and it sounds great. Will a DAC improve that, or is it only needed when playing via the PC?
Apple TV boxes currently don’t support Hi-Res Lossless, that is it doesn’t go beyond a 24-bit 48Khz sample rate.
What about the ones built into the receiver?
Demonstrate an audible difference between DACs empirically that isn't like 60 dB down from the signal level and I will consider it.
…meanwhile everyone else is just having a good time enjoying their music
New sub here and excited to be on our near one of your 200K subscribers! 🎉
In True Lies line was : “Battery Aziz” 😀
I really appreciate the exploding man in the intro…bravo😄
I just connected an SMSL-SU1 to my Apple TV via the optical cable, connected to my Pioneer VSX-824. I noticed that when changing the audio source from the HDMI input (Apple TV) to analog input (Apple TV through the SMSL DAC) the volume drops by 5 to 8 decibels. Is this normal?
Was the Apple bashing headline really necessary?
Would love to get the Emotiva when I get the media room sorted. Perfect solution I think for all my needs.
Also love a good Schiitt.