TH-cam just recommended your channel. So glad, I've watched several & Amp reviews and apart from fantastic detail info, real world and your comedic style is fantastic..... "TH-cam make sure you promote this channel. Its the best at present. "
I bought SH-6 after this review 2 years ago and I still use it for preamp and headamp as daily driver. The sound character is spot on as described and I like it very much. It is an excellent match with my budget dual PCM1794 DAC which is highly dynamic too.
Sir, thank you for your very informative videos - so many videos out there, it becomes confusing, but you keep it simple and detailed - greetings from Philippines
I did in fact sell my E30 for the SU-6 :D Not that I had anything to complain about sound-wise, but the E30's (auto)standby function was very inconvenient in combination with smart sockets to control the power to my setup. The SMSL SU-6 on the other hand just powers on completely as soon as I turn on the power. I didn't do an A/B comparison, but the SMSL sounds at least as good and indeed has a little more body to it - a nice bonus in my opinion.
TY! Great review! Thank I will buy the SMSL SH-6, and the Topping E50. I don't really need them...but, my OCD pushes me to get them...LOL! I have about 10 headphone amps, and 8 DACs. What can I say? I'm a collector! At least I am pointed in the right direction getting quality products. I am never disappointed in buying my tech toys...However, I do have a couple Loxjie D20s (Blue and Red) that may have been bad buying decisions. I paid 150 US for each of them. At least I wasn't one of the first that paid 280 US each for them. We live, and learn. TY again for your reviews, and your experiences! Helps!
A few years ago I bought the Sennheiser HD660s. Heard them in a showroom with a Dave. Was told it would be fine with the iPhone 6s plus. It worked but sound was lackluster. At time the ifi nano black was out and recommended by other reviewers. With no way to hear, I bought. To say underwhelmed would be an overstatement (iPhone and laptop drove but didn't make the headphones sparkle). Recently needed to change things up and connect my Xbox. Ifi dac/ amp nor laptop would cater to that so on the basis of this and a couple of other reviews I bought the stack. WOW. The 660s all of a sudden have depth and bass. Its like listening to completely different and better headphones. Looking forward t obuying a new set of cans to just enjoy the music again.
Which PCM filter of SU-6 is the most balanced? I just bought it and I m very excited about his function, it's truly amazing with my SMSL DA-9, I trusted you at the review of amps, connected to my desktop pc. Thanks in advance, I think you re the most valuable reviewer! Big hi 5 from Athens-Greece
Hi Srboljub. I hope you are fine .I am about to purchase a dac under 200 euros.Is the SMSL -SU 6 noticeably better than the TOPPING E 30 [ the latter attached to a power bank]? do you recommend any other alternative ?
I know this is an older video, but was thinking of purchasing the SH-6 to add some power to an Ifi Zen Dac I have to bring more life to a pair of DCA Aeon 2 Noire's. Wondering what your thoughts might be on the Zen Dac (as a Dac) in partnership with the SH-6?
Hi. Thanks for the review. In one video a person said that there is channel imbalance in this amp. In lower volume the left channel was louder on on high volume it was the right channel that was much louder. Have you noticed the same issue? Also he mentions that SH6 introduces some noise at low or high gain. Is it true? Thank you.
I owned Su-6 for 2 years, and now it has a problem with the sound, like a glitchy sound. I do not like any SMSL products now for their poor quality. I will recommend Topping over SMSL.
Hi, many thanks for your reviews. I was almost convinced about this stack until I interpreted (?) Su6 is a meh... dac. I got it right? If so, where can I look for a decent one with BT no so far from it's price? (Maybe 250us ay most). Is it comparable to Hidiz DH80s as usb dac?(maybe add a 50usTopping BT conversor to the chain) Thanks again.
SU-6 is just fine, there is nothing better up to 200USD that I've heard. If it came out as meh, it's just because I test a lot of products and I do get excited about the first product offering this kind of performance for the price, a little bit less excited about the second one that matches it... And just don't think that much about the rest. It doesn't mean that those aren't very good products, it's just the way it works. All that said. Feel free to purchase this stack as a whole cause it is really good. But if you want to up your game even further, consider FX-Audio DAC M1 and SH-6 combination. It's so good and incisive that it could be the end game for most.
@@iiWiReviews I appreciate so much your answer as I know you have not much time to answer all our questions. Just one more , su6 vs loxjie d30 sabre versión (I can get it for about 260us in my country) should I go for that? many thanks.
@@fernandofossaroli6779 I find they sound very very similar. If you don't need a headphone out on D30, then go for SU6 cause it should be cheaper. D30 is great all in one soulution.
@@iiWiReviews wow, I already have Loxjie A30 amplifier with passive speakers and wanted to improve the dac section and connect in between a Dilvpoetry T6 tube preamp with tonal controls. But if you think su6 is enough I Will go with this stack. Again, many thanks for your time. Go on with your superb job
Since you live in Europe, have you ever tried Regas DAC och DAC-R? I have the latter and I'm really interested to hear how it stands up against all those new cheap DACs that are coming out.
@@iiWiReviews it is pretty nice with double Wolson chips and oversized internal power supply. However it has some years on it now, only does 192/24 etc. It is very musical and was highly praised when it was released but with the all the development on digital music I am curious if it would be worth an upgrade to a cheaper DAC today. But we don't all have the privilege to be able to test all of the new DACs. That's why TH-cam reviewers are so handy 😄
Why I am wondering is... What if you combine the SU-6 with a better DAC than the SH-6? I think a good speakers amp/pre.amp like the SU-6 together with a decent DAc, could be the key for a power speakers based system. But as I mentioned un another video, I would like a comparasion to this stack with an audio high quality interface like the Motu M4 wher you get the combination to a DAC and also a speaker amp/pre-amp. I am using a more modest Yamaha AG06 and I think the result is really good.
Well yes, you can definitely combine this amp with an even better DAC. There's enough quality in the amp for that to be a reasonable choice. I'm thinking Topping E50 with low noise power supply, and SH-6... Most people could probably retire from upgrading anything after that.
I haven't tried that exact combination but generally speaking SU-1 is a better sounding DAC than SU-6... So I belive it should be slightly better when mixed with SH6 too.
I don't have it anymore with me so didn't compare them directly. That said, E50 is a better DAC in my opinion, especially when upgraded with a low noise power supply. But SH-6 is equally good amp as L50, and someone might even prefer it a bit due to its fuller tonality.
@@iiWiReviews Thanks for your kind response! I currently have the MK II, do you think it worth the upgrade to SU-6? Or do you recommend something higher ($400 max)?
@@iiWiReviews Thanks very much for response.Your TH-cam channel is for me the best for the amp/dac and as you said,Joshua for the headphones and you are expert and you know what you are talking about.See you next time.
@@iiWiReviews One more question please, sh6- su6 vs topping e30-l30 (just a quick compare like you did before it was more than enough for me,many thanks,i was thinking about schiit modi 3+ with schiit magni 3+ or vali 2+ or magnius becouse made in usa- my 3 weeks old Edifier s360db just faulty and I do not really tryst chinese brands but very difficult to buy any schiit product outside usa.
Meni su slali DHL-om, stiže brzo ali ide 30% carine i PDVa na cenu.... Plus fiksna DHL-ova špedicija na sve to 3200 din. Nije jeftino... Mada mislim da imaju i sporu opciju poštom, tu se možda provučeš bolje i svakako nema špedicije ali traje po mesec dana.
Hi. Purely as an amp how does the smsl sh 6 compare in raw power output with a Magni? Which of the two amps can deliver more power at 300 ohm for a headphone like a Sennheiser hd 650?
Well, I've only listened to the original DX3pro and was underwhelmed. More recently Topping EX5 proved to be a very solid performer but I prefer this combo to it, to be perfectly honest, and it's cheaper too. So not that eager to try DX3pro plus... But that's the trick, you never know which of these will brake the mold and be great bang for the buck... So maybe I skipped the one I shouldn't have. 🤔
@@iiWiReviews Well, I was actually thinking in terms of me being a cheapskate. The DX3 Pro+ measures very close to the EX5 and outdoes it in power output. On top of that, the DX3 Pro+ costs about $100 less than the EX5 and the stack you review in this video.
I wonder what would be a nice stack for IEM...I have a Fiio Q3 and I really love that little thing but I'm thinking about separate dac and amp combo for my Blessing2 and Timeless...✌️ 😁 ❤️
Srboljube molim te za preporuku do 300 evra (više neću podizati), (stack, ili dac\amp), pitao sam te za do 100, pa do 200 i hvala ti još jednom na brzim odgovorima. Поздрав Србољубе.
TH-cam just recommended your channel. So glad, I've watched several & Amp reviews and apart from fantastic detail info, real world and your comedic style is fantastic..... "TH-cam make sure you promote this channel. Its the best at present. "
I bought SH-6 after this review 2 years ago and I still use it for preamp and headamp as daily driver. The sound character is spot on as described and I like it very much. It is an excellent match with my budget dual PCM1794 DAC which is highly dynamic too.
Sir, thank you for your very informative videos - so many videos out there, it becomes confusing, but you keep it simple and detailed - greetings from Philippines
I love the more energetic presentation…kind of take it or leave it. A bit of sarcasm. I liked it.
I did in fact sell my E30 for the SU-6 :D
Not that I had anything to complain about sound-wise, but the E30's (auto)standby function was very inconvenient in combination with smart sockets to control the power to my setup. The SMSL SU-6 on the other hand just powers on completely as soon as I turn on the power.
I didn't do an A/B comparison, but the SMSL sounds at least as good and indeed has a little more body to it - a nice bonus in my opinion.
TY! Great review! Thank I will buy the SMSL SH-6, and the Topping E50. I don't really need them...but, my OCD pushes me to get them...LOL! I have about 10 headphone amps, and 8 DACs. What can I say? I'm a collector! At least I am pointed in the right direction getting quality products. I am never disappointed in buying my tech toys...However, I do have a couple Loxjie D20s (Blue and Red) that may have been bad buying decisions. I paid 150 US for each of them. At least I wasn't one of the first that paid 280 US each for them. We live, and learn. TY again for your reviews, and your experiences! Helps!
Great review 👌
Thank you! - And still waiting on your Topping D90SE review! :)
Great review bro.. thanks for helping me a lot to choose a good dac amp :)
A few years ago I bought the Sennheiser HD660s. Heard them in a showroom with a Dave. Was told it would be fine with the iPhone 6s plus. It worked but sound was lackluster. At time the ifi nano black was out and recommended by other reviewers. With no way to hear, I bought. To say underwhelmed would be an overstatement (iPhone and laptop drove but didn't make the headphones sparkle). Recently needed to change things up and connect my Xbox. Ifi dac/ amp nor laptop would cater to that so on the basis of this and a couple of other reviews I bought the stack. WOW. The 660s all of a sudden have depth and bass. Its like listening to completely different and better headphones. Looking forward t obuying a new set of cans to just enjoy the music again.
Which PCM filter of SU-6 is the most balanced?
I just bought it and I m very excited about his function, it's truly amazing with my SMSL DA-9, I trusted you at the review of amps, connected to my desktop pc.
Thanks in advance, I think you re the most valuable reviewer!
Big hi 5 from Athens-Greece
Can you review the AKM-based D-6 DAC and compare it with the SU-6, since both are priced at $169 ?
I always like your Dracula dark humor.
Hi Srboljub. I hope you are fine .I am about to purchase a dac under 200 euros.Is the SMSL -SU 6 noticeably better than the TOPPING E 30 [ the latter attached to a power bank]? do you recommend any other alternative ?
Thanks! Also eagerly waiting for the pa5 review :) Hope that you received it, also I write you thru site...sorin, waiting for reply. Thanks again!
I know this is an older video, but was thinking of purchasing the SH-6 to add some power to an Ifi Zen Dac I have to bring more life to a pair of DCA Aeon 2 Noire's. Wondering what your thoughts might be on the Zen Dac (as a Dac) in partnership with the SH-6?
Hi. Thanks for the review.
In one video a person said that there is channel imbalance in this amp. In lower volume the left channel was louder on on high volume it was the right channel that was much louder.
Have you noticed the same issue?
Also he mentions that SH6 introduces some noise at low or high gain.
Is it true?
Thank you.
Hi Buddy, as always your reviews are the best, can you please review Auris Blume pro , planning to buy one, lot of hype for this, thanks
How would you compare them to the E50/L50 from Topping?
did you put the Mojo 2 against your ares II? any balanced amp you know beat SH-6
I owned Su-6 for 2 years, and now it has a problem with the sound, like a glitchy sound. I do not like any SMSL products now for their poor quality. I will recommend Topping over SMSL.
Which will be better su6 or perhaps flamingo?
Hi, many thanks for your reviews. I was almost convinced about this stack until I interpreted (?) Su6 is a meh... dac. I got it right? If so, where can I look for a decent one with BT no so far from it's price? (Maybe 250us ay most). Is it comparable to Hidiz DH80s as usb dac?(maybe add a 50usTopping BT conversor to the chain) Thanks again.
SU-6 is just fine, there is nothing better up to 200USD that I've heard. If it came out as meh, it's just because I test a lot of products and I do get excited about the first product offering this kind of performance for the price, a little bit less excited about the second one that matches it... And just don't think that much about the rest. It doesn't mean that those aren't very good products, it's just the way it works.
All that said. Feel free to purchase this stack as a whole cause it is really good. But if you want to up your game even further, consider FX-Audio DAC M1 and SH-6 combination. It's so good and incisive that it could be the end game for most.
@@iiWiReviews I appreciate so much your answer as I know you have not much time to answer all our questions. Just one more , su6 vs loxjie d30 sabre versión (I can get it for about 260us in my country) should I go for that? many thanks.
@@fernandofossaroli6779 I find they sound very very similar. If you don't need a headphone out on D30, then go for SU6 cause it should be cheaper. D30 is great all in one soulution.
@@iiWiReviews wow, I already have Loxjie A30 amplifier with passive speakers and wanted to improve the dac section and connect in between a Dilvpoetry T6 tube preamp with tonal controls. But if you think su6 is enough I Will go with this stack. Again, many thanks for your time. Go on with your superb job
What would be an upgrade from the SH-6 with a similar sound signature and tonality, preferably with balanced input and output?
Thanx man, very helpful review. Btw, what can you say about Bluetooth part of this DAC?
Bluetooth is OK, but as usual less resolving than cable. I tried it shortly only and it worked fine, so can't say much about long term stability.
SMSL SU-6 vs D-6 which one should I choose?
Would the SH-6 / E50 combo be a good match taking best units from each brand？
Thankyou
SMSL SU-1 with SH-6, will those be a good combo? It seemed to me that would be.
It would be
Since you live in Europe, have you ever tried Regas DAC och DAC-R? I have the latter and I'm really interested to hear how it stands up against all those new cheap DACs that are coming out.
I haven't tried them. They're not that commonly find here amongst the audiophiles I know... but if I get the chance I'll definitely try them.
@@iiWiReviews it is pretty nice with double Wolson chips and oversized internal power supply. However it has some years on it now, only does 192/24 etc. It is very musical and was highly praised when it was released but with the all the development on digital music I am curious if it would be worth an upgrade to a cheaper DAC today. But we don't all have the privilege to be able to test all of the new DACs. That's why TH-cam reviewers are so handy 😄
Why I am wondering is...
What if you combine the SU-6 with a better DAC than the SH-6?
I think a good speakers amp/pre.amp like the SU-6 together with a decent DAc, could be the key for a power speakers based system.
But as I mentioned un another video, I would like a comparasion to this stack with an audio high quality interface like the Motu M4 wher you get the combination to a DAC and also a speaker amp/pre-amp.
I am using a more modest Yamaha AG06 and I think the result is really good.
Well yes, you can definitely combine this amp with an even better DAC. There's enough quality in the amp for that to be a reasonable choice. I'm thinking Topping E50 with low noise power supply, and SH-6... Most people could probably retire from upgrading anything after that.
Isn't the grounding cable also and mainly for safety?
So whats it like as a pre amp with speakers please?
Come on, man! Is a live song they sing! Dynamics, stage, instrument separation! Channel separation! 🤣🤣🤣 They don’t ask for iron scraps loooool
what do you think of combining the SH6 with the topping D10S?
It should sound really nice in my opinion.
it will look different. will look visually dumb no longer a stack.
How this amp compares to Pro-Ject S2 Digital sound signature? Is Pro-Ject still higher class?
I think this combination is better than S2. It has slightly more details but noticeably more power and dynamics.
@@iiWiReviews Thanks! 👍
So comparing this with the Loxje D30 DAC?
Similar tonality and quality of DAC sections...but SH-6 leaves D30's amp section behind.
Is SU-1 + SH-6 better sounding than SU-6 combined with SH-6?
I haven't tried that exact combination but generally speaking SU-1 is a better sounding DAC than SU-6... So I belive it should be slightly better when mixed with SH6 too.
@@iiWiReviewsbig thanks for the answer. i'm looking forward to get the SU-1 soon to try it out. great channel!
Hello!Do you think you can upgrade the loxjie D30 V2'amp with the SH6?
Yes I do think that. Loxjie D30 is a better DAC than it is an amp.
@@iiWiReviews thanks a lot.
Could de SH-6 be used as a pre-amp for a power amplifier?
Yes it could with its preamp function and RCA outs.
How would this stack compare to the topping L50/E50 stack?
I don't have it anymore with me so didn't compare them directly. That said, E50 is a better DAC in my opinion, especially when upgraded with a low noise power supply. But SH-6 is equally good amp as L50, and someone might even prefer it a bit due to its fuller tonality.
do you think the amp smsl SH 6 match with the dac topping E 50?
I think it does... But choose according to your preferences. Topping is leaner and faster, SH6 is slightly fuller and warmer.
How does the SMSL SU-6 compares to SMSL Sanskrit 10 MK II?
SU6 is slightly more deteiled and airer.
@@iiWiReviews Thanks for your kind response! I currently have the MK II, do you think it worth the upgrade to SU-6? Or do you recommend something higher ($400 max)?
Wait until my next video comes out tomorrow... It will be very interesting and that would be my recommendation for the upgrade.
Will you review the loxjie D40 soon?
Not in the stars at the moment, but I never say never. 🙂
@@iiWiReviews Thanks very much for response.Your TH-cam channel is for me the best for the amp/dac and as you said,Joshua for the headphones and you are expert and you know what you are talking about.See you next time.
can you compare to smsl sh-8 shrotly please? which one has a better voice? thanks sh-6 su6 vs sh-8
To my ears SH6 has a better voicing, sounds fuller while SH-8 is clearly brighter.
@@iiWiReviews thank you
@@iiWiReviews One more question please, sh6- su6 vs topping e30-l30 (just a quick compare like you did before it was more than enough for me,many thanks,i was thinking about schiit modi 3+ with schiit magni 3+ or vali 2+ or magnius becouse made in usa- my 3 weeks old Edifier s360db just faulty and I do not really tryst chinese brands but very difficult to buy any schiit product outside usa.
You meant live, neutral and PE (no positive and negative in AC)😂
Yes I did, it was a brain freeze in English. To cite Gloria from Modern Family - "you should here how smart I sound in my native language". 😅
Gde uzeti ta dva lepa prozivoda? :)
Linkovi za ShenzhenAudio su ispod videa. 😊
@@iiWiReviews Au, nisam video. Neka ideja za koje vreme stize od njih i kako carine to?
Meni su slali DHL-om, stiže brzo ali ide 30% carine i PDVa na cenu.... Plus fiksna DHL-ova špedicija na sve to 3200 din. Nije jeftino... Mada mislim da imaju i sporu opciju poštom, tu se možda provučeš bolje i svakako nema špedicije ali traje po mesec dana.
@@iiWiReviews Hvala na informacijama! Jos jednom, najkvalitetniji HiFi kanal na YT!
In front of the z1 from Sony?
Would sh-6 amp make a good pairing with sanskrit mkii?
It would lean on a warm and bassy side, but if you don't mind that then it can be a pretty decent combo.
Topping PA5 review coming soon?
I got it already but didn't get to trying it out yet. I'll try to test and review it before the end of the month.
Would love a review of this full stack but I fear you've already parted with E50/L50 *sobs*
I also hate touch buttons.
Hi. Purely as an amp how does the smsl sh 6 compare in raw power output with a Magni? Which of the two amps can deliver more power at 300 ohm for a headphone like a Sennheiser hd 650?
What’s the best DAC SMSL SU-6 or Topping E30? Thanks
SU6 to my ears
You sure you want to make up your mind about two-in-ones before you review the Topping DX3 Pro Plus?:)
Well, I've only listened to the original DX3pro and was underwhelmed. More recently Topping EX5 proved to be a very solid performer but I prefer this combo to it, to be perfectly honest, and it's cheaper too. So not that eager to try DX3pro plus... But that's the trick, you never know which of these will brake the mold and be great bang for the buck... So maybe I skipped the one I shouldn't have. 🤔
@@iiWiReviews Well, I was actually thinking in terms of me being a cheapskate. The DX3 Pro+ measures very close to the EX5 and outdoes it in power output. On top of that, the DX3 Pro+ costs about $100 less than the EX5 and the stack you review in this video.
You are really funny when you want to...👌😆
I wonder what would be a nice stack for IEM...I have a Fiio Q3 and I really love that little thing but I'm thinking about separate dac and amp combo for my Blessing2 and Timeless...✌️ 😁 ❤️
There are no "positive" and "negative" in AC power :) .
Live and Neutral of course... Brain freeze in the video. 😁
Srboljube molim te za preporuku do 300 evra (više neću podizati), (stack, ili dac\amp), pitao sam te za do 100, pa do 200 i hvala ti još jednom na brzim odgovorima. Поздрав Србољубе.
Ako je do 300 ja bih uzeo Topping E30 II i L30 II.
First!