S.M.S.L SU-1 MQA MQA-CD Audio Decoder AK4493S XU316 768kHz/32Bit DSD512 Hi-Res DAC

Update: March 13, 2024 (previously 1 star rating, now I give it 5 star rating). After several exchange of messages between Leaudio seller and myself, it was suggested that I install SMSL SU-1 driver from smsl-audio.com official website, which I did. To my surprise that fixed my DAC! Now I am finally able listen to music from my PC sent to SU-1 by USB cable, which is connected to my SMSL A300 by RCA. It seems the driver installation to my Windows 10 fixed whatever issue I was having with SU-1 DAC. As result of this, I'm updating the previous 1-star rating to 5 stars. As for the sound quality from SU-1, as stated below, it's an improvement over my SMSL A300 amplifier by 15 - 20%, but more specifically, it is the sonic clarity and separation that are the most notable. Though a minimal audio improvement over my amplifier's internal DAC, the sound clarity and instrument separation are noteworthy, and for that I give a 5-star rating. Also, through this DAC, vocals seem to be slightly more forward and clearer. March 6, 2023, initial review, I gave it 1 star rating due to the DAC's failure after 10 days of use. Bought this SMSL SU-1 DAC in November 2023, but I couldn't use it since I didn't have a pair of RCA cables to connect it to my class D SMSL A300 amplifier that I purchased from Amazon at the same time. The DAC was on Black Friday sale, so I figured to try it with my new amplifier. Fast forward to Feb 2024, I finally ordered a pair of CESS 163-4i RCA cables, connected the DAC to my amplifier. The SMSL SU-1 DAC improved the quality by about 15% over my SMSL A300 internal DAC. I used the DAC on and off for about 10 days, then today it simply failed on me. It simply fell dead silent while playing a music file from my PC (PC to USB cable to SMSL SU-1 DAC to RCA cables to SMSL A300 amplifier). I tried another RCA port in the back of my SMSL A300 amplifier, but that too didn't work. The DAC simply does not work at all. I also tried powering down my amp completely, unplug RCA cables between the DAC and the amp, then powered both up again, and toggled between various input options in the DAC to no avail (USB, coaxile, and optical just in case the internal circuit's connectivity had glitched and that toggling among input sources might reset it). The source-light LED still functions on the DAC, but I get absolutely no audio signal going into my amplifier. Heck, I even rebooted my PC just to see if that may be causing an issue, but it was futile. After 2 hours of wrestling with the connections and toggling between input sources and settings, I gave up. Now I'm back to connecting my PC directly to my SMSL A300 amplifier by USB cable, which works fine. As far as SMSL SU-1 DAC is concerned, it was a decent DAC for the price (while it worked). However, the unit I got simply failed after about 10 days of usage. I'd instantly return it for a refund, but the Jan 31 deadline return date is closed, so sadly it's not an option for me. A good-sounding, affordable DAC with a high quality DAC chip, but in my case, I must have received a lemon, so quality control seems questionable. Maybe it's just bad luck on my part, but I still wouldn't recommend this DAC to anyone. You'd be better off to spend a bit more money on a high quality DAC with its own power supply built in. Update On March 11, 2024 I emailed with photo attachments of the failed SMSL SU-1 DAC to [email protected]. According to their site, they'll honor their product warranty up to 6 months with either a repair, replacement, or refund if their product proves to be defective. Hopefully they'll reply in a timely manner with a resolution. As others may encounter a product failure after the Amazon's 30-day free return policy, I'll post further updates for reference. Update, March 11, 2024, 8 hours later, shenzhenaudio.com support staff replied my to my email, asked for the Amazon purchase invoice and order number. I forwarded them the necessary information. According to their reply, they'll forward my case to their Amazon Support Team. I hope this will be resolved asap as I'll need to either get a replacement DAC or get a refund and buy another DAC, so for now I'm stuck in a limbo with 70 bucks tied up in a failed DAC unit. For now I'm stuck to using the internal DAC of my SMSL A300 amplifier, which is quite ok, but I did like the somewhat improved audio fidelity of SMSL SU-1 DAC. Update March 12, 2024. Got a reply from Leaudio requesting detailed info on what's wrong with my SMSL SU-1 DAC. I forwarded an account of how it simply stopped working while playing music from my laptop connected to it by a USB. Also forwarded 3 photos of the DAC. Hope this matter will be dealt with either a refund, replacement, or repair soon, because at this point, the DAC is useless.

初めてDACというものをアンプに付けて使った。CDプレーヤーと中華アンプの間に挟むだけ。 DACと中華アンプを合わせても、DVDのケースくらいの大きさだ。 かつての重厚長大なアンプとは大違い。 しかも値段が数千円から数万円だ。お財布にとてもやさしい。 早速、名機ダイヤトーンで視聴。 あら不思議！通常CDがSACD以上の音質で出て来るじゃない。しかも音が澄んでいる。迫力があり、音が美しい。 もうSACDは要らないな。早く買うんだった。 DACを付けるのが面倒なら、DAC内臓のアンプもあるよ。 我々庶民にもハイエンドオーディオ並みの音質で音楽が楽しめるようになった。 名機オールドダイヤトーンをよみがえさせたDACに大拍手！！！ ブランドにこだわらないなら、音楽を楽しむのにはこれで十二分です。

Después de un tiempo buscando información sobre Dac's encontré este y que gran suerte! Con una pequeña inversión optienes un Dac que ofrece una calidad de sonido que soprende por lo pequeño que es el aparatito, eso sí muy bien construido y decodifica la senyal digital y la transforma a analógica por salidas rca a tu amplificador, previo, receptor AV etc. Actualizando y dando una calidad de sonido increíble, con una nitidez y claridad matices sorprendente superando a otros 2 o 3 veces más caros, con un coste inferior pero no en calidad de sonido i acabados. Sí buscas un Dac sin tener que invertir mucho dinero pero con una calidad que sorprende este es tu Dac, no lo dudes. Tu música en streaming mejorará gratamente y solo desde tu smartphone, tablet, pc, eso sí que dispongan de transmisión de archivos de audio a través del Puerto usb-c, yo utilizo un Xioami Mi 9TPro y funciona perfectamente ya que envía audio y alimentación al Dac sin ningún problema, también tengo un Poco X3y perfecto pero tengo un Xiaomi Redmi note 11s y no lo puedo usar hasta el momento, no tengo ni idea porque no alimenta este Dac yo uso la entrada usb-c del Dac, que también es Puerto de alimentación de este para darle alimentación eléctrica tienes que usar un cargador de móvil, yo en mi caso cuando no lo uso a través de mi smartphone como no tengo toma de corriente eléctrica cercana uso una Powerbank y no me da ningún problema funciona perfectamente. También lo puedes usar a través de sus entradas digitales coaxial o óptica como Dac externo de un CD, DVD, streamer mejorando su calidad de sonido, yo lo he conectado con la entrada coaxial con mí CD Pioneer PDR-W839 Multi-CD Changer / CD Recorder y la mejora es notable, igualando a mi CD de referéncia dedicado el Marantz cd-48. En conclusión, por el coste que tiene y la calidad que ofrece no tengo dudas que es una gran compra este Dac, es pequeño pero matón.

product ok

Bought this is on review recommendations. Just had an 1990s DAT player refurbished, brought back from the dead after it had spent thirty years in the garage, now it plays perfectly but it had a somewhat compressed sound. This DAC has one of the very latest/best chip sets usually found in units at ten times the price, the DAC in the DAT is thirty years old so could benefit from the latest tech to give it a boost. Some people think all DACs are the same but they are clearly not, a listening test shows this very clearly, just as all headphones don’t sound alike. I have six DACs, some are good, some are not so good and it does not always relate to cost. A have a Fosi which is ok as a headphone DAC and pre amp which is ok, warm sounding but lacking clarity, a Beyerdynamic slightly better but not enough for the additional cost, a Chord Mojo which is very good used between an ipad and twin rca cables to an amp, a Prozor for 5.1 sound from a modern tv to ancient analogue cinema amp which was very cheap but sounds great and now this which sounds brilliant, better than the Chord but at about a fifth of the price. A good DAC puts air and soundstage into the music, separates the instruments and gives clarity to bass and treble. This one has opened up the sound of this DAT player, giving a clearer sound, very pleased with the result for such a low cost item. Also as the DAT is optical cable and the CD player, also from the 90s, is coaxial digital, this unit can take both items and you can switch between them using the button on the front.