SMSL SU-1 MQA MQA-CD Audio Decoder AK4493S XU316 768kHz/32Bit DSD512 Hi-Res DAC

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.

Well, this is a pleasant surprise. It must be the bargain of the decade frankly.I bought this to go between my MacBook Pro M1 Pro and a Fosi Audio Tube P1 preamp, from there to a pair of active Edifiers and a Fenton 10" active sub. This system is my office system which I use for casual background music and audio engineering. Yes, audio engineering. I've dabbled with all manner of desks and studio monitors, but it's almost pointless as most people these days listen through phones and base-level systems, so why not master through a base-level system?The DAC itself is precise, incredibly clean, insightful and transparent. It's a country mile away from the built-in DAC on the MacBook Pro (itself not a poor DAC at all), and a lot of higher end DACs I've used.There's no frills, three inputs, one of which is signal/opower USB, and a left/right RCA output. Power and input switching is done with one button on the front.Best of all is the size; it's miniscule! Literally just enough space on the rear panel for the connections. It'll sit out of the way and just get on with doing its business.If it was £750 I'd be thrilled with the quality. At a tenth of that it's simply mind boggling.Superb all round, don't hesitate.

This is a decoder (DAC) and pre-amp, of the best audio quality. Actually, it's astonishing. Technically there are better DACs, but you can probably only measure the difference with professional equipment. Audio Science Review concludes "SMSL cuts the functionality to the minimum many need, to have high quality conversion of digital to analog for multiple inputs. Performance is superb for the cost, as it provides full transparency to the source. It proves that performance requires great engineering skill, and not a ton of money. A lesson that I hope one day high-end audio companies and their customers appreciate."I have it linked to a Pi2Aes (re-clocker linked to a Pi NAS music server) for my digital music catalogue and Web Radio, including MQA tracks.There's no volume control, which I rather miss, but that is available from the next stage (amp), so it outputs a good 2v. I'd prefer balanced inputs/outputs, but with this performance, who cares?This replaced a much larger DAC with multiple inputs, with greater functionality and lower cost. Did I mention how small it was? Astonishing.

Brilliant piece of kit for an affordable price. Wanted to push CDs and it did just that. Really uncovers the sound. Soundstage has improved massively and high end has a nice shine to it. DACS are meant to be transparent and it does just that. For the price, you are getting a lot for the sound. Highly recommended.I currently have the output running into the AUX IN of a tube preamplifier to get some nice warmth and harmonics through the tubes that digital just doesn't have and I must say it does it brilliantly. Vocals pop forward with a warm tone and bass has a nice timbre to it. The Mids need some working.For this DAC, it's a must buy unless someone has the money to buy a more expensive one. Which by all means go for it.

Fantastic little DAC and considering the price it's worth every penny sounds clear and detailed would work great for a beginner just getting into this audio hobby great full sound and just does it's job RECOMMEND

The SMSL SU 1 is a well made and featured DAC. However, if you have a detailed system already this DAC can prove a bit too forward in the mid and upper frequencies. The bass is there but a bit on the lean side. So much so I have reverted back to my Khdas tone board that gives a lovely level presentation, detail, image and bass. I use my DAC via coax to spdif of my CD player.

While this worked it was one of the best DACs that I have used. I have used DACs which are very much more expensive than this.It provides loads of detail and a decent soundstage. It looks good and has all the inputs (USB, Coaxial and Optical). It even supports MQA if that is still of use.Why the poor rating? Well it just stopped working after a few weeks. A bit of research shows that although seemingly a reliable item there have been a few cases with a similar fault. There is even a guide online for a DIY repair.Sadly the company I purchased from would not replace the faulty item. Fair play to Amazon they organised a return and a very prompt refund. It is currently now more expensive than when I purchased so I will not be re-ordering.Would I recommend this? Yes, when it works it really is very good. But be very careful who you buy from.

I already had an SMSL DAC, the SU-6 (with an ESS Sabre chip) which I’m very happy with. However, I wanted to move this DAC to an upstairs set up using Bluetooth LDAC, so I started researching a new DAC for my main hi fi. Like the SU-6, I needed a small footprint unit to sit in a tight space under the amplifier. Influenced by some highly positive online reviews for the tiny SU-1, I decided to order one - at just £67.99. This DAC has all the features I need with optical and coaxial inputs and RCA outs. I connect my CD transport via coaxial and my WiiM Mini Steamer via optical. Connections were made and I played some music. Honestly, I was gobsmacked by the improvement in sound over my SU-6. I know that DACs shouldn’t make much sonic difference if they measure well and are effectively transparent to the source but vs the SU-6 I’m hearing more airiness and better separation of instruments and vocals, better imaging, a more focused soundstage and cleaner highs. Very, very happy this DAC and what a price!

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。

S.M.S.L SU-1... a compact DAC with a HUGE sound !!!I was using two Prozor DAC's PST158a to send my TV and Blu-ray sound to a vintage Amp (TV sound specially because of QOBUZ, Spotify and YouTube).Prozor DAC's did the job and are extremely compact (way more than the SU-1) .But I've heard about this SMSL SU-1 and because it could handle with my two sources, I decided to try it.Honestly, I was not expecting that much.First, SU-1 is compact but extremely robust.Second, the DAC conversion is completely from another level, by comparing it with Prozor PST158a.Would I ever be unhappy with the Prozor?No, because they are great value for the money... and also... if I ever didn't try this SU-1.But for my application, after compare them, I cannot go back... SU-1 with no doubt at all.So, summarysing:If you want a distinguished DAC to high level Hi-Fi function, for sure you must have this SU-1.If you just need a simple DAC conversion with proper function, or if extremely low size matters, go with a Prozor (also, they have a versatile range of models, with specific incorporate functions, like Bluetooth, HDMI eARC connectivity, etc).NOTE:If you need to convert 5.1 channels to Stereo, SU-1 does not do it. In that case, your source must be able to send PCM digital encoding signal.So, for instance, if you send your TV Dolby sound by optical cable to SU-1, it won't convert it. In this case, you must select the "TV speaker + Optical" option in your TV, so the optical output send PCM digital data to SU-1. And then, just put the tv speaker level at zero).This is not a problem at all, for my specific needs. I'm only highlighting this, because in case of need to convert 5.1 channels to RCA Stereo, Prozor PST158a does the job.

product ok

Excellent DAC , pour l'histoire j'avais d'abord commandé le smsl d1, mais il était juste ok , pas réellement mieux que mon ancien dac de 10 ans. Donc déçu, en plus ce dac m'a lâché au bout de deux mois. J'aurais pu partir sur autre marque, mais après remboursement, j'ai laissé une dernière chance a smlsl. Je savais que ce DAC n'avait pas la même puce de conversion et jouissait d'une bonne réputation. Et je pense avoir fait le bon choix, j'ai réellement entendu une différence notable sur mes enceintes ( audioengine a5+ et caisson de basse).Ce que j'ai noté (ca reste subjectif) beaucoup plus de peps sur les medium/aigus (ce qui est souvent un défaut des enceintes bibliothèques que j'ai eut) et l'impression d'avoir un spectre audio plus large, plus de clarté en somme, j'écoute essentiellement des musiques en FLAC donc avec une bonne qualité d'enregistrement je vais tenter d'affiner les réglages avec équaliseur apo . peut être pour chipoter le son très légèrement trop prononcé sur les aigus justement.