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The SMSL M500

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Stats from the manufacturer.

☆Support MQA decoding;
☆Using the high-end ES9038PRO D/A chip of ESS ;
☆USB uses XMOS XU-208, true 32bit USB solution, supports DoP and native DSD PCM up to 768kHz, support to DSD512;
☆All input ports support DSD transmission, coaxial, fiber support DoP64;
☆ discrete components high power and large current drive amp circuit to provide greater headphone thrust;
☆Use tempered glass display panel for higher light transmittance and longer service life;
☆ Built-in shielded, low noise power supply processing while improving power efficiency and lower power consumption;


The SMSL M500 DAC/Amp is the latest product of the M-Series line that has been built to be the best DAC/Amp under $1000. By using top of the line ES9038PRO D/A Chip and supporting MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) technology, among other high-quality components, SMSL has stacked the M500 with specifications that rival DAC/Amps three times its price.



The M500 body is made of CNC aluminum alloy and comes with a tempered glass display panel. It is constructed to be compact and sleek so that it fits perfectly on your desk. The front consists of a 2.19 inch LG TFT LCD display, a multifunctional volume knob, and a 6.35mm output. On the rear, it has RCA and XLR outputs, along with Coaxial, USB, and optical inputs. Inputs and outputs are gold plated, with all inputs including coaxial and optical supporting DSD streaming.



The ES9038PRO D/A chip by ESS is included in the M500 along with the high-performance ES9311 power supply chip that pushes the D/A chip to the limit with its low noise levels (as low as 1uVrms). It is capable of XMOS-XU208, MQA decoding to deliver the sound of the original master recording, true 32bit audio processing, DoP and Native DSD, and reaching 32bit/768kHz and DSD512. Three high-end dual op-amps OPA1612 are also included in the M500. Finally, included is also a remote control so you can change inputs/outputs and control volume with ease.

Specs:
Certification: Japan Audio Society Hi-Res
Inputs: USB / Optical x 2 / Coaxial
Outputs: RCA Headphone Amplifier/ RCA /XLR
THD+N: 0.00015%
Dynamic range:
XLR 125dB
RCA: 120dB
SNR: 120dB
USB transmission: Asynchronization
USB compatibility: Windows 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10, Mac OSX10.6 or Later, Linux
Bit depth:
USB: 1bit, 16 ~ 32bit
Optical/Coaxial: 1bit, 16 ~ 32bit
Sampling Rate:
USB PCM: 44.1 ~ 768kHz
USB DSD: 2.8224 ~ 22.5792MHz
Optical / Coaxial PCM: 44.1 ~ 192kHz
Optical / Coaxial DSD: DSD64(DoP)
Headphone Amplifier Output Power: 570mW(32Ω), 290mW(64Ω), 125mW(150Ω), 65mW(300Ω)
 
Spent some time with it. Liking the sound. But I have one issue with it. And had I known this going in, I probably would not have rushed to buy it. The M500 supports MQA decoding on the USB interface only. So my Node 2 only registered as HiRez and not MQA when playing MQA files. Still sounds good mind you, but it may be a deal-breaker for me. I will spend the weekend with it as I am definitely experiencing some break-in on it. But this detail has me a little miffed.
 
Sound Dragon said:
Spent some time with it. Liking the sound. But I have one issue with it. And had I known this going in, I probably would not have rushed to buy it. The M500 supports MQA decoding on the USB interface only. So my Node 2 only registered as HiRez and not MQA when playing MQA files. Still sounds good mind you, but it may be a deal-breaker for me. I will spend the weekend with it as I am definitely experiencing some break-in on it. But this detail has me a little miffed.
Click to expand...
Have you tried Qobuz HiRes? Or amazons new HD streaming?. In my experimenting with Tidal MQA vs Qobuz HiRes, I found Qobuz to sound better and more consistent with the quality of the sound , you might have a different experience but worth a try .

Audiofreak71
 
Audiofreak71 said:
Have you tried Qobuz HiRes? Or amazons new HD streaming?. In my experimenting with Tidal MQA vs Qobuz HiRes, I found Qobuz to sound better and more consistent with the quality of the sound , you might have a different experience but worth a try .

Audiofreak71
Click to expand...

seriously considering Amazon HD bud. May give it a try. I use Roon however and that may not be compatible. Bluesound however is, so no reason not to give it a trial.
 
Sound Dragon said:
seriously considering Amazon HD bud. May give it a try. I use Roon however and that may not be compatible. Bluesound however is, so no reason not to give it a trial.
Click to expand...
Cool , so many streaming options that it just about suits everyone’s needs now which is awesome imo .

Audiofreak71
 
I just ordered one. I don’t use MQA or streaming services, but I have a vast collection of high res music, maybe 250 albums give or take, much in DSD, or 24/96 flac. I also have a nice integrated amp to try, and a Carver amp with balanced inputs, so I’ll try it out as DAC and as pre with the Carver. It’s replacing a Topping D10 which sounds ok but a little edgy in the vocals area. When it comes, I’ll need to stick it under the tree, so I probably won’t have a review till I’ve spent a few days breaking it in and putting it through some paces. More to follow.
 
botrytis said:
Just remember with this DAC, like other inexpensive DAC's, if it detects MQA, it switches all the filters for MQA. It will not switch out of MQA mode until it is turned off and turned back on again.
Click to expand...

It also only does MQA through USB. So if you are connecting to it through another method, MQA is not an option.
 
Got one today, An my first impression is very positive. I don't have any mqa material, but lots of flac and DSD, and always through USB. I have very little DAC experience, but it’s heads above my past low end DACs and very enjoyable to listen to through the standard line outs. I haven’t played with the balanced outs. The headphone amp is unimpressive, but the line out sounds phenomenal and my integrated amp has a nice headphone amp so that’s all I needed, a straight up DAC with great SQ. For the reduced seasonal price I feel like I did good. My last DAC is a Topping D10 and this is obviously a step up. No grainy texture, great 3D soundstage, really sounds studio grade.
 
They make some good stuff. The Panda series (a separate linear power supply/DAC/headphone amp stack) is kind of popular around here for desktop audio/headphone use. A lot of bang for the buck.
 
botrytis said:
I was just point that out. Actually MQA is not compatible with SPDIF (optical or COAX) as it was not part of the standard when this standard was finalized in 1998. DSD are not compatible with SPDIF either.

Why by a fancy DAC when, 96/24 is the max (for the standard SPDIF) can send through.
Click to expand...

I thought the entire point of MQA was that it was fake high-res. Isn't the stream itself something that fits within the old documented SPDIF standards?

As far as doing 192khz over SPDIF, it is entirely possible. There are a number of receivers that will support it and transmitters that will send it. It apparently is difficult to get using optical.

My SMSL SU-8 spec sheet states it will do DoP over coaxial, and thats a 176.4khz/24-bit worth of data.
 
After several hours of listening to the M500 do its thing, I must say I’m impressed. I feel like nothing has ever sounded better on any of my systems that I’ve plugged it in to. I might have been premature to pan the headphone amp, it’s pretty good i imagine if you have well balanced headphones.

I’m just amazed at the nuance and detail it reaches down and pulls out of every file. Some things are exactly as you expect, and some recordings have little details buried in the mix that this thing finds like a magnifying glass. For under $400, it’s biggest upgrade to my system since I got my first pair of APM 33’s. That’s right, I’m saying this is as big as going from a generic infinity SM to an audiophile grade speaker. After several years of building my gear collection, this is the piece that makes it all feel audiophile grade.

Getting my APM (the good ones, lol) speakers was like going from standard definition TV to HDTV, a big jump. This DAC takes me from HDTV, not just to 4K, but to the audio version of 4K HDR! If you need to prioritize your components for HiFi, I would say a DAC of this quality is number 2 behind speakers. More important than amp, and superior to probably any other source you can come up with (when supplied with hi-res material) fed from a cheap laptop. Of course, a decent amp is important too, but I’m listening to this through a consumer grade HTR, and it’s blowing my mind. One thing I will say is that the receiver manages my subwoofer and eq adjustments but nothing else I’ve played through it, not Oppo, not vinyl, not HDMI direct digital, nothing has given me chills like this thing does.

I’d say, change nothing in your current system, then insert this DAC and buckle up!
 
I decided to post on this thread to mention how I found a really good way to use this DAC to incorporate my sub into the 2 channel system.

The M500 has both balanced and standard RCA outputs that are both putting out signal simultaneously unless headphone out is chosen. I was able to run the balanced outs to a power amp I had here (Peavey Deca724) and since the amp had an internal dip switch adjustment for high pass filter, I was able to cut below 40hz (60 or 100 other choices) to my full sized mains. Then I was free to run the RCA outputs to my subwoofer which has the built in crossover adjustment and phase adjustment. No unwanted low bass conflict between mains and sub, and the DAC is a pre so I have remote volume control for everything together.

The amp is super powerful and very clean/noise free. Only problem is that the amp has a fan on it. Since my space is next to the garage, I ran the cables through the wall so the amp is actually in the garage. Sounds fantastic as a pre. Between the sub volume control and the tweeter and mid adjustments on the speakers I can dial in the precise sound I want. Very happy with this setup. Amp is dialed way back, it’s super loud but crystal clear.

there’s a little leg work involved when switching from my normal “through the receiver” setup to my hifi 2 channel setup, but not to bad. Just swap speaker wires at the speaker and unplug receiver sub line at sub and add lines from dac. I adjusted the receiver crossover to match so no dial need be touched, just unplug one setup and plug in the other.
 
Biggeek42 said:
Does anyone know why no matter what i play my m500 displays PCM 44.1
Hi-Res
DSD
MQA
all say 44.1
Thanks
​
Click to expand...
Is it supposed to upconvert all 16/44 to those formats? Are you playing Hires , DSD etc? Or are you playing 16/44 and supposed to be upconverted?

Audiofreak71
 
I am playing .dsf files in foobar after downloading the SACD extensions and they play fine but the M500 still says PCM 44.1
 
Biggeek42 said:
I am playing .dsf files in foobar after downloading the SACD extensions and they play fine but the M500 still says PCM 44.1
Click to expand...
Maybe it has something to do with your settings in foobar?. But I think someone who has your Dac could guide you better to your answer. I just know that if it’s an up converting Dac then it should play whatever setting you have it to up convert. Are you using Coax, USB? etc . I just read that if your using fiber it will not do dsd


Audiofreak71
 
Biggeek42 said:
I am playing .dsf files in foobar after downloading the SACD extensions and they play fine but the M500 still says PCM 44.1
Click to expand...
I don't know a lot about, have no personal experience using it, but have read/heard if using a PC you need a program that can do DoP (DSD over PCM). Try googling "DSD over PCM". Good luck!
Ray
 
Modern DACs that have ASIO driver usually support direct bitstreaming over USB, so no need for DoP unless using SPDIF.
 
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