Julf. Did you think August translated your post to Japanese?
My apologies - it was late on Friday night, and I didn't look close enough, so I assumed it was kanji. I edited the posting to remove references to Japan.
Julf. Did you think August translated your post to Japanese?
My apologies - it was late on Friday night, and I didn't look close enough, so I assumed it was kanji. I edited the posting to remove references to Japan.
Sabaj D5 and m500 are both DAC/amp. If you dont need the amp functionality then su-8 is still the best choice IMO, it's a lot cheaper and the spec differences between them shouldn't even be audible.I have been watching this site a year....which dac is good one...waited and waited for best option....finally ordered smsl su 8......then 2 weeks later there is sabaj d5 and m500......god damn
The promising thing about M500 the new usb chip 216 which do full MQA unfolding and the lower THD as per their claim.I certainly don't have a problem with them making a product that sounds the same as their flagship at a third of the price, but I just wonder where the price difference comes from? Must be build quality then, thicker and stronger boards, casing etc? Tougher connections? It must cost more to build the D1 than the M500, but if that extra cash doesn't result in better sound, then what's the point as the M500 still seems well built enough.
Try: https://hifi-express.com/products/smsl-m300-audio-dac-ak4497?variant=25150063083620Best place to buy M300 from in UK please? I assume there are no UK retailers so it will be an import. Anyone retailers at all in EU?
The user reviews are quite entertaining on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flagship-Decoding-Ultra-high-Ultra-low-Distortion-blue/dp/B07PJQJ2G4/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?keywords=smsl+m300&qid=1574097558&refinements=p_76:419159031&rnid=419157031&rps=1&sr=8-6
They do raise a reservation I do have though. Notably the power handling. USB power only does scare me a little. Hopefully Amir will make sure that is all gravy when he does eventually measure an M300.
The first review mentions going into the Midi settings on a Mac to set the output to the highest. I assume they mean the Audio output word length and sample rate settings, but is this actually necessary, surely the USB input to the DAC is ignoring any of that?
I just received mine from SMSL Factory Store via Amazon (US) today. SMSL even priced matched it from their eBay store which had 1 left for $199. It came with a micro USB to USB A split cable and a 5v power adapter so I think they've been paying attention to the forums. That's always a good sign. I've only been listening to it for a few hours now and I must say, this thing sounds sweet! I have it running balanced out to an SMSL sp200. I can say for sure there is no audible noise or any hissing to my ears at all. I really like the sound of the ak4497. It's exactly the signature I was looking for. I'm now returning my monolith thx AAA dac/amp for this setup. I thought that thing will be hard to beat but this setup is magnificent. The monolith uses 2 mobile ak4493 dac chips. I didn't think it would make a whole lot of difference but it certainly did, particularly in the soundstage and imaging. I was also a little iffy buying it without seeing proper measurements yet. But now I can say I hardly care even if they come out bad. It just sounds that good to me.