SMSL DO300 DAC Review

[Alp]

It is quite a situation for sure. And you didn't even include the SU=9's.

I have a D-6s and DO300 (and too many others). In my opinion these are my favorite DACS. But I don't think the DO300 provides anything over the D-6s except a fancier display. They sound identical, which is to say excellent.

Oh, all I wanted was to reduce the list, now we have not a plus one, but plus three instead, you are counterproductive @wavetrade! Jokes aside, thank you for the lead.

I ordered do300ex while it was on sale, will see how it sounds in my system during the next weeks

 

[Alp]

I was disappointed in do300ex, big time (but for other reasons than you might be). Anyway, d6s won the round as a Bluetooth receiver.

For the DAC comparison, you may read the following off topic:

Spoiler: What I was looking for, not a scientifical rant

Alright, looks like my passion for smsl was killed. I had so much hope

It all started when I wanted to connect my new projector that don't have optical out (such a shame) to my stereo system. I found that Bluetooth is not so terrible anymore with LDAC and tried do100.

The box did it job flawlessly, I also got another one (d6s) to replace a built in dac in tv receiver setup.

I tried the new box (d6s) as a DAC in the stereo system just for giggles and I was shocked how good it was!

I built the system when I was like 10 years younger and hear components much better, so I decided, ok, I am older and this 140 eur box just blew away my 5k dac over Bluetooth . Imagine what a 500 eur version will do! Gonna sell old dac for a nice pile of cash and live a happy life with smsl. I did a swift blind test with one song and started to look for a replacement.

Well, today I did a proper test with various material. DO300ex sucks (over Bluetooth, with normalized volume) in: voice details, hi-hats, overall sound richness, it sounded like a stripped out version.

I actually liked d6s more. It had similar issues, but in smaller magnitude. Not killing my old DAC, but being quite close.

I may do a proper test with the same USB source, however, my excitement for new DACs died out except for the d6s. So cheap and so good! However, not replacing my old DAC, yet, maybe when I get older haha

Ps: old dac has a Wolfson chip

 

[wavetrade]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing as I was considering the 300EX as well. But I am growing weary of my DAC experiments, particularly after buying a ADI-2 FS and finding that even 5 bands of DSP made a big difference in my enjoyment. It also has enough juice to run my Ncx500 amp without buffer. At first, I was ticked as I could not get it to do wasapi in windows so no direct mode in Tidal. But I fixed that by switching to Qobuz (and now Roon too) and couldn't be happier. Good riddance to MQA.

I do believe that the ASR crowd is right about properly made DAC's sounding the same. But the pesky voices in my head like the sound of the D-6s above all the others. I wish they did a ES9039 dac with DSP.

Feeling grumbly as the DO300 is now selling for $100 less than I bought mine via Amazon US. I don't like returning working products but think I might make an exception here.

 

[Alp]

particularly after buying a ADI-2 FS

I am so tempted to try the RME as well, but that's the topic for another time or when they upgrade it to a new chip.

 

[wavetrade]

I am so tempted to try the RME as well, but that's the topic for another time or when they upgrade it to a new chip.

I was on the same track but who knows how long it will be before they go to a new chip. And what that price might be. I got pushed over the edge when I found a like-new V2 (with the 4493s chip) on ebay for $850 shipped. As they say, it sounds like all the other decent dacs. So perhaps a new chip won't offer much. But I have no regrets.

 

[hearone]

I was on the same track but who knows how long it will be before they go to a new chip. And what that price might be. I got pushed over the edge when I found a like-new V2 (with the 4493s chip) on ebay for $850 shipped. As they say, it sounds like all the other decent dacs. So perhaps a new chip won't offer much. But I have no regrets.

Yeah, I will probably upgrade to a RME from my DO300, if and when, they go to a new chip and/or more powerful DSP. Right now, I am using the WIIM PRO with its 4 band EQ and bit perfect stream to the DO300. And using a JDS Labs Atom 2 for HP amp. Only major feature I am missing is the RME's tunable loudness control.

 

[Wild 7]

Hi, All

I bought a DO300 lately and use it as an alternate DAC to the Cambridge Audio CXN V2, connected thru coaxial.

I use it with no preamp nor filter function, at -0.00 db, but some of the music was distorted like it has been overpowered.

Is there any solution other than turning down the output -4db, as the soundstage was also affected.

 

[Blashyrkh]

Hi, All

I bought a DO300 lately and use it as an alternate DAC to the Cambridge Audio CXN V2, connected thru coaxial.

I use it with no preamp nor filter function, at -0.00 db, but some of the music was distorted like it has been overpowered.

Is there any solution other than turning down the output -4db, as the soundstage was also affected.

Turn on the filters, and that's it.

The filter off function is supposed to be used ONLY with external oversampling.

Also Amir didn't know and haven't told how to use it properly in the review. Making only more confusion

 

[hearone]

Actually Amirm is pretty clear on the DO300's "filter off" with his volume warning and what filter is best

Just some quotes from his graphs and notes on DO300-
--- I would personally use Fast Linear and be done with it. Note that "off" causes a large rise in output level so be careful when comparing that to other settings
--- Also, he notes with Filter off- “Careful in A/B testing volume higher). "
--- The (Fast Linear) excellent filter response translates to superb THD+N versus frequency

I personally have never understood why one would want to use filter off. My understanding is one could also pass ultrasonics to speakers. Not worth the risk. I used the Fast Linear myself. But he supplies the graphs for the filter options, so you can choose your own perference.

 

[Wild 7]

Thanks for the response, I’ll try again with the fast linear on with -0.00 gain to see how it works.

The reason to start with factory setting is trying to find its basic characters, but then with those distorted sound, I’d gone panic and need to sort it out before the return date is over.

And luckily you guys are here to help.


THANK YOU

 

[Wild 7]

Yeah, it works, the clipping at the high and low all disappears after the PCM filter is on.

And do we need to set the DSD filter as well ?

 

[Gerardo61]

Yeah, it works, the clipping at the high and low all disappears after the PCM filter is on.

And do we need to set the DSD filter as well ?

Yes of course
47 KHz is my setup for DSD

 

[Blashyrkh]

I personally have never understood why one would want to use filter off. My understanding is one could also pass ultrasonics to speakers. Not worth the risk. I used the Fast Linear myself. But he supplies the graphs for the filter options, so you can choose your own perference.

Again, because you don't have a clue on how filter off works and what means EXTERNAL oversampling.

You can use filter off without issues (i.e. distorsion, higher volume level).
It's a chip feature and it's well explained in the datasheet. And also explained here a couple of times.

 

[Blashyrkh]

Thanks for the response, I’ll try again with the fast linear on with -0.00 gain to see how it works.

The reason to start with factory setting is trying to find its basic characters, but then with those distorted sound, I’d gone panic and need to sort it out before the return date is over.

And luckily you guys are here to help.


THANK YOU

It will work fine with whatever filter you use don't worry. It would also work fine with filter off if you oversample the file before it reaches the DAC

 

[jimboaz]

This. A little analogy: Most of us even vote for people they've never met in person (and most never will).
/OT

But they probably have seen them and HEARD them

 

[Blashyrkh]

Filter off is intended to be used with an external upsampling, it has already been pinpointed here somewhere, but don't want to search
It's also stated in the official documentation for 9038 pro (but is the same for 39 pro), here at page 9

It suggests to oversample at least 8x the original sample, so for 44.1khz files you need to set oversampling at 352khz in the player you are using.
This way it will work perfectly without distortion (tested myself)

Measurements without external upsampling doesn't make any sense and don't know why Amir did it

FYI

 

[Giangi71]

If I disable the PCM filters, the DAC becomes unusable because the signal distorts with both FLAC and MQA. Is this my unit or is this normal?

 

[Blashyrkh]

If I disable the PCM filters, the DAC becomes unusable because the signal distorts with both FLAC and MQA. Is this my unit or is this normal?

It's the latest discussion and the answer is few replies back

 

[Giangi71]

It's the latest discussion and the answer is few replies back

Ok, but I don't understand the technical reason? The other pcm filters lower by -4.2db and filter off does not, so could this be the reason? Then there's the aliasing...

 

[Blashyrkh]

Ok, but I don't understand the technical reason? The other pcm filters lower by -4.2db and filter off does not, so could this be the reason? Then there's the aliasing...

It's a pretty complex topic, and I don't remember all the details myself, but:

- the volume level it's not causing the issue
- digital filters are in this case needed to avoid imaging(not aliasing), and so the distortion caused by the intermodulation of these ultrasonic images.

so, I don't really know why we have that +4db, but for sure the no-filter is not intended to be used with low frequency material for the aforementioned problem, plus the not good reconstruction of the sine. here you can see how a digital vs nos filter works, and how a 2x oversapled signal is making a better sinewave out from a nos dac http://archimago.blogspot.com/2018/11/nos-vs-digital-filtering-dacs-exploring.html

Then, what you hear from this dac with NO Filter, it's what actually the source would be heard everywhere if a reconstruction filter would not be implemented(both digital or analog).
This mode would work only with an oversampled source to avoid issues, possibly at 8x for a 44.1 file.


you can try it yourself, use a Jriver, foobar or whatever player you use on pc, load a 44khz music file in it, use a builtin oversampler and rise it to 352.8kHz so that the player does the oversampling, turn off the filter from the DAC.....and booom the distortion is gone too