Best Audiophile FLAGSHIP DACs Compared (SMSL SU-X vs Topping D90 SE III/II)

[@godface81]

Nice review glad you and your dad agreed on one fantastic dac... I would be really curious how the smsl d400es stacks up against the sux as i just purchased the d400es and fell in love with the articulation and soundstage , ah feels so good. Unfortunately i had to return first unit due to poping / clock issues that i could not fix running through optical and aes, hopefully it was just a faulty unit. Smsl is making some fantastic sounding dacs that measure quite impressively. Enjoy that beast of a dac , I may have to just spend the extra and get one. peace

[@ryanhostudio]

@@godface81 thanks for sharing

[@KaneDWilliams]

I’d love to know how you think the cheap SMSL D6s compares to the flagship.

[@ryanhostudio]

never tried it

[@enushalu2548]

Impressive comments, very informative !!! zero bs

[@ryanhostudio]

thank you!!

[@hwrk777]

Well Ryan, you convinced me. I'm buying the SMSL SU-X. Thanks for the honest and informative review.

[@ryanhostudio]

@@hwrk777 you welcome!

[@jhuneclarino]

How smsl SU-X compare to smsl smsl SU-10 in over all tonality and timbre it seems they have the same design except SU-X has the latest ESS dac chip? Thanks good review toe to toe with topping d90 III

[@ryanhostudio]

never had a chance to try the su-10, since the x came out i opted to try the su-x

[@Rob-Davidson]

Does the SU-X need some burn in? I just got the SU-X and SH-X delivered today and it sounds super terrible on headphones. Hifiman Arya Stealth

[@ryanhostudio]

what do you mean by "super terrible"? SMSL SU-X worked fine out of the box

[@Rob-Davidson]

@ryanhostudio I always have a very finicky experience with this HiFi stuff. I'm getting crazy distortion on my PC audio whether I use USB C or Optical. But, if I play a raw FLAC straight from my PC hard drive, it doesn't distort. My 4K Bluray player sounds excellent, and it's hooked up through optical. Zero distortion on movies. The sound coloring options work fine through the 4K movie player while watching movies. But if I use them while on PC audio, it makes horrible noises on bass notes that sound like it's going to blow of my headphones.

[@Rob-Davidson]

@@ryanhostudio I figured it out 😭 It was my volume levels on PC being too high and introducing many problems. I don't know at what volume level PC audio introduces distortion, so I have all of the volumes (three or four different sliders) at 65% to remove the distortion it introduces. I know it's not the correct way but it's working for now. Until I learn how to properly get a clean signal from onboard PC audio. Anyway, it sounds incredible and I adore this stack. It fixed every problem that I was having.

[@Rob-Davidson]

@Will_1503 I sent it back. It just had so many problems. After about a week, the right channel stopped working. I had to turn it off and back on. Then it worked again. I was too scared to keep it after that. I sent it back.

[@toddstyles7194]

It's the D90se not D90ii🤔

[@ryanhostudio]

to clarify, D90 was AKM dac which was D90 I, D90se was with saber dac, which is D90 II, than new one is D90se III...presumably because the older D90se is assume to be...2

[@justasimplefox]

Topping just released D90 III discrete 😊

[@ryanhostudio]

truly another thing always around the corner

[@WoodSmartUSA]

Can you review the Black Ice Glass FX Tube DAC and compare it to an SMSL and or Topping Chip Type DAC ? Note: The Black Ice is at the $899.00 price point, similar in price to a SU-10 or D90. Thanks

[@radiofreealbemuth]

3:43 have you detected any sound quality differences in the USB B and C inputs? As a newbie who got into the hobby via iems, I'm used to using the USB C input for dongles. I notice entry level DACs like JDS Atom and Burson Playmate also feature USB C, but at a certain point as you move up in price, the USB C input is replaced in favor of USB B input. I've always wondered why this is, and if it's because USB B is a superior transmission for audio

[@shawnpwatsons1]

Fantastic value then. yay.

[@radiofreealbemuth]

Can i ask how the su-x compares to the smsl su9 pro in terms of sound staging? Also, have you tried it with headphones and iems?

[@ryanhostudio]

i havent compared them side by side but last time i heard the su-9 pro it had a wide soundstage as well

[@ryanhostudio]

i have the original su-9, my dad liked my su-9 so much he went out and bought the su-9 pro haha

[@luisrodrigonunezolguin7038]

Dude, I bought the SU-X and saved to sell my SU-9, which I loved for three years, but the SU-X is ABSOLUTELY superior: more powerful and defined bass, even more natural mids, much clearer treble, sound space multiplied by 3, depth double, pin point much better, but what from the beginning and even today continues to surprise me is the ability to discover details that I had never heard and that were really important in the arrangement of the song as it had been conceived and that for me is a DAC, the purity, the rest is adjusted to your taste with the pre, the tubes, the cables and the speakers that you like.

[@radiofreealbemuth]

@luisrodrigonunezolguin7038 wow, that sounds fabtastic. I have the su-9 pro, and it's a solid DAC. The biggest shortcoming for me is the average soundstage presentation. I also have the hifiman ef500, and the ef500 has twice the soundstage depth and approximately 30% more width, and the soundstage wraps around behind my ears. But the su-9 pro has more speed, clarity, resolution, treble extension, and it's more accurate with imaging. It seems like the su-x improves on the su-9 pro's soundstage size and then some

[@ericmartinez5051]

Hello, do you think the ifi hip dac 3 pairs nicely with the h6 pro open headset?

[@ryanhostudio]

hi the hip dac 3 works with the h6 pro open headset, just keep in mind that the hip dac 3 won't allow you to use your microphone for gaming since its only a dac

[@ericmartinez5051]

What do you recommend for a DAC to support the H6 pro around $100-$200?

[@NielsPausma]

So if I need a DAC for my M1 Macbook, because it doesn't have an optical out... is it possible to get this SMSL D90 III quality in a smaller and cheaper device? Surround audio from USB C to Optical

[@godface81]

Hi .You mean topping d90III not smsl. Yes topping makes a fantastic much smaller dac that is usb C or optical input from your computer. Good news it is much cheaper as well in price not sound... the topping d50iii is the model it runs around 230$ and get very high ratings and measurements on audio science review. Its in the top 20 dacs tested to date.

[@usaresan2011]

Was thinking about buying the SU-X over the D90 III Sabre but i am a bit worried about the heat. Will use the dac while sometimes gaming for long periods of time. Will that cause any problems or should i go for the D90 that runs cooler?

[@ryanhostudio]

i mean it gets hot but can still be used for long periods of time i leave it on for hours during the day and close it before i sleep

[@digitalnation2876]

much love from Indonesia ❤

[@ryanhostudio]

thank you for your support!

[@nonchalantd]

♥

[@rossheard9446]

CheapAudioMah absolutely hates the, well what he calls "SUX" Dac. Check out his review.

[@ryanhostudio]

Not that I care what other reviewers think about it because, you know they shouldn't influence what I THINK of it. But Tharbamar also liked it and I feel like we were pretty aligned in our opinions kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXOznniJZdqApKMsi=jMaVUcjjymZIoXA8

[@ryanhostudio]

i think its pretty apparent in his preference is the "analog" sound which is completely different from "transparent" sound that I like. I think Tharbamar really highlights the differences in style and preferences well

[@luisrodrigonunezolguin7038]

Cheapaudio man is a total joke, just look at his gear, and the location of his speakers, his listening point, the test songs, finally he didn't even put the corresponding filters on it, and he thought that he liked how it sounded in tube mode ....what else are you going to wait for. Tharbamar is something else, and I have always trusted their reviews.

[@r423sdex]

Cheap audio man is full of s……t