DAC and Head-Amp you've been waiting for

[@bani_niba]

I bought the DO400 two months ago based on another YT reviewers' video. It seemed to have all the features, top-of-the-line components and price point that I was looking for. I'm quite happy with my purchase and also glad it gets your stamp of approval as well.

[@yamato1420]

Great review. Really like that you got right to the point and showed us where it stands.

[@InDueTime25]

So after many many months, I have purchased the Do400 and have paired it with the Topping A70pro. It is amazing. It’s a 360 effect and plucks in guitars have never sounded more real. I’m hoping I don’t have fomo in the next five years because this was a long process. Waiting on newer xlr cables to see if there is a difference. Gonna go the mogami 2549 cable route next.

[@zephrizi9034]

I got mine for under 300 used off amazon awhile ago, it fit my needs perfectly. USB in for the pc, heaphone out for my headphones, balanced xlr out for my studio monitors and an optical in for my tv to route to the monitors. Couldn't be happier with it.

[@ancientalien815]

I really liked the DO400. Excellent combo!

[@michaelevora3479]

Thank you for your reviews. The way you discribe the sound in your reviews is really is amazing. Could you review the new smsl vmv d2r. It looks unique, not like a tipical smsl product and so far there havent been any reviews on the internet. Thank you!

[@kossmanx1995]

I really love your reviews, you have a way of describing devices in a way that is relatable and easy to understand, and I really trust and relate to your opinions. I also love SMSL products, I have an SU9 with DA9, SU9pro with SH9, and DO300 with a Yamaha Amp and they are all great, what I don't like is that SMSL is constantly improving their products! It sounds like the DO400 would be comparable, if not better, that the SU9pro/SH9 combo, anyway they are definitely serious about providing great sounding products.

[@garyb7193]

I also love my SMSL. I have the SU9pro with Little Dot mk3. I don't mind 'too much' SMSL constantly improving their products because it means my next upgrade will be that much better and cheaper. Still looking for SMSL to give us a cross between the SU-10 and Musician Pegasus for sub $500.

[@proximacentaur1654]

So many good DAC's out there. The differences are very nuanced. SMSL seem to be a safe bet for a first DAC buyer on a budget.

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

true, since i dont know how budgets sound its indeed safer with smsl or fiio

[@radiofreealbemuth]

Can i ask how the DO400 performs with sensitive iems, in terms of hissing/noise floor? Im hoping to find a desktop dac amp with an inaudible noise floor for sensitive iems

[@YoZasuke]

Can’t decide between the DO400 and the K9 AKM. Do you have a recommendation?

[@clarice1001nights]

Nice review but the new Gustard ADUALYTIC AH90600 seems a competition that is worth comparing against this system. I am in the market for sure, but really hope to hear from you contrasting these under €600 dacs.

[@iiWiReviews]

I hope to get it too.

[@joshomassai2483]

Excellent video, thank You! I'd be happy to hear a review about DAC/preamp combos for desktop setup with active loudspeakers.

[@ufopulse]

Pre amp will do nothing for active monitors get just a dac and save money.

[@joshomassai2483]

A DAC only is not enough. Active loudspeakers need a preamp as well. I have the Ifi Neo iDSD + Focal solo6. I wonder if a better preamp would make bettter sound.

[@Raymondey]

Again very detailed review 👍

[@nishalp1747]

Thank you Excellent presentation and comparison. Please review Smsl a0300. Thank you

[@fatboyvin]

yes this. Eagerly waiting for his review on the AO300.

[@joaquinbarreto9398]

Would love to see you review audylitic ah90. Thank you for all you do.

[@loko306]

I dont understand how is it that the Mojo 2 is so good. Loved the review, thank you very much for your videos

[@rosswarren436]

Uses a FPGA as the DAC chip. It can be programmed and updated to sound as good as possible. That's a cool feature, but man, I'm not sold on the looks. Makes it look like a kid's toy with the LED lit plastic balls. Hard to get over that impression.

[@professorx6379]

He is not allowed to say that the cheaper SMSL DO400 is better then the more expensive Mojo II!!! I believe that the SMSL DO 400 with the ES 9039MSPro Chip is better!!

[@lloydn2103]

Hi am i going to get thr same sound signature with the DO300 EX. Just as a DAC.

[@liquidxxvi]

Awesome review. Will this perform well with a Sennheiser HD 650? Tks, keep up the good work. New subscriber here.

[@Herbridge]

great review having Loxjie D40 pro I found myself difficult in pairing a new dac for my topping a90 D90 III is great but at a price nearly doubles that of DO400

[@романпундель]

you would help me a lot if you recommended what I should buy for the aune s17pro, which DAC is suitable for the smsl su-10. SMS up to 300. smsl do400 they are very similar, I understand that there are many more like me, but I hope I’m lucky and you answer in return I will share information I’ll share my experience, I have a do400, the forum and I encountered a problem that when you turn off the device for more than 10 hours and change the digitization from standard 44.1 to higher, then after turning it on it rattles very terribly and this is very unnatural and scary, we haven’t figured out what the problem is We updated the firmware on the forum, it didn’t help

[@JeroenNietDoen]

SMSL DO400 or the Fiio K9 AKM?

[@Harvy75a]

Thx so much for this review. I bought the DO200 (after watching your video too) and happy with it but I would like to upgrade to DO400 or even VMV D1SE2 but I a waiting your review before doing it!

[@ufopulse]

Does it have a DAC only mode? Can it function as a pre-amp?

[@ebernardr]

How does this compare to SMSL DO300?

[@csenyuva]

Thank you for the nice video. I have a question. I would like to listen to the 2 headphones at the same time (myself plus a friend). Will DO400 will drive the headphones and XLR output at the same time, so that I can listen to the second headphones on my integrated amp?

[@mcshadowind]

What's the difference compared with DL300? Have you planned a dedicated review? I like your greatnreviews 😊

[@malteehlers9784]

Thanks for this review, had been waiting for it! What are those acoustic panels you have in the background? They look very nice, can you tell me the name/brand?

[@iiWiReviews]

Those are Sonitus Bigfusors... But they can be bought black or white. Custom coloring is done by me and my girlfriend.

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

lol she is not

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

true you should start with secret garden if never watch one, then 39 days or smth they both legendary kdramas

[@madridgevara9484]

I have a question. If I already have the SMSL SH9 AND SU 9N. HOW WOULD THIS BENEFIT ME.? THANK YOU

[@malteehlers9784]

I currently have a xDuoo TA-05 Amp with a SMSL Sanskrit Mkii, which you both reviewed. Do you think this would make a significant upgrade? Or should I look at higher end stuff?

[@zs-remix]

hi, i used this. i got a Problem. PC - DO400(by USB) output Line(xlr, rca) and play music, youtube, anythings .. rised 'Tik' noise stop playing after same 'Tik' noise do you Check this?

[@casanova9227]

what you mean by neutral in sound i have fiio k7 i wanna upgrade to flagship dac amp ? whats your recommend ??

[@mehmetcamat4458]

Can you review the geshelli socketed AK4499 with Sparkos Opamp which also is in the 500$ price range

[@iiWiReviews]

A patron of my is helping me get it from the US since they don't send it here.

[@jl6471]

i just bought the do 400 for 350 euros in used good condition from amazon

[@Harvy75a]

A question: I have some issues with the DPLL, I can't set MIN but have to stay 7/8 or the sound is interrupted. I don't know if it is the DO200, the optical cable or the LG C2 output ... what could it be? Which cable do you suggest?

[@iiWiReviews]

It means that jitter in your connection is high so you need to keep high DPLL so DAC can lock on it. I always use dedicated audio streamers and I guess they send cleaner signal which is suitable for lower DPLL. Don't sweat it, it's a minor thing anyway.

[@avaleks]

Hello Srbolyub. I am one of the fans of your channel. This is not the first time I am writing to you. And as in previous times, I would like to get your advice based on your experience. My system now consists of the following components: Epos M12i speaker system, SMSL AO200 mkII amplifier (within a year I plan to buy a classic transistor amplifier). Until recently, Matrix Audio Mini-i 4 worked as a source and DAC. And as you described this source, it really worked perfectly with the mid- and high-frequency range. It lacked low and mid-low frequencies for me. And in general the sound seemed without substance. I'm currently looking for a new non-streaming DAC under $500. I looked at your review of the SMSL DO400 DAC, and as I understand it, it is very similar to the SMSL DO300 and Topping E70 Velvet DAC. These devices are right for my price. I would like to know from you whether there are any differences between these devices and the Matrix Audio mini-i 4? And are they better than Matrix? And maybe you can give me advice on what other DACs I can look at so that the sound quality is higher than in Matrix? Thank you very much in advance for your time and advice!) I wish you all the best and good health!)

[@iiWiReviews]

Mini i-4 is highly deteiled but just as you noticed it lacks meat on the bones a bit. I made a part In i4's video review about how it compares to E70 velvet. You can watch that and feel free to copy paste it for D0400 too.

[@avaleks]

@@iiWiReviews Hello Srbolyub. I understand you, and once again looked at your review of the Matrix Audio device. From here it became clear that if I buy an SMSL DO400 instead of my Matrix and use it only as a DAC, I will get a slightly modified sound. it will come with more bass presence, the very foundation of the sound that I was missing in the Matrix. It is perfectly. But I also had another question for you. If I replace Matrix with SMSL, I will remain at the same sound level, but only change the sound coloring. Can you recommend a DAC from a different league that sounds a level higher, but not much more expensive than the SMLS DO400? Maybe you know what the SMSL D400 Pro model or a DAC of some other brand and model sounds like? The point is that if possible, I would like to increase the level of the DAC. However, in the end everything will depend on money!!! Thank you again for your advice)

[@ivermagana6112]

Hi iiwi, im curious about do400 but i have a topping dx3 pro + and an ifi gryphon so i would like to know if i would get a much better sound from do400 than these two, i’ll be using it with my Klipsch rp600 m2 speakers, would you mind giving me your opinion pls

[@henriquebatista7862]

Congratulations on the analysis! I use a Topping D10s connected to a set of Edifier S360DB active speakers. Do you consider that I will have any significant gain if I choose to upgrade from the D10s to the DO400? Thank you very much!

[@iiWiReviews]

I don't think it will be a noticeable upgrade in that case. D10s is fine

[@henriquebatista7862]

@@iiWiReviews Thank you very much for your attention!

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

🙋‍♂️GREAT TO SEE YOU SRBJ…I HOPE YOU ARE DOING WELL 🤗👍💚💚💚

[@yeghigmikaelian]

anyone else waits for the drum hit? :D that should be in you logo as a signature for your brand....on another note when will you have the dx9? :P thank you for reviews :*

[@defu8592]

Great review as always! I was curious if you will review the ef600?

[@lloydn2103]

What would you go for between the DO400 and the eversolo Z6. Using as a DAC for a good hifi amp?

[@iiWiReviews]

DO400 is slightly better sounding in my opinion.

[@swolezerow18]

Thanks for your review and suggestions relating dpll, a question: using this dac with fixed volume it should be set a 0 or +2 dB?

[@iiWiReviews]

Try both and see what matches your amp or preamp better. In my personal experience, hotter signal tends to sound better so I kept it at +2

[@Harvy75a]

What about the comparison vs the Topping D70 Pro Octo DAC?

[@iiWiReviews]

D70 Pro is just enough better to notice and appreciate it if you have a revealing system. It has more clarity and inner tone deteils.

[@gabrielr4933]

Hola compré el SMSL DO400 en oferta Aliexpress por $380, me llegará antes de fin de año. Ojalá puedas revisar el SMSL DL200 que cumple la misma función pero es más barato $170, muchas gracias

[@rosswarren436]

Ah, time is moving on. With DACs it makes it tough to know whether to buy a new DAC or last year's darling DAC. How would you say the D0400 compares to the SU-10? And if you had to choose between a SU-10 and the Denafrips Ares II -12th, would you go with the Denafrips? They are within $100 or so of each other when on discounts. Thanks!

[@iiWiReviews]

SU-10 is still better and richer sounding, but the gap is not nearly as big as the price is. I haven't heard Ares II 12th, just the regular Ares II and that one has been defeated by the new crop of DACs like SU-10, Mojo 2, etc.

[@rosswarren436]

@@iiWiReviewsthank you! It is good to know that chip based, and FPGA based DACs can perform as well as R2R DACs. I want natural tonality with decay, and a nice, wide soundstage. If chip-based DACs can offer that at prices competitive with good R2R DACs then we are making good progress.

[@Эль-Цзи]

Do I understand correctly that it makes no sense to connect this device through its balanced outputs to the unbalanced RCA inputs of my amplifier (NAD C356BEE)? After all, in this case, only two contacts of each balanced output will be used, not three, and this will give the same 2.5 V that is on the unbalanced output of the DAC and will not give any advantages of the balanced signal?

[@iiWiReviews]

Yes, balanced has to be supported on the both ends to work as intended (differential signal). If not, just use RCA connection. Using those adapters just extract the same thing you already have on the RCA out.

[@Alex-dj7nc]

Thanks, nice review!

[@ΠαναγιώτηςΠαναγιώτου-μ1ψ]

Hi my friend ! i am interested in the DO 400 [for dac use only] and i'd like to know whether the SU 10 justifies its double the price or not Thanks in advance

[@iiWiReviews]

Price hike is never justified in terms of how much better the sound gets. SU-10 is better but It's a diminishing returns game. However, wait for a review I'm doing tomorrow and decide then.

[@ΠαναγιώτηςΠαναγιώτου-μ1ψ]

@@iiWiReviews looking forward to it Thanks again

[@braddoran5003]

Hi will you be reviewing the Fiio K 19?

[@NeNozg]

Hi, very nice review. Is this amp dac combo overkill for Sennheiser HD600? If so what would you recommend for dac amp combo for my headphones which are connected to my PC?

[@iiWiReviews]

It's not in my opinion. They should be a great match.

[@NeNozg]

Wow, you responded so fast. You got yourself new subscriber. Sve najbolje u 2024 ti želim. 😊

[@NeNozg]

@@iiWiReviews In my country it costs almost 550 €, for 100€ less I can get Topping L50 E50 stack, how does this one compare with L50 E50 stack

[@sorcerermax5111]

Hi IIWI, which current Topping Amp is better for AKG K702 among L30II, L50, L70

[@iiWiReviews]

In this order - L70, L30 II, and L50 is the last one I would pair with AKG (it's brighter sounding).

[@sorcerermax5111]

@@iiWiReviews Thank you. I was thinking about L70 for the past few days but didnt buy it as you said in your video that its upper registers are rolled off which I don't want

[@iiWiReviews]

Highs are slightly tame on both E70 and E30 II that is correct... but AKG K702 are quite open and bright so I belive it would be a very good match. If you're sure you want to fully maintain that bright signature, you can go with E50 then. That would be a bit too much for my taste but we all have different ears and taste so don't let me mess up with yours.

[@cezarygoclowski2069]

Srboljub, thank you for the deep analysis and valuable review. 1. Would you consider changing the approach and extending your comparison to evaluation notes on your website? You have made many reviews and I understand that the simplest way is to compare to the current accessible devices. But I remember that you sometimes can recall your previous evaluation for currently unavailable for you devices and use it as a relative benchmark. 2. In my opinion, the branches SMSL and Topping are the most comparable companies by wide DAC production on the same price levels, features, functionalities and sound qualities. So could you compare the sound quality SMSL DO400 to the same price point DAC: Topping D70 Pro OCTO and to the the same DAC chipset (ESS 9039 PRO) - Topping D70 Pro SABRE as well?

[@sloboat55]

Cool runnings

[@danrdey]

Интересное имя , а обзор огонь , как всегда .

[@D1N02]

Sounds like a m500 mk II/III successor. Too bad your III never materialized. You never know with SMSL, though. I think they have competing design teams.

[@professorx6379]

Its so: You are not allowed to say that the SMSL DO400 is better then the more expensive Mojo II or the Aune S9c!! Because the ES 9039MSPro Chip is much better then two ES 9068!!!

[@iiWiReviews]

DAC chip is only one part of the design. Not even the most important one. Digital filters, signal processing, power supplies, and output stages can all influence the end result more than the chip itself. So my advice is to learn more and get more experience before making claims with three exclamation marks.

[@professorx6379]

@@iiWiReviews Nonsense! You are totally wrong!! If a better chip is build in then the other parts of the device are not cheaper or lower in quality!!! And the DAC Chip is always the MOST important part of a DAC!!! Fact is you are not allowed to say a cheaper device is better then MojoII!! Then you would be brought to the judgement!!! You have no idea!!!

[@Lordofmrak]

Odakle je pametnije naruciti ovaj dac/amp kod nas?

[@iiWiReviews]

Audiophonics iz francuske ima brzu usporuku i dobre cene ali računaj na garantovanu carinu i porez od 30%. AliExpress ide sporije ali će često navesti nižu cenu pa možda prođeš malo povoljnije ako carinik ne proverava (to je na sreću). Link za AliExpress u opisu videa.

[@Lordofmrak]

@@iiWiReviews Hvala!

[@nonchalantd]

❤

[@rsg7221]

I can buy DX5 (non lite) for 240 euros

[@nunocosta6138]

What the hell is a DAC?

[@rosswarren436]

Are you kidding or really don't know. DAC = Digital to Analog Converter. It basically controls how good or bad the sound from your system can be and whether you are getting the best bang you can from your other components like amps, speakers, cables, streamers, CD transports, etc. You can get a DAC for under $100 but of course as you go up the food chain, the sound quality in general becomes much better. Even then, DACs at similar price points can sound different and offer different qualities. Some suggest that DACs based on the old resistor ladder (R2R) architecture sound more natural than most "chip" based DACs.

[@madridgevara9484]

I have a question. If I already have the SMSL SH9 AND SU 9N. HOW WOULD THIS BENEFIT ME.? THANK YOU