FX Audio FX03 VS SMSL PS100 VS SMSL SU-1

[@adamant3844]

Hey Rick, I use my su-1 with a dvd player connected via coaxial cable. I'm content with the improvement in sound quality the su-1 dac provides. Having never owned a toslink cable, is there any advantage to using a toslink cable instead of the coax? I just subscribed. Thanks.

[@RickRuizAudio]

They both transfer the same SPDIF signal but one electrically and the over optically via pulses of light. They both have their pros and cons. If coax works for you, I personally wouldn't worry about optical. And thanks for subscribing. I appreciate it! 👍

[@hixyhicks]

I have just bought the su 1, and im gob smacked. How good it is .

[@RickRuizAudio]

Cool! Glad you like it!

[@edsjoeblack]

Tengo un ps100, entre mi Samsung 85" y unas Klipsh 400, vía HDMI arc.........excelente rendimiento.....para Netflix, KZbin y musica ocasional sin grandes expectativas. En el shootout, no hay mucha diferencia.....en altas y graves, smsl ps100 medios un poco más nítidos, cualquiera de los 3, buena opción. Excelente video, toma tu like.

[@RickRuizAudio]

Gracias. Si, en el video no se nota mucho. Mas bien en la sala se nota. Seguro son las bocinas también. Gracias por el comentario y espero que sigas el canal!! Gracias de nuevo! 👍

[@donalddeorio2237]

I bought the SU-1 for my older CD player and definitely improved the sound for $70

[@RickRuizAudio]

Nice! Glad it worked for you! 👍

[@Aurelius150CE]

i purchased the SU-1 and downloaded the driver before connecting it. I was using this for USB on Win 10 It sounded great but it would make ticking sounds when I was doing other things on my desktop system. I switched to optical and powered it with a USB wall wart and it worked fine. However I needed the optical for my CD player so it went back to Amazon. I researched a bit and found some information about this one and other Dac's not being 100% USB compliant causing these problems. I am debating on giving the FX03 a shot due to it conforming to the the USB standards. I have a non USB Dac I can use on my cdp so the one input would be no big deal. I know I could have just kept the SU-1 and done this but I expect a new new purchase to be 100% operational. The only reason I am needing a new DAC is because my FX audio X6 mkII died after 6 years of constant use.

[@RickRuizAudio]

Yeah, I had that happen to me with the PS200. But then I updated the driver and unplugged and replugged it and it was good. My SU-1 is on my Windows 11 Pro PC without problems.

[@Jil8840]

The smsl ps100 sounds better than the others. Incredible test. I shall listen to it again. Can you tell me how the ps100 is powered???? I don't have a pc. I want to connect it to my blu ray player which has a usb port. Will that work???

[@RickRuizAudio]

The PS100 is powered via USB-C. If your Blu-ray players USB port supplies a constant 5v, it should work.

[@Jil8840]

@@RickRuizAudio okay thanks. What other options i have if this doesn't work. The tv usb ports??? Does the tv have to be on in order to work?? Would it work if the tv is on stand by mode??? What about my phone's usb power adapter. Can it be used??

[@RickRuizAudio]

@@Jil8840 I don't know about your tv. You can try when you get the PS100, but yes, your phone charger will work fine 👍

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

Hi Rick .... A question, for you .... I bought an Su-1 for use with Windows 10 ... Man was that a mistake. It sounded like crap, didn't work at first and required special drivers that killed my control over playback volume. So, If I pick up an fx03 and plug it into a usb port on a windows 10 pc, what should I expect? Does it work plug and play without extra drivers? What sample sizes does it provide? What sample speeds does it provide? Thanks....

[@RickRuizAudio]

Hey Doug, That's strange about the SU-1. I tested on windows 11 Pro and didn't have any problems. Windows found the driver automatically. But the problem with using with PCs is going to be the noise from the computer itself and that will vary on every PC. Also make sure you're using a good quality USB C cable. As for the FX03, I've just tested by plugging it into my Windows 11 Pro PC and it recognized the DAC right away and installed/chose the best driver. Under System/Sounds/Properties, Windows labeled it as Headphones/DAC-FX03. But you can rename to whatever you want. Windows set the format to 2 channel, 32 bit, 48kHz. But you can also change this to whatever you want, up to 32 bit, 384kHz. Then on your playback software you'll want to make sure it's in "exclusive mode", or any setting that might give the app total control of the DAC. This is a windows thing and not a fault of the DAC itself. I use TIDAL and ROON and those apps do control the output settings of the DAC. I hope this is useful 👍

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

@@RickRuizAudio Thank you for the reply. I'm very aware of "Exclusive Mode" in the WASAPI software. I use it continuously when listening. Here's the thing ... I use the computer as an HTPC, running the show from a wireless keyboard. I control volume and L/R balance from the keyboard, as well as some DSP functions in FFDShow. The amplifier volume control is on the far side of the room and normally set to my maximum listening level. With the SU-1 as soon as I put it into "exclusive" mode (for bit exact playback) I lose all control over the volume and balance... everything jumps to full blast. I also have a D2-Mini DAC that does not do this. I reliably get perfect results with it in "Exclusive Mode". The keyboard still runs the show. After WASAPI going back to WDM Shared mode to retain keyboard control is a real disappointment. That digital "sheen" caused by resampling just kills the whole thing for me. I was hoping the FX03 wouldn't do that.

[@RickRuizAudio]

@@Douglas_Blake_579 Awe man! That's a tough one then, Doug. I don't know if the FX03 would be any better then. I guess you would have to set the resolution on Windows to match the file played every time. Have you already purchased a FX03?

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

@@RickRuizAudio Not yet. I'm first going to see if I can reconfigure my music player (MPC-BE) to work with my wireless keyboard.... then see what that gets me. What I don't know for sure is if it's USB Audio2 or the DAC itself that is blocking the Windows volume controls. Looks like I'm in for a rather interesting evening....

[@RickRuizAudio]

@@Douglas_Blake_579 send me an email at [e-mail] Please.

[@RoyFJ65]

SU-1 beats high priced dacs the only thing lacking is a level control.

[@RickRuizAudio]

It's pretty good 👍

[@euniceaguilar9255]

I like the sound of the SU-1

[@RickRuizAudio]

It does sound the best (of the three) in person! Thanks for watching!