SMSL SU-1 DAC REVIEW

Today I'm sharing my thoughts on the smsl su-1 digital converter.
here's a link to Amazon where you can purchase the dac, although I want to make it clear I'm not sponsored or anything of the sort, I'm not making money for you clicking the link or anything like that. I only use it because it's really the only good link to the dac.
a.co/d/hPMJCjR

[@pedrofernandez8729]

Got one and the sound is really good I was impressed, first time using an external DAC

[@VirusForPrez]

I've got this tiny dac hooked up to my Simaudio Integrated and all i can say is i can't believe i spent only 79$ on this ,almost like i want to send them more cash. Happy New Year by the way !

[@RoyFJ65]

Budget piece with incredible neutral transparent sound.

[@mortimersnerd1348]

Recently picked up a MinisForum mini PC for my office desktop and since there are no outputs for audio, I decided to also purchase this SMSL SU-1 dac to go with it. Crossing my fingers that the combo works well. Happy New Year!

[@boydallen8059]

For everyone's information, I plugged the USB A to C cable (that comes with the DAC) into my computer and into the DAC and that is all the power that it needs. To be clear it feeds power and data from the same cable. I really like the DAC, a lot.

[@TrollMeister_]

I agree with the thin sounding chifi dacs. I have had a brand new smsl do100 pro (2 x es9039q2m chipset) for about a month now and it’s leaving me feeling dissatisfied. Not what I had expected. It sounds thin, lacking mid range and bass. Listening to SACD recordings of classical music that’s very underwhelming. I am thinking of reselling it. My onkyo receiver with its older AK4453 DAC sounds a lot richer and ‘fuller’. Based on reviews I ordered the su-1. Hopefully that will be a better experience. If I like the sound of it I will upgrade to a higher end AKM based DAC in the future .

[@Audiorevue]

Remember it's not always the dac chip that governs the final sound. I'm very much in agreement with a lot of other reviewers and people that talk about it being more about the power supply and the output stage. I've heard plenty of Sabre dacs that sound really good And I've heard some akm dacs that sounds thin and crappy as well. I think you'll like the su-1, I know like I said in the review it really surprised me and was one of the first Chinese dacs that I've heard that really have that full Rich character that I enjoy.

[@patrickbranin5243]

Since you were kind enough to answer my first question about the coax jack, can I bother you with another? I had assumed that the USB port was there to recieve current form a power supply, but if I plug in my phone there, can it provide both enough power to run the unit, and deliver signal to be processed? Here I'm assuming that the RCA jacks output the processed signal to my preamp. Is this correct? The manual provides no help answering my basic question of how the SU-1 delivers signal to my system.

[@Audiorevue]

Yes that's correct, you can plug in your phone and there will be enough power to power the device and output the signal through the RCAs. Although I'm pretty sure you can't utilize the optical or coaxial input receiving power from a phone, they're just not enough juice, although to be honest with you I didn't try either, so it might could work, But I doubt it.

[@aj8ky]

@@Audiorevue to power coaxial or optical from phone you would need a DDC (I can recommend smsl PO100pro) to turn the lightning/usb signal into optical or coaxial or hdmi, but your phone would power the DDC. Doesn’t make sense to use one in this use case though as you would have to use your phone to power a DDC converting usbc to optical into the su1 and plug the su1 into the wall. If the su1 has decent enough galvanic isolation and the same maximum resolution across both inputs,…I’m not sure the sound quality would be adequately improved to go to the extra trouble. Could be worth an experiment though.

[@blaymartinezbrandia275]

Thanks for the video. I would like to know if I could connect a subwoofer to the coaxial output of the dac, combining it with some speakers that I have an edifier amplifier, but it doesn't have a subwoofer output.

[@Audiorevue]

I wasn't aware there were subwoofers that you could connect digitally like that. Furthermore The coax output is not variable so that means that even if there was a subwoofer that had a digital input the volume would not scale as you turn up or down the volume it would always just stay the same loudness. My advice to you would be to get a subwoofer that has a high-level input meaning you can hook your speakers to it and then every time you adjust the volume of your speakers it will adjust the volume of the subwoofer. Although then again all this is speculative because your descriptions of your system is very vague.

[@blaymartinezbrandia275]

@@Audiorevue Thank you very much for answering my questions and resolving my doubts.

[@dbnpoldermans4120]

When a powere usb cable is inserted, does it turn on by itself? Or do I have to push the power button every time I turn on the power in the studio? Also does it remember the last used input? Or do I have to select the input every day I turn on the power in the studio?

[@Audiorevue]

No you do have to power it up every time, however I just left it plugged in and turned on so it was never a problem. And yes it does remember the last input

[@patrickbranin5243]

Is the coax jack on the back an input or output connection?

[@Audiorevue]

It is an input

[@patrickbranin5243]

@@Audiorevue Thanks. I was obviously confused. Appreciate it.

[@MrIndo-pt5fy]

Can this be connected to SMSL A300 in order to connect TV via optical?

[@Audiorevue]

Yes it can, and you would just use the analog outputs on the au1 and connect that to the a300. And of course use the volume on the a300 as normal.