Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
Gustard X26 PRO, Matrix X-Sabre Pro and Element X are coming to mind, always trying to bring more air in between those musical notes and it seems that the little D1SE wants to hang out with the cool boys that I’ve mentioned before.
SMSL VMV D2 DAC Review – Class Leading D/S DAC - Soundnews SMSL VMV D2 DAC Review – Class Leading D/S DAC - Soundnews
It is something to be heard with headphones like Audeze LCD-4 and Hifiman Susvara, as it was always tactile and impactful sounding. If you want to focus on the big picture, be my guest, lean back and relax, music will soon do its thing.
It is a double boxed affair, as it normally should, inside the product box you’ll find the unit itself, a power cord, a fancy user-manual and a remote control – which is something I don’t see very often with headphone amplifiers, but since SP400 can be used as a preamp in a loudspeaker setup, it makes a lot of sense and I wish Topping A90 had one too. Considering it offers up to six watts of power on the headphone output, with extremely low output impedance, this can very well be your only device to drive your headphones as no external amplifier is needed. Generally speaking, we are dealing here with a good transient response that could deliver speedy dynamics and a decent impact in the chest.
HEADFONICS—SMSL M400 REVIEW
Compared to that one, SH-9 was struggling in offering higher dynamics, pace, rhythm and timing, especially with Susvara. I’ve never quite understood the philosophy behind their SP200 and M200 bodies, or the meaning of tiny displays on integrated amplifiers as DA-8S, that should be used in the living room. It shifts from one camp to the other, it went several times from warm to neutral and vice versa, but it was never bright or thin sounding with any of my tunes. When you put it side by side with its smaller brother SH-9 that offers exactly half the power, it doesn’t sound more powerful at all and here are some examples. Followed by two AHB2 power amplifiers, I needed to lower the SPL, since there was too much music traveling around the apartment.
When I’m getting new toys to play with, I would pop their hoods, as good audio starts with good PCB design and with high-quality internal components. Note: Timings might be affected due to festive seasons or other unforeseen circumstances What happens if the parcel has been shipped but not delivered? My treble infused rock music sounded raw and unpolished – exactly as it should, faster cymbals unleashed tremors in the top octave, but I didn’t need to lower my volumes, as I never found them ear-piercing even past 90 dB. In my SH-9 review I was dreaming about an THX-888 amplifier that would have a higher capacitance and power output so that soundstage wouldn’t be limited in any way and it seems that I have found that amplifier. SMSL has plenty of experience with this chipset, as they used it in its predecessor (D1), in their M500 and SU-9 DACs.
SMSL D1SE DAC Review – Exit Light! Enter Night! - Soundnews SMSL D1SE DAC Review – Exit Light! Enter Night! - Soundnews
It makes sense now why there’s a VMV A1 power amplifier that is being recommended for the D1SE, as it seems to work nicely with headphone based systems and with stereo setups alike.
Another issue is of course managing your headphones around it, you should be extra careful with them around.
Great Deal 
New Comment