E174: The Amazing S.M.S.L SU-1 DAC 

Very true! Really like your comment. I have the Denafrips Ares 12th-1 in my set up 1. So wonderful!

@michaelmityok1001 Thank you for recognizing my intent with this episode. And your point is SO VALID. Look, just because you cannot, or choose not to, afford more costly items is NO REASON to pretend that they "couldn't be any better" than what someone currently uses, or are a "rip off," or are in some other way, fraudulent products.

Thanks for watching, and taking the time to post! 😉

On Monday I added a Topping P50 linear power supply to my set up, replacing the iPhone chargers as the power supply for the WiiM Mini and SU-1. The immediate improvements in separation, imaging and soundstage made my jaw drop. For the first time I've experienced vocals floating in the air. All in a system costing around 1500 British pounds.

Hello, and so very gracious of you! Thank you - again! 😊

Thank you! 😊

Hello, my friend. THANK YOU for recognizing my intent with this video... While I prefer to pioneer and explore the very best products being offered to music lovers today, there is MUCH to be said for the trickle-down effect that allows anyone to get into some pretty darn good sound! Thanks for watching, and for posting, Joe!

As do I...that is what motivated me to produce this episode!

LOL... Thanks for picking up on that fact, 😉 and for watching and commenting here!

Thank you so very much for "getting" what I am doing here, and for the gracious vote of confidence... 🙂

Hello alvheng. Can you tell me what kind of better power supply you use for the S.M.S.L. SU 1? Thank you and Greetz from Holland

@@PaulLodewijk-dc7xq Yes, @alvheng, please do share those details...

Just an iFi Audio iPower2 that I had lying around. Am planning to try a better PSU without ruining the bargain basement satisfaction that I get from the SU1 DAC.

There really is no reason to post recordings of it versus my reference Ideon Absolute Suite. First, the limitations of the medium, the recording and playback system, would minimize the real differences, and many would mistakenly jump to the conclusion that the differences were much closer than they actually are... Thanks for watching, and posting! ☺

@@theaudioanalyst Sorry, I didn't mean a sound comparison. But I get it you don't want people jumping to the wrong conclusion.

I couldn't agree more, which I why I produced this episode!

Hello, Jeffrey! I'm really surprised with just how good this little guy is give its absurd affordability. And, it seems as if you've found a great use for it, amplifying its value even more! Thanks for watching, and taking the time to write, buddy! 😊

That would only make sense...right? 😄

Hello. It was nothing special; I bought a four pack of different length C to C cables labeled Nimaso. The four pack sells for $13, so... 😉 www.amazon.com/Charging-NIMASO-Charger-Compatible-Samsung/dp/B087M2K64S/ref=sxin_16_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.e8da13fc-7baf-46c3-926a-e7e8f63a520b%3Aamzn1.sym.e8da13fc-7baf-46c3-926a-e7e8f63a520b&crid=5B03O9R4R77C&cv_ct_cx=USB%2BC%2Bto%2BUSB%2BC%2Bcables&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HVcPXN2k_-qkAIQygn-twA3isvm-4BDkOQ1fdWBXsUHCJ_DZiJT0Hhuoojk-kvMvxrjgRetEfRf9zqjFJcllIg.qNHLBh_QlMmzumw8a0_xQgYwFuqc3a17n4Yo_vKx35s&dib_tag=se&keywords=USB%2BC%2Bto%2BUSB%2BC%2Bcables&pd_rd_i=B087M2K64S&pd_rd_r=5780b51f-a39a-4e9b-a891-bc13ac723f88&pd_rd_w=4gNPb&pd_rd_wg=tMxrR&pf_rd_p=e8da13fc-7baf-46c3-926a-e7e8f63a520b&pf_rd_r=YYDRR99D9866P09NQGQ4&qid=1716314571&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=usb%2Bc%2Bto%2Busb%2Bc%2Bcables%2Caps%2C112&sr=1-1-7efdef4d-9875-47e1-927f-8c2c1c47ed49-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1

Nope, no joke!

First, never having been in the room, never actually having heard the system, you somehow think yourself qualified to make ANY comment on how it actually sounds? This is a recurring problem with so many listeners today, one seemingly more frequently expressed by those with the least empirical experience base, feeling that one has any right to express an opinion on how something that they have NEVER HEARD sounds. Unfortunately, you're mistaken, as ANY of the experienced listeners who have been in the room will be happy to share with you. Not that you would care... And by the way, that "mattress," that is a dog bed not a room treatment... Second, as to the statement "MQA is a much better sound...," as I've said repeatedly, I've heard dozens of "before and after" demos over the past decade, including several conducted by Master Quality Authenticated technology developer Meridian Audio, founded by Bob Stuart and the late Allen Boothroyd. While I am happy that you find it to be of merit, in my experiences with it since 2014, especially in a world-class rig like my reference system (www.theaudioanalyst.com/reference-system/), don't make it worth the cost of the paint it takes to label its inclusion on the DAC's faceplate. Not to put too fine a point on it, but MQA has filed for a specialized form of bankruptcy, and though the company’s assets were recently bought by Ontario-based, Lenbrook Industries, Limited, owners of the brands Bluesound, NAD, and PSB, it has run its course and - most people, like me, couldn't have cared less. Honestly, HDCD encoding, which came out in 1986 made a more significant sonic improvement than MQA. Developed by "Professor" Keith Johnson (Reference Recordings) and Michael "Pflash" Pflaumer of Pacific MicroSonics, it worked by encoding the equivalent of 20 bits worth of data in a 16-bit digital audio signal by using custom dithering, audio filters, and some reversible amplitude and gain encoding. Those custom encodings, which did NOT require any decoding, included a Peak Extend, which is a reversible soft limiter, and a Low-Level Range Extend, which is a reversible gain on low-level signals. And guess what? Even it disappeared when people lost interest as it too was so slight an improvement. Listen to DSD, especially at the Quad rate (DSD 256, or 11.2 MHz - 11,289,600 Hz - a rate that is 256 times denser than the Redbook CD standard of 44,100 Hz - and actually is encroaching on an analog level of signal density), and you'll begin to understand the potential of digital audio playback.

Wow! While I certainly connot debate your enjoyment of the cassette medium, I have to duspute your use of the word "durable." While supremely popular and convenient in their time, durable they were not, and for a myriad of reasons. First, their fidelity was limited by their very design. Using a 1/4 inch wide tape for four tracks, leaving just 1/16 of an inch for each left and right channel on each side of play, without the application of Dolby B, the format never would have been accepted in the first place. And at a playing speed of just 1 7/8 IPS, their bandwidth and overall fidelity was further severly constrained. And because of their convenience, they were highly popular for use in the mobile, or automotive, environment, where the were subjected to sunlight, extreme heat (and cold in winter climates), repeated excessive FF and RW use, as well as many, many replays in that hositle environment, both which further affected their fidelity and lifespan due to stretching and oxide flaking with regular use.

I thought this was the cheap audio man channel. I don't know how they crossed. Unjacketed in the floor boards of a car, cassette is your best bet besides an sd card