SMSL M400 DAC review. No MSG added. 

******Some viewers have pointed out that the unit is not 'roll off ' if you use XLR. I tested the unit in RCA mode so that is why I find it really smooth.********** Do you like your food with 'MSG to enhance the flavor or keep the taste as 'original' as possible? 😁 It was cloudy on the day I filmed the video so I ended up using my studio lights. I kind of like it. Given this is a HIFI channel, please keep your comments to HI-FI and not politics. Here is the non-affiliated link to hifi-express.com/

There are several good hi-fi review channels, but you're my favorite on RU-vid because of your positive energy and enthusiasm for the hobby. I enjoy listening to your stories about your audiophile friends, and using stories to talk about your experience with gear is more interesting than watching a regular review. Keep up the good work!

That's it, I'm selling my Chord Qute HD dac! This is one of the best dac review I've seen so far. If it'd be a $3-4K dac, then that'd be just another great dac review. This is why I like your channel Thomas. Thumbs up!

Best advise ever "Just eat more instant noodles, save up..." I have been that way all my life and for that, I subscribed.

Good review Thomas! You revitalize the industry in the correct way!

A comparison of all the DACs would be gold! Please do it.

I really like that Thomas put the marginal differences in perspective with his analogy about earning a dollar, or five, more per hour for hourly wages of $14 compared to an hourly rate of $50,000. Is it better? Yeah, but in context, "big woop!" It's great that Thomas separates the absolute from the practical in his videos. Thank you again Thomas!

Thomas when you're auditioning a hi-fi gear for your friends, don't tell them the price, you know what price does to an audiophile, thanks for the review.

Nice review Thomas. I love your professional, measured and friendly style. Also not too much snake oil - just practical relatable info. Keep it up I know these videos take lots of time to make, we appreciate you man.

Wow...very thought provoking,Thomas.Honest and to the point as always .Brilliant review!😀

I find it very interesting that so many reviewers now consider $/£1000 per component to be entry level. Love your reviews, keep up the good work.

I bought the SMSL and I am very happy I did. It was horrible right out of the box and sounded as small as it physically is. I left it plugged in for several days and then came back and listen to it again and it was a completely different unit. Every aspect of it opened up. It is extremely detailed. I do like that you can change the different sound settings.I was able to buy it on drop at an extremely good price. I don’t think there’s much they can compete with it for the money I paid for it. I appreciate your excellent review on this product which was instrumental in helping me make the decision to purchase it when of course I found a good enough price, I am a bottom feeder.

Thomas, THIS is exactly why I stopped reviewing audio equipment. First the ELAC Debut Reference matched my Revel m126Be (which I’ve since sold) and then DACs from SMSL and TOPPING killing it, and let’s not talk about $2,000 state of the art Class D amps. We live in the Golden Age of audio my friend

Honestly so nice to see ares 2, m400, d90, a22 all high achieving favs in a sub $1000 price point getting so much love and attention. I have a d90 and it’s been a wonderful pairing with my Naim 5si, but I’d imagine putting any one of the others in my system wouldn’t disappoint, some subtleties would just change. Hifi is really taking off right now and I love it!

Thomas, the videography and production of your videos is just fantastic! Your channel just gets better and better!

Enjoying the new format. The music, the editing and the lighting. Keep up the good reviews.

Owning the M400 for half a year now and trying different setups with it I truly recommend trying out 'simple' SPDIF (I use the Allo digione signature) as input, wich was superior even to high res USB. Secondly it is indeed OK to direct drive a power amp with it, but if you can use a good preamp the M400 will shine!

Not only no MSG they added water. The RCA output starts to roll off around 3k vs XLR which is flat. Not sure having two response curves make sense and more like a design flaw on the RCA output. I read it somewhere that SMSL might offer a kit in the future to fix the capacitor on the RCA output if desired.

I made popcorn for this one Thomas :D . Keep up the great work!

You have upped your game Thomas - very nice review! You can tell you put in the extra work on the video production and it's appreciated.

Great review. I found the comparison with and without the pre very interesting. I myself have a SMSL M500 (pre/DAC) hooked directly to a Crown 2502 and, until now, have never considered adding a pre-amp. Thank you for that point of view.

It's an AK4499 chip and the THD is 0.00009% of course it's going to sound amazing!

Great review on the SMSL DAC! must say the the features and sound you are describing sounds very similar to my Exogal Comet Plus DAC ( designed by the Waldi guys) to my ears and the reviews that I've read about the Exogal is on the analog warm side with no edge. Now the Exogal with the external power supply is $3,500 USD but if I knew at the time about the SMSL I would of given it a listen for sure. I have Maggie's and as you know they crave power, power, power!! I drive them with an old school D class amp with tons of watts & current so with my tube amp and Exogal DAC it really helps with my D class amp The SMSL DAC would be a good choice for most, but mostly for edgy amps and speakers that are on the bright side to my way of thinking. Synergy in audio is everything.

Hi Thomas, Thanks for another great review. I have come to really respect and appreciate your honesty and thoroughness. Your informative videos are a great resource for audiophiles.

Can’t wait for the D90 and Gustard!!

OK, since I can always trust Thomas' reviews, I bought one. It's very, very good - better than my Denafrips Ares II, since that is a touch too bright in the upper end for my liking. The SMSL M400 does sound natural, uncompressed and 'spacious'. The treble is indeed very smooth, just right - with lots of detail, and no sibilance. I actually run the SMSL without a pre-amp, which for me is a first - I like the 'natural' sound coming from the DAC better using the built-in pre-amp, instead of using the tube-preamp I usually plug into the chain. This DAC could be the endgame DAC for 80%+ of people who buy it.

Thomas! Your production quality has jumped up nicely!! Looking and sounding great! 💥💥 nice review as well 👌

Dacs require a separate shelf, isolation/vibration control, a quality power cord and a quality cable to interface: even a cheap dac winds up costing ~ $1000. I would like to see you have a base of comparison that every-man can afford: .It's common knowledge that the 105s weak link is its OEM power supply. A couple years ago I upgraded my Oppo 105 with Furutec IEC/ground wire, 110/220 jumper which bypasses the switch, and LPS which are simple DIYs ($300- $500) both of which are available on ebay. I am using my moded 105 DIRECT into a RicSchultz EVS Icepower 1200AS, dual mono (similar to what the PS Audio M1200s should sound like) speakers are Emerald Physics 3.4s AWESOME

I love how DACs from SMSL or Topping are not even that well-received in China where they originally came from or Japan where I live in. When you recommand stuff like this people usually be like “Hey, you are using your ears to enjoy the music not your eyes. These measures or frequency response graphs are not related to the real sound.” They think these DACs sound a bit harsh and there’s no “musical” characters to them. I guess music tastes do differ from one country to another.

Every DAC over $99 is pretty darn good these days...

WOW Thomas the channel intro is looking GREAT! Your channel has come a long way!

Thank you again, Thomas! And Denis too, who puts his money on this. I've held off buying a DAC because the technology is moving so fast, but this one ticks all the boxes for me (including price!).

Thomas, it's so good what you say. To me it's will come down to have 2 system minimum . 1 for neutral, natural, and 2nd for rock, depend on the mood.

Great review!I think it should beat all dac in integrated amp. AKM chip normally more musical than ESS. This uses duel 4499, very impressive spec.

Great job on the video production. Very well done.

Thanks for a great review, Thomas! I just ordered one today based primarily on this review (and the solid measurements).

Very cool! what can you say to this vs denafrips ares ii cause they have the same price

Hey Thomas, I'd love a comparison of this and d90. Thanks!

Now I can't wait to hear your review of the new Burson DAC against this SMSL M400 :) . Hopefully the video will come out soon so I will not miss the pre-order sale for the new Burson DAC if it happens to sound "better" (especially for the preamp section) .

Thanks for the second opinion........, it speaks volumes on what you’ve stated. Once again, great call.

Will you review Toppding D90? I really wish you could put a comparison review between these D/S DACs vs R2R Dac. Seems R2R really become a thing now

You're as excited about this DAC as Jay was excited about Denafrip Ares II, LOL

Great review and commentary on the current batch of "budget" DACs. Very much agree with the observation. Just pulled the trigger on a Musician Audio Pegasus R2R dac. Had a Marantz CD7 but it broke down and really missed the PHILIPS TDA 1541A sound so hopefully the R2R can give me a taste of that without the big bucks. Very nice lighting. Gives the image a nice layering 3D quality.

Thank you for your quick reply....best always to your family and loved ones.!

This SMSL/Topping company is confusingly all over the place with their products. Each component is a different sound signature (based on reviews) and sometimes better components in the cheaper models. All different features, settings, & odd input types with sparse documentation. I owned the M300 MK2 and it was heavily V-curved in sound. Bloated bass, boosted highs, no mid-range energy. Large stage was the only real +. Overall worse than my computer's line out.

Ridiculous spending $4k on any DAC UNLESS you have a treated room or use headphones exclusively....

Thomas, you are a pleasure because you are so relatable. Thanks

Man Thomas, Sean was right, you’ve really stepped up your channel game. Everything looks great 👍

Do you prefer the 400 or the Musical Paradise “DAC of 2019”?

Darn, I like MSG headaches, guess I will watch anyway.......

Hi Thomas! Great video man! You are a natural when it comes to this video stuff. The M400 is a sharp looking unit. Meaty mids sounds great to me! I like that HDMI connection. I use a Marantz UD-7007 as a transport. Have a great day man! P.S. I will remember not to use the word "natural"! LOL

Nice to see Denis wearing the KPH 30i. I love them too.

When's the dac-off?

Where do I find one of those $50K/hr jobs so I can buy expensive equipment and say big whoop?

High end audio prices are frankly insane. $15k spent on a single DAC would buy you a pretty nice system. Assuming Canadian prices, $3000 for a pair of Magnepan 1.7, $5000 for an integrated amp like a Hegel H190, $3000 for a Chord Hugo 2 DAC, with money left over for cables and connectors and perhaps even an entry level turntable or a CD player/transport. Thank goodness the technology and engineering has advanced to the point where we can have excellent audio at affordable prices.

New subscriber enjoying your content here. Thomas you have a clear understandable way describing sound that I find rare here on RU-vid well done looking forward to more.

Other than dCS I cant think of a single megabuck DAC I lust after. Granted I've never heard Lampizator DACs but the prices would easily buy most of us an entire system.

Thank you Thomas. Great review. I would love to see you include some R2R dacs in that next comparison you have just announced. Stay safe.

Thank you for this review; well done! I'm considering this DAC.

Hi Thomas and Friends. So I heard the sound samples at the end of this video with this SMSL DAC and then switched to the sound sample of Thomas's video review of the Orchard audio BOSC GaN amp with the Musical Paradise MP-D2 MK3 DAC playing the same track, and I could really hear a noticible and enjoyable difference. I always use my Shure SE 846 IEM and Dragonfly Red DAC on my S10 when I watch channels like Thomas's and I could certainly hear a difference. I really enjoyed the sound of the Musical Paradise MP-D2 MK3 with the BOSC amp. It was spacious, detailed, and holographic. The Highs and bass sounded good as well, but I don't think they were both on the same speakers. In the review of the Musical Paradise MP-D2 MK3, Thomas mentions that this is a good DAC to just have around without feeling that it's a bad investment. If the BOSC is compatible with anyone's system, including mine, I'd buy both DACs just to have some variety every now and then. Thomas please do a DAC shoot out video. There are great pieces out there that excel in certain johndras or in certain combinations of equipment, that in the end won't break the bank to own a couple. So yes you can have your cake and eat it too. But hold the MSG or IDK, add it in.

Bought the SMSL DAC and using it with SF Cremona M’s and ARC VSi75. Happy with its performance. Better sound using USB output than Bluetooth. With streaming it allows me access to a wide genre of musics on the RU-vid. That was my reason to get a DAC. Sound wise, nothing beats listening to DSD/HDCD disc.

Thomas, love the lighting. It adds a nice production value.. As far as no MSG... We'll see if Im craving another DAC review in an hour from now.

Hi Thomas, if you evaluate several DAC’s against each other, please add Schiit DAC’s to the video. Great job, please keep them coming!

Ive been researching dacs for months. Just ordered one after watching this review! My first "real" dac for naim and magnapans! The ifi zen blue will go on my vintage gear in the wood shop. You made up my mind Thomas! Thanks for that!!!

Thank you Thomas. If i didn't like my AudioGd NOS dac so much i would seriously consider SMSL M400. I am glad people can get so high performance for under 1000usd since not everyone can afford a 4000usd dac. That been said after looking around the net i found that output impedance is high because they eliminated an output buffer stage. This means that it can be a tricky to properly match this dac with certain amps/preamps.

Good day Thomas, very good review, as always. Please get M200 DAC, this little one would give you a large smile on your face.

I immediately listen to anyone with a pair of those Koss Kph 30s.

Great call........., $3.000 - $4.000 Dacs are the sweet spot price wise, in weeks | months | years to come, many of those with more expensive Dacs will find themselves crying, as many are afraid to admit to themselves, but the majority of dedicated music servers | Dacs are in fact coming out of Asia. Just look into what’s made stateside | Canada and see what’s what. Stay safe Thomas, until next time.

This interests me primarily because of the I2S capability. I am fond of DSD & SACDs.

Schiit Bifrost 2, Topping D90, SMSL M400, Denafrips Ares ii, RME ADI2 Dac are all quality in the same range. I’m also interested in the MHDT Orchid and Holo Audio Spring R2R DACs. SMSL removed the output buffer To chase sinad and thd #s which could be an issue for some.

Another point. With a speaker set up, you're listening to your room. Get that right first, then buy active speakers with DSP to fine tweak the bass and treble, (say monitors like Dynaudio Core) and a clean Preamp with a DAC. Then you're done. No need to go down the audiophile rabbit hole of imagining differences with different DACs, etc

Thomas , thanks for your honest review. BTW Natural , was supposed to be said by someone, who was present in the process to recording, so please; if someone says "natural" for me means "BS"

Very well explained and informative; I bought one today!

Thomas - I second Alex below. Looking for a DAC around $1k, but it has to ROCK! No rock, no go! Thanks again for a great review.

Thank you very much for the informative review. Just wondering which DAC you would choose, DENAFRIPS ARES II or SMSL M400. I know it's not that simple call, but just curious. Your opinion is very much appreciated. Looking forward to the other DAC reviews as well!

Those little plastic KPH30i headphones that he is wearing are actually really good and they are only around 30 bucks. I can tell he has a good ear for budget stuff.

It seems that so called budget hifi is definitely upping the ante and snapping at the heels of more prestigious hi end hifi, be it speakers, amps or DAC,s. It would be interesting to see how the smsl sounds up against my ageing Chord 2Qute. Mr Vintage sounds like a cool guy as he likes Rush. I on the other hand wouldn't mind it if the sound was smoother for that kind of music, as I don't like it sharp. As usual Thomas great review.

Over the past couple of years I have seriously researched the latest offerings of the audio industry relevant to 2 channel stereo. My goal was and is to replace my current but "not good enough" system. I know what sound I want, I've heard it, and I believe that with a budget of 10,000 CDN I can have the system that my ears will tell me is .... "good enough". This review (thank you Thomas) came at a particular perfect moment. I know (now) exactly which power amp I want. My preamp is very keepable. CD Transport? Yes... I know which one I am going to purchase. Speakers? I have them picked out and I am super pumped about ordering them. MY CHALLENGE HOWEVER, has been; which DAC? My budget allows around, say, 1200 CDN. Currently I am using a Schiit Modi 3. It's good but "not enough". So where am I going here? Well, up until now my potential DAC choices have been: Schiit Bifrost2, Denifrips Ares, and now this unit (reviewed here). I've never heard of the SMSL offerings until today. That statement was once true for just about all of my purchasing options. This DAC, now that I've listened to you Thomas, must be considered. As you describe it, and considering the music I listen to, this DAC sounds perfect or "good enough". I really value your reviews Thomas. You along with Sean, Ron and Tarun (British Audiophile) has provided me with a vast amount of information relevant to this rather enjoyable journey of decision making and action towards achieving my dream. I'm almost there. Big Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nice review that puts things into perspective, and for $800 it's not a bad stepping stone or starter piece until one decides they like or need, instead of spending 3-4k and loosing a sometimes considerable % of the investment. It's funny because when I visited my dealer I asked him about PS Audios DAC. He's like I have 3 used ones and they are good, but not as good as you think. It sounds like the SNL keeps music on the X-axis. Mr. Vintage sounds like he likes a DAC that features a distortion pedal input. Lol 🤔🤘

Very cool! I'd love to demo this. I hope it shows up in Montreal area shops :)

Its funny Thomas I'm playing with dacs too and its alot of fun eh cheers friend

Great video Thomas! Will probably pick one of these up soon. Need a more neutral DAC for reviews!

Thanks Thomas for your thought on this DAC.

Thomas, what a great camera...focus, colors, sounds....just awesome! I primary used a DAC with my IEMS/headphones until now. A primary stereo/audio room system DAC, has always been out of my price range of > $1000. Even considered combo streamer DACs. Now, I CAN....save a bit more and grab this DAC easily justifying the purchase value! China mfg quality is better, but it must be more consistent , but imo, I do research, if owners complain on quality and reliability and others say it is the best thing since sliced bread...stay away. I am not willing to mortgage the house for high end brand audio gear just on name alone...like this SMSL DAC, it has to have stellar unbiased reviews AFTER ...the honeymoon period of new gear purchase has warn off. Huuuuge fan of yours, if u r ever near CT, would enjoy meeting u! Keep up the quality ,entertaining,informative, honest reviews!

Love the intro music!

Smsl should by happy. One of best advertisements I have seen in a long time. 💪

Nice Very good review. Thanks a lot. Now i wait that someone give us a comparason with rme adi 2

16:39 wears Koss KPH30i, mad respect!

Great review, thank you so much!

Great review and useful insight! Is the coax input MQA-compatible on this DAC? Keep up the good work!

Thomas great review! Now you have to review the SMSL VMV D1, their top line DAC. It's on Drop for only $950 now! Please, please, please with sugar on top!?

Love your review Thomas! Maybe I’ll buy smsl 400m. I have marly2tech mk2 amp and van der graaf power supply. Node streamer and I listening to music with meze empyrean. I just need a good dac in my system, which is neutral, slightly warm and musical. Do you think smsl m400 is good for my system? Or mojo 2, SMSL VMV D1SE DAC, Denfrip Ares 2 is better? I know its personal preference to but sound quality wise which is the best for you? I’d would be very happy for your help! Thanks your patience and have a great day!

Awesome video Thomas!

the camera used in this video makes thomas pop up in the screen..awesome

Hallo Thomas, gutes review von dir. best regards from Duisburg /Germany Helmut

Thomas, great video! Would love you to include the Schiit Gundir multibit in your comparison of DACs. Many of us in the US really like Schiit for the very reasons that you give for this catergory.

just here to learn,.........and be impressed

Good review Thomas. I wonder how the M400 compares to their top of the range offering THE D1 which isn't much more money. It would be interesting if you could get your hands on one of those.

Hey Thomas thanks for the review! Everything you are saying you can say about the RME ADI 2 DAC wich is also in this category I believe. It is around for some time now and you should definitely try it... Thx

I bought this DAC and it arrived several days ago. I found it to be very detailed on the highs and mids but not sharp. Everything you stated in the review matched my observations too. I was going to buy the ARES II but now since this has MQA I will keep it. I don't need 2 DACs at this price point so for now no R2R. My amp is the Yamaha AS1200 speakers EVO 4.4 Thanks for your review!