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96% would recommend to a friend 
SMSL SH-8s Amplifier
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SMSL SH-8s Amplifier
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Product Description
SMSL’s SH-8 brings high-resolution audio to a high-end form factor, and the SH-8s takes much of what makes its bigger brother exceptions and slims it down. With two channels delivering 6 watts of power, this palm-sized amplifier delivers a solid amount of headroom for your headphone or desktop operation Read More
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Customer Reviews
4.4
(30 reviews)
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keyboard_arrow_downAnjolie
16
Nov 29, 2022
checkVerified Buyer
Huge Sound From A Small Amp
I needed something that would pair with my SMSL M400 or possibly the Hifiman EF400. So when the SH-8s was dropped to $130, I thought this could do the trick. I had already done some homework and looked at all the reviews I could find, so it wasn’t just a spur of the moment decision
Just like one reviewer online had mentioned, the SMSL SH-8s has a fairly wide soundstage. Not only that, but it has huge height as well. I’m not so sure about the depth. The amp didn’t pair that well with the M400. I mean it did have that huge soundstage and height. It was clean sounding, but it runs a little bright and thin. Not horribly so, but enough that I would notice it
However, it did pair very well with the EF400. The R-2R DAC worked nicely with the brighter amp and even had a wider soundstage than the M400. The height of the soundstage was immense with the EF400/SH-8s. Just towering. Fairly nice sense of space too
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
alberk77
59
Dec 27, 2022
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Mejor de lo que esperaba - Better than expected
Anteriormente había comprado en Drop el DAC SU-8s en oferta. Al poco tiempo pusieron también el amplificador SH-8s que hace match con el DAC anterior, así que supuse que sería una buena opción tener un equipo de DAC-Amp de SMSL por $300 y la verdad es que me gusta tanto o más que el Zen Dac V2 con el THX AAA 789 que son el otro equipo que ya tenía. El único pero, por ponerle uno, es que hay mucha diferencia entre la ganancia baja y alta, acostumbrado al 789 que tiene 3 niveles.
Es un buen equipo por el precio pagado.
(English):
I had previously bought the DAC SU-8s on sale on Drop. Shortly after they also put the SH-8s amplifier that matches the previous DAC, so I thought it would be a good option to have a DAC-Amp from SMSL for $300 and the truth is that I like it as much or more than the Zen Dac V2 with the THX AAA 789 which are the other equipment that I already had. The only but, to put one, is that there is a lot of difference between the low and high gain, compared to the 789 that has 3 levels.
It is a good gear for the price paid.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
RLPIII
4
Dec 31, 2022
checkVerified Buyer
Great bang for the buck amp
At the sale price, the SH-8s is a great desktop HP amp. Paired with the SMSL SU-8s, it has helped elevate the sound of my HD6XX and Hifiman HE5XX with increased detail and weight. There is plenty of power as I rarely reach 12 o’clock on the low gain and past 9 on the high gain setting. This has been a noticeable upgrade from my initial dongle dac/amp and is furthering my journey down this HiFi rabbit hole. :)
A nit, as others have mentioned, the gain switch has a huge swing which limits the fine tuning of the volume.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
mghazenko
9
Dec 29, 2022
checkVerified Buyer
Great for the price
Using with Zen Dac V2 i've got a lot of power improvement for low price. The SH-8s is very clean and accurate amp which brings a bit of fresh air to slightly warm iFi's Burr Brown dac. I like the SH-8s amp with Sundara headphone, but i can't understand why is so big difference between low and high gain +17,5db. This is uncomfortable. In addition, i read the SH8s isn't true balanced amp and 3W for 32 Ohm isn't real number. I can't really decide is there advantage of using XLR input/output. However, SH-8s has enough power for all headphones i can imagine.
Recommends this product? Yes
mghazenko
9
Feb 21, 2023
iiWi Reviews says there no significant difference between xlr and rca, Passion for Sound says about "slighty" better performance. The average real balance amp has more than "slighty" better performance comparing single-ended output. For example, my iFi Zen Dac v2 is way better (louder and wider) in balanced mode. I'm going to buy balanced cables and try balanced output by himself because even ChatGPT doesn't exactly know the answer.
(Edited)
mghazenko
9
Mar 24, 2023
I've tried balanced input so there is a small difference between xlr and rca, this mostly concerns the Zen Dac technicality. It's definitely sounds louder and a bit cleaner but I'm not sure someone should spend a lot of money for balanced cables.
Highohmage1
4
May 5, 2023
checkVerified Buyer
Warranty requires shipment to china..
Sound was good, but power supply started clicking with less than 40 hours use. Just out of 30 days drop window. Chinese help non existent. Money out the window.
Follow up, drop gave me a contact for warranty. Emailed smsl, quick response but I have to ship to china on my dime, another $40 approximately. No telling how long the turnaround would take or if it would be worth it. They need USA setup for problems. I'm personally not wasting anymore money on this venture.
(Edited)
Cackalacka
15
Mar 20, 2023
checkVerified Buyer
Pretty Solid Amp
Can't really say much about this amp, which is a good thing. Sounds clean to my ears with no complaints. Just kind of blends into the background and doesn't add any flavor to the sound (if that's what you want). Mainly been driving a Sundara, 6XX, and DT990 250ohm with it so far. For these cans, it does sound better in high gain with volume knob typically in the 9-11 o'clock position. Enough power for my needs. Build quality seems great. Just a nice utilitarian design. I do like that it uses an IEC power cord directly into the unit... less mess with wallwarts.
Recommends this product? Yes
DilbertProgrammer
18
Nov 29, 2022
checkVerified Buyer
Scales very well!
The SH-8s packs a nice punch with big, clean sound. Sound is detailed and the staging is nice and wide. More than ample power via both SE and balanced outputs. This amp scales well too, driving a wide range of headphones across price brackets. Thoroughly impressed with this amp! Great value for money. Get one, you won't regret it!
Recommends this product? Yes
apchouston
43
Feb 26, 2023
checkVerified Buyer
Amps are becoming like DACs. They get better with each iteration.
Well constructed Amp and having the power supply built-in is a plus. But it's the sound that takes it to another level. I currently have a Topping D30/A30 Pro stack and a THX AAA One. The frequency response curve on the SH-8S beats some amps that cost more than three times its price.
4l3xG
2
Apr 13, 2023
apchoustonHow does it compared to the thx aaa?
I'm using Sennheiser HD 600 and I want to buy an amp and I'm thinking should I go with smsl or the THX
apchouston
43
Apr 14, 2023
4l3xGThe THX AAA is more clinical in the sound presentation. The SMSL is more musical in my opinion. I don’t think you’ll go wrong with either.
ivanpivan
2
Apr 27, 2023
checkVerified Buyer
Warranty is not existent.
Disappointed to see that products sold on DROP have no warranty. My SH-8S died after barely any use. I reached out to DROP regarding warranty information and was sent this generic excuse:
This is Damian from Drop Community Support. I can certainly check the details of your order and see if it is within the return/warranty period.
After reviewing your transaction, I see that your order was delivered on 2022-11-21 and is outside of the reporting period for an issue. For products that do not have an included manufacturer's warranty, customers have 30 days from the date of delivery to report an issue.
If we had the ability to source for individual parts or if there was a repair facility for this item, that would be our first step, however these options are not available in this case. For technical issues that may be resolved with troubleshooting, you can try reaching out on the product discussion board for assistance from the community who may have encountered similar issues before.
---
First, why would you sell an item without warranty? Red Flag.
Second, when I reached out for help I asked information about warranty and the response was generic with no information.
Recommends this product? No
Huntrjmpr
2
Feb 20, 2023
checkVerified Buyer
Very clean...no noise, but not as powerful as I expected!
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