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Showing 1 of 21 reviews about:
SMSL VMV D1 DAC
mamsterla
17
Aug 26, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Super detailed, clean sound, built like a tank
I am coming from a Chord Mojo driving a variety of IEMs (MassDrop+, Noble Kaiser X) and my new Focal Stellias. I also ordered a SMSL SU-8, but I have not listened to it much since I have lent it to a co-worker.
I have the SMSL VMV D1 in a system with both a JDS Atom and with a Drop THX AAA 789. I am primarily listening through the Stellias at work. My system is a MacBook Pro with Pangea USB cable into the DAC, using the XLR output to the THX AAA 789 running balanced into the Stellias.
My main comparison is my Chord Mojo to which I have been listening for over a year. The Mojo is a great balance between warmth and detail. It can drive the Stellias well and is a great companion for IEMs. I would still keep it as my portable reference. It has a really pleasant signature. It is quite detailed, but at the same time not etched. There is a reason so many people like the Chord house sound.
The SMSL VMV D1 is definitely a bit cooler than the Mojo. I have mine with the Brickwall filter and the Standard output. I wanted to get used to these settings because I know they measure the most accurately before I seek to flavor the sound with the available sound signatures. Trying the filters out had very little effect for me. I don't think I could reliably tell when any of the filters changed. The sounds however are easy to discern.
The silences on this setup are inky black. There is no noise at all. It is the quietest setup I have ever run. Quieter than the Mojo or my ancient CEntrance Mini that I used at my home setup. If you like detail, the SMSL delivers. You can hear everything in the mix. Spatial queues are all preserved. Guitar strings sound very real with the body of the guitar very present (I play acoustic, so I think I am pretty sensitive to how it sounds). I played Mickey Hart Planet drum and the subterranean Cave drums track vibrated my skull. Everything comes through (my sources are uniformly 44.1k FLAC with few HiRes tracks mixed in).
I am pretty sure this is close to an end game setup. The only thing I would do is experiment with the sound options. I would suspect that the tube settings would be a nice way to take the harshness out of my modern pop/rock recordings. It is amazing how bright some of those sound compared to my classical and jazz tracks. This DAC pulls no punches. Bright material will come across very trebly and you will want to compensate. I feel this is the right choice because you know that the unit is reproducing what is there. Adding tone is a user option and this unit's sound choices are in my limited listening subtle but effective.
I know this unit measures very closely to its sibling the SMSL SU-8, so I intend to do a little more listening to that unit to see if I can discern a difference. For now, I am a happy camper exploring my music collection anew.
Recommends this product? Yes
Djangomeister
64
Sep 26, 2019
mamsterlawould you comment the difference if any that you hear from the su-8 and d1 dac
MusicLover
566
Jan 28, 2020
mamsterlaThank you for your review. Could you share your thoughts on the Focal Stellias? Which closed backs did you compare them to before purchasing
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