Meldrick opinions the SMSL SU-2, a compact and inexpensive $99.00 desktop ES9039Q2M DAC with SPDIF and AES enter help.
Disclaimer: I obtained this pattern in change for my trustworthy opinion. Headfonics is an impartial web site with no affiliate hyperlinks or partnerships. Thanks to Shenzhen Audio and SMSL for his or her help.
Click on right here to be taught extra concerning the SMSL merchandise we have now beforehand reviewed on Headfonics.
This text follows our present scoring pointers, which you’ll find in additional element right here.
SMSL SU-2 Assessment
Abstract
The SMSL SU-2 desktop DAC is a technically sturdy entry within the finances DAC house, providing a clear, clear sound signature backed by good measurements and a succesful balanced output for the worth. At $99.99, its uncooked efficiency is simple to understand.
Professionals
Good dynamics.
Good treble efficiency.
Absolutely balanced design
Cons
Lack of USB enter.
Barebones management scheme.
SMSL has lengthy occupied a reliable nook of the Chinese language audiophile market, with merchandise just like the SU-1, D-6S, and DO200 MKII establishing the model as a gentle supply of competent DACs at aggressive costs.
The SU-2 is the newest entry within the SU sequence, stepping up from its predecessor by swapping the AK4493S chip for the newer ESS ES9039Q2M and changing the USB enter with knowledgeable AES/EBU connection.
Priced at $99.99, the SU-2 sits on the low finish of what a balanced desktop DAC sometimes prices, making it a noteworthy product at its worth level.
It competes with the likes of the SMSL SU-1, SMSL D1, and Fosi ZD3. Does the trade-off of USB for AES/EBU make sense at this worth? Learn my full overview beneath to seek out out.
Options
On the core of the SU-2 sits the ESS ES9039Q2M DAC chip from the Sabre household, giving it a measured THD+N of simply 0.00006% and a SINAD of 123.5 dB on its balanced output.
Its totally balanced structure can be a significant departure from its predecessor, sporting 4 Texas Devices OPA1612A operational amplifiers organized in a symmetrical structure throughout the left and proper channels
Essentially the most vital addition over the SU-1 is the skilled AES/EBU digital enter, which offers superior noise rejection and helps prolonged cable runs, giving the DAC extra versatility in direction of studio set-ups and high-end CD methods
Each balanced XLR and single-ended RCA outputs are included, providing 4.7Vrms and a pair of.3Vrms, respectively, giving the SU-2 adequate output voltage for each shopper amplifiers and pro-grade energetic displays.
Design
The SU-2 follows SMSL’s established utilitarian design language with an understated, useful, industrial design that’s devoid of something that could possibly be referred to as ornamental.
The chassis is constructed from machined aluminum with a clear anodized end, accessible in black. At 150 × 42.5 × 133.1mm and weighing roughly 532g, it has a surprisingly stable, planted really feel for a finances unit.
The place the SU-2 deviates most noticeably from rivals just like the Fosi ZD3 or SMSL D-6S is its full absence of a show.
There isn’t any display, no readout, and no menu system, only a row of front-panel LEDs that talk enter choice, sign lock standing, left and proper channel exercise, and sampling fee in actual time.
It’s useful suggestions relatively than ornament, and whereas it really works, customers accustomed to a correct show will discover its absence instantly.
There are not any bodily buttons past a single enter selector/energy button on the entrance panel, and no distant is included.
This minimalism is in line with the unit’s predecessor and studio-adjacent positioning, the place sources are sometimes set and left, but it surely does restrict comfort in a typical desktop listening setup.
4 rubber toes on the underside present good stability, and the general match and end are stable for the worth, with tight panel tolerances and high quality connectors all through.
I/O
The SU-2’s rear panel is easy. On the enter facet, a C14 IEC energy inlet handles mains energy through the included AC cable, and three digital connections are provided: AES/EBU through XLR, coaxial S/PDIF, and optical TOSLINK.
All three help PCM as much as 24-bit/192kHz and DSD64. Notably absent is USB of any type, a deliberate trade-off that SMSL made to introduce the AES/EBU connection.
On the output facet, balanced XLR outputs ship 4.7Vrms, whereas the RCA single-ended outputs present 2.3Vrms. Each output ranges are mounted; there isn’t a selectable acquire or preamp mode right here.
Frankly, the omission of USB inputs at a sub-100USD worth level is simply baffling. Seeing as most customers seeking to buy a desktop DAC at this worth vary will pair it with a desktop, laptop computer, or cellular supply, this looks as if a missed alternative.
Granted, the addition of the AES/EBU port expands its use case to a slim vary of studio setups and high-end CD-based setups, however I wrestle to discover a pro-audio use case that may require connecting a mixer or interface right into a DAC with XLR outputs.
Whereas audiophiles invested in premium CD gamers with the disc assortment to match, they’re most probably looking for DACs considerably above the worth vary of the SU-2.
I acknowledge that not each finances DAC should be catered to a computer-based system, however I simply wrestle to seek out the use case of the SU-2.
Controls
The SU-2’s management scheme is about as minimal because it will get. A brief press on the front-panel button cycles by way of the three accessible inputs: AES/EBU, coaxial, and optical. The energetic choice is mirrored on the LED array.
Lengthy-pressing the identical button turns the unit on and off. The indicator LED on the standby column shines purple when the unit is turned off, whereas a white LED on the energetic enter shines white when the unit is turned on. That’s the extent of on-device management.
There isn’t any quantity adjustment, no distant management, no mode switching, and no app help.
Whereas this simplicity aligns with the SU-2’s goal as a clear conversion stage in a hard and fast monitoring chain, it may possibly really feel restrictive in a extra typical desktop audiophile context the place enter switching and quantity administration are common actions.
Customers working the SU-2 in a desktop headphone setup might want to guarantee their amplifier handles all quantity and enter administration, as none of that accountability lives on the SU-2 itself. For a studio or energetic speaker setup, nonetheless, it is a non-issue.
Packaging & Equipment
The SU-2 arrives in a compact white retail field with minimal exterior graphics and key specs printed on the outside.
Inside, foam inserts maintain the unit securely in place throughout transport, and the unit arrives wrapped in a protecting plastic sleeve with no motion or rattling in transit.
The bundle contains the SU-2 unit itself, an AC energy cable, and a quick consumer guide overlaying enter choice and LED indicator meanings.
The inclusion of a mains energy cable relatively than a USB-based energy resolution displays the SU-2’s step up in energy provide design relative to the bus-powered SU-1.
What’s absent is notable: no digital cables of any type are included. No coaxial, no optical, and no AES/EBU cable, which means customers might want to supply their very own earlier than getting any audio out of the unit. No analog interconnects are included both.
For a tool with no USB enter, first-time customers could discover themselves needing to buy cables earlier than they will use it in any respect, which is price planning for prematurely.
Sound Impressions
The next sound impressions have been performed utilizing the Topping L30 II headphone amplifier, the Sennheiser HD 600, Sendy Audio Egret, and Modhouse Argon Mk3 headphones, and the MOONDROP Blessing 3, Yanyin Canon II, and Kiwi Ears Orchestra II IEMs.
Abstract
The SMSL SU-2 presents a clear, impartial, and clear sound signature that prioritizes tonal accuracy above all else. There’s little or no tonal coloration on provide.
Bass is tight, linear, and well-extended into the sub-bass area with out heat or bloom. Kick drums and bass guitars render with good definition and articulation, although the presentation skews towards management over richness.
The midrange is obvious and clear, with vocals and devices reproduced with pure timbre and good separation.
There isn’t any upper-midrange glare and no undesirable forwardness, although the presentation could register as barely cool in comparison with warmer-sounding options.
Treble is prolonged and detailed with out tipping into harshness. Excessive-hat strikes and cymbal transients are rendered with applicable shimmer and decay, and the highest finish contributes to a way of openness and determination with out changing into fatiguing.
Soundstage width is respectable for the worth, with imaging that’s exact and secure even in busy mixes. Dynamics are stable, with good macro-dynamic swing and ample decision of finer element.
Timbre
The SU-2’s timbral presentation leans towards the colder finish of impartial, in line with the traits sometimes related to ESS Sabre implementations.
Bass notes are exact and articulate, electrical bass traces and kick drums are rendered with texture and management, although they cease wanting the mid-bass fullness that hotter DACs add.
In digital and jazz materials, sub-bass depth is spectacular given the worth, extending cleanly with out audible roll-off or synthetic emphasis.
Acoustic devices fare nicely by way of the SU-2’s midrange, with piano strikes carrying applicable weight within the decrease registers and violin tones sustaining good physique with out sounding skinny.
Male vocals show ample chest resonance, whereas feminine vocals are rendered with readability and good breath element, although the general presentation has a barely medical edge.
The upper-midrange and treble areas exhibit the managed extension that characterizes well-implemented DAC designs.
Snare drums have good snap, guitars carry texture with out harshness, and brass devices preserve their character with out changing into piercing. Cymbal crashes exhibit advantageous shimmer and decay, lending recordings a way of air and house that advantages well-mastered materials.
On poorer recordings, the SU-2’s revealing nature can expose compression artifacts and recording flaws extra readily than hotter options would.
Staging & Dynamics
The SU-2 delivers a good soundstage with good width and ample depth for its worth vary. Imaging is secure and exact, with devices positioned precisely inside the area.
In easier recordings, placement feels locked and outlined, whereas in denser preparations, the SU-2 maintains good separation with out smearing.
Dynamic efficiency is first rate, significantly in the way in which the unit handles macro-level contrasts between quiet passages and louder crescendos.
Micro-dynamic decision is nice, and listeners shifting up from very finances sources will discover the SU-2 a significant step ahead in perceived realism and engagement.
Click on on web page 2 beneath for my beneficial pairings and chosen comparisons.
