Review: Smsl D6-s – Perfectly Pedestrian

The SMSL D6-S has the whole thing an entry-level DAC will have to have.

Like Topping, SMSL is among the audio objectivists’ darling corporations. Is there any sense for me to check a unit this is measurement-perfect? Will my impressions be anything else extra than simply hallucinations?

Even so, we will be able to nonetheless have amusing with them.

The SMSL D6-S is their latest entry-level providing the usage of the most recent top-end cellular ESS Generation chip – the ES9039Q2M. A contemporary XMOS chip handles USB, and the analog outputs use very first rate opamps. What’s there to not love?

Learn on to find that even though D6-S isn’t excellent, it may well be one of the crucial perfect devoted virtual assets for many!

Unboxing and First Affect

Design and Construct

The SMSL D6-S is 1 rack unit (U) thick (roughly 4cm) and concerning the measurement of a CD case when seen from the highest. All in all, it’s sufficiently small to suit on on the subject of any desktop. The query is whether or not it’s going to stack correctly along with your amp.

Construct-wise I to find the D6-S very onerous to fault. The chassis is powder-coated black with out a visual imperfections. At the backside, stick on rubber ft be sure that the small field remains put. After all, the unit is beautiful mild, so that you’ll have to carry it all the way down to plug the cables in.

I very a lot adore the best way SMSL has designed the entrance panel.

The 7-segment LCD shines thru a matte blackened glass. When inactive, the show segment seems like an aluminum panel. The show presentations the pattern charge when there’s a sign lock.

At the again, there’s the standard set of virtual and analog IO. There are RCA and XLR analog outputs. The XLRs aren’t Neutrik high quality, however they do the process wonderful. Inputs are USB-C, usual optical for TOSLINK, and an RCA for coax. The Bluetooth has an RF port to connect a small antenna.

Bluetooth

The D6-S handles Bluetooth 5.1 with the common bevy of formats – LDAC, AptX, Aptx HD, AAC, and SBC. As all the time, LDAC and Aptx HD sound the most efficient, and the remaining are beautiful meh, IMO.

With the hooked up antenna, the D6-S can dangle a sexy solid connection to a telephone even if I put a wall between me and the receiver. After all, sound-wise, regardless of the codec, Bluetooth performs 2nd mess around to each and every different cable connection.

Controls

There are two tactics to regulate the D6-S. The entrance panel has an encoder knob which may also be grew to become and pressed. In on a regular basis operation, turning adjustments the quantity, and urgent means that you can undergo the remainder of the purposes, like opting for inputs, filters, and the like.

A extra handy strategy to regulate the D6-S is by means of the integrated far flung. The far flung has a directional pad, ON/OFF, enter make a selection, customized serve as, mute, and quantity up/down keys.

Each and every of the inputs may also be configured with certainly one of 7 other output filters:

1. Minimal segment
2. Linear segment apodizing quick roll-off
3. Linear segment quick roll-off
4. Linear segment quick roll-off low ripple
5. Linear segment sluggish roll-off
6. Minimal segment quick roll-off
7. Minimal segment sluggish roll-off

It’s an ordinary clear out checklist that includes the DAC chip. Switching between them is tremendous simple and quick.

I hate the output filters as a result of they’re a unending spiral of alternatives with minimal audible variations.

The D6-S additionally lets in for adjusting the energy of the PLL jitter suppression with decrease settings. This handiest works if the delivery jitter is low sufficient. I will stay it on the minimal atmosphere with my pc and will’t inform any audible distinction.

Below the Hood

The D6-S is an ordinary design, which is greater than ok for a DAC on this class. It makes use of an ES9039Q2M chip fed a virtual sign from the XMOS XU316 USB controller and different virtual receivers. The analog output reportedly makes use of OPA1612 chips.

The PSU is a switch-mode design. On this case, little or no may also be received by means of the usage of a switching unit as opposed to a standard linear PSU. The scale is sort of equivalent. A transformer may weigh extra, and extra care should be taken to clear out AC hum and diode noise. With a switcher, you industry that for high-frequency noise.

I want to see a Faraday cage across the PSU to display the delicate DAC circuitry from emissions. The cage additionally catches portions from the high-voltage aspect electrolytic cap will have to that fail. It’s great that there’s some mains clear out circuitry to prevent one of the crucial switching noise from leaking again into the grid.

The amount regulate is finished by means of the DAC itself. Sabre chips have all the time had very clear quantity controls, which has led me to imagine that their inside circuitry operates at upper than 32-bit phrase duration. This will have to make the D6-S a reliable preamp as smartly.

What rubs the improper means is the 5VRMS output.

Shopper-grade balanced audio inputs be expecting 4VRMS. Subsequently, it’s simple to clip the inputs if the D6-S is administered at complete quantity.

Then why 5VRMS? To recover size numbers. The warmer sign stands proud extra from the noise, in the end.

How Does the SMSL D6-S Sound?

Total, I describe the SMSL DA-6S as rather impartial sounding with a bit of of a propensity to a medical sound signature. Imaging and soundstage are treated fairly expertly and are the principle issues that fluctuate with DAC output clear out switching.

Bass

The low finish is satisfactorily prolonged because the D6-S is DC-coupled with out a capacitors attenuating low frequencies. When known as for by means of the recording, the bass has scale and have an effect on. Remoted sub-bass in Huge Assault’s seminal recording Angel unearths no modulation noise from an overstrained PSU.

Midrange

It’s a “simply the info ma’am” midrange.

In case your recodings have midrange magic in them, then a just right bite of it’s going to come thru (supplied the remainder of the chain is as much as snuff). With that mentioned, entry-level DACs hardly ever have anything else particular about their midrange replica.

One small niggle I’ve with the D6-S is the higher midrange at upper sign ranges. At the default minimal segment clear out, I will discover some stringency. All of it however went away once I switched to linear segment quick roll-off low ripple. Or perhaps my eardrums burned in.

Treble

To be frank, I all the time have some reservations about ESS Sabre DAC treble.

It’s only a dangerous aftertaste from the ES9018 days, which wanted heaps of esoteric babying not to sound like nails on a chalkboard.

Fortuitously, with the SMSL D6-S, my fears have been utterly unfounded. The higher registers are wonderful each in amount and in technicalities. Extra pricey DACs give me extra microdetail and a tad extra herbal presentation, however the D6-S is greater than ok.

Comparisons

For this evaluation, the nemesis of D6-S is the Schiit Multibit DAC card that is living inside of my Jotunheim 2 amp. It’s in a similar fashion priced and, in some ways, a fully other product. I’m biased towards multibit sound (if there may be this sort of factor), so I did fast-switching comparisons between the 2.

It’s obvious that there’s an audible distinction between the 2 DACs, with the multi-bit sounding a bit of extra herbal. Is the adaptation night time and day? Heck no, it’s means smaller than I used to be anticipating. Delta-sigma DACs have long past a ways within the ultimate 5 years, for which I’m very happy.

There’s every other adversary to the D6-S from the SMSL solid – the DL200.

It kind of feels to do the whole thing the D6-S does and provides a pleasant, easy headphone power circuit on peak. Need to know the true kicker? On the time of this evaluation, you’ll get it for much less. It kind of feels that SMSL must get their product technique act in combination.

The place to Purchase

Who Will have to Purchase This?

If you wish to get started development a separate component-based audio machine, the D6-S is a straightforward advice. I’d pair it with much less analytical amps and headphones for the most efficient machine synergy. Different vivid parts will most certainly finally end up being an excessive amount of.

The very good quantity regulate serve as manner the D6-S could be a very competent preamp in an energetic speaker setup. Simply upload interconnects, and also you’re achieved! Or a few beefy monoblock energy amps to run your giant audio system. The D6-S behaves noise-free, so your audio system will likely be protected.

Ultimate Ideas

It’s onerous to hate the D6-S; it seems to be very good and is simple to combine in simply each and every setup available in the market. Sure, no cherries or different unique berries are on peak of the cake, however will have to you thoughts? Now not for those who plan to devour it and now not simply glance.

Plug the D6-S in and fail to remember about it when you benefit from the track.

SMSL has created an excellent product that’s simple to counsel for many listeners on the lookout for a great time.

What’s within the Field?

• D6-S DAC
• Energy twine
• USB-A to USB-C cable
• Bluetooth antenna
• Faraway
• QC card
• Guide

Technical Specs

• Shape: DAC
• Weight (g): 590g
• Inputs: USB-C, SPDIF RCA, TOSLINK, Bluetooth
• Outputs: XLR, RCA
• Bluetooth Model: 5.1
• Bluetooth Audio Codec: LDAC, AptX, Aptx HD, AAC, SBC
• Faraway: Sure
• THD+N: 0.00006% at 5VRMS
• SNR: 129dB (XLR), 126dB (RCA)
• Dynamic vary: 129dB (XLR), 126dB (RCA)
• Knowledge charges (USB): PCM – 32bit (44.1 – 768kHz), DSD – 1bit (2.8224 – 22.5792Mhz), DoP256
• Knowledge charges (Optical & Coax): PCM – 24bit (44.1 – 192kHz), DoP64
• Energy intake: <10W, <0.5W stand-by
• Dimension: 150x42x128.5mm (WxHxD)