Review on SMSL M100 USB DAC AK4452 DSD512 32Bit/768kHz - High-Fidelity Audio Decoder (Black) by Paul Wilson

Pros: 1 - 768kHz PCM2 - Status indicator3 - Multiple inputs (USB, coaxial and optical) Cons: 1 - Windows driver issues2 - Outdated USB connections3 - USB power Design Comments: Despite some notable flaws on the SMSL M100, I'm reluctant to give it 4 stars because you just don't get the best sound at this price point. I wanted to give 5 stars but seriously doubted whether I should downgrade to 3 stars. Continue reading. In terms of design, the SMSL M100 stands out with its Santa Fe Blue paint job (I once owned a car that color) and its long, rectangular, almost cubic shape. The DACs are a refreshing change from the usual cheap boxes. that the installer package was not downloaded (NSIS Error - There was an error running the installer). AAAAAAAAAA! Anyway, all drivers are in the zip archive. but. You'll need to read the "setup.ini" file to find out which ones to use and where to go. This is the process and what I usually give 2 stars for. Strangely, Windows 10 had trouble loading the generic driver for the M100, so driver issues were not spared. Luckily I'm tech savvy enough to deal with such issues, but I suspect there will be some backlash due to these issues. Wouldn't it hurt to put a USB stick in a box with working drivers? SMSL? want to weigh However, I finally got some working drivers and got a very good sound, if a bit harsh (expected with the new DAC). However, the urge to try some DSD files turned out to be quite a hassle. The user manual doesn't mention ASIO drivers (huh?!?) so I spent another 90 minutes tinkering around with J River and here it is: Audio Device: SMSL M100 v1.0 [Kernel Streaming] Settings: Output Encoding DSP Studio - Use DoP format. Streaming Formats: Custom - Stream any DSD sample rate** Make sure the volume is set to 100% or there will be noise. Now that I've done it all, the magic has begun. With the 256DSD files, the M100 burst into life and, as a previous reviewer noted, far outperforms its price point. Still a bit harsh but the overall quality far exceeded my expectations. Compared to my Topping D10, I found the presentation of acoustic instruments and solo vocals to be very natural, but a bit dry, but not cold like many digital decoders. Compared to my Sound Magic Serenade, the M100 just isn't in the same class, but it also costs 1/3 less, so here it is. Unit. There are two micro USB ports, one of which is for additional power. While this circuit works for D/A situations, I wish there was a relay to disconnect USB power from the computer (very dirty and always noisy) and I would also expect a new device like this to come with it USB works. -C. Finally, I agree with previous reviewers (3 at the time of writing) that SMSL knocked it out of the park sound-wise. A new bar has been set and I believe the M100 sits at the high end of the low end of DACs, even challenging many of those that cost twice as much. However, I'm worried that driver issues might be an obstacle for some buyers, so I'm hoping SMSL will take a closer look at this situation and maybe even provide an ASIO driver (I couldn't get 512 DSD without it). While this circuit works for D/A situations, I wish there was a relay to disconnect USB power from the computer (very dirty and always noisy) and I would also expect a new device like this to come with it USB works. -C. Finally, I agree with previous reviewers (3 at the time of writing) that SMSL knocked it out of the park sound-wise. A new bar has been set and I believe the M100 sits at the high end of the low end of DACs, even challenging many of those that cost twice as much. However, I'm worried that driver issues might be an obstacle for some buyers, so I'm hoping SMSL will take a closer look at this situation and maybe even provide an ASIO driver (I couldn't get 512 DSD without it). While this circuit works for D/A situations, I wish there was a relay to disconnect USB power from the computer (very dirty and always noisy) and I would also expect a new device like this to come with it USB works. -C. Finally, I agree with previous reviewers (3 at the time of writing) that SMSL knocked it out of the park sound-wise. A new bar has been set and I believe the M100 sits at the high end of the low end of DACs, even challenging many of those that cost twice as much. However, I'm worried that driver issues might be an obstacle for some buyers, so I'm hoping SMSL will take a closer look at this situation and maybe even provide an ASIO driver (I couldn't get 512 DSD without it). I assume a new device like this will work with USB-C. Finally, I agree with previous reviewers (3 at the time of writing) that SMSL blew this out of the park in terms of sound. A new bar has been set and I believe that the M100 sits at the high end of the low end of DACs, even challenging many of those that cost twice as much. However, I am concerned that driver issues may be an obstacle for some buyers. So I hope that SMSL will carefully investigate this situation and maybe even provide an ASIO driver (I couldn't get 512 DSD without it). I assume a new device like this will work with USB-C. Finally, I agree with previous reviewers (3 at the time of writing) that SMSL blew this out of the park in terms of sound. A new bar has been set and I believe the M100 sits at the high end of the low end of DACs, even challenging many of those that cost twice as much. However, I worry that driver issues might be an obstacle for some buyers, so I hope SMSL will take a closer look at this situation and maybe even provide an ASIO driver (I couldn't get 512 DSD without it). will even provide an ASIO driver (I couldn't get 512 DSD without it). I assume a new device like this will work with USB-C. Finally, I agree with previous reviewers (3 at the time of writing) that SMSL blew this out of the park in terms of sound. A new bar has been set and I believe the M100 sits at the high end of the low end of DACs, even challenging many of those that cost twice as much. However, I'm worried that driver issues might be a hindrance for some buyers, so I hope that SMSL will take a closer look at this situation and maybe even provide an ASIO driver (I couldn't get 512 DSD without it). will even provide an ASIO driver (I couldn't get 512 DSD without it). I assume a new device like this will work with USB-C. Finally, I agree with previous reviewers (3 at the time of writing) that SMSL blew this out of the park in terms of sound. A new bar has been set and I believe the M100 sits at the high end of the low end of DACs, even challenging many of those that cost twice as much. However, I'm worried that driver issues might be a hindrance for some buyers, so I hope that SMSL will take a closer look at this situation and maybe even provide an ASIO driver (I couldn't get 512 DSD without it). Finally, I agree with previous reviewers (3 at the time of writing) that SMSL blew this out of the park in terms of sound. A new bar has been set and I believe the M100 sits at the high end of the low end of DACs, even challenging many of those that cost twice as much. However, I'm worried that driver issues might be an obstacle for some buyers, so I'm hoping SMSL will take a closer look at this situation and maybe even provide an ASIO driver (I couldn't get 512 DSD without it). Finally, I agree with previous reviewers (3 at the time of writing), that SMSL knocked this out of the park in terms of sound. A new bar has been set and I believe the M100 sits at the high end of the low end of DACs, even challenging many of those that cost twice as much. However, I'm worried that driver issues might be an obstacle for some buyers, so I'm hoping SMSL will take a closer look at this situation and maybe even provide an ASIO driver (I couldn't get 512 DSD without it).