Review on 🎧 S.M.S.L Sanskrit 10th MK II High-End DAC USB Optical Coaxial Input (Black) - A Premium DAC with Enhanced Connectivity for Improved Audio Performance by Jacob Ashman

Let me just say wow. I didn't expect the change in sound quality to be so noticeable with my other DACs. Most of my stuff is a year or older, and it's clear that the last year has been a big leap for budget audio. This version of the mkii sounds as good if not better than some of my friend's expensive DACs that I was jealous of. It's so good my friend just placed an order after hearing mine to replace his bedroom DAC which costs $400. I've heard that this one is more comfortable and has a better soundstage compared to any other Ess based DAC. It's smoother than the Ess and cleaner than the budget ifi stuff actually used. The Mkii also outperforms the Loxjie d20, which uses the supposedly "better" ak4997. Something strange seems to be going on with this one that doesn't make it as well as it should with the DAC chip used. If you're switching from a DAC in the $100-$200 range that was released 6 months or more ago, this is a big upgrade. The filters and remote control are a nice plus in addition to the performance. Some filters are invisible, but Filter 5 seems to help my brighter headphones cut the highs and adds to the soundstage. Filter 1 is a standard filter, fast responding and clean. Personally I changed it to 5 and left it. I like the sound I get from this filter. The remaining filters sound very similar to filter 1.