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Tajikistan
1 Level
726 Review
37 Karma

Review on S.M.S.L M200: Advanced Bluetooth 5.0 Audio DAC with AK4497EQ Chip, UAT/aptX-HD/AAC/SBC Support by Sean Perry

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Worth every penny! best in amps

I bought this as an upgrade from Modi 3. It's a huge improvement. The Modi 3 was a great $100 performer. The M200 costs $279. 3 times better? Such a comparison is really hard to put into numbers. As a general rule, the principle of diminishing returns applies to almost anything you try to improve. So no, it's not three times better. However, it's definitely worth the price if you want a noticeable upgrade. This device really exceeded my expectations. I was hoping for a small improvement, but I got a lot more. You need a break for that. I think it was after about 20 hours, it was like a hidden switch being turned on and everything was smooth as silk with no rough edges. It could also be due to the new XLR cables I added at the same time. I compared the XLR output with the RCA output. The XLR pair I used was $27. RCA is old school sterling silver, probably 6x the price. The Xlr sounds a little better but is most noticeable in the low end. I will try to switch to Mogami xlr. Filters are handy in that they allow you to customize the sound to suit your system. You can adjust the sound with different cables or insulation in much the same way. Remote control is a plus. Bluetooth works well and sounds great when streaming music from my phone. I use my phone to stream almost entirely for convenience. My setup: Schiit Freya+, Mcintosh M2255, Aurum Cantus speakers with subwoofer.

Pros
  • Easy to read control panel
Cons
  • Concise manual

Comments (10)

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February 07, 2023
Great Bluetooth sound quality
January 07, 2023
Perfect pair with my Fosi Audio HD-A1
December 31, 2022
What a fantastic deal
December 22, 2022
Cheap, but quirky
December 22, 2022
Good enough
December 18, 2022
Sound quality is not good especially in the BASS area
December 07, 2022
Great Little DAC!
November 24, 2022
Not neutral; blue light is jarring.
November 24, 2022
A Beautiful DAC
October 18, 2022
Worth every penny!