SMSL IDEA SABRE9018Q2C DSD512 Mini DSD DAC (Black)

In terms of shipping, the item arrived within the specified period. Kudos to the seller for that!The SMSL IDEA is a good product for the price and features, but it does have flaws that need to be sorted out (hopefully through a firmware update). I'm willing to live with them. Also, It might be that I got a dud.The Positives:- It can adequately power my Fostex T50RP MkIII, Superlux HD 668B and HD 669, and AKG240. Up until this point, I didn't really care for the sound of my T50RPs (I felt it was a step above the AKGs, but I preferred the sound of the Superluxes. My AQ Dragonfly Red powers them and they sound okay, but I felt there wasn't any separation between instruments (I listen to classic rock, post-punk, new wave, a bit of classical, and edm) and detail was lacking. However, when I connected them to the SMSL IDEA, that changed. Using Foobar and HQPlayer with the sample rate set to 768KHz, songs from the SHM-CD version of Steely Dan's Aja sounded amazing; instruments (guitars, pianos, etc.) and vocals sounded more clearer and distinct, there seemed to be more depth now with the T50RPs. This experience was extended to other SHM-CDs from Carol King and David Bowie. My experience listening to Austra's vocals on my FLAC version of Utopia was also enhanced.- With the Idea DAC, I feel that the sometimes harsh highs of HD668B and 669 is somewhat tamed.- I have connected the DAC to my humble Sony STR DN610 receiver with Energy RC-70 speakers, and feel that the clarity in vocals and instruments I experience on headphones is replicated on speakers.Negatives:- Sometimes, when I change the PCM sample rate (for example, 384 KHz <--> 768 KHz) on either Foobar or HQPlayer on my PC with Windows 10 64-bit, piercing buzzing sounds/noises are emitted when a song is played. The issue is solved when I disconnect and reconnect the DAC, and restart the player with the desired sample rate. It's quite annoying, but I'm willing to go through the hassle because of the great sound.-PCM to DSD conversion is a hit or miss. I would say, DSD works 30% of the time on both Foobar and HQPlayer. On my iPhone 6, immediately when I open the Onkyo HF Player (with HD pack), I'm treated to buzzing noises; I have yet to play a file on that player with this DAC. I also have a Cyberdrive Feather DAC that does up to DSD256. It converts my FLACs up to that rate on HQPlayer and Foobar, and DSD128 on the Onkyo HF Player on My iPhone 6.Overall, I love the sound coming from this DAC

I have used this for almost 6 months, and it astounds me how impressive it is. When I first got it, I thought they didn't send it since the box was so lightweight. Didn't help that it stuck to the top of the foam, leaving the bottom half of the container empty. This thing feels like it weighs less than 100 grams. But to those who think something needs some heft to be quality, this little thing will show you how wrong that assumption is.Features: You can control the volume on it. thats all. Does not remember which level it was at since last plugged in. Not a big issue.Audio quality: Amazing. Runs my DT150 headphones great. I'm assuming this means the entire weight was devoted toward making this one of the best portable DACs I've ever used.Durability: Lets get one thing out there first. This DAC's aluminum body is the heatsink. It gets almost too hot to touch unless exposed to air. I figure if there is an eventual failure, it will be due to overheating. But that certainly hasn't happened yet. It outlasted both the USB cord it shipped with, and the replacement. Funny story about the replacement cord. I accidentally bent the end while it was plugged in with a heavy object. I thought that was going to have damaged the DAC, but no. Only the USB adapter end got broken, the IDEA's port suffered no damage.Overall: Tiny, but punches well above its weight.

The SMSL IDEA is designed very badly; perhaps even designed to fail. After experiencing connection issues with the Micro USB port on this device, I looked on other review sites and found that many people have had the exact same problem. When this port begins to fail due to the poor construction of this product, you have to start putting the cable in at an angle in order to get a connection. As you continue to use the product, connection problems get worse until the device is unusable. In my case, this problem manifested slowly so that it did not start to be a concern until a short time after my return window passed. I even purchased a new cable, however it did nothing because the flaw is with the device itself. I contacted SMSL about this problem and they did not even reply. As other customers have noted, the software and firmware exhibits various issues as well, especially when the product is used with Android phones. Perhaps the only aspect of this product that is not flawed is the part SMSL did not have a hand in creating: the SABRE DAC chip. When the product is a failure on nearly every level except for the audio from the chip SMSL did not produce, it says a lot about the company. SMSL's engineers were supposed to create a platform to enable use of the SABRE chip, but they ended up designing a jail for it. It seems the only testing they performed on this product was for planned obsolescence. There are better options for the same price that have the same sound quality, that have better construction, and that are made by companies that care about their products and customers over making a buck by rushing an unfinished product to market.

Using this with FLC8S in-ear monitors, playing FLAC files and Spotify Extreme from a Thinkpad laptop and an iMac desktop.Absolutely black background, producing a crisp and clean sound. Sounds great to my ears.Tiny form factor. Gets slightly warm during use (not too far above body temperature at the volumes I listen at).Wish it came with a small case/sheath for transport, but that's a minor detail.No hissing problems with on Linux or OS X, as others have reported. That seems primarily confined to Android phone users.Very nice device.

If you enjoy streaming music, this little DAC will put a smile on your face. Great sound, great value. If you are connecting to an Apple device be sure to purchase an Apple Lightning to USB3 Camera Adapter. Nothing else will work. Also be aware that the DAC does use your devices battery, battery charge is affected, and also the DAC does get warm to the touch.

Habe mir das Teilchen für mein Windows Tablett bestellt, da die Lautstärke bei lauter Umgebung (z.B. im Flugzeug) nicht ausreichend war.Mit dem IDEA lässt sich diese Begrenzung umgehen und entsprechend laut Hören. Die Qualität, gerade bei hoher Abtastrate, ist hervorragend.Für meinen Einsatz eine klare Kaufempfehlung!

Excellent DAC qui malgré sa très petite taille est d'une qualité sonore impressionnante (jusqu'à DSD 512). Pas de problème de fonctionnement sur PC avec Foobar 2000 et sur Mac (Colibri et Pine). En ce qui concerne l'utilisation avec mon Smartphone (USB 3.0 et OTG), impossible d'utiliser par exemple HiBye en DSD natif (grésillements et ronronnements) mais avec Poweramp, Aimp et Foobar (à ma connaissance les DSD sont convertis en PCM par les applications) par aucun problème.Très bon produit et nomade de surcroît !