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SMSL / VMV D1SE Impressions thread
Apr 27, 2022 at 12:30 PM Post #34 of 59
just got mine after a month of waiting and will post my impressions in a week or so.

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May 14, 2022 at 1:39 PM Post #36 of 59
Anyone compared so200 to su9? I have the su9, bur wondering if upgrading to d0200 is worth the extra 100. Still I return window.

Thx
 
May 16, 2022 at 11:18 PM Post #40 of 59
JoshG1217 said:
Sorry. Meant do200
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Well, I just went ahead and ordered it. Not sure I can so much side by side since I have ro fo back and forth wirh xlr cables, but it should be better, so there's that?
 
May 24, 2022 at 1:12 PM Post #41 of 59
A little impression of D1se:
- Neutral tilt to bright character
- Spacious soundstage
- Not many emphasis to be found, good linearity, nothing come too forward nor too recessed
- Closer to dry presentation rather than mellow/over sweet.
- Great for people who looking fpr source that able to lift the clarity, separation and soundstage imaging

For comparison (DAC only, feed Burson Soloist 3XP), both Topping D90se and Fiio K9 Pro ESS perform a little darker treble, with fuller mid range and bass body. Topping being the most forward sounding here, Fiio in the middle, and SMSL at the most laidback. Fiio does the most spacious soundstage though.
 
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Oct 5, 2022 at 12:35 PM Post #43 of 59
LowBeat91 said:
Is it worth to upgrade from the Cayin RU6 R2R Dongle Dac to S.M.S.L VMV D1se?
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Oh, a question I can answer! I've had both for about 8 months, and run them in my living room on ELAC Debut References, and through headphones (SMSL SP400, Hifiman Anandas, Sennheiser HD560s, 7Hz Timeless). Balanced connections. I'd say it depends on what your system needs.

The D1SE throws a wider soundstage. The layers are more crisply defined, but they don't go as deep as the RU6. It has a little more of that magic "airiness". It would probably impress your non audiophile friends more, upon first listen. Don't underestimate the connectivity advantages, either. The Sound Color options do make a difference in my system, so it's got some versatility. I find the D1SE to be less harsh and grainy than other ESS DACs I've had, but see below lol.

The RU6 over time, runs down the D1SE in terms of pleasant tonality. Oversampling mode puts its sound close to the D1SE for airiness. The layering sounds more natural, especially for acoustic instruments. But you'll certainly notice the more narrow soundstage. It just sounds more analog. Bass is a little more punchy. Treble and midrange have that nice warm glow, vs the sometimes harsh D1SE. If most of your listening material was recorded to analag tape or DSD vs modern recordings which are done in PCM on DAWs, I'd stick with the RU6 every time.

I'm having trouble getting rid of one or the other, because they really do occupy different ends of the spectrum for listening experience.
 
Oct 5, 2022 at 3:10 PM Post #44 of 59
artkillen said:
Oh, a question I can answer! I've had both for about 8 months, and run them in my living room on ELAC Debut References, and through headphones (SMSL SP400, Hifiman Anandas, Sennheiser HD560s, 7Hz Timeless). Balanced connections. I'd say it depends on what your system needs.

The D1SE throws a wider soundstage. The layers are more crisply defined, but they don't go as deep as the RU6. It has a little more of that magic "airiness". It would probably impress your non audiophile friends more, upon first listen. Don't underestimate the connectivity advantages, either. The Sound Color options do make a difference in my system, so it's got some versatility. I find the D1SE to be less harsh and grainy than other ESS DACs I've had, but see below lol.

The RU6 over time, runs down the D1SE in terms of pleasant tonality. Oversampling mode puts its sound close to the D1SE for airiness. The layering sounds more natural, especially for acoustic instruments. But you'll certainly notice the more narrow soundstage. It just sounds more analog. Bass is a little more punchy. Treble and midrange have that nice warm glow, vs the sometimes harsh D1SE. If most of your listening material was recorded to analag tape or DSD vs modern recordings which are done in PCM on DAWs, I'd stick with the RU6 every time.

I'm having trouble getting rid of one or the other, because they really do occupy different ends of the spectrum for listening experience.
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Thank you for your opinion. I got the SMSL and compared it and found the SMSL to be better. This was mainly due to two factors. The voices of the SMSL sound much more natural and you get more information, and the sound has much more detail and a more precise sound. The sound pattern seems more coherent to me with the SMSL. In addition, smaller details can also be heard much more obviously without the DAC sounding sterile or "neutral". It has its own vitality. I also miss that reverb of an R2R Dac, but this is the first Dac I prefer for its precise yet equally natural and emotional presentation. I only see an R2R Dac with similar qualities + advantages of the R2R technology in a Pegasus Musician if not even in a HoloAudio Dac
 
Apr 7, 2023 at 11:14 PM Post #45 of 59
I have owned the D1SE for a while but haven't really used it much because (various things getting in the way of setting up my system).

I've started to use it more lately and am having an issue when I pair it with a Tor Balanced tube amp. I can hear some kind of interference through the Tor. However I don't get the problem when I pair the Tor with my Denafrips Ares II, so it seems like a dac pairing problem.

That said, I don't seem to have the issue when I use the D1SE with my Burson soloist 3XP.

Just wondering if anyone else has had any similar issue of interference or RF noise with the D1SE?

Are there any firmware updates that may be able to help?
 
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