Aoshida Audio SMSL C200 DAC/AMP/Preamp Review – Desires Fullfilled
In this Article
INTRO
The Aoshida Audio SMSL C200 DAC/AMP sets a new bar to clear for all-in-one DAC/AMP black boxes. SMSL has various stages of gear that we have reviewed such as the SU-6/SH-6 combo or the DO100/HO100 combo as well as their upper mid tier SU-9/SH-9 that is hard to beat even with top tier boutique offerings. The SMSL C200 will cover a huge market of desires for those that want simplicity and great sounding gear for a price of $219.
It sports buzz-worthy electronic components such as the ES9038Q2M DAC, Texas Instruments OPA1612A op-amps and “a large number of audio grade components”. The DAC is the scaled down version of the pro version, but boasts excellent measurements that surpass CD quality music and give you measurement grade SNR and DNR values that will not hinder the music resolution.
Disclaimer: Aoshida Audio provided this free to us and at the time was exclusive to them , but I have noticed it is also available now from other distributors. It is available for purchase at this non-affliate link. I will pass it along for a second review if Loomis is interested.
| GOOD TRAITS | IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES |
|---|---|
| Solid and Heavy will not move around | Short 3ft/0.9m power cord, the other SMSL products DO/HO100 combo uses 4ft/1.2m cords. |
| Lots of features for a DAC/AMP combo in a notch above entry level | Small size does not leave room for fingers to really crank on the volume knob when you want to turn it to 11. |
| Clean hiss free, low noise | |
| Remote | |
| Line out/Preamp Option | |
| Plentiful Power Output |
DESIGN FEATURES
Choose between headphone out or line preamp out, but not both. I have a pair of powered monitor speakers daisy chained from the output of my standalone DAC and am not the only user of this setup. Therefore, it makes it more cumbersome for a user to switch between the modes if I forget to switch it off the headphone output. Something to consider with these all-in-one jobbers, sometimes a separate DAC/Amp is a better option.
Headphone balanced out 4.4mm is just for connection, no improvement in channel separation or output power. Both jacks are solid and require some force to insert the jack compared to my JDS Labs Atom. I wonder if the ATOM utilized a less friction type jack due to the lightweight box.
Volume knob has detents/stops and a beveled edge smooth knob that looks classy but I would prefer some grip-personal preference. Industrial look with a raised thick aluminum front panel secured by 4 screws at the corners. The front panel is larger in size to the case, so it creates a lip that adds further dimension to the industrial design aesthetic. The small size works to keep things compact but as with all these compact amp and DACs, there is no room for your fingers on the knob. It works better if it is elevated a bit. It’s also a little deeper in comparison to other budget offerings.
The display on the Aoshida Audio SMSL C200 is small but sharper than the SMSL DO100, and very 1980’s looking. It gets the job done but I have to admit I was initially befuddled when “L O” and “H O” were not gain settings but were Line Out vs Headphone Out, oops read the manual.
With the ES9038Q2M you get the handy features of 7 filter modes to adjust the high frequency filtering, and also the digital phase lock loop settings for the COAX and Optical inputs. To switch inputs it is the second menu setting right after line output/ headphone amp mode switching, or you can use the remote for faster switching between inputs.
The SMSL C200 has RCA pre-outs along with TRS balanced outputs instead of the bigger brother DO/HO sporting XLR balanced outs. The headphone output is a 6.35mm single ended and the 4.4mm is the balanced connector, however it doesn’t provide an actual increase in channel separation or more power output, it is for accommodation.
The 5.0 bluetooth is strong and sounds great from bluetooth supporting up to LDAC, APTX-HD, APTX, SBC, and AAC. The bluetooth is great when connected to amplified speakers so you can move freely throughout your house.
For the over the top music source fan club, you are covered with DoP64, native DSD up to DSD512, and PCM 32bit/768khz.
PACKAGE CONTENTS
Big annoyance here on the Aoshida Audio SMSL C200 – the power cord is only 3ft. Ok for desk to wall if outlet is close and in the right spot, but it really should be a 4ft (1.2M) cord. Luckily I have plenty of these cords so I will use the included one elsewhere. The USB input is USB-C and a USB-C to USB-A cord is included.
The included RC-8C remote allows users to control the dac/amp combo in preamp mode featuring a power on/off button, dedicated input select button, mute, and menu navigation.
SOUND
The Aoshida Audio SMSL C200 ($219) is a lively sounding combo with hefty bass punch and clean treble. It isn’t until you compare to the SMSL DO100/HO100 combo (~$400) that there are minor differences in bass presentation. On paper they share the same components, the measurements are close with the DO/HO combo slightly edging it out in SNR low level noise performance. The SMSL C200 bass doesn’t put in the final effort to flesh out the micro details. It’s like going in for a handshake and the person starts to squeeze but stops short of causing pain. The SMSL DO100/HO100 gives you that extra burst. It’s not $200 more of control, it barely registers.
If we were keeping score the Aoshida Audio SMSL C200 would loose a half a point in instrument separation in comparison to the DO/HO100 combo, but by itself I do not notice it. I am glad there is a difference between the two options, otherwise SMSL might cut into the sales of the DO100/HO100. I would wager that it is essentially the SU-6/SH-6 instead with improved measurements.
A closer comparison for the SMSL C200 would be my Monoprice Liquid Spark DAC/JDS Labs Atom (~$200). Here there is a much more noticeable distinction which I mostly blame on the Liquid Spark DAC since I can switch back and forth while keeping the JDS Atom performing final delivery. The Liquid Spark has a softer and flatter dimensional sound. I describe it as the difference between listening to music vs feeling like I was in the room with the creators. The SMSL C200 is more lively, has a better staging presence, darker blacks in the midrange that gives everything a better sense of space. As a bonus it includes a bluetooth input supporting everything except UAT.
FINAL REMARKS
So is the SMSL C200 the one to get? Well that depends essentially on features. If you want to toggle between DAC/preamp mode or DAC/AMP mode, it is done by clicking the menu knob and turning the knob switching it to L O or H O. The JDS Atom is automatic with any DAC, plug in headphones and the preamp jacks switch off. The SMSL DO100/HO100 method would be to turn off the HO100 and then control via the DO100. For most this is probably no big deal, but it is part of the user experience.
Sound is clean, transparent and hard to find any real faults with it until you start comparing other mid tier options. At this point it comes down to what features do you want or need in your DAC/Amp stack? Balanced out plugs, real balanced headphone out? Ability to mix and match components? The SMSL C200 is a great option for simplicity and space, and having measurement grade transparency in your audio chain. It’s hard to justify needing anything more, but there are those of us that will find an excuse.
COMPARISON IMAGES
SPECIFICATIONS
DISCLAIMER
Available for purchase from Aoshida Audio here.
Our generic standard disclaimer.
