SMSL AO200MKII Power Amplifier 160W*2 Review – Tiny Dancer In My Hand
Like a Greek diner which keeps a thousand items on its menu in the hopes of attracting every possible customer, SMSL keeps churning out countless, barely-distinguishable DACs, amps and players, as if it might miss a buyers if, for example, it didn’t offer a $130 DAC, a $140 DAC and a $150 DAC. That said, it does make a quality product, of which the 85w/ch AO200MKII Class D integrated/Bluetooth streamer/USB DAC is the latest.
I haven’t heard the earlier iteration of the AO200MKII (which sports the same dual Infeon MA12070 chips but is rated at only 50w/ch). I did, however, review the A300 (review here), which uses only one chip but has equal power and, unlike the AO200MKII, can be bridged to mono.
I tested the AO200MKII as an integrated with both my efficient Energy Connoisseur C-1 or my inefficient (87db) Revel M-20 speakers using an Oppo 105 universal player or my Dell PC as a source. I also compared to my current desktop power amp, an old, Curl-designed Parasound HCA, which is rated at 75w/ch but has particularly strong high-current delivery.
The AO200MKII had plenty of volume and headroom, and maintained composure even with the notoriously current-hungry Revels. Subjectively, it sounded more powerful than the similarly-spec’d A300 (though more restrained than the Parasound)—the engine on this little thing is impressive.
The preamp section on the AO200MKII sounds clean, without the background noise of cheaper units, and it images very well, with good instrument separation and a nice rounded stage. However, as with the A300 its tone was somewhat colored– lacking in body and warmth, particularly in the midrange, while high end sounded very detailed but a tad digital-bright. (Note that toying with the numerous EQ and tone control features on the AO200MKII does significantly enhance or attenuate the different frequencies, but doesn’t radically change its lean, brightish timbral quality).
Swapping in the Oppo or a Schiit passive as a preamp (using the AO200MKII as a stereo amp) improved the presentation—notes sounded thicker and treble seemed smoother and better-resolved, although it wasn’t a night-and-day difference. Most folks would be more-than-contented with just the SMSL.
Bass is the standout here—its low end is deep, agile and fast, without bloom or thumpiness. It doesn’t have as much quantity as the Parasound’s, but actually sounded less billowy and better-suited for jazz and complex arrangements. Acoustic bass and low guitar notes in particular have a sculpted quality which reveals previously-unheard nuances.
The AO200MKII doesn’t sound quite as engaging at low volumes as my conventional A/B amps, but neither is it anemic (note further that the AO200MKII has an “SDP” setting—sort of a loudness control—which does fatten the bottom at lower volumes but sounds a tad artificial and somewhat veils the rest).
Unlike the A300, the AO200MKII sports balanced inputs, which is supposed to reduce distortion from signal transmission—I did hear a small but discernable improvement (mostly in the form of slightly fuller-sounding output) when I compared the balanced vs. RCA outputs on my Oppo 105 universal player. It’s a nice bonus feature.
As a Bluetooth streamer (AAC/SBC only), it’s okay—output is undistorted, but compressed/flat and Bluetoothy; by comparison the Bluetooth on the ($450) SMSL SU-9 sounds much more dimensional and full-bodied. The AO200MKII’s USB DAC is likewise more-than- serviceable, if not necessarily a step up from the stock soundcard on my PC—SMSL’s cheap and excellent C100 sounded more energetic and detailed with the same source.
Not wishing to add more boxes (which would undermine the whole size advantage of the AO200MKII I randomly plugged my Audirect Atom dongle (review here) into the chain. Big improvement—the Atom imparted some warmth and brawniness to the proceedings, which tamed the slightly sharp edges of the unadorned AO200MKII.
The AO200MKII isn’t an audiophile tool—you can obviously spend a grand or so on say, a Musical Fidelity or Rega integrated-with-DAC and get a higher level of resolution. As a value proposition, though, the SMSL is unrivalled—for $250 you get a more-than-passable pre, a dead-quiet backdrop and enough juice to power your big passive speakers, while add-ons like the aforesaid dongle provide a cheap upgrade path. That it all comes in such a tiny package is all the more impressive. Well done and highly recommended within its price parmeters, especially if desk space is at a premium.
The AO200MKII was provided to us as a review sample by Aoshida:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCVBZS9R
Aoshida official website: https://aoshida-audio.com/products/smsl-ao200-mkii
Other than asking us to provide the above purchase links, Aoshida (in addition to providing us with free stuff to review) have never requested any editorial favors or made other unseemly demands. We like Aoshida.
