DO100 Pro USB DAC & PA40 Amplifier
It’s no secret that when it comes to audio gear, I want to hear everything.
And SMSL is one of those brands that has always been on my radar. They are value priced and feature righ components that also happen to be well designed. So of course, when the folks at Aoshida Audio reached out I was more than happy to take on a review. Also, selfishly I wanted to see what all the hype was about.
Starting with the DO100 Pro
The box includes the DAC itself, a remote (with no batteries), a USB to USB-C cable, a power cable, manual and Bluetooth antenna. On the front, you’ll find the screen, a standby LED, and the volume wheel that doubles as the power button when pushed. The screen is a clock radio style, 3 character numerical display. Around the back, you get stereo XLR and RCA outputs, coaxial, optical, HDMI ARC, USB, Bluetooth, the power connector and the power switch.
It supports Bluetooth 5.1 with the SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX LL(low latency), and LDAC codecs. When in Bluetooth mode, the screen shows the codec being used. The screen is a 3 character numerical display. There are seven filters to choose from, but as per usual I don’t have a golden ear and can't tell the difference between them.
The SMSL DO100 Pro is built around two ESS ES9039Q2M DACs, one per channel. Preamplification is taken care of by six Texas Instruments OPA1612 chips. The remote is very handy to control the DAC: you can turn on and off the unit, adjust the volume (both with the up and down arrows, as well as with the dedicated buttons), navigate through the menu (which you can access by pressing the “ok” button), switch inputs and mute the output. The “FN” button seems not to do anything.
SMSL PA40
Is about as simple as simple gets. In the box you get: the SMSL PA40 itself, a power plug, an IR remote (without batteries) and Manual. Around back there’s not much to it: a single RCA connection, a single set of speaker outs and a power switch.
It's a Class D amp, of course. The Power amplifier is an Infineon MA5332MS along with that here are the specs:
THD: 0.004%
SNR: > 100dB
Output power: 85W x2 8 Ω, 165W x2 4 Ω
Size : 7.5" x 7.25 x 1.75"
Weight: 2.7 Lbs
Price: $139 USD
SMSL included some handy EQ presets inside the PA40:
E0: direct mode
ET: tone mode
E1: Tabebuia mode
E2: Bass mode
E3: Super bass mode
E4: Rock mode
E5: Soft mode
In addition to that, you also get treble and bass adjustments, and a gain setting in case you’d prefer to crank up the volume.
The SMSL DO100 Pro is $219 USD, and the PA40 is $149 USD. SMSL is another one of those brands that was on my bucket list. Check out the video for more!
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REVIEWED PRODUCTS
DO 100 Pro USB DAC
https://aoshida-audio.com/products/smsl-do100pro?DIST=REJHHg%3D%3D
PA 40 Amplifier
https://aoshida-audio.com/products/smsl-pa40?DIST=REJHHg%3D%3D
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Marantz Cinema 70: https://amzn.to/3AgJEOJ
Cambridge EVO 150: https://amzn.to/3Akytof
Q Acoustics 3030i: https://amzn.to/3YEViMJ
Q Acoustics 3020i: https://amzn.to/3NJfcA0
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A GREAT ALT HOME THEATER SET UP
Aperion Novus N5B Bookshelf https://www.aperionaudio.com/collections/novus-speakers/products/novus-speakers-products-novus-bookshelf-speaker?ref=EBAvBar7xktnnZ
Novus N5C Center Channel https://www.aperionaudio.com/collections/novus-speakers/products/novus-center-channel-speaker?ref=EBAvBar7xktnnZ
Novus N6SR Surrounds https://www.aperionaudio.com/collections/novus-speakers/products/copy-of-aperion-audio-novus-6-5-2-way-slim-lcr-wall-surround-speaker-single?ref=EBAvBar7xktnnZ
Novus A5 Height/ Atmos https://www.aperionaudio.com/collections/novus-speakers/products/aperion-a5-immersive-height-module?ref=EBAvBar7xktnnZ
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