Most DACs I come across use AKM, Cirrus Logic or ESS chips. The SMSL D200 doesn’t. It uses a ROHM BD34352EKV, and yes, that’s a mouthful. As far as I know the chip is made in Kyoto, Japan, but correct me in the comments if I’ve got that wrong. Either way, I was curious how it would sound next to the chips I’m used to, so I got it on the desk.

Disclaimer: This sample was provided by Lemontech for an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own, based on my experience with the product.

SMSL D200

Design and Build

It’s a good looking unit. I like the little recessed sections on the right side, which give it a bit of character compared to the plain rectangular boxes we’re all used to. Up front, there’s a volume knob that doubles as a multi-function button, plus a 1.9 inch display.

Around the back, from left to right, you get balanced XLR outputs, single-ended RCA outputs, then optical, coaxial and USB inputs. There’s also an external clock input, which you almost never see on a budget DAC. The internal clock is a good one anyway (it’s the CK03, developed in-house by SMSL), but if you want to bypass it for jitter control, you can. Rounding things out are the Bluetooth antenna and the power input.

Specs and Features

The D200 is $319 right now, which puts it in the same ballpark as the FiiO K13 R2R and the Topping D50 Mark III. I haven’t heard the Topping, so I can’t comment on that one. I’ll get to the FiiO further down.

• ROHM BD34352EKV DAC chip
• Latest XMOS XU316 USB interface, up to 32-bit and native DSD512, 768 kHz
• Full MQA decoding
• Bluetooth via a Qualcomm chip, with LDAC and aptX HD
• Linear power supply with patented adaptive voltage switching
• No power brick, just a regular power cable

Display and Menu

Something I didn’t expect: when I connected my phone over Bluetooth, the display showed song and album info. It’s a small thing, but I think it’s a neat feature. Switch the input to USB and you get the main screen, which shows volume, sample rate, input and so on. The little “FIX” on mine means I’ve set it to fixed-level output. You can run it as a preamp or amp too, you just need to go into the settings and select which one you want.

The menu is dead simple. One click and you’re in, and you can pick your inputs, outputs (all, balanced only or unbalanced only), clock in, PCM filter, DSD filter and sound color. The sound color options make very minor changes, but they’re there if you like to experiment. You can also choose pre-out or full line out, customize the function key (audio phase, language, dimmer, brightness) and set the display to turn itself off after a while. It’s not cryptic at all, which I appreciate. The display now supports Chinese as well, so Chinese speakers should be happy about that.

It comes with a remote. It’s the usual SMSL one, a bit chintzy and lightweight, but it does the job.

Sound

This is the part I was most curious about, and I was not disappointed in the least. The SMSL D200 sounds really, really nice.

The signature is neutral, which is what you’d expect from SMSL since they tend to be very linear. To my ears, though, the ROHM chip sits somewhere in the middle, between R2R or AKM on one end and ESS on the other. If anything it reminds me of a Cirrus Logic chip like the CS43131, because of that neutrality.

Bass has a full body and the end to end extension is fantastic. It isn’t boosted at all, though. It’s controlled and tight (assuming your speakers or headphones are up to it).

What really sets it apart for me is the treble. It might be the chip, or it might just be how SMSL implemented it here, but the treble on the SMSL D200 is divine. It’s light and airy, which is why the CS43131 comes to mind, but detail retrieval seems better than the Cirrus Logic chips I’ve heard. It has a shimmering quality rather than a sizzling one, and that’s what I kept coming back to, especially on my speakers. That light treble also gives the D200 a larger, wider soundstage, which is great with a nice pair of speakers. Imaging is excellent too.

One thing worth saying, in case it isn’t obvious: there’s no headphone amp in here. If you want to use headphones or IEMs you’ll need a separate amp, which is simple to set up. You could use something like the xDuoo MT-602, but I was running it into my Burson Soloist GT4, and that bigger soundstage carried through to the GT4 as well. Really lovely staging.

Overall it’s highly resolving and very detailed, with great extension and a very solid sonic performance. For $319, it’s one of the better DACs I’ve heard in this price range.

SMSL D200 vs FiiO K13 R2R

The FiiO has its own built-in headphone amp, and a very good, very powerful one at that, so it’s a fantastic all-in-one desktop unit. Sound-wise, the two are a bit different, whether that’s down to the chips or the implementation. The K13 R2R has the resistor ladder, and it sounds a little more organic and analog. The D200 sounds more precise and more detailed.

That doesn’t mean one is better. It depends on what you’re after: something musical and easygoing, or something technical and precise. If I’m building a speaker setup, I’d pick the D200 without hesitating.

Verdict

I’m impressed with the ROHM chip. It doesn’t sound quite like AKM, ESS or Cirrus Logic, and that treble, light and shimmering without any sizzle, is what I keep coming back to.

At $319 the SMSL D200 gives you a lot for the money, including balanced outputs, an external clock input, Bluetooth and a menu that’s easy to use. I’d love to hear more gear with this chip, and I’m keen to see if SMSL keeps going with it. For now, I love the D200. Highly recommended.