Today, Louis reviews the SMSL D10, the company’s first Cirrus Logic CS43131 dual-balanced adapter DAC with up to 500mW of output power. It’s priced at $69.99.
Disclaimer: This sample was sent to me in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or partnerships. I appreciate Shenzhen Audio and SIDS for your support.
Click here for more information about SMSL products us Previously reviewed on Headfonics.
Please note that this article follows our current trend. Scoring Guidelines which you can find in more detail here.
SMSL D10 Review
Summary
The SMSL D10 is an attractive proposition from SMSL that meets the needs of those looking for a simple and versatile DAC Dongle. It will work in virtually any situation and improves sound quality ten times over the original sound of most compatible smartphones and iPhones.
Advantages
Clean sound character.
Simple design
Cons
No application
Sterile sea bass production
SMSL's latest release has two points of interest. Firstly, it is SMSL's first DAC Dongle, and secondly, it is the smallest component SMSL has released so far.
The recently released $69.99 SMSL D10 DAC Dongle has these points of interest, but it is also a late entrant into the highly saturated market filled with fierce competition like ddHiFi. TC44C and FiiO KA13 to name just a few.
If I were asked the question of how a DAC Dongle can be successful today, I would say that it should include two characteristics: uniqueness, value and great sound. Well, three. The big question is: does the SMSL D10 have all three characteristics?
Characteristics
For me, the most important aspect of a DAC Dongle's internals is the DAC chipset and the SMSL D10 uses dual Cirrus Logic CS43131 DACs with decoding up to PCM 32bit 384kHz and DSD256 rates.
From there, the signal passes to a pair of SGM 82622 high-speed amplifiers capable of producing a maximum of 500 mW (16 Ω) of balanced output power in this device up to 40 mW into heavier 600 Ω loads.
The USB input section appears to be controlled by a National Semiconductor 9312 chip along with a 12 MHz crystal. I also see two EPROM chips along with the two 9312 chips. All of these components are visible behind the clear glass mounted on the front of the unit.
As for compatibility, I couldn't find a single device in my arsenal that didn't work well with the D10 and I tried them all except a MAC OS and Linux, for lack of one. I even tried a Chromebook and it worked perfectly.
I was also able to test the D10 with two models of Android mobile devices running two different versions of Android, an iPhone 14, and a PC without any issues and it seemed to work as a plug-and-play device in all scenarios. No drivers are needed and that’s a good thing, including Windows 11.
Design
I was able to read all the numbers for each chipset inside the SMSL D10 through the clear glass on the front of the body that provides a clear view of all the components.
There is another one on the opposite side, but it is half glass and you can only see a limited amount of components through that glass.
The overall aesthetic is interesting and the device exudes pride and showmanship in its craftsmanship because the SMSL has not one, but two windows that allow you to see the workings of the circuits.
The D10 proudly displays the SMSL logo on the front, in large, bold white letters that contrast sharply with the overall body colour.
I saw a couple of solder joints under the microscope on my device that looked overloaded or had excess solder, but nothing super abnormal.
The D10 is solidly built from a single piece of CNC-machined, anodized aluminum. The design has a raised, squared-off area, but the edges are smooth, making this device pocket-friendly.
IS
This device is what I call a direct input and output device. The D10 has a USB-C input and a pair of headphone outputs. That’s it. The two ports consist of a single-ended 3.5mm jack and a balanced 4.4mm jack.
When you connect the D10 to a USB source, a pair of LEDs will light up to indicate that the unit is powered on, and these LEDs do double duty: they light up red at high bitrates, around 96k they light up green, and at lower bitrates they light up blue.
The D10 also features a built-in rocker-style volume control and that's about it. It's a simple device that doesn't have any apps or other features.
The volume control acts independently. No matter where you used the D10, whether on a PC or an Android device, this volume control acted independently of the source volume control.
Packaging and accessories
The SMSL D10 is an entry-level model offered at a low price, so you shouldn't expect a lot of accessories.
One accessory I think is missing is a USB-C to USB-A adapter. You could also use a Lightning cable, as it supports that type of connection, but in this case, you'll have to outsource both items if necessary.
The box is large enough to fit those items inside, but including more accessories would likely increase the price. The box has plenty of foam inside and the device is safely stored inside a foam mold. It is a well-laminated box that is sturdy enough to get the contents home safely.
What's included? Included is the adapter, a short, fabric-wrapped, dual-ended USB-C cable, plus a SMSL VIP card that I haven't figured out yet what it's used for. I can't find any information on their website or anywhere else.
Is there anything else missing? There is no manual or quick guide included. I couldn't find one on their website either. But to be honest, you might not need one with this device because it's a very simple device.
Sound impressions
The following sound impressions of the SMSL D10 were completed using a mix of HIFIMAN Arya OrganicFiiO FA19and the FD5A couple of ORIVETI models were also used, including the OD100 and the OD200.
I often used the 4.4mm balanced port on each device included in this article. I did this to be fair. I did not use the 3.5mm for comparisons because SMSL did not include specifications for that port.
Summary
The SMSL D10 offers a clean, anesthetized, almost sterile sound that is generally neutral. There is a leaning towards bright sound territory here.
The D10 produces defined, lean bass, and some might look for a way to increase the bass output. However, once boosted, the bass becomes punchy and can produce deep notes with ease. The bass extension is there, hidden beneath all that neutrality.
The midrange production is quite exquisite and the treble response follows the same pattern. This device has what I call a studio monitoring tuning in the sense that nothing is emphasized, but there is a cleanliness of the bass area that leads me to label it as a great sounding device overall.
I could not hear any hissing noise produced by this device, because this device has a mute function that only allows the unit to turn on the amplification section when there is a sound source available at the input.
Staging and dynamics
This is a dynamic sounding DAC. It produces dynamics with a high level of clarity and a high amount of pop. Snare drums sound crisp and other sounds that require a high level of dynamic range are produced with a fast response.
This device offers plenty of presence and enough prominence with plenty of detail. It's an amazing feat that you can get so much sound quality from such an inexpensive device. It's certainly a good time for audiophiles.
One of the areas of improvement within the adapter DAC segment is improved soundstage capability. And the SMSL has a good capability including height, width and depth. It can also produce some micro-location if present within a recording.
Click on page 2 below to see my recommended combinations and selected comparisons.
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