Let me see what I can do re: Schiit.
Bit of both really. The DAC architecture is more important but I've noticed TOPPING DACs with ESS and AKM options sound exactly like each other in a blind test. The company's implementations also tweak things slightly, so basically we need to see what is the goal of the audio brand. TOPPING especially goes with a measurement-first approach, SMSL seems to be more open in higher-end space.
| System Name | Shadow Warrior |
|---|---|
| Processor | 9800x3d |
| Motherboard | MSI PRO X870-P WIFI |
| Cooling | Thermalright Peerless Assassin 140 White |
| Memory | 64GB 6000Mhz cl30 |
| Video Card(s) | Sapphire 9070xt Pulse |
| Storage | 12TB NVME + 3x12TB 5400rpm |
| Display(s) | HP X34 Ultrawide / Philips 34" OLED |
| Case | Fractal Design Define 7 (modded) |
| Audio Device(s) | Topping mx3s / SMSL PS200 DAC / AKG 271 Studio / Moondrop Joker.. |
| Power Supply | Corsair hx1000i |
| Mouse | Roccat Burst Pro |
| Keyboard | Cherry Stream 3.0 SX-switches |
| VR HMD | Quest 1 (OLED), Pico 4 128GB |
| Software | Win11 x64 |
They both measure way above human hearing capacity so it's doubtful people can pick them in a blindtest. I've owned both AKM and now ESS and I sure can't.
Good point, and yeah I'd say the SMSL remote/sensor combo works better too. TOPPING one is more finicky.
You can only get so much out of what you are hearing when looking high level measurements like what you see at ASR. And yeah even entry level DACs are performing at levels well beyond human thresholds of detection human hearing is wildly logarithmic so its impossible to distill it down to a handful of graphs. The other thing to keep in mind is the performance of the chipsets digital filter is only half of the equation and there is a analog stage that is also part of the sound.
When you are measuring speakers and headphones you looking at different metrics. A DACs performance is in no way relatable to speakers or headphones. I think I get the point you are trying to make and agree that you'll get a much higher improvement in sound by upgrading your speakers or headphones rather than chasing the next tier of DAC.
| System Name | Shadow Warrior |
|---|---|
| Processor | 9800x3d |
| Motherboard | MSI PRO X870-P WIFI |
| Cooling | Thermalright Peerless Assassin 140 White |
| Memory | 64GB 6000Mhz cl30 |
| Video Card(s) | Sapphire 9070xt Pulse |
| Storage | 12TB NVME + 3x12TB 5400rpm |
| Display(s) | HP X34 Ultrawide / Philips 34" OLED |
| Case | Fractal Design Define 7 (modded) |
| Audio Device(s) | Topping mx3s / SMSL PS200 DAC / AKG 271 Studio / Moondrop Joker.. |
| Power Supply | Corsair hx1000i |
| Mouse | Roccat Burst Pro |
| Keyboard | Cherry Stream 3.0 SX-switches |
| VR HMD | Quest 1 (OLED), Pico 4 128GB |
| Software | Win11 x64 |
No, not different metrics. If the frequency response on an amplifier is messed up then it does essentially the same thing as speakers / headphones does. Or if it distorts easily. But it is however easier to keep the signal intact when it's electric rather than when it the final signal is released for our hearing.
Solid review. Would not disagree on any of the points you made in your conclusion.
You can still use the DAC as a preamplifier with active speakers.
"User on a budget" describes me perfectly, so I'm grateful to VSG for the time and effort he puts into his reviews of budget audio gear that would otherwise not merit such deep attention.
No, the DAC will provide volume control either on the unit via the screen + button or from the remote control. That's the whole point of the preamp feature and it works quite well. The goal is you can use the entire stack to power headphones or even control speakers, both of which can be connected at the same time.
Yeah so basically if you only have active speakers and no headphones then all you need is the DAC unit.
I've had SMSL gear before they are legit. I do prefer American or UK gear over chifi though. It just tends to cost more. For schiit everyone is talking about their cheapest units and makes sense they sell the most of those. But they do compete in higher end gear. They are a "budget" brand in the sense that they don't bother with middle men vendors and just sell them and make no bones about trying to be ultra premium. I love them though they have good stuff.
You're thinking about this all wrong. Case in point on my desktop I have powered studio monitors hooked into a DAC. But I can adjust volume in Windows, on the DAC, or on the speakers themselves.
In absolute terms yes, its all frequency response and distortion but you are concerned with the specifics of those metrics in different components. All DACs and amps (solid state ones anyway) are pretty much completely flat in terms of frequency response which is not at all the case with even the best speakers or headphones so you'd never directly compare them with that metric. Distortion is exhibited in completely different ways in a DAC, in amp and a speaker so not comparable. Just because the majority of the distortion is happening at the electromechanical stage (speakers and headphones) that doesn't mean there are no differences to in how two DACs or two amps sound when they appear to measure nearly the same, relative to speakers or headphones. The distortion is different and human hearing being logarithmic is sensitive to things that would appear to be trivial (or not present at all depending on how its measured) on a AP test bench.
Yeah, its strictly my personal preference, not saying SMSL or Topping are bad, their higher-end offerings are actually pretty interesting. I like Schiit because they are one of the few North American companies that is going for the higher-end of the market while keeping things reasonable. There are speaker companies doing a good job at it but its pretty rare for electronics.
I haven't reviewed anything from Chord unfortunately, and doubt it will happen since they never responded to my contact attempt.
