🔷 SMSL SU-9

[Max1]

Does anyone using the su-9 with topping a90? I dont wanna spent more than $500 on a dac for now and it seem that su-9 is perfect for the job…

[FiCurious]

What are you using now? What changes might you want out of a new DAC?

[Max1]

I’m currently using a topping d10 with a thx 789 since 2018. Im using an ether cx, ananda, hd660s and an helios. I want this to be an upgrade from a setup that i use literally 2 years ago, and i want the lowest distortion because im using usb input. (Of course im gonna running it balanced and i want this to be linear af)

[WaveTheory]

@Max1

i want the lowest distortion because im using usb input.

I’m not quite clear on this. Most dacs now have quite clean usb inputs. USB noise usually come from the computer and a balanced dac output usually eliminates that noise.

@Max1

i want this to be linear af

They all are(?). What things need to be linear? Basically all dacs these days, even the D10, have a nearly perfectly horizontal FR curve. Just about all dacs have noise and THD measurement well below the human hearing threshold too. If all you need is usb, balanced, and vanishingly low THD you can get it for around $200-250. The SU-9 comes with added features but many of them will change the FR and cleanliness of the sound. What else, if anything, are you looking for?

[gonzoznog]

I sold my SU-9. Although it sounded pretty dang great, I think it was doing an internal DSD to PCM conversion to add DSP like volume control, etc, and that was a deal-breaker. Nice sounding DAC though.

[toruc_macta]

So I just bought a Sundara and have an SH-9 amp incoming.
I’ll start by feeding it from a 3.5 to RCA straight of the motherboard, which of course isn’t the end goal

The SU-9 where I live is double the price of the SU-8. I don’t mind paying double, if I get (close to) double. So do I get double? Features, performance, convenience, future-proofing (is that a concept in audiophile-land?),…

[volikovvv]

Interesting how this unit in comparison to allo revolution or smsl m400.

[Whippy]

Recently picked up this DAC and was wondering if someone could suggest a good starting point for settings: PCM filter, DSD filter etc

This is all pretty new to me. Also, if I have MQA playback, the Sound Color settings are defeated, correct?

Thanks in advance.

[WaveTheory]

Hi! Welcome to HFGF!

I used SU-8 for awhile. My favorite PCM filter was slow minimum. I don’t know if MQA defeats EQ on SU-9, tho.

[Whippy]

Thanks. Any other feedback is appreciated.

[toruc_macta]

I have the SU-8 and… I honestly haven’t put the time in to try and spot the difference but from a quick listen I couldn’t tell a difference

[Raptor168]

Hmmm. I think I follow but am not 100% sure. Can you walk me through it a little and tell me why it’s a deal breaker for you? I’m reading an article now but getting someone’s “ears eye account” would be most helpful. I’m still considering the SU-9 as an upgrade and am unsure if it’s worth double the cost. I’m currently using the SU-8 / DA-8S stack and have been very happy with it.

[rgdelato]

Hello everybody! (This is my first post on HifiGuides! )

So my new stack that just arrived in the mail recently is an RNHP and an SU-9, which I’m super-excited about, but I have a question for the other SU-9 owners:

The SU-9 outputs both XLR and RCA and the RNHP accepts both as inputs, so I connected them both and A/Bed them just for fun (though there’s also a change in volume which makes A/Bing them slightly more difficult than it should be). Anyway, I’m hearing a difference, and most noticeably, it feels like the XLR sound is more on the sides and the RCA sound feels like it’s more in the center, if that makes sense.

Out of curiosity, are others hearing a significant difference between the XLR/RCA outputs of the SU-9?

[WaveTheory]

Hi! Welcome to HFGF!

I had the SU-9’s predecessor (SU-8) for a good while. Similar to what you describe, the spatial presentation was more coherent and natural from the balanced output than the single-ended. You’re probably better off using the XLR out on the SU-9. The RNHP isn’t a balanced amp and includes the connections for the convenience of professionals who likely are using balanced gear. So it doesn’t matter to it which connections you use for it unless noise is an issue. I explain all the reasoning behind these claims here:

Is Balanced Better? Pros & Cons of Balanced vs. Single-Ended

To Balance or Not to Balance? That is the question. Whether ‘tis nobler to buy a balanced amp or DAC or an unbalanced (or single-ended, aka SE, the two terms are interchangeable) amp or DAC is the focus of this post. There have been lots of questions around this forum about whether a balanced amp or DAC is better than a SE amp or DAC. Should you explore balanced? Is balanced better? It’s understandably confusing. After all, in the English language, ‘balance’ is often used in the context of desc…

[rgdelato]

Deleting the previous post, it turned out to be an issue with one of my XLR cables.

[Raptor168]

I’m running the S-8 stack, but I don’t have anything connected to the unbalanced side. I Have heard that it is not the best idea to run both at the same time. But honestly, for me that was never the plan anyway.

[Mush]

I don’t believe that they offer anything extra apart from the 2 included items of su-9 and sh-9. HP and interconnects for free would be the best deal ever lol. But this is the future talking so maybe past Apos was offering this deal.