[ostewart]

Preferences are fine. Nobody said you have to like the D30's sound.
But to say corners are cut on a device that is better than the OL-DAC just due to prices is inaccurate.

Happy Listening!



I could install the driver and check, but I have 3 XMOS devices (D30, M8, M8A) and in the event that it didn't work I would have to find the old driver.
Right now I am using the latest driver for the first gen XMOS chip.
I cannot imagine that any sound quality improvements would exist in a driver update as its only to enable DSD512 support on the M8A.

Once you have made your own measurements on both the OL DAC and the D30, I will proceed.

The D30 may have more features and look to use better components, does that matter? No, what comes out is what matters, the end result and sound. Implementation over throwing fancy components in is more important

 

[Jimster480]

Once you have made your own measurements on both the OL DAC and the D30, I will proceed.

The D30 may have more features and look to use better components, does that matter? No, what comes out is what matters, the end result and sound. Implementation over throwing fancy components in is more important

I have heard the OL-DAC before, its nothing special and sounds similar to the D30 but at a higher price.
On paper its worse than the D30.
So I wouldn't buy an OL-DAC unless I got one really cheap because its basically inferior in every way to the D30 for more money.
When it came out it was a Bombshell device at the price and lots of mfg's fought against NavAWGuy for his posted findings.
But since his disappearance his original device was changed and even the brand of DAC was changed (due to poor reliability of the ESS chips) but the price is more expensive than what he had envisioned.

The reality is that "implementation" is only really the usage of other components around the DAC, and the quality of the board used.
On the D30 everything is better than it is on the OL-DAC. That is the "implementation".

 

[Fred-svv]

I have heard the OL-DAC before, its nothing special and sounds similar to the D30 but at a higher price.
On paper its worse than the D30.
So I wouldn't buy an OL-DAC unless I got one really cheap because its basically inferior in every way to the D30 for more money.
When it came out it was a Bombshell device at the price and lots of mfg's fought against NavAWGuy for his posted findings.
But since his disappearance his original device was changed and even the brand of DAC was changed (due to poor reliability of the ESS chips) but the price is more expensive than what he had envisioned.

The reality is that "implementation" is only really the usage of other components around the DAC, and the quality of the board used.
On the D30 everything is better than it is on the OL-DAC. That is the "implementation".

Hello guys! I have a JDS Labs ODAC Rev A. How does the SMSL M8A compares with the ODAC? I know that the SMSL have a new DAC Chips woth newer tecnologies and a newer USB receptor too, but comparing the sound for FLAC and MP3, for example, it will bring more crispness and quality for me?

 

[wwmhf]

My M8A came about a little over one month ago but I did not have time to test until today. After enjoying music for more than 5 hour, I am confident that M8A sounds better than M8. I have two M8s which I had been using in the last couple of years so that I know M8's sound signature. I like how the way M8A sounds on my speaker system, it sounds cleaner with a large sound stage and lots of details.

Originally, I was concerned about the 5V power supply of M8A because the good power supply for my M8As cannot be used for M8A anymore; However, the 5V power supply allows us to use a nowadays popular lithium battery pack which performs well for me. The package of M8A even has an USB cable for us to use a battery pack.

Also, M8A is obviously much heavier than M8 and runs cool on a battery pack.

 

[beowulf]

My M8A came about a little over one month ago but I did not have time to test until today. After enjoying music for more than 5 hour, I am confident that M8A sounds better than M8. I have two M8s which I had been using in the last couple of years so that I know M8's sound signature. I like how the way M8A sounds on my speaker system, it sounds cleaner with a large sound stage and lots of details.

Originally, I was concerned about the 5V power supply of M8A because the good power supply for my M8As cannot be used for M8A anymore; However, the 5V power supply allows us to use a nowadays popular lithium battery pack which performs well for me. The package of M8A even has an USB cable for us to use a battery pack.

Also, M8A is obviously much heavier than M8 and runs cool on a battery pack.

Why not get the P1 power supply? It's super dead silent, I've been using it with an M8 and even the Andromeda sounds super flat in noise floor. Or is that the one you had? I have to admit I haven't looked much into the M8A yet.

 

[wwmhf]

Why not get the P1 power supply? It's super dead silent, I've been using it with an M8 and even the Andromeda sounds super flat in noise floor. Or is that the one you had? I have to admit I haven't looked much into the M8A yet.

Of course one can use a P1 power supply, but I do not have one. I have built a power supply for my M8 better than the P1, I just do not want to change its output voltage for M8A even though it is not hard to do. Also, I think it is hard to find a power supply that is quieter than a batter pack. Those were some reasons for me to go with a battery pack for M8A, and so far I am satisfied.

 

[wwmhf]

Before I ordered M8A, the 5V power was a negative factor for buying it. Now, I think the 5V power supply has several potentially positive consequences: (1) easily being able to find a battery pack for it; (2) working with a battery pack make M8A readily transportable (I took the package to my office and bought it back, the M8A was about the same size as the battery pack); (3) most importantly, it sounds good with a battery pack if not necessarily better than with a good power supply plugged into wall.

 

[onlysleeping]

I have an older Musiland Monitor 02 that I've been using for 5 years now. I am thinking of upgrading to the SMSL M8a since it supports DSD and has a newer DAC.

Does the M8a 'click' when changing between 24bit and 16bit songs? OR from different frequencies (44.1khz to 96khz)?

 

[st939]

It does click but only with DSD files in my case. You can hear a relay inside it being activated being activated with no click coming from the speakers/headphones. When playing back DSD there's a click coming from the speakers/headphones that is annoying. I think there are settings to reduce it or eliminate it but have not experimented yet.

 

[wwmhf]

I have an older Musiland Monitor 02 that I've been using for 5 years now. I am thinking of upgrading to the SMSL M8a since it supports DSD and has a newer DAC.

Does the M8a 'click' when changing between 24bit and 16bit songs? OR from different frequencies (44.1khz to 96khz)?

I also used Musiland Monitor 02, but M8 is better and M8A might be even better. In particular, I like the upsampling capability of M8/M8A. Upsampling wave files with DSD DOP makes my CDs (a lot of them) much more enjoyable and I actually started buying CD again.

 

[onlysleeping]

Thanks! Is there a way to make the m8a play the native file resolution without upscaling to dsd?

 

[wwmhf]

Thanks! Is there a way to make the m8a play the native file resolution without upscaling to dsd?

Of course it can play native DSD files without upsampling.

 

[wwmhf]

In my case, playing wave files upsampled to dsd256 with foobar2000, there is no click at all.

However, if I change from one track to another, or jump from one moment to anther in the same track, then it will made a click/pop.

 

[wwmhf]

M8A does click/pop when changing from one track to another in both forbar2000 and JRiver Media Center (ver. 22.0108). I think it is a driver/hardware issue.

However, it sounds very good with both forbar2000 and JRiver Media Center upsampling my CD wave files to DSD256 (via DOP)

 

[wwmhf]

After extensive listening last weekend, I found that the click/pop happens when M8A is used to upsample CD wave files to DSD256/DOP in both JRiver Media Center and Foobar2000. These two players do not produce click/pop when they use M8A to upsample wave files to DSD128/DOP