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S.M.S.L SU-9 MQA Full Decoder ES9038PRO DAC XMOS DSD512 PCM768kHz/32Bit Bluetooth 5.0 UAT APTX-HD USB Balanced Decoder

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 469 ratings

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Brand S.M.S.L
Mounting Type Coaxial,Plug Mount
Interface Type USB, Coaxial
Number of Channels 1
Product Dimensions 7.38"L x 6.06"W

About this item

  • Complete support of LDAC,APTX/HD,XBC,AAC, and the exquisite 24bit/192kHz UAT format
  • Apart from ES9038 flagship DAC we coupled this DAC with ES9311 power chip designed for ESS DACS to optimize ES9038 performance to its max potential.
  • All digital inputs support DSD decoding. DoP64 is supported through coaxial and optic.
  • The power source is implemented with shielded low noise conditioner. This improves both sound quality and power efficiency.
  • UAT (Ultra Audio Transmission), an audio coding technology self-developed by HiBy with up to 192kHz sampling frequency or up to 1.2Mbps bit rate. There are three available settings: high 1.2Mbps/medium 900 kbps/low 600 kbps.

Product details

  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1.57 x 7.38 x 6.06 inches; 1.74 Pounds
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ SU-9
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ September 27, 2020
  • Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ S.M.S.L
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08K7HL8SG
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 469 ratings

Product Description

Note:
Please press C key firstly when you using remote control, thanks
Specifications

Input: USB / Optical / Coaxial / Bluetooth
Output: RCA /XLR
THD+N: 000090(-121dB)
Dynamic range: XLR/130dB ;RCA/123dB
Output impedance: XLR 207Ω; RCA 142Ω
USB transmission : Asynchronization
USB compatibility: Windows 7+, Mac OSX、Linux
Bit depth: USB 1bit, 16~32bit; Optical/ Coaxial 1bit, 16~ 24bit
Sampling rate: USB PCM 44.1 ~ 768kHz;
DSD 2.8224 ~ 22.5792MHz ; Optical / Coaxial PCM 44.1 ~ 192kHz;
DSD DSD64(DoP)


Bluetooth specification:
UAT: 24bit/192kHz (1 200kbps/900kbps/600kbps)
LDAC: 24bit/96kHz (990kbps/660kbps/330kbps)
aptX-HD: 24bit/48 kHz_ _576kbps
aptX: 16bit/44.1 kHz_ 352kbps
SBC: 16bit/44.1 kHz_ 328kbps
AAC: 16bit/44.1 kHz_ 320kbps
Power Consumption: 5W
Standby power: <0.5W
Size: 187.5*154*40MM(W*H*D)
Weight:
0.79kg

Contents List
SU-9*1
REMOTE*1
USB CABLE*1
POWER CABLE*1
USER GUIDE*1

What's in the box

  • cable
  • Looking for specific info?

    Customer reviews

    4.5 out of 5 stars
    4.5 out of 5
    469 global ratings

    Customers say

    Customers like the sound quality, value, and detail of the electronic signal converter. They mention that it sounds superb, Tidal MQA files sound amazing, and that it's value for money. They are also satisfied with ease of use, distortion, and distractions. However, some customers differ on performance, and quality.

    AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

    45 customers mention38 positive7 negative

    Customers like the sound quality of the electronic signal converter. They say it sounds superb, amazing, and warm. Some say it's feature rich and captures musics timbre beautifully. They also say the sound is crystal clear with no noise to be heard. Some mention that the music reproduction is dynamic, transparent, and three-dimensional. Overall, most are happy with the sound performance of the product.

    "...the sound, sound stage, volume level to my headphones, and just tone of the music. It's hard to explain. It's one of those things you have to hear...." Read more

    "...and this DAC is ~3 meters but the sound is crystal clear with no noise to be heard. There's no noise when used with Bluetooth as well...." Read more

    "...It’s got some body to itBass is clear and controlled and rich.Mids are to die for.Overall this is A+...." Read more

    "...feeding balanced into a small mixer for a very strong, clean, workable sound." Read more

    16 customers mention13 positive3 negative

    Customers appreciate the value of the electronic signal converter. They say it is a good value for money.

    "...Mids are to die for.Overall this is A+. Best dac at its price so says everyone who tried it...." Read more

    "...The SU-9 is well worth the money and delivers the goods musically." Read more

    "...I absolutely love this setup, as IMHO it is the best bang for the buck.SU-9 rocks and you should let it rock you also!" Read more

    "While the price was fair, I found it to be a bit bright though no distortion and crystal clear...." Read more

    9 customers mention9 positive0 negative

    Customers are impressed with the detail and clarity of the DAC. They say it provides outstanding detail and linearity. They also say the highs are clear and not fatiguing. Customers also say that the bass is stunning, and the reproduction is dynamic, transparent, and three-dimensional. Overall, customers are happy with the performance and recommend it to others.

    "...But the details it gets you is awesome.So much better than built in dac in iPhone or laptop or even receivers." Read more

    "...incredibly natural sound, creates a large open soundscape and is very detailed as well...." Read more

    "...digital”….But with the SU-9, I can’t seem to stop listening, it’s that captivating and I never thought I’d like digital streaming as much as the..." Read more

    "Sounds great. Very clean and clear. I like the balanced outputs as I finally can use the balanced inputs in my amplifier...." Read more

    6 customers mention6 positive0 negative

    Customers find the remote control simple and basic. They appreciate the high-quality sound, controls, and features of the electronic signal converter. They also mention that it works with other SMSL products and supports a myriad of codecs.

    "TL;DR: A bit expensive, but worth the money. Has plenty of features and it works just fine (with Linux)...." Read more

    "...It’s got some body to itBass is clear and controlled and rich.Mids are to die for.Overall this is A+...." Read more

    "...The remote control is simple and basic, but it will also work with other SMSL products in this series such as the SH-9 headphone amplifier...." Read more

    "...The SMSL does it (MQA and standard formats) effortlessly and elegantly...." Read more

    4 customers mention4 positive0 negative

    Customers are satisfied with the distortion of the electronic signal converter. They mention that it is a bit bright, but there is no distortion and crystal clear.

    "...This processor has no distortion. You are left with simply the sound of the recording...." Read more

    "...It is dead quiet, has super low distortion, and almost no jitter...." Read more

    "While the price was fair, I found it to be a bit bright though no distortion and crystal clear...." Read more

    "clean precise audio, that is linear without distortion...." Read more

    4 customers mention3 positive1 negative

    Customers like the distractions of the electronic signal converter. They mention that there is no mess, no stress, and their ears were not fatigued after listening for 2 hours. They also appreciate the super low distortion and almost no jitter.

    "...thing that I really noticed after about 2 hours of listening my ears were not fatigued. I was not pulling my headphones off going "Wow!..." Read more

    "...able to use the same updated device drivers from the v2, no mess, no stress...." Read more

    "...This is extremely distracting and annoying. Unfortunately the extraordinary performance of this dac is undercut by its poor reliability...." Read more

    "...It is dead quiet, has super low distortion, and almost no jitter...." Read more

    11 customers mention7 positive4 negative

    Customers are mixed about the performance of the electronic signal converter. Some mention that it worked great for three weeks, then it died. They are blown away by the quality of the Bluetooth. However, others say that SMSL is not known for quality control, the product is undercut by its poor reliability, and is defective out of the box.

    "...It's a bit future-proof and will last me a good few years (knock on wood).Really nice setup...." Read more

    "...Will see how it holds up over time. SMSL is not known for quality control...." Read more

    "...used Bluetooth+LDAC (from both my phone and laptop) and well, it works pretty well, no hiccups or sound crackling, and MQA on my desktop...." Read more

    "...Consider feeding balanced into a small mixer for a very strong, clean, workable sound." Read more

    9 customers mention6 positive3 negative

    Customers are mixed about the quality of the electronic signal converter. Some mention it's a great DAC at a low price, while others say that it'll go back.

    "...Really nice setup. A little more than I wanted to spend but I am really glad I did. Now it's just time to sit back and listen...." Read more

    "Update: after returning and testing another new unit the same problems persisted. After about 2 hours of use the audio drops out on both channels...." Read more

    "...This dac is very impressive. You can find video about this on cheap audio mans YouTube channel.The sound was amazing...." Read more

    "...They took care of it within 24 hours. Truly impressive service and product. Highly and unquestionably recommended." Read more

    More Than I Wanted To Spend...But Well Worth It!
    5 Stars
    More Than I Wanted To Spend...But Well Worth It!
    I am not what you would call a full-blown audiophile but I love my music and after buying what I would call an entry-level DAC/AMP I finally decided to 'upgrade' to a 'mid-level audio system. I kept reading about how something in the 500-800 dollar range was considered "mid-level" so I started looking for a 'stack' in that range.I was using an SMSL M100 and an iFi AMP and it was just fine. Sounded decent but as this pandemic was continuing I found myself buried in my music more and more. I also found I was listening to a lot more streaming music looking for new bands and music.Since I enjoyed the SMSL for about a year and a half I looked at SMSL line and noticed they had a new 'stack' (SU-9 and SH-9). I read review after review and watched video after video and thought on it for a while. I also looked at the Topping offering (a tad bit less in money for the stack but not much). I decided to go with the SMSL stack with some premium XLR to XLR cables (this would be my first 'balanced' setup) sorta to see what all this 'balanced' hubbub was about. It was more than I wanted to spend but I was tired of 'cheaping it' and then regret it down the road. I bit the bullet and pulled the trigger.Typical Amazon, two days and it was at my front door. I hooked it all up, installed the driver, plugged in my Fostex headphones, some IEM's I have, and just started to listen.At first, I was like "Really. All this cash and this is what I get?" Well, I kept playing with the sound and making some adjustments to my desktop (enabling HiRes Audio helped a lot), and boom! There's the sound I was looking for.Some have said it takes about an hour for the DAC/AMP 'stack' to settle in and I happen to agree. About an hour, maybe an hour and a half into my listening session, I'm not sure if it's my ears or the stack but everything started to open up and sound very layered and just fuller sounding.Like a lot of you I have a mix of MP3's and FLAC (and a few DSD's but the size...wow!) and they all sound layered and clean (the FLAC's sound better than the MP3's but...hey, it's an MP3). I can honestly say for the money this stack will be here for some time. I am really pleased with the sound, sound stage, volume level to my headphones, and just tone of the music. It's hard to explain. It's one of those things you have to hear. Simply put, everything just sounded warmer, a bit fuller, and overall better sounding.One thing that I really noticed after about 2 hours of listening my ears were not fatigued. I was not pulling my headphones off going "Wow! I need new headphones!" which I was doing after about an hour with my old stack. I had to really crank my old setup to get the volume to drive my 250 Ohm headphones. I did have to enable the high gain for the 250 Ohm Beyerdynamic's on the new stack but for the first time, they actually sounded like I thought they would when I bought them. Kinda cool.I'm very happy with my purchase. The DAC supports Bluetooth, LDAC, MQA, etc. It's a bit future-proof and will last me a good few years (knock on wood).Really nice setup. A little more than I wanted to spend but I am really glad I did. Now it's just time to sit back and listen.One more thing, if you are going to go with this stack go XLR to XLR. The RCA (which I did try) just does not cut it.Oh, and the 'red DAC/amp' in the picture is the new Tone Pro. I use it for my phone. It does not come with the stack. Just wanted to mention that before someone asked me.
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    Top reviews from the United States

    Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2021
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars More Than I Wanted To Spend...But Well Worth It!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2021
    I am not what you would call a full-blown audiophile but I love my music and after buying what I would call an entry-level DAC/AMP I finally decided to 'upgrade' to a 'mid-level audio system. I kept reading about how something in the 500-800 dollar range was considered "mid-level" so I started looking for a 'stack' in that range.

    I was using an SMSL M100 and an iFi AMP and it was just fine. Sounded decent but as this pandemic was continuing I found myself buried in my music more and more. I also found I was listening to a lot more streaming music looking for new bands and music.

    Since I enjoyed the SMSL for about a year and a half I looked at SMSL line and noticed they had a new 'stack' (SU-9 and SH-9). I read review after review and watched video after video and thought on it for a while. I also looked at the Topping offering (a tad bit less in money for the stack but not much). I decided to go with the SMSL stack with some premium XLR to XLR cables (this would be my first 'balanced' setup) sorta to see what all this 'balanced' hubbub was about. It was more than I wanted to spend but I was tired of 'cheaping it' and then regret it down the road. I bit the bullet and pulled the trigger.

    Typical Amazon, two days and it was at my front door. I hooked it all up, installed the driver, plugged in my Fostex headphones, some IEM's I have, and just started to listen.

    At first, I was like "Really. All this cash and this is what I get?" Well, I kept playing with the sound and making some adjustments to my desktop (enabling HiRes Audio helped a lot), and boom! There's the sound I was looking for.

    Some have said it takes about an hour for the DAC/AMP 'stack' to settle in and I happen to agree. About an hour, maybe an hour and a half into my listening session, I'm not sure if it's my ears or the stack but everything started to open up and sound very layered and just fuller sounding.

    Like a lot of you I have a mix of MP3's and FLAC (and a few DSD's but the size...wow!) and they all sound layered and clean (the FLAC's sound better than the MP3's but...hey, it's an MP3). I can honestly say for the money this stack will be here for some time. I am really pleased with the sound, sound stage, volume level to my headphones, and just tone of the music. It's hard to explain. It's one of those things you have to hear. Simply put, everything just sounded warmer, a bit fuller, and overall better sounding.

    One thing that I really noticed after about 2 hours of listening my ears were not fatigued. I was not pulling my headphones off going "Wow! I need new headphones!" which I was doing after about an hour with my old stack. I had to really crank my old setup to get the volume to drive my 250 Ohm headphones. I did have to enable the high gain for the 250 Ohm Beyerdynamic's on the new stack but for the first time, they actually sounded like I thought they would when I bought them. Kinda cool.

    I'm very happy with my purchase. The DAC supports Bluetooth, LDAC, MQA, etc. It's a bit future-proof and will last me a good few years (knock on wood).

    Really nice setup. A little more than I wanted to spend but I am really glad I did. Now it's just time to sit back and listen.

    One more thing, if you are going to go with this stack go XLR to XLR. The RCA (which I did try) just does not cut it.

    Oh, and the 'red DAC/amp' in the picture is the new Tone Pro. I use it for my phone. It does not come with the stack. Just wanted to mention that before someone asked me.
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    8 people found this helpful
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    Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2021
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars God-tier DAC
    Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2021
    TL;DR: A bit expensive, but worth the money. Has plenty of features and it works just fine (with Linux).

    While the sound quality, crispness or clarity isn't any different than that of my Topping D10, I think that the main selling points of this DAC are its features, and of course its god-tier ESS chip. It's has what pretty much any mid-high end DAC has except for I2S and AES inputs, which aren't that common to be honest.
    The sound color/filter options barely make any difference in the sound, as far as I can hear, but it's nice to have options. Oh, I almost forgot: this thing supports a myriad codecs. So far I've used Bluetooth+LDAC (from both my phone and laptop) and well, it works pretty well, no hiccups or sound crackling, and MQA on my desktop. MQA is pretty much snake oil but hey, it's good to have support for that.

    To my surprise this DAC works extremely well under Linux (I use Arch btw). The sampling rate changes just fine depending on the song being played and if you use deadbeef you can play MQA files with no problems.

    My chain is as follows: Arch Linux laptop -> SMSL SU9 -[balanced]-> Behringer 14-band EQ -[SE] -> Sony AV receiver. The distance between my EQ and this DAC is ~3 meters but the sound is crystal clear with no noise to be heard. There's no noise when used with Bluetooth as well.

    Personal advice: if you've got the money and need a DAC with ***XLR outputs***, go for it, you won't regret it. I emphasize XLR outputs because if you aren't using balanced then you could get anything from Topping for less money.
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    8 people found this helpful
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    Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2021
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    5.0 out of 5 stars I’m no audiophile but… this dac is amazing
    Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2021
    Did SMSL send sugar with this DAC because it sounds sweet!!

    I’ve only listened to it with my audio technicia ath-ad700x open back headphone connected directly into the rca out. I used a rca to headphone jack (female) converter to connect.

    I’m still waiting for parts for my diy speaker build so I connect this with SMSL da-9 and out to the speakers. So it’s initial review only.

    So where do I start? … I never owned a dac before. I researched a lot of reviews .. and I came across this on audiosciecereview and I trust their measurements. This dac is very impressive. You can find video about this on cheap audio mans YouTube channel.

    The sound was amazing. I never heard vocals this good in my life without being there and hearing to someone’s voice.

    Highs are clear and not fatiguing. It’s got some body to it

    Bass is clear and controlled and rich.

    Mids are to die for.

    Overall this is A+. Best dac at its price so says everyone who tried it. The sounds that comes from this dac is not colored or changed one bit. But the details it gets you is awesome.

    So much better than built in dac in iPhone or laptop or even receivers.
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    3 people found this helpful
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    Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2021
    One person found this helpful
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    Top reviews from other countries

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    Eduard Van Wynsberghe
    5.0 out of 5 stars prijs kwaliteit top
    Reviewed in the Netherlands on March 7, 2023
    Bayard
    1.0 out of 5 stars moduł zasilacza hałasuje
    Reviewed in Poland on March 30, 2022
    One person found this helpful
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    Juan Gómez
    5.0 out of 5 stars Espectacular!!
    Reviewed in Spain on September 5, 2021
    One person found this helpful
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    Magneton
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sehr empfehlenswert
    Reviewed in Germany on February 7, 2021
    10 people found this helpful
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    Christian Di Bartolomeo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Conta solo il suono e il suo colore.
    Reviewed in Italy on February 4, 2021
    7 people found this helpful
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