SMSL DO200 Pro DAC Review - More Chips Than a Bag o' Doritos, and Possibly More Delicious

Thanks to Aoshida Audio for the sending the DO200 Pro!
Buy From Aoshida Audio (affiliate link): aoshida-audio.com/products/sm...
Buy From Amazon (affiliate link): amzn.to/3VGcFdq
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Reviews of Mentioned Gear:
SMSL DO100 Pro: • SMSL DO100 Pro DAC Rev...
SMSL DO300: • SMSL DO300 DAC Review ...
SMSL DO300EX: • SMSL DO300EX DAC/Headp...
Black Ice Audio Glass FX: • Black Ice Audio Glass ...
Focal Radiance: • What Gear is My Gear? ...
Focal Utopia (1): • Focal Utopia Headphone...
(2): • What Gear is My Gear? ...
HiFiMan Goldenwave Prelude: • HiFiMan Goldenwave Pre...
HiFiMan HE1000 Stealth Magnet Edition: • HiFiMan HE1000v2 Steal...
HiFiMan HE1000se (1): • HiFiMan HE1000se Headp...
(2): • What Gear is My Gear? ...
HiFiMan Susvara (1): • HiFiMan Susvara - Summ...
(2): • What Gear is My Gear? ...
Lake People G111mk2: • Lake People G111mk2 He...
Schiit Bifrost 2/64: • Schiit Bifrost 2/64 DA...
Schiit Modius e: • Schiit Modius e DAC Re...
Singxer SU-6: • Singxer SU-6 DDC Revie...
Sonore ultraRendu: • Sonore ultraRendu Netw...
My Hearing Quirks: • WaveTheory Reviews Wav...
Timestamps...
00:00 Intro, Pricing, Disclaimer
01:18 Shameless Self Promotion
01:50 A Dozen Chips! & Takeaways
03:06 Features & Specs
04:31 Build & Unit Tour
07:57 Test Gear
11:37 Sound
15:22 Single Ended Performance
17:21 Comparison with SMSL DO100 Pro
19:18 Comparison with SMSL DO300
21:05 Comparison with Schiit Bifrost 2/64
24:51 Final Thoughts

Пікірлер: 46

  • @dungysphincter7974
    @dungysphincter797415 күн бұрын

    Thanks for the review! I appreciate your honesty! I like the new chi-fi stuff. Just goes to show that the big boys need to step up their game! Future cheap chi-fi sub $500 DACs may out perform $1500 - $2500 DACs in 5 yrs.

  • @tonythearchitect
    @tonythearchitect28 күн бұрын

    Just got this off Aoshida's store on Aliexpress for $311 shipped to NJ. $40 savings from store + $50 savings from holiday + some additional coin savings here and there. Thanks again Wave Theory! I wait around and only purchase things that come once in a while that is good and this seems to be it, though I can't say for Topping following suite.

  • @jamestorres5582
    @jamestorres558229 күн бұрын

    As always great review Wave Theory .

  • @cesarjlisboa7586
    @cesarjlisboa758629 күн бұрын

    Great and honest review.🎉congratulations for the brutal honesty ❤

  • @kennethoransky4881
    @kennethoransky488129 күн бұрын

    Thank you for a great review. I think I have found the dac I want to upgrade to.

  • @zenboy2000
    @zenboy200029 күн бұрын

    Sounds like a fine product, glad to hear its a quality competitor.

  • @InDueTime25
    @InDueTime2529 күн бұрын

    I really hope they send you the do400 to see how it measures up. Great review.

  • @danielsamson9505
    @danielsamson950529 күн бұрын

    Thank you for the video.👌👍

  • @delta9k
    @delta9k29 күн бұрын

    Great review. Keep up the good work. I can't help but think that perhaps some of the companies are starting to pick up on the feed back and tuning more organicaly vs analytic. The SMSLs & Toppings have always been pretty good with build quality and feature sets to get a different tuning from them now is very interesting, even if it is just via some models. Vareity is good.

  • @nusu5331
    @nusu533122 күн бұрын

    thanks for another epic review and the great title! I wonder how this compares to sth like a dual es9039 pro device in terms of soundstage depth and layering. Anyways, hope its nothing to worry about at your right eye, btw.

  • @thinkIndependent2024
    @thinkIndependent202429 күн бұрын

    Another Review That Only a Wave Theory can do, Thanks again for the hard work tou make it look easy but we know its not.

  • @aeon7748
    @aeon774814 күн бұрын

    Arghh this never stops, there’s always a new thing to pull you back in!!

  • @stearshetfield
    @stearshetfield25 күн бұрын

    I have one kislux bag I got in 2019, it's the LV white catogram speedy. It's counter quality and it has a nice honey patina now, so the leather is real. I think whatever makes you happy go for it. I've seen LV with plastic leather and blood red glaze...

  • @ebernardr
    @ebernardr29 күн бұрын

    Thank you for the detailed review. I had the DO300 and I agree with you that highs sounded very aggressive, which caused me fatigue after a while listening, so I returned. Anyway I have no XLR connection, only SE. Do you think DO200 Pro is still the best recommendation?

  • @sloboat55
    @sloboat5529 күн бұрын

    Always enjoy your resolving insight. Have you heard the Earmen Tradutto? I've had mine in my rig for about two years. It's on fire.

  • @wavetheorysound

    @wavetheorysound

    29 күн бұрын

    Earmen is a brand I haven't had the privilege of hearing yet. Hopefully someday.

  • @sloboat55

    @sloboat55

    29 күн бұрын

    @@wavetheorysound very good

  • @TheVeganVicar
    @TheVeganVicar29 күн бұрын

    Professor, thank you for the DAC review.❤ I’m not sure if it will replace my Lynx Hilo, however. 😅

  • @Feliciano12v
    @Feliciano12v27 күн бұрын

    What do you think about this Do200 pro with G111 MKII? I was waiting for you to do that comparisons since you typically do comparisons with this amp around this price range.

  • @radiofreealbemuth
    @radiofreealbemuth29 күн бұрын

    I feel like Bifrost is due for an update, when SMSL is trading blows for half the cost 😳

  • @helden-spaswenkoff1807
    @helden-spaswenkoff180729 күн бұрын

    もし同じことをTharbamarが言っても私は一切信用しないけど、WaveTheoryがここまで褒めるなら、DO200Proは「ホンモノ」なんだろうね

  • @jayem1826

    @jayem1826

    27 күн бұрын

    How can you tolerate his English (tharbamar) pronunciation? I can't stand him.

  • @helden-spaswenkoff1807

    @helden-spaswenkoff1807

    27 күн бұрын

    @@jayem1826 He(tharbamar) is just a docile automaton tamed by puerile consumerism

  • @helden-spaswenkoff1807

    @helden-spaswenkoff1807

    27 күн бұрын

    @@jayem1826 He (Tharbamar) is just a docile automaton tamed by puerile consumerism. Nothing more, nothing less. And also, one fails to understand that English as a lingua franca is nothing more than a mere transitional linguistic imperialism are also nothing more than a puppet cognition-hijacked by puerile, decrepit conditioning. ”One believes things because one has been conditioned to believe them... People believe in God because they have been conditioned to believe in God” Aldous Huxley, Brave New World

  • @bezchlebalukas1779
    @bezchlebalukas177929 күн бұрын

    hello do you expect review of topping dx9? Thanks for answer.

  • @defu8592
    @defu859215 күн бұрын

    If you like this im really curious your thoughts on vmv d2r. It has a ROHM chip. Its amazing to my ears

  • @jayem1826
    @jayem182627 күн бұрын

    Because it's a pre-amp/DAC are both RCA and Balanced outs variable? There's no pass through?

  • @georgelin6472
    @georgelin647228 күн бұрын

    How is it compared to topping d70 pro octo in sound performance?

  • @reter312
    @reter31212 күн бұрын

    Hey wave, just asking, i have the modi multibit 2, is this a consistent upgrade? thx

  • @rajasankar1245
    @rajasankar124529 күн бұрын

    Which DAC makes you feel satisfied in sound

  • @danieleturrin5625
    @danieleturrin562529 күн бұрын

    Do you think it's better than the SMSL vmv d1se2?

  • @osardegozar2581
    @osardegozar258128 күн бұрын

    Your comparative impression and evaluation of DO200 Pro and DO100 Pro are interesting. Specwise, DO 200 Pro is slightly inferior to DO 100 Pro in terms of distortion but slightly superior to the latter in terms of DR and SNR.

  • @jayem1826
    @jayem182627 күн бұрын

    Great. Wonderful. It never ends. Had been wanting the jnog2 socketed with sparkos. Then changed to wanting the Aune x8 VII with Sparkos mainly because it's available in my 3rd world location and it's a little less expensive. Now this SMSL comes out and it's similar in price. (A in Japanese is ou like in ouch. Ouohshesah). Sorry. 30 yrs of living in Japan and studying the language. You want to mispronounce , French, Spanish? No problem. 😅

  • @diegoclara108
    @diegoclara10821 күн бұрын

    vs smsl 9 ultra which better?

  • @oozykoko8053
    @oozykoko805328 күн бұрын

    i had Schiit Bifrost 2/64 and SMSL DO300 i really didn't like bifrost i dont know why everyone hold it in such high regard i could literally hear the noise floor of the dac and it had fuzzy large imaging it simply didnt sound good even in the 200 dollar dac range from topping or smsl beat it on every sonic trait to my ears apart from soundstage now i have holo audio cyan 2 miles ahead Bifrost sure it cost abit more but its just better...

  • @jensjensen1009
    @jensjensen100929 күн бұрын

    Wave, do you think there is a difference in sound quality when using hdmi-arc vs optical from a tv. Have you tried to compare?

  • @wavetheorysound

    @wavetheorysound

    29 күн бұрын

    On my system arc sounds better but optical is more reliable. On multiple dacs the arc has had great clarity and detail but brief periodic audio dropouts. Optical is not quite as clean or clear but is stable. I think the dropouts are most likely because of my dinosaur of a plasma TV haha.

  • @jensjensen1009

    @jensjensen1009

    29 күн бұрын

    I see, thanks. Pretty cool to see a dac with arc at this price point! Arc is perhaps more a thing for surround systems making use of dolby atmos, but interesting that it also improves stereo. Want to try!

  • @wavetheorysound

    @wavetheorysound

    29 күн бұрын

    @@jensjensen1009 I think you're right. HDMI ARC was originally intended for, and probably still most at home with, smart TVs that have internal streaming apps to be connected to a surround sound system. Now only in very recent generations of DACs are some DAC makers realizing that audiophiles use their headphone/hi-fi systems for watching and gaming to a level large enough to start including ARC connections on DACs. If you saw my Fiio K19 review, the one thing that's missing is the ability to downmix a multichannel bitstream signal. There are licensing issues with that I'm sure, but to me that's the next step for even more seamless integration into the video side of things.

  • @WalterMota-xd4yl

    @WalterMota-xd4yl

    28 күн бұрын

    Hi Wave, How does the bifrost 2/64 compare to the K19?

  • @jamesrobinson9176
    @jamesrobinson917629 күн бұрын

    Rhymes with Lassie or Cassie or sassy.

  • @justasimplefox
    @justasimplefox28 күн бұрын

    Another review desribed the sound as clean and precise but missing some richness in the mids..you call it natural and organic. Bit confused now 😊

  • @IrenESorius
    @IrenESorius28 күн бұрын

    👍‍‍🌟👍‍‍

  • @yttean98
    @yttean9823 күн бұрын

    You said in most cases you "hate/real dislike" Chinese DACs, what a change? Chinese DAC has come a long way. Can even improve further into the future. Considering all Chinese DACs' prices, the DACs from the west should watch out.

  • @JackTheladd
    @JackTheladd28 күн бұрын

    I have the 100 pro and find it a bit shouty.

  • @johnpajestka5022
    @johnpajestka502228 күн бұрын

    Why can't these companies just come out with a good single-ended only option. I just feel like I'm paying more to used a gimped version of my purchase. Appreciate it's closer but it's still subpar. Someone should do a survey on what output people use in this price range.