Power’s At The Back and Top Is Transparent – SMSL M20 DAC / Headphone AMP
SMSL M20 is a $129 USD entry-level DAC / Headphone AMP with a complex 4 X CS43131 DAC solution at the core, and with USB decoding abilities, made to act as the soundcard for your desktop system. Today we will review the M20 and broadly explore how it fits in the busy world of today’s music industry.
Introduction
Although SMSL M20 seems to be sold by multiple shops, the star of today is a new and upcoming seller, a shop called Auins Hifiman. We will refer to the ship as Auins, as that’s safer, and I can tell you that they are reliable, they provided not just the SMSL M20 DAC / AMP, but also the firmware upgrades needed to make it work properly, they answer messages quickly, and if everything keeps up, this might be a new hot place to grab your audio products from. Auins is present on Amazon US, Amazon europe and Aliexpress.
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Huge thanks to Auins for providing us with the sample for this review.
Product Link
Amazon.com – https://amzn.to/4edwx0p
Amazon.de – https://amzn.to/4eiy9WD
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oE6A9PA
Build Quality – Design
At the core, SMSL M20 is a desktop DAC / Headphone AMP, built differently than most DAC/AMPs. In this sense, it is not necessarily built better, but cleaner and more neat, with the inputs and the outputs at the back, and with a fully clean face. In fact, the top is so clean that it is transparent, and we have a selection of portable outputs including a Line Out in the 3.5mm format, a Headphone Output in the 3.5mm format and a headphone output in the 4.4mm format.
As there is no official confirmation whether the 4.4mm output is fully balanced, we had to test, and it has the same power and sound as the 3.5mm one, so it is most likely a matter of convenience of having both. Auins is in current collaboration with other brands too, including Topping and Gustard, but this SMSL
SMSL M20 has Hi-Res certification, it is able to decode MQA, MQA-CD, and it can decode signals up to 768kHz / 32 bit. The biggest highlight for it is the transparent top, and the slim, mini body. We have a cool and stylish light effect that makes the transparent feet glow, and the maximum driving power is around 700mW.
Subjective Usage – USB DAC
I was initially going to complain about the whole design, as it feels a bit silly, but using the M20, it is kinda fun, it has LED lights all around the frame, which look pretty cool when you have it on your desk, and the transparent feet light up too, which again looks really cool.
You have to update the firmware software if you get the early version that is sold by Auins, but the process is short and easy, just plug it in, press the menu button, and click upgrade. Everything simply works, the DAC/AMP is versatile and it simply works.
USB DAC function works flawlessly, there is no USB DAC Delay, but it gets quite warm to the point of being quite hot to the touch during usage. While this shouldn’t be an issue for most people, if you live in a really warm climate, it might be an issue.
From a subjective standpoint, the main issues with M20 are that it allows you to use it kinda sideways with the port closest to you being the USB if the outputs are on the right side. All headphone outputs are made of plastic and push a bit into the DAC when you plug in headphones. Also, the lights around the transparent top frame are a volume indicator, which is smart, but you never really see all of those lights up and shine, it is usually half of them.
Sound Quality
Pairings and Match-up – To test the new SMSL M20 from Auins, I have paired it with both IEMs and Full-Sized Headphones, including Tin HIFI P1 MAx II, HarmonicDyne Devil, and Soundz Flame. The headphone list includes Palma DHS-1, Audeze MM-100, Erzetich Mania V2024, Crosszone CZ-8a Enhanced. Driving power is ok, enough for Audeze MM-100, Crosszone CZ-8a enhanced, and Palma DHS-1, but it is not quite enough for Erzetich Mania V2024, as that one requires quite a bit more power. You can expect to mostly drive entry-level IEMs, and portable headphones, M20 is not designed to control Arya Organic or other hard to drive headphones, like HD 490 Pro Plus. With IEMs, there is no audible background noise in general.
Overall Signature – SMSL M20 sounds pretty bright, sharp, detailed, it brings forward textures and details, can be a bit on the aggressive side of things, it is clean and goes for holographic, but also has a slight compression effect making most sounds the same loudness. In general, if you’re in this price range, it is more detailed than most of the competition, it sounds crisp and detailed.
Bass – With a neutral bass, M20 is quite controlled and free of distortion, but bass is not emphasized, not uplifted in any way, just pure analytical, technical, fast and neutral. This is new for an entry-level product, but it can make the M20 sound quite bright, especially compared to most of the market which is usually much warmer and bassier at this price point.
Midrange – Clean, analytical, neutral and crisp, the midrange is detailed with a slight bias towards the upper midrange and a lower bias for the lower midrange and upper bass. As M20 is not warm nor is it romantic, it will emphasize with technical music, it is fast, revealing. I think measurement lovers would love this one and how well it measures.
Treble – Sharp, bright and with an excellent extension SMSL M20 sounds airy and allows treble to be quite bright. It emphasizes with aggressive and technical music, it is not forgiving and will reveal harshness quite well.
Dynamics / PRaT / Textures – SMSL M20 is quite textured, it reveals details and textures, both the good and the bad. Sound can be a bit grainy, it reveals every single texture across bass, mid and treble, which means cymbal harshness is more evident, so the quality of your listening material matters with M20. Even in the voices you will hear when the engineers left in a bit too much grain.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – M20 sounds better up loud, it becomes more engaging, less compressed and more dynamic. At lower volumes, it is compressed and sounds just bright, bass is more powerful, sound more vivid, and details much better when you increase the volume.
Soundstage – If you enjoy a smaller soundstage, but with a precise layering and instrument separation, you will like the SMSL M20, it renders music in a way that allows each bit of information and detail to shine through, but it is not wide nor holographic, it is quite intimate and brings all music to you, within the bounds of your head and mind.
Value and Conclusion
SMSL M20 is an affordable, entry-level DAC, it is basically great, although not the most ergonomic of DAC/AMPs. Raw performance considered, it is as good if not quite a bit better than the market usually is at this price point.
At the end of the day, SMSL M 20 is a crisp, analytical sounding DAC / Headphone AMP, not the most practical idea out there, but as an outlier, it sure is fun to use and I am having a great time listening to music through it, discovering new details and bits of information that warmer and more romantic DACs might miss.
PROs
- Cheap but effective
- Analytical, crisp and sharp
- Bright tuning that reveals quite well
- Very detailed for the price point
- Overall a good deal
Cons
- It gets warm during usage
- Outputs at the back is not ergonomic at all, if you’re using IEMs with a short cable
- Neutral bass
Product Link
Amazon.com – https://amzn.to/4edwx0p
Amazon.de – https://amzn.to/4eiy9WD
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oE6A9PA
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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