The collaboration between Aoshida Audio and SMSL is now complete with products that cover the lower end as well as the upper one. The SMSL DO100 Pro is the latest result of this partnership and is therefore exclusive to Aoshida. It is not simply a shrunk-down version of the higher-end models, but its own thing which, despite the affordable price, offers all the features you could ask for – or probably even think of!
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary unit from Aoshida Audio for the purpose of this review. It retails for $219. Additional information on the official product page.
TL;DR: recap
| Pros |
Cons |
| + Superb build quality
+ Complete set of inputs + Completely neutral sound signature + Balanced output + No background noise + Stunning value |
– None, really! |
Rating: 10/10
Packaging & Accessories
The well-padded packaging includes the DAC itself, a remote (for which no AAA batteries are provided), a USB to USB-C cable, a power cable and a manual. You will also have to screw in the Bluetooth antenna.
Design & Build
The SMSL DO100 Pro uses the new “suspended screen” design which we’ve already seen on multiple recent products by the company, such as the DO400, the DO200 Pro or the AO300. This means that the screen protrudes from the front and appears to “float” in front of it; this effect is further amplified by a curve that makes the front line recede. All in all it’s a very clean, modern and elegant look.
On the front we find the screen, a standby LED and the volume wheel (which also doubles as a power button, as it can be pushed); on the back we find stereo XLR and RCA outputs, as well as coaxial, optical, HDMI ARC, USB and Bluetooth inputs, together with the power connector and the power switch. Contrary to higher-end models, the screen is a classic numerical display that can only show three characters; it has enough brightness that it can be seen even under direct sunlight.
As usual with SMSL products, build quality is superb and the unit shows no flaws in its assembly or manufacturing. The materials appear to all be of high quality. At 189 x 186 x 45 mm, the DO100 Pro is small enough that it fits on any desk or in any living room setup without issues.
Contrary to the other higher-end devices in the DO line, the DO100 Pro’s screen is numeric only and therefore does not offer the rich colour graphics and menu organisation like the other models. Still, the screen offers a range of brightness which makes it possible to see it clearly in full sunlight, as well as make it dim enough that it is not obtrusive in low light.
The volume knob is a digital wheel, so it spins endlessly and has steps with physical and acoustic feedback. It allows to adjust the volume in increments of 1 dB.
Features & Specs
Despite its small size, the DO100 Pro has quite a bit of input options: it offers USB, optical, coaxial and HDMI ARC, and it also supports Bluetooth 5.1 with the SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX LL (low latency) and LDAC codecs. When in Bluetooth mode, the screen shows the codec being used. The HDMI ARC port comes in very handy when using the DAC in a home theatre/TV setup, as it makes connecting it to the TV dead easy (and it bypasses the issues with optical connection that some TVs have). Unfortunately it does not seem to power on together with the TV.
There are seven filters to choose from, however the differences between them are not really audible.
The device supports Windows 7 and subsequent releases (with a driver), as well as macOS and Linux (no drivers required), which means it is also compatible with the Steam Deck. The DO100 Pro also features both USB Audio Class 2.0 and 1.1 connectivity, so it can work with computers, tablets and smartphones (in 2.0 mode) as well as with consoles (in 1.1 mode).
SMSL DO100 Pro |
| Input | USB (up to 32 bit / 768 kHz PCM, up to DSD512, MQA) Optical, coaxial (up to 24 bit, 192 kHz, DSD64 via DoP, MQA) Bluetooth 5.1 (SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX LL, LDAC) HDMI ARC |
| Output impedance | N/A |
| Frequency response | N/A |
| THD+N (@1 kHz) | < 0.00005% |
| SNR | 131 dB (XLR) 127 dB (RCA) |
| Crosstalk | N/A |
The SMSL DO100 Pro is built around two ESS ES9039Q2M DACs, one per channel. These are DAC meant for mobile applications and therefore place a lot of emphasis on low power consumption; this does not affect the overall sound quality, though. Preamplification is taken care of by six Texas Instruments OPA1612 chips.
The remote is very handy to control the DAC: you can turn on and off the unit, adjust the volume (both with the up and down arrows, as well as with the dedicated buttons), navigate through the menu (which you can access by pressing the “ok” button), switch inputs and mute the output. The “FN” button seems not to do anything.
Sound
I tested the SMSL DO100 Pro by connecting it to an SMSL PA40 which in turn powered a pair of ELAC DBR62 speakers.
I may write that the DO100 Pro produces silky smooth bass with rich sizzling highs and lifelike vocals with a black background, and that it sounds different from everything else I’ve heard so far. But I’d be lying. The DO100 Pro is dead neutral, so I can’t hear any difference to other DACs when I listen to music while using it. Which is actually exactly what we want! A DAC that imparts its own twist to music wouldn’t be very “high fidelity”, which is why it’s a very positive thing that the DO100 Pro sounds exactly the same as other DACs; also, this is positive because it sounds the same as more expensive DACs. Two wins in one!
On a less cheeky note, the background really is black, and by that I mean that I can’t detect any noise whatsoever (so no hums, no hisses, etc). Which helps make listening that little bit more enjoyable.
Despite there being 7 filters, I cannot hear any difference between them – they all sound the same. Leaving the default one enabled sounds like a good choice.
Final Thoughts
The SMSL DO100 Pro doesn’t make a lot of sense. Not for SMSL and Aoshida from a commercial standpoint, anyway: it is simply fantastic at the price it is sold at, and you really don’t need anything else (unless you really want to go down the very deep rabbit hole of “perfect” measurements). It’s so good you probably don’t even need to look at the higher-end offerings. And I am talking not just about sound quality, but features as well. At just above $200, it’s hard not to recommend the DO100 Pro to everyone who is looking for an affordable DAC which still has all you might need – balanced output, a wide variety of inputs, lots of further options like filters… It even comes with Bluetooth and HDMI ARC! Seriously, it’s hard to understand why you should buy one of the more expensive DACs – the SMSL DO100 Pro has it all. Go buy it.
