My dive continues into Chinese hi-fi, better known as Chi-fi by many. With the help of an introduction by Ed of Old Guy Hi-Fi, I was able to get in contact with Good people at Aoshida, distributors of many Chinese brand hi-fi products. They were kind enough to send me the SMSL DO 400 that retails at $499. of of course and full disclosure and in compliance with the FCC, although I was provided with this unit I was not compensated in any way. the opinions are my own subjective based, gained through nearly 30 hours of listening. Nobody at Aoshida saw this video before I posted it live on YouTube.
As I mentioned in a previous video about the SMSL A200 amplifier. Chinese small size hi-fi has come a tremendous way in the past 15 years, with the ascent dramatically improving in the decade of the 2020s. Now, it’s time to talk about their DO400 headphone amplifier DAC, preamplifier. Now I have always had a thing for headphone amps that can double as a pre-amplifier. My reference Oppo HA-1, which I’ve used for many years including at times as a preamp, is not leaving for another home no matter how often my wife asked me the question, “why don’t you sell that piece“
Exterior
The DO 400 comes in either a brush black face or aluminum face. Personally, I find the silver aluminum to be visually more appealing but that’s just me. Unfortunately, I was unable to test out the balanced headphone output, as I was unable to make a connection with somebody who had a pair that I’ve used before. The standard quarter inch jack had a good tight lock no looseness when it’s fully engaged, but doesn’t over grip and make it difficult to pull out either, just a nice balance. I do wish that SMSL used a knob that had a deeper profile, it is bit harder to grip for those of use with thicker fingers.
I need to give credit to SMSL for their screen. There is a lot of useful information in this display. In the top right it shows the input choice. Next to it with white little background circle tells the output, whether it’s headphone balanced, headphone, line out. HDMI one of the output choices . Then it says on the top right is the type of digital signal. In this case PCM. The largest letters in blue show the volume in scale, and at the bottom is the file type in most cases is 44.1kHz. The half DB adjustment in the volume is very welcome as is the click feel. As someone with tremors it makes it much easier to adjust to the correct volume with the step attenuator. This is a true value add-on at $499 price point.
Controls
As you can see there is a plethora of controls once inside the menu. I want to focus on two. The sound color is really a fun feature. I welcome it because I believe that an audio product that gives you options one adjust to your personal taste is a terrific value. You’re not stuck with a one-size-fits-all approach. I personally found any of the Rich or Tube Choices, which there are three of each to be my favorites. However, it’s very dependent on the recording, for example on really heavy or warm recordings the Crystal or the standard can be a better match. The same holds true for the type of headphones that you use. Having owned the Sennheiser HD 800s, I would definitely have those set to the Rich or Tube, therefore it’s very brand or model specific.
The second is the screen controls, both Brightness and Dimmer. The Brightness has five levels which I believe will be very useful for the desktop work warriors, as they can set it to keep the screen visible, yet not distracting. The Dimmer also is nice in that it turns the screen off in 5 second increments up to one minute. Or, you can leave it on full time. I chose the latter just because I spent a great deal of time playing with the sound color and wanted to avoid the extra step of pushing the the knob to awaken the screen.
Back Panel
Turning the SMSL DO 400 around, the back panel fits a great deal into a small width without looking cramped. From left to right: Balanced L and R output jacks with RCA jacks between them. Followed by the AES, Bluetooth antennae, HDMI I2S, Optical, COAX, and USB. Finally the three-pronge socked and master power toggle switch.
For the Bluetooth faithful, the DO400 handles all the latest codecs. I experienced zero hiccups or dropped signal.
Interior
Lifting the hood, the DO 400 is centered around the ESS9039M Pro DAC chip. Along with that we also have the Xmas XU 316 controller chip that lords over the USB input. For a detailed explanation of all the interior goings on, I highly recommend Ed of Old Guy HiFi’s video. He does a great job explaining and identifying the various components. See the links in the description. The various measurements, especially in the signal to noise measurements are fantastic. I will say that in the last few years, what I’ve really appreciated is that manufacturers of small scale audio have returned to using an onboard power transformer. The brick is disappearing, we should all be thankful for that.
The standard SMSL remote with the circular almost what I would call the iPod dial and center button. Below that is the arrow down within the circle to select output, FN and your mute button, then the bottom is your volume up and down. While lightweight and plastic, it does fit in the hand nicely.
Headphone amplifier section.
As a preamplifier while once again the step attenuator for the volume was terrific, overall, I would say to use DO400 as a temporary measure until you find a true preamp. Or as a part of a desktop system with powered speakers or a small SMSL amp. But this is important to remember, the DO 400 is designed for headphones primarily, so therefore it is its area of value and it shows.
Listening
I did vast majority of listening on my original Master and Dynamic model 400. I also spent some time with a vintage pair Sennheiser 477’s, which I used to take on plane flights as if I lost them or they were damaged, it wasn’t a national tragedy.
Joe Jackson‘s “Heart and Ice”, part of his studio hall recording of the terrific Body and Soul album, demonstrates that the DO400 can pull out more inner or next level detail. This is especially true when listening to the rhythmic hits on the high hat that permeate the entire song. Having spent a few years playing a drum set. I can tell the amount of closure of the high hat. In this case it translates to slightly more than the actual touching pressure, but not a clamped or mostly clamp shut. The subtle electric guitar solo is quite clean. There is no fuzz between the notes.
In Jackson’s “Cha-Cha Loco”, the various percussion instruments have a very nicely defined space as compared to the lead and chorus vocals. I will say that Jackson’s own vocals do not have the same level of clarity as my Denafrips Aries II DAC. There isn’t quite the level of specific nasal intonation that is part of Jackson’s reedy vocals.
The Alan Parsons Project songs are always a test of how well channel separation is performed by a DAC, as well as the slow shift from one channel to the other. It’s one of the reasons why Parsons was such a brilliant engineer, is that through this process he created a defined sound stage, as well as his layering of instruments some of which would only be in one channel or the other. All these factors together make it a great test. The DO 400 does a nice job at this. You definitely can hear the space and location of the sound stage and imaging taking place and being replicated.
Shifting to orchestral music, Janine Jansen‘s stripped down recording of Vivaldi‘s The Four Seasons is both spare and intriguing. The DO400 in any Rich or Tube setting definitely was the way to choose for this performance. The soft cello in the background about three minutes into the first movement of Spring is beautifully rendered.
Final Score
As the hours rolled by, the DO400’s performance grew on me. I credit much that to both the astonishing low noise, and the sound color choices. I used to be an absolute purist regarding hearing the signal without any adjustments. But as I’ve moved deeper into the second half of life, I realize that time is too short not to enjoy things, including music, the way we desire. It’s why I enjoy a slightly warm and rounded presentation. The DO400 provides that, and with the powerful amplifier section, basically no headphone is going to seem wanting more power.
Therefore, if you’re in need of a multiple trick headphone amp/DAC/Preamplifier for a small space, whether it be a home office, dorm, or just quiet spot in the home, the SMSL DO400 is worth the test drive.
Information and Specifications: https://aoshida-audio.com/products/smsl-do400
To purchase (non-affiliated link): https://amzn.to/4IOTQAg
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