SMSL D100 Review — Don't Let the Size Fool You
General/Packaging/Build SMSL needs no introduction at this point, I've gone through a fair number of their dac/amps over the past year or so, from the SU-1 DAC to the M300SE, and they've been pretty consistent in delivering good value gear. The D100 is their latest ultra-compact desktop DAC and headphone amp combo, and this time they've gone smaller instead of bigger, packing an ESS ES9081 chip and a fully balanced headphone amp into a chassis roughly the size of your palm. Packaging is simple, unit arrives well protected, nothing fancy but does the job. Build quality is solid as expected from SMSL, CNC-machined aluminium chassis, gold plated connectors, and a 1.66 inch fully laminated glass display up front that actually looks nicer in person than in photos. The 6.35mm and 4.4mm headphone outs sit on the front panel, dual USB-C ports round the back, one for data and one dedicated for auxiliary power when running off a phone, a nice touch to prevent battery drain on your ...
