SMSL SP200 Headphone Amp THX AAA 888 Technology XLR RCA Balanced Headphone Amplifie
S.M.S.L SP200 THX AAA 888 Headphone Amp
The S.M.S.L SP200 THX Headphone Amp is the newest product in the S.M.S.L lineup with the top of the line audiophile high power grade THX AAA-888 technology. This technology allows for the highest fidelity with extreme output power and ultra-low crosstalk. This amp is versatile and can be used to drive a variety of headsets including those that have high impedance, require high current, or need high sensitivity. The SP200 comes with an included AC power supply and is equipped with XLR and RCA inputs. The front panel has XLR and quarter inch jack outputs, options for switching between different inputs, and choosing high or low gain. A detailed review for the SP200 and its performance is provided by Amir on Audio Science Review.
The SP200 has a balanced stereo headphone output, a balanced stereo line input, comes with high precision resistors for temperature stability, and a high-efficiency ultra-low noise power supply.
Audio Science Review Highlights: “THX seems to have revolutionized the mid to high-priced headphone amplifier market. It provides a winning combination of vanishingly low distortion and tons of power.” – Amir on ASR
Specs:
Inputs: Balanced x 1, Unbalanced x 1
Outputs: Balanced x 1, Unbalanced x 1
Output Power: 6W x 2 (16ohm) 3W x 2 (32ohm) 440mW x 2 (300ohm) 220mW x 2 (600ohm)
SNR: 130dB, A-Weighted
Output Noise: 2.8uV, A-Weighted
THD+N: -122dB, 0.00007% (1kHz, 32ohm) THD+N: -117dB, 0.00013% (20 – 20kHz, 32ohm, -3dB)
THD: -125dB, 0.00006% (1kHz, 16ohm, -3dB)
Output Impedance: Near 0 Ω
Frequency Response: 0.1Hz – 500kHz(-3dB)
Gain: Low(+6dB), High(+18dB)
Power Supply Voltage/Frequency: AC100-240V, 50-60 Hz
Power Consumption (EN60065): 24W
Power Consumption in Standby Mode: < 0.1W
Size: 160 x 149 x 73 mm Weight: 772g
| Dimensions: | 16 x 14.9 x 7.3 cm; 1 Kilograms |
| Manufacture: | SMSL |
| Reference: | SP200 |
This amp is a excellent value for the money. It is all the power you need and its balanced all for under 300 bucks a steal.
This amp is a excellent value for the money. It is all the power you need and its balanced all for under 300 bucks a steal.
I finally found the one!
It has been two months since I began using this amplifier and I have to say kudos to S.M.S.L. for producing a headphone amp strong and reliable enough to drive my HiFiMan Arya headphones. Now before buying this amp, I had blown through four—yes four—failed headphone amplifiers: two Topping A90s and two Monolith THX 887 amps (see my reviews at their respective Amazon product pages for details). So when I decided to buy this amp, my expectation of reliability was a bit low, to put it mildly, which is why I wanted to wait a while before posting a review just in case.
So how does it compare to the Topping A90? Well, I will continue to maintain that the Topping A90 is still the best headphone amp I have ever heard. This does not quite match it in clarity of detail. However, that’s totally irrelevant having bought and returned two failed units in a two-month time span. I’m no longer willing to gamble my hard-earned money on amps produced by that company no matter how highly rated, at least not until they fix their quality control issues.
And as compared to the Monolith 887 by Monoprice, quite frankly I can’t tell a lick of difference in sound quality between the 887 and this amp. In fact, I much prefer the SP 200 because of its smaller form factor coupled with its integrated power supply. Yes, the Monolith does have three gain settings as opposed to the two in this unit which might make running IEMs an issue for some. But if like me, you use your DAC to control volume this shouldn’t be much of a concern. And when it comes to reliability, well it obviously beats the Monolith and for less money! What’s not to love?
Quite frankly, for this price, this is an absolutely killer headphone amp. At 6 watts output, it effortlessly drives my Aryas in either balanced or single-ended mode. So a tip of my hat to S.M.S.L. for not only manufacturing a great-sounding desktop amp with a ridiculously small footprint but for caring enough about their customers to institute quality control procedures sorely lacking at both Topping and Monoprice.
Got it paired with a Geshelli labs jnog. And it is amazing the stuff that you will hear in the background will just blow your mind. I am using XLR and I do find it better than RCA .. the sound floor is so low it it still amazes me
Got it paired with a Geshelli labs jnog. And it is amazing the stuff that you will hear in the background will just blow your mind. I am using XLR and I do find it better than RCA .. the sound floor is so low it it still amazes me
I use it exclusively with my Audeze LCD2v2 headphones with the Silver Dragon Cable. The bottom line is that if you want monster results, you must go with an amp that has the guts to deliver. And talk about clarity, detail, strong bass, layering... it's all there. I would give this ten stars for the price. I do use a Clarion 7 band EQ. It is made for cars but I bought an Amazon Basic power converter to convert the home current to 12v car current. I use it on my home cd player system. So with that, it brings out the best of the amp and headphones, giving you control over the way you want it to sound. Hope this helps.
I use it exclusively with my Audeze LCD2v2 headphones with the Silver Dragon Cable. The bottom line is that if you want monster results, you must go with an amp that has the guts to deliver. And talk about clarity, detail, strong bass, layering… it’s all there. I would give this ten stars for the price. I do use a Clarion 7 band EQ. It is made for cars but I bought an Amazon Basic power converter to convert the home current to 12v car current. I use it on my home cd player system. So with that, it brings out the best of the amp and headphones, giving you control over the way you want it to sound. Hope this helps.
Maravilla!
Sin duda alguna, uno de los mejores amplificadores de audfonos por el precio, mucha potencia y una claridad y definicin inigualables.
Great amp!
Great amp for my 250 Ohm DT 770’s and ATH-AD700x’s. My only complaint is that the feel of the volume knob isn’t as smooth as I was hoping (the reason for 4 stars) But really impressed with the sound quality compared to the first-gen FX-Audio DAC-X6 so definitely worth the money.
amplificatore ciffia SMSL THX 200 888
Dopo lunghe riflessioni e letture tecniche, ho acquistato questo amplificatore per cuffia. Nonostante non sia un bilanciato puro, e ne ero cosciente, sono molto soddisfatto- Potente, pulito e non esitante su quasi tutto l’arco del potenziometro. solo nella prima escursione del volume(un 15 % dicamo) non reattivo. Dovevo avere un ampli che potesse pilotare le mie HIfiman 400i,che sono un p ostiche da muovere: non sono rimasto deluso. Tutto questo logicamente in relazione alla cifra che uno pu spendere. Se il portafoglio ad ampio respiro…logicamente ci sono prodotti migliori
Stunning and clear sound.
Simple and sleek design which is a plus but what really matters is the sound quality. I was a little hesitant because of its cheap price compared to other headphone amps and the fact that it is a Chinese product but all of the online reviews I could find were really positive. I have only had it a short time so I am unable to comment on how reliable it will be long term but so far I am very happy with its sound quality which is frankly superb, with no hiss or colouration of the sound signal.
Awesome quality, well built, I don't think you can find a better amp under 500$
Awesome quality, well built, I don’t think you can find a better amp under 500$
Hammerteil
Was Kopfhrerverstrker angeht (die ich mir leisten kann) mein absolutes Endgame. Werde ihn benutzen bis er irgendwann kaputt geht (hoffentlich hlt er noch lange). In Kombi mit den Hifiman Sundaras oder auch den Beyerdynamic 250 Ohm ein super Klang. Hat viel Saft und sieht auch schick aus. Pluspunkte fr XLR Eingnge.
Pure fun in a small package.
I tried out this amp (sp 200), with the smsl m500 dac + pre amp with the beyerdynamics DT 1990 pro headphones, with audio quest usb b – usb c cables for connecting the MacBook to the dac. I use the Mogami 2534 Quad XLR to connect the dac to the amp.
With some Tidal MQA sound tracks this whole combo sounds freaking good!!
The sound stage feels like your sitting at a private performance. The bass is powerful and the audio clarity is quite pure.
Nice size. Great sound. Easy to setup. Plenty of power.
Nice size. Great sound. Easy to setup. Plenty of power.
it does what it's suppose to do and very well...
it does what it’s suppose to do and very well…
Everything I was hoping fo
This unit was everything reviewers have been raving about for months now: Crazy amount of clean power + transparent and analytical sound, which is exactly what I wanted.
Having said that, this unit is not a jack of all trades, of course (no amp is). For music that requires some “warm coloring”, you’ll still need a tube amp or something equivalent. But if transparency is what you’re after (and if your source music is of high quality), look no further than this little box!
Also, a shout out to Apos Audio (the seller I got this from)! Even though I got it as an “open box” deal, the product was in pristine condition! I couldn’t tell this was an open box product at all. Highly appreciated!!!
I pair this with a TEAC UD 501. I have Fiio FA7 and Focal Clear and it works great. I did hear that sensitive IEMs have a channel balance issue with this amp so I was a little worried before making the purchase. Luckily I didn’t get that issue with my unit.
Not truly balanced but considering the comparable THX 789 from Drop I would recommend this if you aren't primarily running IEMs. The xlr connection produces cleaner signal and pumps up the power a bit compared to single ended through RCA. Harmonic distortion on my unit is almost non existent and is almost as clear as my Drop 789, side by side the Drop wins but the difference is minimal and will save you enough money to grab a decent dac to pair with it. By far my best budget entry level solid state desktop AMP and a great place to start for anyone getting into hifi.
Not truly balanced but considering the comparable THX 789 from Drop I would recommend this if you aren’t primarily running IEMs. The xlr connection produces cleaner signal and pumps up the power a bit compared to single ended through RCA. Harmonic distortion on my unit is almost non existent and is almost as clear as my Drop 789, side by side the Drop wins but the difference is minimal and will save you enough money to grab a decent dac to pair with it. By far my best budget entry level solid state desktop AMP and a great place to start for anyone getting into hifi.
Very good
Are use this for some Sennheiser HD 660 S headphones and it does a slightly better job than my UAD Apollo 8p. It did not blow my mind or anything but is still very good.
An amazingly impressive amp!
Arrived reasonably well and safely packaged. Has taken all my headphones up at least a couple of notches. Nothing to complain about, a very real sound improvement and an impressive bargain. Very pleased indeed.
Para nada ofrece un sonido tan frío como dicen.
Muy difcil que vayas a tener que subir el volumen por encima de las nueve. Si la grabacin es buena empiezas a escuchar detalles en la msica que nunca habas notado. Muy muy bueno. Es una ganga que por este dinero se pueda obtener un amplificador de esta calidad. El sonido para nada es clnico o fro como he ledo en algunas reviews. Si tus cascos tiene algo de color no necesitas mas. Lo utilizo junto con el su-8 de smsl. Increible como se entienden.
Tanta potenza
Arrivato in scatola del produttore con tutti i componenti imballati a prova d’urto in una busta amazon. Amplificatore cuffie collegato con cavo rca -xlr verso dac SMSL M200 , nessuna interferenza o rumore, e nel mio impianto suona meravigliosamente, tanta potenza ad un prezzo piu’ che buono.Per ci che posso dire sono molto soddisfatto, ambedue i prodotti mi hanno entusiasmato. Buona Musica
I bought the SMSL SP 200 to use with my Astell & Kern SR15 audio player and Sennheiser HD 650 headphones. I hooked it up in balanced mode with interconnects purchased from Surf Cables. The unit easily powers the headphones and the sound is fantastic. Highly recommended combination.
I bought the SMSL SP 200 to use with my Astell & Kern SR15 audio player and Sennheiser HD 650 headphones. I hooked it up in balanced mode with interconnects purchased from Surf Cables. The unit easily powers the headphones and the sound is fantastic. Highly recommended combination.
The SP200 Is Great For What I Wanted - Plenty Of Power For My Argon MkII Headphones. BUT.. "Issues"
I got the amp because I wanted more power for my Modhouse Argon MkII to bring out their best.
The amp DOES do what I wanted. Much better performance than I was getting from my Drop Cavalli LCX + SDAC.
Problems:
* There is a right-side balance bias that skews the soundscape, throwing off instrument and voice placement in the soundstage
* There is also a right side volume imbalance. Expected in analog potentiometers, but it’s pretty severe up until between about 8-9 o’clock on the dial. I could overlook up to 6 or 7 o’clock.
These 2 issues make an otherwise stellar performance always just shy of 100% satisfying when actively listening or auditioning headphones and especially iems. Super sensitive iems might never need to go beyond 9 o’clock even on low power setting, so the pot imbalance is always there.
For headphones, things get better. The volume imbalance stops being a major issue, but the soundstage skewing is sometimes distracting. Definitely prevents me from counting this as a “reference amp”, which is disappointing because it performs SO well in most other ways.
Sehr gut!
Ich bin echt froh von einem A20 auf dieses gert gewechselt zu sein.
Vor dem SP200 ist ein Dacmagic100.
Diese Kombi ist der Hammer!
Betreibe damit meine HD820, Stax 2170, DT990 pro und LCD-3!
It has a very clean sound and is able to power anything i throw at it. Very good value for money
It has a very clean sound and is able to power anything i throw at it. Very good value for money
Clair, precise, slamming, not shrill at all. Powers smoothly HD650, brings out immense sound in M1060C. I put my Solstice hybrid amp in a cubbaord, I dont need to experience with tubs anymore lol
Clair, precise, slamming, not shrill at all. Powers smoothly HD650, brings out immense sound in M1060C. I put my Solstice hybrid amp in a cubbaord, I dont need to experience with tubs anymore lol
De lo mejorcito que te puedes comprar a este precio.
Ya haba visto en diferentes reviews la calidad de este producto y lo puedo corroborar, mueve unos hd800s sin despeinarse y con una calidad ptima. Completamente recomendado por este precio.
El tiempo para comprarlo no fue el mejor por el covid19 que hizo que el pedido se retrasase bastante pero TY-Audio se port fenomenal ayudandonme a acelerar el trmite de aduanas en ese periodo.
Best buy! Se volete un amplificatore per cuffie l'avete trovato.
Dopo aver letto decine di recensioni online mi sono deciso ad acquistare questo amplificatore per cuffie. Ne avevo gi un altro piuttosto buono ma questo veramente un regalo per questo prezzo. Una pulizia e un dettaglio eccezionali, anche al massimo del volume (ovviamente senza musica) non si sente che il silenzio = nessuna distorsione. Spingono parecchio quindi attenti/e al volume. Quello che mi ha colpito di pi probabilmente il colpo che riescono a restituire. La musica che ne esce molto coinvolgente, molto delicata quando deve esserlo ma anche molto energica quando si spinge. L’ho provato con le mie Beyerdynamic 1990pro e le Hifiman Sundara e con tutt’e due si comportato benissimo. un amplificatore che “scompare” per quanto trasparente. La tecnologia THX fenomenale. Pu tranquillamente confrontarsi con amplificatori che costano anche 10 volte di pi: l’unica cosa in cui pecca la mancanza di un filo di spazialit rispetto agli altri (ma parliamo veramente di sottigliezze). Per me un best buy a questo prezzo non c’ niente di meglio a meno di spendere molto di pi per differenze appena percepibili. Non posso che essere estremamente soddisfatto dell’acquisto. Si consiglia (mi sembra ovvio ma magari non lo per tutti/e) l’accoppiamento con un DAC e delle cuffie di pari livello.
Got this as an upgrade for my old FiiO K5, the upgrade was quite obvious. Also some have said that the volume control is bad, but I can use plenty of the knob even on my grado 125’s which are quite easy to power. On my sennheiser hd700 And hd600 I can turn volume knob to almost 1 o’clock with still being listenable but loud.
Got this as an upgrade for my old FiiO K5, the upgrade was quite obvious. Also some have said that the volume control is bad, but I can use plenty of the knob even on my grado 125’s which are quite easy to power. On my sennheiser hd700 And hd600 I can turn volume knob to almost 1 o’clock with still being listenable but loud.
Gigantic headroom and authority
8/10
Pros:
– A ginormous power. Can drive my planars to insane levels with clarity. HE-400i, HE-560, and HE-6 are driven fantastically. Yes, indeed it can drive HE-6 with ease and to the levels I consider unbearable. The base authority and level it gives to HE-6 is hard to describe, visceral, pounding, superbly well defined and bottomless.
– Nice build and finish, sturdy.
– THX! This is a very special ultra low noise amp with refined sound.
– No audible artifacts during changes (powering on/off etc.) Well done.
– I think that balanced HP output offers the same power as unbalanced (which is not common). Balanced is a superior connector from the pro world.
Cons:
– The volume control knob could be better. I prefer to not have pots with raw, machine processed aluminium which is at the rim of the knob. Also when using sensitive headphones the channel balance at low levels could be better.
– I prefer when such a small personal device is powered by a wall adapter (DC). Here the AC cable connects directly – the device has built in power supply.
This amp sounds great and has loads of power. Pretty much the same sound as the Monoprice and Drop THX amps, but with an integrated power supply and for a little less money. My only complaints are the lack of a passthrough or pre-amp output, and the case design. Why the heck did they make it a parallelogram?
This amp sounds great and has loads of power. Pretty much the same sound as the Monoprice and Drop THX amps, but with an integrated power supply and for a little less money. My only complaints are the lack of a passthrough or pre-amp output, and the case design. Why the heck did they make it a parallelogram?
I'm very new to HiFi PC audio. I took the dive into the higher end of consumer audio for home theater about 15 years ago, but lived with onboard audio and gamer-grade audio headsets / mics for 20 years. I really got tired of dealing with a high noise floor and generally poor audio. I tried using a USB DAC from the Razer Kraken Tournament Edition and while it was fine paired with that headset, it was full of noise (constant background static) when I hooked up a pair of Philips X2HR. This is currently paired to the line out on my onboard audio (Realtek AC1220) and it's fantastic. Probably don't really need a DAC because the audio sounds great, but I ordered a SMSL M200 because it looks like it'll pair well with this amp from a feature perspective and looks (they both appear to be trapezoidal shaped instead of box-shaped). So far everything has sounded perfect with this setup, no weirdness in lows, mids, or highs. But I'm not a audiophile, just a guy that hates bad audio. I ordered some Argon MKIII and fully expect this amp to drive those just fine. I'm listening to my Philips Fidelio X2HR right now and a comfortable listening volume is at 10 o'clock on the volume dial, output set to low (which is not low, but medium. Search "Z Review SP200" for circumstances where that will matter (e.g. it may cook some in-ear-headphones, this amp can put out some serious watts).
I’m very new to HiFi PC audio. I took the dive into the higher end of consumer audio for home theater about 15 years ago, but lived with onboard audio and gamer-grade audio headsets / mics for 20 years. I really got tired of dealing with a high noise floor and generally poor audio. I tried using a USB DAC from the Razer Kraken Tournament Edition and while it was fine paired with that headset, it was full of noise (constant background static) when I hooked up a pair of Philips X2HR. This is currently paired to the line out on my onboard audio (Realtek AC1220) and it’s fantastic. Probably don’t really need a DAC because the audio sounds great, but I ordered a SMSL M200 because it looks like it’ll pair well with this amp from a feature perspective and looks (they both appear to be trapezoidal shaped instead of box-shaped). So far everything has sounded perfect with this setup, no weirdness in lows, mids, or highs. But I’m not a audiophile, just a guy that hates bad audio. I ordered some Argon MKIII and fully expect this amp to drive those just fine. I’m listening to my Philips Fidelio X2HR right now and a comfortable listening volume is at 10 o’clock on the volume dial, output set to low (which is not low, but medium. Search “Z Review SP200” for circumstances where that will matter (e.g. it may cook some in-ear-headphones, this amp can put out some serious watts).
This is not just an amp mind you, its THX certified, and can pump 6-whopping watts into 16-OHMS, or 3-whopping watts into 32-OHMS. This is probably the most powerful headphone amp that you can buy for the money, especially having THX. But what is great, even if you have unbalanced headphones, like the V-Moda’s, there is a 1/4 unbalanced headphone connection on the front for those. There is also a unbalanced XLR connection on the front as well.
On the rear of the amp, are both unbalanced left and right channel XLR inputs, as well as unbalanced RCA inputs. It comes with an on/off switch, input selector switch, and low/high gain switch, as well as the volume control. Because I am going with this setup, I’m bypassing my speaker system all together. I’m using a Monoprice RCA premium 22-gauge cable, to literally connect from the output of my Realistic EQ box, directly into the headphone amp.
And its so nice that the V-Moda’s come with their own 1/8 to 1/4 adapter, cause I needed that to plug into the new amp. I know I am not the only one who got fooled into thinking the XLR connections were balanced, based off reading the description of the product. But like many of us, we eventually learn the truth. The XLR connections are not balanced. Not that big of a deal per say, they work perfectly fine, and offer convenience of connection if you do have XLR.
When I first tried the amp on low gain, I felt it was too quiet, at all levels up to 50% volume. My V-Moda LP2’s are 32 OHM headphones, and I think they just need the full 3-watts, so I flipped the GAIN switch to HIGH POWER! All the sudden my can’s woke up, and now when the volume is set to 50%, my cans get real loud! I tested the cans with the typical bass track I always use, Wiz Khalifa On My Level – BASS BOOSTED, and holy molly! I also listened to Jelly Role – Creature, Feel That Bass III, and Post Malone – Go Flex. They all sounded amazing with the amp at 50%.
The bass hits are punchy, and they get down low. This amp seems to like straight up amplification with noise floor reduction. I find that it doesn’t seem to mess with the frequencies at all, and if anything, sound is more analytical and amplified. I really like how this amp does its job, I feel like I can hear everything in the tracks, even stuff I never heard before. The amp really brings both the music, and the headphones to life. The THX portion of the amp seems to provide for a very clean sound.
Most of the time, I can keep the volume at the 10 O clock position for general listening. Or if I want to listen to something loud, I push it to 50%. Other then songs, I tested this amp while gaming. If you thought your headphones sounded good before. Well, I am here to tell you, once you plug a pair of can’s into this amp, your gaming world will be amazingly enhanced like it was not before. That means you can hear things more, and feel things, with a solid pair of 50mm drivers or better.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with this amp, it does exactly what I need it to do, bring headphones to life, that is what this amp excels at. I am aware that some people got defective boxes in the past, thankfully, mine was not defective. Nor did I have that strange volume issue that someone else had, where only the left channel was heard, until the volume was at 50%, my volume works perfectly fine. Also, some people complained about the POWER LED being super bright, blindingly like a flashlight. Mine is nothing like that, just a dim blue glow, so I think they fixed that.
Now while my volume potentiometer, or POT for short, may work properly in the technical sense, in the physical sense, its practically awful. If you’ve experienced a smooth moving volume knob before, well this volume knob is kind of rough. Multiple reviews cover on this fact as well, so don’t just take my word for it. Because of it, I went on a competitor website and ordered a golden aluminum 25mm volume knob as replacement. With the added weight of a metal knob, should smoothen out the POT movement.
Do I recommend this amp? Absolutely! I used to use those portable Fiio amps, they are not even in the same weight class, as the S.M.S.L desktop amp. But you might want to think about replacing the volume knob is all. Other then that, and the fact its not really a balanced amp, its a perfect little unit. 5 out of 5 stars!
A meno di 300 euro non credo si possa trovare tanta potenza, definizione e naturalezza.
Piloto tranquillamente la Amiron Home (250 ohm) e questo SP200 riesce a contenere i bassi (leggermente evidenti della mia Amiron), ci significa che la potenza molto bene controllata, con un suono asciutto, dettagliato e senza mai distorcere.
Unico inconveniente che la circuiteria interna non credo sia realmente bilanciata, perch sia dall’uscita XLR che dalla SE (j 6.35), la potenza ed il volume del segnale di uscita identico. Pertanto i due ingressi (xlr ed rca) che utilizzano la stessa amplificazione in uscita, sono semplicemente una comodit di utilizzo per collegare appunto due sorgenti (un DAC ed un CD per esempio)…. ma poco importa perch dal jack cuffie esce davvero tanta potenza e corrente… un bel parallelepipedo allo stato solido!
Using this amp to power my HifiMan Sandara's. Clean powerful sound.
Using this amp to power my HifiMan Sandara’s. Clean powerful sound.
I bought this to provide a thumping amount of power to my Sennheiser HD 6xx headphones, which require copious amounts of controlled power to perform at their best.
I was not disappointed.
I have this connected to my Mac via a balanced connection over 6.35mm stereo jack to male XLR cables into a Komplete Audio 6 which connects to the computer and acts as a DAC.
I have used this amp with my Shure SE846 IEMs and my Sennheiser phones, and both sound better than I have ever heard them before.
My only criticisms would be 1) the lack of a low/no gain setting means that using sensitive IEMs like my Shure SE846 make the volume control a bit dangerous – by 1/4 of the way to full volume, the IEMs are verging on painfully loud, and 2) the non-square sides are a bit funky.
I like the switches more than the push-buttons on the (Mass)Drop THX-AAA 789, and the more compact size is very welcome. The volume control doesn’t feel premium, but it’s perfectly adequate. Having an integrated PSU is very useful.
All of which is to completely ignore the star of the show – the THX AAA-888 chipset, which is absolutely phenomenal. I won’t go into the boring specs, suffice to say that this little amp considerably beats the performance of gear ten or one hundred times its price. The bass punch and treble resolution in my SE846 is unlike anything I’ve heard before, and the Sennheiser HD 6xx absolutely sings.
Get one. Listen to it and forget about everything else. It’s that simple.
Great amp that pairs very well with my 6xx and K5 Pro (though I have a Topping D10 on the way). Compared to the K5 Pro and other AIOs under 300, this amp puts out sound effortlessly. Get this, break it in for 20 hours (yes, there's an audible difference) and get a DAC like the OL Dac or D10. You won't be disappointed.
Great amp that pairs very well with my 6xx and K5 Pro (though I have a Topping D10 on the way). Compared to the K5 Pro and other AIOs under 300, this amp puts out sound effortlessly. Get this, break it in for 20 hours (yes, there’s an audible difference) and get a DAC like the OL Dac or D10. You won’t be disappointed.
Wonderful sounding amp, with several useful connection options
Paired with Sennheiser 660D headphones connected via the balanced plugs, this small headphone amp sounds really great to me! I love the detailed sound I hear – although I guess the cartridge, Rega Phono MM pre-amp and headphones (not to mention my hearing!) also play a role in that. I like the small footprint of this unit and also that it has a built-in power supply – no separate power brick. It does get a little warm when in use though. It can drive two sets of headphones at the same time if you really want to. The toggle switches are a nice design touch, and the single blue LED is just bright enough to let you know the power is on without being garish. It does not have audio pass through – you’ll need a switch box if you want to sometimes send the audio to headphones and other times to a power amp. Very happy with this headphone amp.
Bought this amp to use together with my Sennheiser HD800s. Sounds amazing :) Fast shipping and works excellent.
Bought this amp to use together with my Sennheiser HD800s. Sounds amazing 🙂 Fast shipping and works excellent.
If you love high impedance cans, and you want to feed them with clean power, for this price, this is a no-brainer. So much quality tech for the money that it isn't even funny. You are not going to get power luke this from anything in this price range. This amp is really that good. And if you have been wondering how to really bring your planars to life? Here is one way that might blow your mind.
If you love high impedance cans, and you want to feed them with clean power, for this price, this is a no-brainer. So much quality tech for the money that it isn’t even funny. You are not going to get power luke this from anything in this price range. This amp is really that good. And if you have been wondering how to really bring your planars to life? Here is one way that might blow your mind.
Günstiger Preis, tolle Leistung!
Sehr schner Sweetspot fr Diminishing Returns. Auerdem wurde seit Januar alle Probleme des Lautstrkereglers behoben! 5/5
Sono rimasto davvero impressionato dalla qualit sonora di questo amplificatore, migliora in tutti gli aspetti la qualit della fonte, ha un suono preciso, potente e pulitissimo,c’ pi spazio tra gli strumenti perch limita molto il rumore di fondo.
Con la beyerdinamic amiron uno spettacolo ma anche con le in ear eccellente.
Consigliatissimo.
Nice
This drives my AKG Q701 headphones with plenty of power at about 1/2 volume.
I am using the balanced inputs with the gain switch set to high.
This amp is part of an upgrade I did for my iMac's sound. I went from and integrated DAC and amplifier and inexpensive Sony headphones to a separate DAC, this amp and Audeze headphones. Overall I'm very pleased with the performance of all my new components. And the price is right! This amp provides more than enough power for my new headphones and really seems to have a nice, flat frequency response. I like nice tight bass without any boominess and this amp and headphone combination gives me the sound I like. Nice smooth volume control and the gain switch gives you some adjustment to account for the power your headphones need, or to just change the sensitivity of the volume knob. I'm using this with the single ended inputs and outputs which is probably fine since my understanding is that the amplification circuitry is single ended. Obviously anything I really say about this amp is also related to my end to end system including the DAC and headphones. But I have no complaints whatsoever. I can listen to my new system for hours without any sort of listener fatigue. Overall a very nice headphone amp that I am extremely happy with.
This amp is part of an upgrade I did for my iMac’s sound. I went from and integrated DAC and amplifier and inexpensive Sony headphones to a separate DAC, this amp and Audeze headphones. Overall I’m very pleased with the performance of all my new components. And the price is right! This amp provides more than enough power for my new headphones and really seems to have a nice, flat frequency response. I like nice tight bass without any boominess and this amp and headphone combination gives me the sound I like. Nice smooth volume control and the gain switch gives you some adjustment to account for the power your headphones need, or to just change the sensitivity of the volume knob. I’m using this with the single ended inputs and outputs which is probably fine since my understanding is that the amplification circuitry is single ended. Obviously anything I really say about this amp is also related to my end to end system including the DAC and headphones. But I have no complaints whatsoever. I can listen to my new system for hours without any sort of listener fatigue. Overall a very nice headphone amp that I am extremely happy with.
Honestly, If you buy anything else, you need to rethink your life
Luckily i did not get a copy with channel imbalance like a lot of people state, but boy for the price this kicks ass. I also have a THX 789 which im probably gonna be selling because it is bigger and pretty much sounds the same, maybe the SP200 has a slightly better transient response. Also i can make a bit of profit from my THX 789 since its hard to get here, so Win Win for me. This is one of those amps that you just buy and forget about AMPS forever.
Get ready for some seriously stunning sound.
Got this for my Beyer Dynamic Amiron Home cans as I read a lot of good reviews of the THX AAA 888 chips and wow blown away, clean, uncoloured and powerful sound. The bass is super fast, clean and precise with no distortion, the trebles sparkle and tickle the ear drum in just the right way. The sound stage is precise and wide. I have heard amps triple the price that provide half the audio fidelity this thing does. Tonnes of power to drive the 200ohm headphones. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
AMAZING Headphone amp.
I was honestly going to spend less, until i saw a review on the THX 888 unit.
Honestly, just do it.
Spend the extra and get it.
The Amp is absolutely amazing, and i completely understand why everyone recommends it, especially since its cheaper then the drop THX 789.
This is definitely one of those purchases you wont regret having to spend a bit more for.
Sound quality is great, I’m using Sennheiser 6XX. Paired with a Balanced Dac, makes it a game changer. Price is excellent compared to other companies that have released THX amps.
Sound quality is great, I’m using Sennheiser 6XX. Paired with a Balanced Dac, makes it a game changer. Price is excellent compared to other companies that have released THX amps.
This amplifier truly brought livelihood with my ears and it is matched very well with the smsl su-8v2! The only "issue" with the amplifier is that the volume is VERY LOUD even at low gain. So it never goes past 10 o clock on my Aeon Flow headphones.
This amplifier truly brought livelihood with my ears and it is matched very well with the smsl su-8v2! The only “issue” with the amplifier is that the volume is VERY LOUD even at low gain. So it never goes past 10 o clock on my Aeon Flow headphones.
It’s crisp, clean and powerful. What more can I say? Based on what all the reviewers say on the big sites, and based on what my ears tell me, this thing is perfectly transparent without any compression of soundstage or detail separation, has no noise floor, and has more than enough power for any headphones you might plug into it.
One thing, however. I’ve got mine as part of my desktop PC setup.. That means that along with the power cords from both of these audio devices, there’s 2 power cords from monitors, a power cord from my tower, multiple USB cords carrying power, and cords for my UPS and power regulator all behind the desk in close proximity (and touching, even) the power cord for this amp. I didn’t think it would matter much, but on a whim decided to try upgrading the power cable to a Pangea AC-14 power cable, and despite my thought that it couldn’t get any better, the mids and especially low-end frequencies tightened up even more. So, if you’re in a high EMI environment like mine, invest the extra $35 for that cable.
SMSL audio engineers have done an excellent job on developing a product that stands out for its convenience, sound quality, size and cost-benefit. Extra points for the balanced output that leverages the clarity and definition of the unit with greater power. Fully recommended.
SMSL audio engineers have done an excellent job on developing a product that stands out for its convenience, sound quality, size and cost-benefit. Extra points for the balanced output that leverages the clarity and definition of the unit with greater power. Fully recommended.
Provato da 5 giorni e non ho mai dovuto usufruire del high gain. Pilota tranquillamente le hd660s , audio-technica r70x e le Akg 712 pro.
Amplificatore cuffie dal rapporto qualit prezzo straordinario. Compete con amplificatori ben pi costosi a livello di qualit sonora. estremamente potente e riesce a pilotare tranquillamente qualsiasi cuffia. La qualit audio sorprendente e da riferimento assoluto. Pilota egregiamente le mie Hifiman Sundara. Consegna rapidissima.
When I heard SMSL were bringing out their own THX amplifier I was pretty hyped. I have been a fan of SMSL for quite a while now having bought several of there products in the past and I am very impressed with them. This amplfier is no different. Its made of high quality materials and feels solid. No plastic anywhere and it was actually designed with single ended connections in mind instead of a last minute after thought like the other THX amplifiers on the market. Just to be clear (there is no benefit in sound quality from using a balanced connection) This is a fact.
Enter the THX 888. So ill keep this short. This is the best sounding amplifier I have ever heard. I didn’t expect much of an improvement over my previous amplifier which was already very good (Alex Cavali designed Liquid Spark) but man was I wrong. There’s just so much more detail in the sound and Its so rich and punchy with absolutely no unwanted hiss at any volume meaning the noise floor is dead silent. Also the amount of power this amplifier puts out is insane. 3W per channel through both single ended and balanced. They have only included both connections for peoples personal preference. Which is great for me as I never bought into the whole balanced connection snake oil rubbish. I have all my own custom made single ended cables.
So why only 4 stars instead of 5. Well to be completely honest there are a few minor issues people need to be aware of. Firstly there is just too much power if your planning on using sensitive headphones or IEMs then you need to be very careful with the volume dial. Secondly there is a slight channel imbalance at the very bottom end of the pot. Its only noticeable on my device if again, you are using very easy to drive sensitive headphones when you first start increasing the volume from 0. This goes away at normal listening levels though so its not really an issue for me but it might be to heavy IEM users. However, If you have a DAC connected to this amp that has its own volume control then none of these issues will exist or you could just use an 150ohm 3.5mm impeadance adapter plug for use with very sensitive IEMs. I got one from ebay for about 8. Problem solved.
So If you have been looking into getting a THX amplifier then I would highly recommend trying this one. I got mine for 200 elsewhere which is astonishingly good value for money. Half the price of the other THX amps and they are also a lot harder to get especially if you live here in the UK
Great headphone amp high quality sound - many reviews available online by experts. Highly recommended compared to much more expensive amps.
Great headphone amp high quality sound – many reviews available online by experts. Highly recommended compared to much more expensive amps.
I bought the SMSL SP200 to use along with my Topping D50s and Massdrop x Sennheiser HD6XX headphones. These headphone amps have become so good that they need to be tested with an oscilloscope to “see” differences between competitors. This is the best value of the three THX AAA (Achromatic Audio Amplifier) headphone amplifiers in this price range, the other two being the DROP + THX AAA 789 and the Monolith by Monoprice THX AAA 788.
I am happy with my purchase and would definitely buy it again. SMSL has knocked it out of the park with the SMSL SP200.
Excellent ampli. Ce SMSL est trs linaire.
Pas froid du tout, pas chaud non plus. Pas totalement transparent car il apporte une certaine paisseur chaque morceau et les timbres ont un certain grain particulier. tonnamment fluide. Vraiment musical. Ne donne pas envie de zapper les morceaux.
Trs trs recommand.
Il faut dbourser plusieurs centaines d’euros supplmentaires pour faire mieux.
En plus Amazon expdie extrmement rapidement.
An sich ein ein guter Verstrker.
Allerdings ist zu beachten, dass der Lautstrken Regler ab 10.30 nutzbar ist, da ansonsten der linke Kanal leiser ist.
Das heit, dass der verstrker fr extrem hungrige Kopfhrer ntzlich ist wenn man nicht an der Quelle oder am dac leiser drehen mchte.
In ears oder leichter amzutreibende Kopfhrer wie hd650 kann man ansonsten vergesse
Does not get much better than this.
You cannot get a headphone amp cleaner than this for the price, and I don’t think its worth going higher in price either. It is as transparent as it gets. That does not mean it is cold sounding or artificial. It just means you get all the detail your source can offer and your headphones can deliver. I’m mostly using it with an NDH20 and it sounds amazing. At this point I don’t see a reason to get any other amp, unless you have some special needs, e.g. want tubes to color the sound, or want eq, etc. It is powerful as well, 6W/channel is plenty of power to drive anything.
Buy this one… that’s it. Clean, and lots of power for the price. I had a jds labs atom previous, and loving this amp. I had a few pair of cans that the atom didnt push, but plenty of headroom with this.
I bought this to power my Sennheiser hd6xx headphones…
This amp comes with a low and high gain. I don’t even need High Gain with this amp LOL. Logan Powers those headphones beautifully and I only have to turn it up to a little over halfway before it’s too loud for my ears. And by the way, no matter how loud I crank it, there is no Distortion whatsoever or hiss. I’m amazed at the way all the different musical instruments separate and clarify using this amp. My previous amp was a Fiio e12 mont blanc and that worked wonderfully as a portable amp but cannot hold a candle to the clarity and power of this amplifier. For $260 this is a no-brainer!
I got tired of months of waiting for my THX 789, in the mean time the SMSL SP-200 was released so I took the chance and don’t regret it. Great sound, lots of power and no noticeable distortion, I mean what more could you ask for. Now I just need my Argon MKIII to arrive and I am set, until then my Sennheiser HD 650 sings on here. I’ve even messed around with balanced IEMs on here. Word of caution, this is not a true balanced amp, but the designers claim it has a lower noise floor balanced output (not that you’ll be able to notice any to begin with). Also the single ended and the balanced both output the same power which is already pretty much a clean high gain, you really won’t find much of a reason to switch to high gain. I really don’t know what more to say, maybe now I feel like I wasted money on all my balanced custom cables..
The SP200 really surpirsed me. I had had some Topping amps and I still have a JDS Labs Atom. I also had the Drop 789 on order but canceled it for this amp, and I’m glad I did. It sounds amazing, even better than the Atom. It’s also pretty small. The only thing is that there is no reason to buy balanced headphone cables as both outputs sounds the same and output the same amount of power. You should though get a balanced dac to fed this amp as that does make a difference. I use the SMSL SU 8 myself. Also, this amp is really powerful. I could easily run a pair of Argons on this on low gain and not even get to 12 o’clock on the dial. That might actually be the only downside as this is not good for IEMs since it’s always pushes so much power. That’s why I have kept my Atom actually.
Amazing little AMP. If you are looking for the best desktop/headphone amp. Get this. That THX sound quality. Mmmmmmm
Amazing little AMP. If you are looking for the best desktop/headphone amp. Get this. That THX sound quality. Mmmmmmm
I’ve been called a THX fanboy. Owning a Monolith 788 and portable. It’s killed me trying to get on the MassDump 789 train. I’m sure it’s an amazing amp in its own right, but this one blows my others out of the water in terms of power. I can finally hear the difference in DACs, and it pleases me. For this price point, it’s a no brainer. I’d buy a couple more personally at this price.
Boombastic amp. Super clean and powerful. Drives anything. I can’t fault it on any level. Deep and precise bass, sweet and musical midrange, tight and detailed but never harsh treble. I think you may have to spend 1000 to get notably better. There is not a lot of ‘better’ to get. This really is a new level of performance for a headphone amp at this price. Tested with AKG 551, Shure SRH1540 and my beloved Quad ERA-1
Using the SP200 with my HD6xx produce a very clean sound. However there’s an issue if you’re using low impedance/sensitive iems such as a KZ zsn pro. There’s a slight hiss even at low volume and gets worst as you crank up the volume even with no sound playing. This might be because of the over powered output even at low gain which also means you can only turn the volume knob slightly and you’re already blasting your ears (with iems). I’m a bit disappointed in that regards. I expected better performance with iem use since the description obviously says it works great with low and high impedance earphones and headphones. I might have a defective product? I don’t know for sure. So just keep in mind, if you use low impedance iem or headphones, you might run into some issues.
Decided to upgrade my Schiit Vali 2 amp (with electro-harmonix 6922 tube), which I’ve had for a couple of years and I enjoy listening to. I was planning to get the Rupert Neve RHNP when I saw the SMSL SP200 available for a couple hundred less. I’ve had a good experience with the SMSL AD-18 (use it with speakers and a sub, not headphones), so I decided to give the SP200 a try.
My cans are Focal Clears and my primary source is an OPPO 105, which has balanced outs. I wanted to replace the Vali with an amp that has balanced inputs. My listening used balanced connections between the OPPO and the SMSL SP200 (Hosa pro cables), but a standard 6.3 jack for my headphones.
Listened to Hotel California, 461 Ocean Blvd and Let it Bleed SACDs (and Night at the Opera DVD-A). The SP200 added a noticeable quantity of well-defined bass compared to my Vali 2. The additional slam was immediately noticable on Hotel California, even using my bass-light Focal Clears. The SMSL also (unsurprisingly) produces clearer, better defined and more analytical trebble and mids than the hybrid tube Vali. The background on all of the SACDs was pitch dark (Vali is close).
The SMSL SP200 easily drives my low impedence Focal Clears. Constant listening with the volume knob set at 9:00 would cause long-term hearing loss using the low gain setting. I don’t own any high impedence headphones so I can’t offer any observations in that regard.
The $290 SMSL SP200 is a good match for my rig. It improves the output of my OPPO and adds bass to the Clears, which benefit from the boost. Highly recommended for the very reasonable price.