The DACs
Contents
The nice thing about this comparative test, is that all three converters have a different setup and dac chip. The SMSL uses the famous AKM AK4499 dac. The Metrum uses its own DAC3 chips. And the NuPrime has a dual-mono setup with ESS9028Q2M dacs. How that all works out, you can read below.
SMSL VMV D2
SMSL is a Chinese manufacturer of hi-fi equipment. They have managed to make a name for themselves pretty quickly with their affordable but decent gear. The SMSL VMV D2 is a 1699 Euro model (which is on the high side for SMSL) with under the hood the famous AKM AK4499 dac chip. A chip we know and have had good experiences with.
The SMSL VMV D2 dac has incredible features and numerous inputs. One of the tips we would like to give in advance is: enter the menu and go to the filter settings. Play around with the different filters and choose a filter that suits your taste. We often find the “slow” filters more pleasant in sound, but you may see it differently. The fact is: they all sound different, so just try a few and make a choice.
The SMSL VMV D2 has an open sound with ample detail. Especially the very clean midrange stands out. There is a lot of grip and insight in the midrange, giving vocals real space. This is also something we recognize from the AKM dacs.
Now it may be due to the fact that this dac hasn’t had a lot of playtime, but we do miss a bit of connection to the music. It is all very good, but we are not really drawn into the music. Perhaps some more playing hours will help. Colleague Geoffrey took the dac with him after the live-stream and will sit down in front of it some more.
All in all, the SMSL VMV D2 simply delivers great value for money. The dac has all the connections you could want – even a reference clock input! – and also gives you the ability to tune things to your liking.
Specifications
| SMSL VMV D2 | 1699 |
| DAC | AKM AK4499 |
| Max resolution | 32 bit / 768 KHz, DSD |
| Inputs | USB, Coaxial, Optical, I2S, Bluetooth, AES/EBU |
| Outputs | XLR and RCA |
| Remote | Yes |
Metrum Acoustics Amethyst DAC3
The Metrum Acoustics Amethyst has been around for a while. We first upgraded this NOS (Non Over Sampling) dac from DAC1 to DAC2 and now we have a version with DAC-3 modules. DAC1 to DAC2 was quite audible. The upgrade from DAC2 to DAC3 at our Metrum Pavane was certainly audible, but not shocking and still quite pricey. However with the Amethyst, the difference is very audible! And cost-wise more interesting, because it is only two modules! We highly recommend this upgrade.
If we look at features, the Dutch Metrum Amethyst does not come off so well. We see the basic connections, but nothing more. There is also no volume control for the line output: the knob on the front is for the headphones; not for the line output. In short: you don’t buy this dac for the connectivity or feature set.
But what about the sound? Well, we immediately hear that the Metrum Amethyst presents nicely rich, round and smooth. It’s 180 degrees different from the SMSL, where the focus is on the clean midrange. With the Metrum, the focus is on smoothness and richness. This is very audible with Blof, where the SMSL offers more openness, but the Metrum puts more emphasis on overall balance and flow.
The stereo image is a bit more forward than with the SMSL, but that’s neither bad nor good: it’s just different. Going back to Blof’s Mooie Dag for a moment, we hear that the Metrum does manage to put down more of the “Q-sound” 3D effects than the SMSL. This is certainly also partly due to the DAC3 chips that just have more to offer. It’s a very nice upgrade!
Specifications
| Metrum Acoustics Amethyst DAC3 | 1499 |
| DAC | Metrum DAC3 |
| Max resolution | 24 bit / 384 KHz, 24/192 via spdif |
| Inputs | USB or I2S, Coaxial, Optical |
| Outputs | RCA |
| Remote | No |
NuPrime DAC-9X
NuPrime is an American brand that we know mostly for their very solid class-D amplifiers. We have also tested other products, including a CD player, but the amplifiers always stick: they are just good for the money.
Now we have the – very versatile – NuPrime DAC-9X in front of us. A model with particularly many features and connections. Even an analog RCA input. That’s a nice bonus!
Under the hood we see two ESS9028Q2M dacs in dual mono configuration. We do often see these chips incorporated into dacs. ESS can be very good, but also sometimes sound a bit sharp and analytical: it just depends on how they are processed.
NuPrime has done a good job with the DAC-9X. It’s terribly detailed and energetic, but it’s not sharp or intrusive. That’s a pretty bizarre combination. What also stands out is the huge stereo image this converter manages to put down. That’s pretty special in this price range.
What we do think is that a hi-fi system must be very well balanced if someone integrates this converter. If there is sharpness or some inbalance, this dac will magnify that. But if a system is right, this is a wonderful addition. It’s one of those products that easily grows with you.
Specifications
| NuPrime DAC-9X | 1425 |
| DAC | 2 x ESS9028Q2M |
| Max resolution | 32 bit / 384 KHz DSD |
| Inputs | USB, Coaxial, Optical, 2xI2S, analog (RCA), expansion via USB |
| Outputs | XLR, RCA, headphone, optical |
| Remote | Yes |
Rounding
Which dac “is the best” is very personal. What are you looking for? Warmth and flow? Insight, energy and kick? An extremely clean midrange and countless options? It is up to you what ‘the winner’ is. That is a matter of taste, priorities and match with your system at home.
A bit late perhaps but I wanted to share this anyway. For my work I am regularly at sea. This time I had an internet signal close to the coast and could follow the test on my (simple) phone and headphones (Samsung A53 with a Sennheiser Momentum). Surprisingly, I did hear differences between the DACs!
I had to think back to when I had the Metrum myself but with version 2 chips. I found the headphone part disappointing (the headphone amplifier part of the amplifier I had then, Quad Vena, sounded much better). Now I have a Violectric headphone amplifier with Quad Era-1 headphones and I am very satisfied.
On board I was still in doubt whether to buy a Metrum Amethyst again but then purely as a DAC and with the DAC3 chips. When I got home I of course listened to the four songs again (I had never heard them before the test) on my Primare i25 with a DM35 DAC card. Wow, that sounded really great! So I won’t go back to the Metrum, maybe a few magnet feet for my audio physics boxes…….. :-). It’s still a (upgrade) hobby, right?
Moral: the test is very nice and informative, even at sea via a telephone! And never underestimate what you have, enjoy it!
Jaap,
Quick question on listening tests with various DACS. Back in 2014 we had a so so review which basically took a dac and then replaced that dac with another and so forth. I think he tested four dacs in one sitting. I complained a little because oscillators and crystals really don’t reach their peak phase noise for almost 24 hours. In the case of our dac in question the average phase noise cold was -70dB at 1Hz and it jumped up between 6Hz and 12Hz cold, but after 24 hours the phase noise at 1Hz was over -80dB (-110dB at 10Hz) which is pretty damn good considering the cost of the product.
I might suggest to you that setting up the day before the test all the digital products, powered up and then swapping only the cables for the test might be the best way to proceed.
Thanks,
Gordon