Let's talk about SOTM SMS-200 ULTRA

[Lassej]

8 minutes ago, ismewor said:

So that is why they call it hybird design.

Yes!
I am still waiting for mine. Want it now!

[ismewor]

5 minutes ago, Lassej said:

Yes!
I am still waiting for mine. Want it now!

Mine still at break in. I'm hopping it improve more after 200hrs.

[Traildog]

Has anyone tried using one as a server yet?

[ismewor]

It is an endpoint not a server.

[ClothEars]

I'm confused.

What do BubbleUPnp Server and MinimServer do then?

While we're at it what on earth is LibreSpot?

[tedwoods]

The sms 200 can be used as a server with a hard disc connected at its usb inputs.

You could control the content sent to it by MPD and now through BubbleUPnp and MinimServer also, both running on a different device.

Some info on Librespot:

https://community.roonlabs.com/t/librespot-and-spotify/25520

[ClothEars]

Thanks for the LibreSpot info.

I run mine using a HDD in a self powered dock connected to the sMS-200Ultra via USB.

Player app is "Soundirok" on an iPad using MPD.

 

It would be great if SOtM released more information with the firmware upgrades and made that available on their website.

On the other hand it's always a bit of a mystery what new features will become available when that little yellow arrow appears on the Setup icon!!

[ducatirider]

What sounds better?  Adding tx-USBUltra to the regular SMS-200  or getting the SMS-200Ultra?

[Mustu]

Hi am about to get the sotm sms200 ultra. Should I get the 9v or the 12v version? Will it make a big difference in sound? 

[TopQuark]

8 hours ago, mustafakaiser said:

Hi am about to get the sotm sms200 ultra. Should I get the 9v or the 12v version? Will it make a big difference in sound? 

 

Go for the 12V and add a jumper to go down to 9V if need so.

 

[esimms86]

8 minutes ago, TopQuark said:

 

Go for the 12V and add a jumper to go down to 9V if need so.

 

Does that mean that you can convert a 9V to a 12V by essentially doing the reverse?

[Mustu]

9 minutes ago, TopQuark said:

 

Go for the 12V and add a jumper to go down to 9V if need so.

 

Hi please let me know what difference the 12v would make ?

 

I am asking as my dealer has only the 9v units and he would have to order in the 12v 

 

 

Thanks 

 

[ismewor]

On 8/18/2017 at 1:41 PM, ducatirider said:

What sounds better?  Adding tx-USBUltra to the regular SMS-200  or getting the SMS-200Ultra?

SMS-200ultra

[ismewor]

1 hour ago, esimms86 said:

Does that mean that you can convert a 9V to a 12V by essentially doing the reverse?

No it can not.

[zoltan]

I have one of the 9V units. It's actually one of the first few ever sold, it is a demo unit from Munich. They did the demo with 9V units (4 units to be precise). If the 12V unit sounded better, they would have brought those or in fact, they would probably make 12V units only. As far as I understand, they offer the 12V units because some people already have 12V good power supplies they may want to continue using. I have never heard that anyone A/B tested the two units with different voltages and one sounded better than the other. Since the clock board inside can only take 9V max, there must be a DC-DC converter inside, so the unit still works with 9 Volts (this is an assumption btw). 

[kennyb123]

2 hours ago, mustafakaiser said:

Hi please let me know what difference the 12v would make ?

 

I am asking as my dealer has only the 9v units and he would have to order in the 12v 

 

There were a couple posts on the "massive" thread a while back where I recall it being said that someone at SoTM said 12v would sound better.  I made a mental note of that but not sure I remember the exact details.  Maybe @austinpop can help.

[AmusedToD]

I had the SMS-200 and upgraded to the sms200Ultra. And the difference is not subtle at all, it's much much better, mostly in terms of clarity and resolution. I got the 12v version (because when I had the regular sms200 I found the 12v to sound best). I am powering my Ultra with a 12v Sbooster P&P Eco (together with the Sbooster Ultra addon).

 

Now I am thinking of selling the sms200Ultra and getting the dCS Network Bridge. It's not that I am not happy with the ultra (it's absolutely a killer network player and the best I ever had), it's just that I admire and respect dCS very much and the audiophilia nervosa in me tells me it's the first dCS product I could actually afford new  And this would be a blind buy (perhaps even a mistake), as I have no opportunity to A/B them.

 

I am based in Europe, so anyone interested can drop me an email. I am leaving for Croatia for a vacation in 2 days, so I can bring it with me and ship it from there (no duties and taxes for EU buyers). 

[k-man]

49 minutes ago, AmusedToD said:

it's just that I admire and respect dCS very much and the audiophilia nervosa in me tells me it's the first dCS product I could actually afford new  And this would be a blind buy (perhaps even a mistake), as I have no opportunity to A/B them.

I've been very happy with the dCS lowest priced DAC, the Debussy for a good number of years now. Having said that, and despite the rave reviews that have piqued my interest in the network bridge, there's a few things you might consider before the blind buy:

 

1) The internal components are not entirely built in-house. The part in question is the Streamer module called Stream820 which is modified by dCS.

2) If you don't own a dCS DAC (legacy or current), you will be limited to AES/EBU 24/192 or DSD128 output. It might be fine for native playback of such files, but if you are using upsampling software i.e. HQPlayer, that perhaps that spec will be insufficient.

3) There's no Lush AES/EBU digital cable 

 

Good luck with your outcome! 

 

 

[ClothEars]

6 hours ago, TopQuark said:

 

Go for the 12V and add a jumper to go down to 9V if need so.

 

 

Not quite sure what a "jumper" is. Could you clarify this please?

[austinpop]

3 hours ago, kennyb123 said:

 

There were a couple posts on the "massive" thread a while back where I recall it being said that someone at SoTM said 12v would sound better.  I made a mental note of that but not sure I remember the exact details.  Maybe @austinpop can help.

1. SOtM sells you either a version that supports 6.5-9V, or a version that accepts 12V.
2. There is apparently a jumper setting that can convert a 12V version to accept 9V using this jumper: https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/31111-sotm-sps-500/?do=findComment&comment=708971

As to the sound: I don't really know. I think the overriding factor is the quality of the PSU. The reason for these voltage offerings is to help customers with PSUs they may already have. So if you have a Paul Hynes SR7 at 12V, then by all means get the 12V version. 

 

OTOH, if you already have an LPS-1, it makes sense to get the 6.5-9V version, and feed it 7V.

 

Chicken and egg...

[Mustu]

So which sounds better 9v or 12v?

[Mustu]

This is the difference in the 9v and 12v 

[phusis]

OTOH, if you got/get SOtM's own sPS-500 PSU then you can, voltage-wise, have your cake and eat it too; it has a switchable voltage setting of 7, 9, 12 and 19Vdc, and this way one could acquire the optional 12V version of the sMS-200ultra, and use the jumper solution (if such is truly possible) to try out the 9V setting - with only one PSU at hand.

 

I believe no clear consensus has formed on the sonic potential of the sPS-500 against the likes of LPS-1 and others. Mr. Plaskin over at audiostream.com favored the sPS-500 (powering the sMS-200ultra) over the LPS-1 and other more expensive PSU's at hand, whereas others here at the CA boards have expressed differently or not conclusively. And yet, effectively, many here appears to have written off the sPS-500 against the popular LPS-1 in the wake of a few findings that would seem neither conclusive nor particularly elaborated. I find the sPS-500 very capable sounding in my own setup, quite easily bettering SOtM's former battery PSU. Indeed my views on its sound rather precisely reflect those of Mr. Plaskin's, views I expressed in a mini-review here at the CA boards prior to Mr. Plaskin's published review.

[AmusedToD]

8 hours ago, k-man said:

I've been very happy with the dCS lowest priced DAC, the Debussy for a good number of years now. Having said that, and despite the rave reviews that have piqued my interest in the network bridge, there's a few things you might consider before the blind buy:

 

1) The internal components are not entirely built in-house. The part in question is the Streamer module called Stream820 which is modified by dCS.

2) If you don't own a dCS DAC (legacy or current), you will be limited to AES/EBU 24/192 or DSD128 output. It might be fine for native playback of such files, but if you are using upsampling software i.e. HQPlayer, that perhaps that spec will be insufficient.

3) There's no Lush AES/EBU digital cable 

 

Good luck with your outcome! 

 

 

 

@k-man

 

1. The same Stream module is used in the Rossini DAC, albeit a less powerful version, so this is in no way an obstacle

2. I tried upsampling with HQP, but lately I find myself using redbook rips 95% of the time. So software upsampling won't be missed. The network bridge will be able to do USB out with an expected software update, but AES is fine with me too.

3. Not interested in one, I will stick with Transparent Audio for such cabling 

 

Thanks!

[AmusedToD]

5 hours ago, mustafakaiser said:

So which sounds better 9v or 12v?

 

Depends on you power supply  A 9v SR7 by Paul Hynes will always sound better than a 12v sPS-500

 

But if you go with the same power supply, I think the 12v has the upper hand over the 9V, but have no scientific proof to back my claim. With the regular sms200 first I used the 9V Sbooster and later upgraded to a 12v Sbooster as it sounded better to my ears.