SMSL is an audio manufacture based on Shenzhen, China. This company has been around for many years selling high quality audio devices mainly for desktop audiophile system. The most appealing product from SMSL is of course the very affordable price with decent build quality and uncompromising sound quality. The SP200 is their current desktop headphones amplifier announced about few month ago. Still new and fresh since this is their first product to get the certification from THX. Not sure what it means, but it appeal to become great for music. So let's find it out.
The package is comes in thick carton box. Mostly white with minimum information on it. The THX and Hi-Res logo are sure their main marketing attraction. Opening up the package you get the greeting from the manufacture. In my opinion, it is very nice.
Inside the box, the amplifier is covered by thick foam. Looking how secure the packaging is, that makes the product inside very secure when shipment overseas. It will sure withstand from the package abuse by the courier handling.
And here it is. The SMSL SP200 is quite compact desktop headphones amplifier. It is comes in black and once again, the logo is showed up on the top cover. Later on, this logo is quite annoying me. It is everywhere in this product. In my deep curiosity, I have a question about this certification is. I think it is just for a marketing gimmick? I don't know yet but look at the Hi-Res logo besides it. What purpose Hi-Res logo on the amplifier? Hi-Res logo is intended for audio player or a DAC telling about the capability to read high audio format. This is not only for SP200 headphones amplifier but for all amplifier out there with this non-sense Hi-Res logo on it is ridiculous. Long before this Hi-Res logo is invented, the amplifier on 80's is comes with "Hi-Res" sound quality rather just saying this amplifier capable to delivery music fuller. Perhaps put the old-school marketing method by declared the PMPO higher watt rating on the amplifier doesn't sell at all now days, then this logo is comes to get more attraction. Okay, enough for logo complaining, we are now back to the amplifier itself.
This SP200 weight is quite heavy. I guess it almost 1 kg for this small size. It will not slide over on the desk since it has rubber feet on it, besides it is quite heavy as I mentioned earlier. The weight contribution is from thick aluminium casing material and they also put the power supply inside it. By that means, it make this device setup clean by only using AC power cord plug into the wall socket. Looking to the front panel of the amplifier, it has the XLR balanced and single ended 6 mm headphones output. The 3 switch on the center is for powering the unit on, input selection, and gain control. The last on the far right is the volume control.
It is good to see there is 2 option in the line input. You can choose between the balanced input by using 3 pin XLR or standard RCA input.
Previously I have made a XLR balanced cable for Sennheiser HD6xx and it is fit perfectly in this SP200. So I will using it in this testing.
One thing I am not quite satisfy is the volume knob and the potentiometer behind it. It is feel cheap. When turning the volume, the feeling really loose and this is a typical volume control you can get on low end audio system.
My audio setup when testing this SMSL SP200 is using DAC from the Chord. Either it is Mojo or Hugo. The headphones is Sennheiser HD6xx which I am quite familiar with the sound. Then the player is using my smartphone running USB Audio Player Pro or in the simple setups, I only using iPod with the line out cable plug directly to this amplifier.
One word once you hear it, this SP200 sound amazing. This is the most wide sound stage amplifier I ever heard. Not by means it is an artificial wider, but it still maintain the natural sound, but give wider sound stage like you are not listening to the headphones anymore. The sound coming just like outside the headphones. The music is fast and flat in all frequency. Not weighting on some music aspect or frequency that tends on others amplifier sound warmer or analytical but it is clearly natural and open. This amplifier deliver the music as the source you play. It is good point for an amplifier to have this sound signature.
So, is the THX gives the certificate to this amplifier by saying that this is a good sounding amplifier by their standard measurement? If so, then they are not wrong. The price for this amplifier is quite cheap for the THX AAA 888 certificate on it. No other brand for this quality headphones amplifier, with the same certificate on it could sell at the same price like this one. Thumb's up SMSL!
But wait. I guess I got something wrong with my eyes when looking this amplifier casing straight at the front panel, but it is not actually. SMSL has mention on their websites about the casing of this SP200 is not perfectly square. I am not to bothered at the first time looking on the picture but it is a real tilted on the physical device. This is really uncommon dimension but quite funny indeed. So let's call it, an innovation in design by SMSL:)
Disclaimer: Any statement and photos in this article are not allowed to copy or publish without written permission from the writer. Any injury or loss from following tips in this article is not under writer responsibility.
The package is comes in thick carton box. Mostly white with minimum information on it. The THX and Hi-Res logo are sure their main marketing attraction. Opening up the package you get the greeting from the manufacture. In my opinion, it is very nice.
Inside the box, the amplifier is covered by thick foam. Looking how secure the packaging is, that makes the product inside very secure when shipment overseas. It will sure withstand from the package abuse by the courier handling.
And here it is. The SMSL SP200 is quite compact desktop headphones amplifier. It is comes in black and once again, the logo is showed up on the top cover. Later on, this logo is quite annoying me. It is everywhere in this product. In my deep curiosity, I have a question about this certification is. I think it is just for a marketing gimmick? I don't know yet but look at the Hi-Res logo besides it. What purpose Hi-Res logo on the amplifier? Hi-Res logo is intended for audio player or a DAC telling about the capability to read high audio format. This is not only for SP200 headphones amplifier but for all amplifier out there with this non-sense Hi-Res logo on it is ridiculous. Long before this Hi-Res logo is invented, the amplifier on 80's is comes with "Hi-Res" sound quality rather just saying this amplifier capable to delivery music fuller. Perhaps put the old-school marketing method by declared the PMPO higher watt rating on the amplifier doesn't sell at all now days, then this logo is comes to get more attraction. Okay, enough for logo complaining, we are now back to the amplifier itself.
This SP200 weight is quite heavy. I guess it almost 1 kg for this small size. It will not slide over on the desk since it has rubber feet on it, besides it is quite heavy as I mentioned earlier. The weight contribution is from thick aluminium casing material and they also put the power supply inside it. By that means, it make this device setup clean by only using AC power cord plug into the wall socket. Looking to the front panel of the amplifier, it has the XLR balanced and single ended 6 mm headphones output. The 3 switch on the center is for powering the unit on, input selection, and gain control. The last on the far right is the volume control.
It is good to see there is 2 option in the line input. You can choose between the balanced input by using 3 pin XLR or standard RCA input.
Previously I have made a XLR balanced cable for Sennheiser HD6xx and it is fit perfectly in this SP200. So I will using it in this testing.
One thing I am not quite satisfy is the volume knob and the potentiometer behind it. It is feel cheap. When turning the volume, the feeling really loose and this is a typical volume control you can get on low end audio system.
My audio setup when testing this SMSL SP200 is using DAC from the Chord. Either it is Mojo or Hugo. The headphones is Sennheiser HD6xx which I am quite familiar with the sound. Then the player is using my smartphone running USB Audio Player Pro or in the simple setups, I only using iPod with the line out cable plug directly to this amplifier.
One word once you hear it, this SP200 sound amazing. This is the most wide sound stage amplifier I ever heard. Not by means it is an artificial wider, but it still maintain the natural sound, but give wider sound stage like you are not listening to the headphones anymore. The sound coming just like outside the headphones. The music is fast and flat in all frequency. Not weighting on some music aspect or frequency that tends on others amplifier sound warmer or analytical but it is clearly natural and open. This amplifier deliver the music as the source you play. It is good point for an amplifier to have this sound signature.
So, is the THX gives the certificate to this amplifier by saying that this is a good sounding amplifier by their standard measurement? If so, then they are not wrong. The price for this amplifier is quite cheap for the THX AAA 888 certificate on it. No other brand for this quality headphones amplifier, with the same certificate on it could sell at the same price like this one. Thumb's up SMSL!
But wait. I guess I got something wrong with my eyes when looking this amplifier casing straight at the front panel, but it is not actually. SMSL has mention on their websites about the casing of this SP200 is not perfectly square. I am not to bothered at the first time looking on the picture but it is a real tilted on the physical device. This is really uncommon dimension but quite funny indeed. So let's call it, an innovation in design by SMSL:)
Disclaimer: Any statement and photos in this article are not allowed to copy or publish without written permission from the writer. Any injury or loss from following tips in this article is not under writer responsibility.
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