HLLY SMK-III Digital Audio Decoder
Sept 3, 2010 0:35:44 GMT
Post by mrarroyo on Sept 3, 2010 0:35:44 GMT
My first experience with the HLLY brand was as a result of skylab loaning me the HLLY DMK-IV as documented on: www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/468719/review-hlly-dmk-iv-dac-headphone-amp-pre-amp I hope to reciprocate and send this unit in to Rob (skylab) in about a month so he can post his impressions.
Today I received a package and it was a pleasant surprise, it not only included the latest DAC from HLLY the SMK-III but also their AMK-II Pre-Amp. This thread will concentrate on the SMK-III a 24-96 digital to analog converter. The unit is much larger measuring 8-5/8" wide by 11-1/4" deep by 3-1/2" high. The unit accepts digital information via:
1. Coaxial
2. USB
3. Optical
4. AES
The SMK-III outputs analog signal via a pair of RCA's and also via balanced XLR3 outs. The front panel brushed aluminum with black letters and led's in three colors: green for the DAC, yellow for the invert, and red for the headphone amp. The unit is currently being fed via the USB input from an iMac/iTunes using lossless files and the output is via the internal headphone out to a Sennheiser HD580. I hope to start feeding it via an optical input after about 100 hours, then after logging 100 hours using the optical input I will log about 20-30 hours using the coaxial input. I plan on feeding an external headphone amp using the unbalanced analog out for about 100 hours out of the 230 total burn-in (arbitrary number). At the end I plan to do a side by side of the two DAC sections (SMK-III versus DMK-IV) using a Graham Slee SRGII headphone amp and an RS-1, HD580, and a MarkL modded Denon.
Initial impressions are good in that it allows the user to know if he/she can leave with the equipments sound. Although I believe in burn-in I also believe that no amount of burn-in will turn a piece of gear you do not like into one you find superb. I should mention that I have been using the older HLLY DMK-IV for months in my office and have gotten to know its sound quite well. The DMK-IV's DAC is quite nice but the headphone amp section could use some improvements in clarity and detail. The initial impression of the SMK-III is that its headphone out has been improved and significantly, the instruments are much easier to place, clarity/detail has been improved, as well as note start/finish are much easier to hear. But enough of initial impressions, I will let the unit cook and will then post more on it. I will add this unit's top stays cool to the touch, while the DMK-IV gets warm.
For now I leave you with the following pictures, the last one was taken to show that even the large 1/4" Furutech plug fits without any problems.
I was successful in sending 24/96 Wave files and be recognized by the HLLY SMK-III as a 96K file. I took me a while to realize the iMac output is normally set at 16/44.1 and I had to go to the Audio MIDI Setup inside the Utilities folder to allow the computer to send 24/96 out via the USB. If someone knows of a simpler way please let me know. So far the unit has about 12 hours of use and although early in the burn-in process I can describe the sound as smooth.
I have sent David a PM indicating the unit suffered minor damaged in transit. Basically the end of the box was partially crushed in causing the volume pot to be pushed in a bit. I was able to re-set the volume knob so now it does not drag but at extreme volume levels there is an slight channel imbalance with the right channel sounding a bit louder. However, even though I listen at very low levels the imbalance is at a level not even I would listen at being waaay too low. This observation is when using a Senn HD580 can. The only other thing I can think for now is the misspelling of the word "Decoder" for "Decooer", since this one of the very first units I am sure the error can be corrected.
I shall continue burning the unit and will report back later. BTW, enclosed is a picture of the front faceplate showing it is seeing a 96K file via USB. Cheers.
The unit is at the 50 hour mark of burn-in as of 9:00am EST today August 28th. Currently I am feeding an external amp, Musical Fidelity X-Can fully modded by PinkFloyd and for cans I am using a highly modded Grado SR80. The sound is indeed smooth with the external amp or the internal SMK-III headphone amp. I really do not wish to say much to allow the unit to go through the 230 hours (arbitrary number I chose) of burn-in but it truly is hard to stay quiet. This unit at the MSRP of $300 will be IMO very hard to beat, the sound is so much better than DMK-IV as to not be a fair comparison.
I went to the previous thread and "borrowed" some of the technical information posted by David Gao and I have posted it below, the intent is to keep as much of the information in one place. I have also "borrowed" some of the pictures posted by David Gao. The last picture is of the rig as I am using now, BTW the source continues to be an iMac/iTunes lossless files via USB to the SMK-III.
Quote:
Hello:
The price is set to USD 300 including shipping to USA & West Europe!
It use Te7022L USB chip and support 24bit/96K for USB!
Here is the Parameters：
Frequency response：20Hz~20KHz(+/-1dB) Output amplitude：RCA---2.0Vrms XLR---4.0Vrms S/N： >115dB Channel separation：>110dB Dynamic Range：>100dB(16bit) >125dB(24bit) THD+N: <0.0012%(16bit) <0.0008%(24bit) USB: USB2.0、Sampling frequency:32~96KHz Support ASIO Coaxial IN:Input Sensitivity:400mVp-p Sampling frequency:32~96KHz Coaxial OUT: 0.5Vp-p 75OHMS Power consumption: <15W
Quote:
Hello:
1. the volume is analog, not digital!
2. Yes, it is class AB buffer circuit for the headphone amp!
3. Yes, headphone amplifer DC-Coupled!
4. The LEDs at the front just show the actual sample rate!
Today (August 31st of 2010) marks the 6th day since I received the SMK-III, it currently has about 120 hours of burn-in. This is about the half way point of the initial plan I arbitrarily established as part of its sound evaluation. As of today all the digital signal has been fed via USB and the SMK-III has been used both as DAC feeding a Musical Fidelity X-Can modded by PinkFloyd or as a single unit (amp/dac combo). The latest headphone I have used is an AKG K501 with a V3 APureSound 10' re-cable terminated in a Furutech FP-704 1/4" plug. As you can imagine the K501 has required more juice than either of the RS-1 or HD-580 I previously used.
Overall I will say the sound is very consistent amongst such a varied set of cans. This has surprised me since as a norm most amps exhibit a preference for a particular headphone type, this has not been the case so far but it could still change (burn-in). How would I describe what I hear? Early in the process I wrote "smooth" and till now I feel this word strongly describes what I hear. To me this is a good thing because too many amps/dacs exhibit peaks in the frequency range that some (myself included) may find objectionable. So far the presentation is very even and it allows for a very enjoyable morning or evening spent listening to your favorite jazz ensemble or string quartet.
As I write this impression I am listening to John Coltrane's Blue train by Blue Note. Listening to the hi-hat opening and closing is an interesting experience when I remember this unit retails for $300. The level of micro detail and clarity of the saxophone playing concurrently is very engaging and enjoyable. This level of performance is not what I would expect of units in this price range. Perhaps the industry and technology have caught up and it now allows companies to offer an unit like the SMK-III with such a high value.
Would I change anything? Provided we realize the burn-in is not over I would probably request a higher grade of a potentiometer and corresponding knob. This is very nitpicking but so is this hobby. Next, I would ask for a bit more bass impact in the headphone amp section not the DAC section. This last is mostly for those who would be using cans like the K501 which have a beautiful mid-range but not lots of bass. If you are using something along the lines of the Denon or Grado it would not IMO be needed. Note: I just remember I can roll op-amps! Oh boy this could be a lot of fun.
I hope to wrap this up in about ten days or so. I may choose to take a bit more time not due to burn-in itself but for my ears to continue getting used to the sound out of the SMK-III. After wards I plan on sending the unit to Rob for his comments, by that time I will probably replace the volume pot with an stock replacement to correct the hit the unit received while in transit from China to Florida.
Not much new to report as of today (September 3) except that I started feeding the digital files from the iMac via a digital cable built by Sys. Concept Inc., see: www.sysconcept.ca/product_info.php?products_id=68
Today I received a package and it was a pleasant surprise, it not only included the latest DAC from HLLY the SMK-III but also their AMK-II Pre-Amp. This thread will concentrate on the SMK-III a 24-96 digital to analog converter. The unit is much larger measuring 8-5/8" wide by 11-1/4" deep by 3-1/2" high. The unit accepts digital information via:
1. Coaxial
2. USB
3. Optical
4. AES
The SMK-III outputs analog signal via a pair of RCA's and also via balanced XLR3 outs. The front panel brushed aluminum with black letters and led's in three colors: green for the DAC, yellow for the invert, and red for the headphone amp. The unit is currently being fed via the USB input from an iMac/iTunes using lossless files and the output is via the internal headphone out to a Sennheiser HD580. I hope to start feeding it via an optical input after about 100 hours, then after logging 100 hours using the optical input I will log about 20-30 hours using the coaxial input. I plan on feeding an external headphone amp using the unbalanced analog out for about 100 hours out of the 230 total burn-in (arbitrary number). At the end I plan to do a side by side of the two DAC sections (SMK-III versus DMK-IV) using a Graham Slee SRGII headphone amp and an RS-1, HD580, and a MarkL modded Denon.
Initial impressions are good in that it allows the user to know if he/she can leave with the equipments sound. Although I believe in burn-in I also believe that no amount of burn-in will turn a piece of gear you do not like into one you find superb. I should mention that I have been using the older HLLY DMK-IV for months in my office and have gotten to know its sound quite well. The DMK-IV's DAC is quite nice but the headphone amp section could use some improvements in clarity and detail. The initial impression of the SMK-III is that its headphone out has been improved and significantly, the instruments are much easier to place, clarity/detail has been improved, as well as note start/finish are much easier to hear. But enough of initial impressions, I will let the unit cook and will then post more on it. I will add this unit's top stays cool to the touch, while the DMK-IV gets warm.
For now I leave you with the following pictures, the last one was taken to show that even the large 1/4" Furutech plug fits without any problems.
I was successful in sending 24/96 Wave files and be recognized by the HLLY SMK-III as a 96K file. I took me a while to realize the iMac output is normally set at 16/44.1 and I had to go to the Audio MIDI Setup inside the Utilities folder to allow the computer to send 24/96 out via the USB. If someone knows of a simpler way please let me know. So far the unit has about 12 hours of use and although early in the burn-in process I can describe the sound as smooth.
I have sent David a PM indicating the unit suffered minor damaged in transit. Basically the end of the box was partially crushed in causing the volume pot to be pushed in a bit. I was able to re-set the volume knob so now it does not drag but at extreme volume levels there is an slight channel imbalance with the right channel sounding a bit louder. However, even though I listen at very low levels the imbalance is at a level not even I would listen at being waaay too low. This observation is when using a Senn HD580 can. The only other thing I can think for now is the misspelling of the word "Decoder" for "Decooer", since this one of the very first units I am sure the error can be corrected.
I shall continue burning the unit and will report back later. BTW, enclosed is a picture of the front faceplate showing it is seeing a 96K file via USB. Cheers.
The unit is at the 50 hour mark of burn-in as of 9:00am EST today August 28th. Currently I am feeding an external amp, Musical Fidelity X-Can fully modded by PinkFloyd and for cans I am using a highly modded Grado SR80. The sound is indeed smooth with the external amp or the internal SMK-III headphone amp. I really do not wish to say much to allow the unit to go through the 230 hours (arbitrary number I chose) of burn-in but it truly is hard to stay quiet. This unit at the MSRP of $300 will be IMO very hard to beat, the sound is so much better than DMK-IV as to not be a fair comparison.
I went to the previous thread and "borrowed" some of the technical information posted by David Gao and I have posted it below, the intent is to keep as much of the information in one place. I have also "borrowed" some of the pictures posted by David Gao. The last picture is of the rig as I am using now, BTW the source continues to be an iMac/iTunes lossless files via USB to the SMK-III.
Quote:
Hello:
The price is set to USD 300 including shipping to USA & West Europe!
It use Te7022L USB chip and support 24bit/96K for USB!
Here is the Parameters：
Frequency response：20Hz~20KHz(+/-1dB) Output amplitude：RCA---2.0Vrms XLR---4.0Vrms S/N： >115dB Channel separation：>110dB Dynamic Range：>100dB(16bit) >125dB(24bit) THD+N: <0.0012%(16bit) <0.0008%(24bit) USB: USB2.0、Sampling frequency:32~96KHz Support ASIO Coaxial IN:Input Sensitivity:400mVp-p Sampling frequency:32~96KHz Coaxial OUT: 0.5Vp-p 75OHMS Power consumption: <15W
Quote:
Hello:
1. the volume is analog, not digital!
2. Yes, it is class AB buffer circuit for the headphone amp!
3. Yes, headphone amplifer DC-Coupled!
4. The LEDs at the front just show the actual sample rate!
Today (August 31st of 2010) marks the 6th day since I received the SMK-III, it currently has about 120 hours of burn-in. This is about the half way point of the initial plan I arbitrarily established as part of its sound evaluation. As of today all the digital signal has been fed via USB and the SMK-III has been used both as DAC feeding a Musical Fidelity X-Can modded by PinkFloyd or as a single unit (amp/dac combo). The latest headphone I have used is an AKG K501 with a V3 APureSound 10' re-cable terminated in a Furutech FP-704 1/4" plug. As you can imagine the K501 has required more juice than either of the RS-1 or HD-580 I previously used.
Overall I will say the sound is very consistent amongst such a varied set of cans. This has surprised me since as a norm most amps exhibit a preference for a particular headphone type, this has not been the case so far but it could still change (burn-in). How would I describe what I hear? Early in the process I wrote "smooth" and till now I feel this word strongly describes what I hear. To me this is a good thing because too many amps/dacs exhibit peaks in the frequency range that some (myself included) may find objectionable. So far the presentation is very even and it allows for a very enjoyable morning or evening spent listening to your favorite jazz ensemble or string quartet.
As I write this impression I am listening to John Coltrane's Blue train by Blue Note. Listening to the hi-hat opening and closing is an interesting experience when I remember this unit retails for $300. The level of micro detail and clarity of the saxophone playing concurrently is very engaging and enjoyable. This level of performance is not what I would expect of units in this price range. Perhaps the industry and technology have caught up and it now allows companies to offer an unit like the SMK-III with such a high value.
Would I change anything? Provided we realize the burn-in is not over I would probably request a higher grade of a potentiometer and corresponding knob. This is very nitpicking but so is this hobby. Next, I would ask for a bit more bass impact in the headphone amp section not the DAC section. This last is mostly for those who would be using cans like the K501 which have a beautiful mid-range but not lots of bass. If you are using something along the lines of the Denon or Grado it would not IMO be needed. Note: I just remember I can roll op-amps! Oh boy this could be a lot of fun.
I hope to wrap this up in about ten days or so. I may choose to take a bit more time not due to burn-in itself but for my ears to continue getting used to the sound out of the SMK-III. After wards I plan on sending the unit to Rob for his comments, by that time I will probably replace the volume pot with an stock replacement to correct the hit the unit received while in transit from China to Florida.
Not much new to report as of today (September 3) except that I started feeding the digital files from the iMac via a digital cable built by Sys. Concept Inc., see: www.sysconcept.ca/product_info.php?products_id=68
