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SMSL SU-1

SMSL SU-1

$ Budget$84.99

tldr; Compact DAC. USB source, clean output. Basic but effective.

$84.99 on Amazon

Sentiment Breakdown

51%Positive
Positive
51%
Neutral
48%
Negative
1%
Based on 390 Reddit opinions

Strengths & Weaknesses

Each axis shows what % of Reddit comments are positive about that topic. Higher = more praise.

Key Features

  • USB supports MQA:1.Clean up the recording 2.Encapsulate the sound
  • Support MQA CD:CD Player + MQA- Enabled DAC,Your CD player's digital output (optical or coaxial) can be fed to an MQA de coder. The MQA decoder can restore the original high-resolution signal heard in the studio and confirm it, using the authentication signature.SMSL SU-1 support MQA CD.
  • AKM AK4493S :SU-1 utilizes the latest AKM DAC chip,AK4493S, for achieving a distortion lower than 0.00013%
  • USB In:Compatible with Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11 (driver is required),Mac 0S X10.6+, Linux(driverless), Android, i0s
  • 📏 Compact
  • 💰 Budget
  • 🔊 Clean output
  • 🔧 Needs amp

Sentiment Over Time

100%May '25Jul '25Sep '25Nov '25Jan '26Feb '26100% (May '25) - 15 comments100% (Jun '25) - 4 comments100% (Jul '25) - 3 comments100% (Aug '25) - 2 comments100% (Sep '25) - 12.3 comments95% (Oct '25) - 38 comments100% (Nov '25) - 43 comments100% (Dec '25) - 41.3 comments100% (Jan '26) - 49.3 comments94% (Feb '26) - 39 comments

Historical Price Data

SMSL SU-1
$80$85$90May '25Jun '25Jul '25Sep '25Oct '25Nov '25Dec '25Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26Low: $84.99
SMSL SU-1
All-time low: $67.99(2023-06)

What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for SMSL SU-1

Best Praise
+14 pts
“Thrift store DVD player with a good DAC like SMSL SU-1 will sound like a £1000 CD player. For £100.”
r/BudgetAudiophile
View
Top Criticism
+1 pts
“With a good $1000 DAC, sure, there will be imorovements. With SMSL SU-1, no I don't think so.”
r/BudgetAudiophile
View
10 more quotes available below

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the SMSL SU-1 worth buying?
Compact DAC. USB source, clean output. Basic but effective.
What do Redditors love about the SMSL SU-1?
Redditors highlight: 📏 Compact. 💰 Budget. 🔊 Clean output.
What are the downsides of the SMSL SU-1?
Some criticisms include: "With a good $1000 DAC, sure, there will be imorovements. With SMSL SU-1, no I don't think so."
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Products with more mentions (SMSL SU-1 has 390) tend to have more reliable scores.

390 Reddit opinions analyzed • Last updated 5/25/2026

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