Sentiment Breakdown
51%Positive
Positive
51%Neutral
48%Negative
1%Based on 390 Reddit opinions
Strengths & Weaknesses
Scores based on sentiment analysis of topic-related comments
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
Historical Price Data
SMSL SU-1
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
ViewTop 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
View10 more quotes available below
Related Products
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 4/5/2026