The all-new SMSL D200 ($319) is a desktop DAC (digital-to-analog converter) and preamp designed to balance audiophile-grade performance with everyday usability. At its core is the ROHM BD34352EKV DAC chip, backed by SMSL’s CK-03 clock circuit for reduced jitter and a fully-balanced preamp stage that keeps distortion down to just 0.00019%. Add Bluetooth playback with lyrics display, MQA/MQA-CD decoding, and an ultra-clear laminated glass screen, and you’ve got a low-cost hub that fits easily into a modern system. With its release, the D200 rounds out SMSL’s 200-line of gear, joining the PA200 Gallium Nitride Power Amplifier and the PL200 MQA-CD Transport. Together, the three units form a stack: the PL200 reads CDs, the D200 decodes, and the PA200 drives, each one designed to work in sync with the others.

With digital-to-analog converters (DACs), the conversation often circles around chipsets. AKM, ESS, Cirrus Logic: the usual suspects. The Gustard R30 takes a different path. It’s built around a fully-discrete R2R ladder network, a design that trades integrated circuits for carefully matched resistors. In layman's terms, that means a sound signature with a more natural tone and "analog tone" than is often found with D/A chips.

We finally did it. Our first-ever Bay Area meetup, Audio & Company, went down on a sunny day in San Francisco, and about forty people showed up to prove the impossible: hi-fi nerds do, in fact, leave the house. Tom at Apos here to give you a quick recap of this historic event.