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.
Apos' Hep Me Name the Sale sales event will start on August 17th at 8am PT and end on August 27th at 11:59pm PT. Save up to 59% off on audio brands, mechanical keyboards, and keycaps. See more in our Deals Section.
Rock has never been about playing it safe. From the feral energy of Iggy Pop to the stage-commanding charisma of Freddie Mercury, the legends of rock embody freedom, fearlessness, and a very good time. That’s the spirit that inspired the Rock Lobster, a pan-genre, everyday-carry in-ear monitor (IEM) for people who want to take that spirit wherever they go. Plug it into your phone, your laptop, your portable digital audio player (DAP), or your studio rig, and count on it to handle whatever you throw at it, be it punk, prog, or post-rock.
The TOPPING A900 Ultra-Flagship Headphone Amplifier is for listeners who want all of it: massive power, low distortion, and the precision of fully-balanced, reference-grade audio. Thanks to its patented T’ang-ku-la six-channel circuit, differential architecture, and up to 22,000mW per channel at 16Ω, the A900 delivers clean, controlled sound even through the most demanding headphones or studio monitors (in preamp mode). Add a full-color display, six headphone outputs, a relay-based volume control, and a machined aluminum remote, and you’re looking at an endgame piece of gear.
The Moondrop Horizon introduces a new kind of professional over-ear headphone, one that combines high sensitivity, ultra-low distortion, and a featherlight design. Built around Moondrop’s newly-developed 50mm ultra-high-performance dynamic driver, the Horizon delivers spacious, detailed sound with an open-back design that’s as easy to wear as it is to listen to.
Tom at Apos here, delirious from the heat and ready to help you save some cash. We’re throwing our Aops Midsummer sale, and just like the horror movie Midsommar, we’re flinging prices over the cliff of savings. Splat! That’s the sound of a good deal.
Apos is partnering with Dekoni to bring their products to the community here. While we are working on that, we wanted to share an opportunity with the community to win a VIP Trip experience to CanJam SoCal 2025 courtesy of Dekoni Audio.
The D900 by TOPPING is the ultra flagship model created by the duo design team of Li and Huang. It is now available on Apos. For the D900, they have developed a proprietary 32-element PSRM module and an I/V conversion technology to reproduce music with high fidelity and ultra-low noise. This DAC also comes equipped with an independent preamp circuit and a range of inputs that allow the D900 to work seamlessly with devices like computers, CD players, gaming consoles, or digital transports.