An all-in-one on the bleeding edge
The third generation of the SMSL M500 Bluetooth DAC/Amp sees bleeding-edge improvements up and down the specs sheet. It includes a 3rd gen XMOS XU316 USB controller, an 8-channel ESS DAC chip, and triple the number of op amp chips over the previous model. It’s an all-in-one desktop solution that will be many audiophiles' endgame.
Built-in hi-fi amplifier
The M500’s PLFC headphone amplifier circuit makes it possible to obtain more than 2W of power with less than -120dB of distortion in a 16Ω load. Additionally, the gain is adjustable, making it easy to accommodate many different types of headphones.
Third generation XMOS USB solution
The M500 MkIII uses the latest third-generation XMOS XU-316, a true 32-bit USB solution with customized drivers for the transmission of various high-definition audio, DoP, and native DSD.
24-bit Bluetooth
Qualcomm’s latest Bluetooth chip supports LDAC 24-bit/96kHz, aptX, aptX HD, SBC, and AAC.
8-channel flagship DAC chip
The M500 MKIII uses the ESS ES9038PRO DAC chip. This flagship 8-channel chip uses the critically acclaimed Hyperstream II architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator for unprecedented performance.
7 digital filters
Customize the sound signature to your tastes with seven digital filters, like Fast Roll-Off, Slow Roll-Off, and Brick Wall.
Product highlights
- JAS hi-res certification
- MQA certification
- MQA-CD certification
- ESS ES9038PRO D/A chip
- 0.00006% THD+N
- PLFC headphone amplifier circuit
- XMOS XU316
- DSD512
- PCM 32-bit/768kHz
- Bluetooth 5.0
- 7 digital filters
- Full-function remote control
- Aluminum alloy CNC precision machined housing
Specs
- Inputs: USB, optical, coaxial, Bluetooth
- Outputs: 6.35mm headphone jack. 4.4mm headphone jack, RCA, XLR
- Line output amplitude
- XLR: 4.1Vrms
- RCA: 2Vrms
- THD+N: 0.00006% (-123.5dB)
- HPA THD+N: 0.0001% (-120dB)
- HPA power: 2W x 2 (16Ω), 1W x2 (32Ω)
- HPA gain: 0dB (low), +9dB (high)
- Dynamic range
- XLR: 133dB
- RCA: 126dB
- SNR
- XLR: 133dB
- RCA: 126dB
- USB spec: 2.0 asynchronization
- USB compatibility: Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11 (needs driver, Mac OSX 10.6 or later, Linux (Driverless)
- MQA decoder: USB, optical, coaxial
- MQA-CD decoder: Optical, coaxial
- DoP decoder: USB, optical, coaxial
- Sampling rate and bit version
- USB: PCM 44.1-768kHz (32bit)
- DSD 2.8224 - 22.5792MHz (1bit)
- Optical/coaxial: 44.1-192kHz (24bit)
- DoP: DoP256 (USB), DoP64 (optical/coaxial)
- Bluetooth: 5.0
- LDAC: 24bit/96kHz (990kbps/660kbps/330kbps)
- aptX-HD: 24bit/48kHz_576kbps
- aptX: 16bit/44.1kHz_352kbps
- SBC: 16bit/44.1kHz_328kbps
- AAC: 16bit/44.1 kHz_320kbps
- Power consumption: 5W
- Standby power: <0.5W
- Size: 3.3” x 3.4” x 7.7” (85x88x197mm)
- Weight 1.98lb (0.9kg)