SMSL Quality
As many might know, SMSL, Loxjie and Sabaj are owned by the same parent company.
In general, their products tend to have high build quality. Their products tend to have higher polish than other Chinese manufacturers. Functionalities are better thought out and more usable as well.
I always assumed their products would have better sound quality and reliability as well. That may be partially true, but I have run into a few that are not very good.
For example, I bought two SMSL SA-50 Plus amplifiers. These amplifiers are useful to me because they accept optical inputs. However, their sound quality was not very good. In fact worse than typical TPA3116 amplifiers obtainable for $30. The one I occasionally used also went kaput within less than a year.
I also have a SMSL A12 amplifier, which accepts USB input. The USB input has subpar sound quality. After some research, I realized this is true for many SMSL amplifiers. SMSL might consider the USB input as a throw-in feature, but consumers are not made aware of it. Many consumers that intend to use the USB input would be disappointed.
I have also written about Loxjie A30, a higher end product offering from the group. While a very competent amplifier, the analog input suffers degraded sound quality when the volume is turned up.
At the end of the day, I still buy SMSL products, but I no longer assume that the polished end result represents better reliability or better sound quality. I evaluate each product individually one its own merit.
Where to Buy
- SMSL A12 on Amazon
- Loxjie A30 on Amazon