SMSL RAW-MDA1 Review: The ESS DAC That Sounds Different

Many popular DACDigital-to-Analog Converter - a device that translates binary audio data into an analog electrical signal that can be amplified and heard./amps appear to use identical ESS chips, the same XMOS USB interfaces, and similar switch-mode power supplies, resulting in almost indistinguishable sound. The SMSL RAW-MDA1 may seem similar on paper, but it is completely different in practice.

Design & Build Quality

This unit stands out when compared to similarly priced options from SMSL, as it offers a distinctly more premium feel. While the enclosure is made from a rather thin metal sheet - common in this price range - what I found particularly interesting is the considerable weight increase for some reason. This heft makes for the density that contributes to an overall impression of quality and sturdiness. It’s important to note that it might not be the most luxurious construction on the market, but it undeniably represents an improvement over other DACs offered by SMSL. This gives you a sense of reliability and durability that many users are looking for in audio equipment.

Examining the RAW-MDA1 closely, you’ll notice that its front plate is not only thicker than its sides but also extends beyond the body in all directions. This design choice imparts a modern aesthetic that avoids the conventional squared-off box look that many audio devices have. Instead, the unit’s profile presents an appearance that fits well within a variety of setups.

It holds a high-resolutionA system's ability to retrieve and reproduce fine detail in the recording; high resolution reveals micro-dynamics, spatial cues, and timbral nuance., colorful LCD display protected by tempered glass, which enhances scratch resistance and durability - in other words, it shouldn’t get scratched easily by your finger or any plastic objects, as you can only scratch a surface with a harder material than a given surface.

Next to the screen, you’ll find a rotary, stepped digital knob that allows for intuitive control over the DAC including volume adjustment and changing the internal settings. While it looks almost identical to one on, for example, the DO100 PRO - it’s designed with a bit more finesse. It has a firmer feel, minimizing any wobbling, and it responds with satisfying, more tactile feedback. Unfortunately, it seems to be less accurate as rapid volume adjustments can be unpredictable at times.

The graphical interface presented on the LCD is clean and modern, contributing to an overall user-friendly experience. However, for those who appreciate a nostalgic touch, the option to switch to a more retro display style is a useful feature. It is still going to look digital, so don’t expect any simulated VU meters. Instead, the old-school mode reminds me of SMSL DACs from a few years ago.

At the bottom of the unit, four rubber feet provide elevation, which can help with ventilation to prevent heat buildup. These feet also keep the device from sliding on a desk. However, when plugging in or removing cables, it’s still necessary to hold the DAC, so it stays in place. Well, you can’t expect everything to be top-notch out of a budget-oriented all-in-one device coming at below $240. Nevertheless, I very much appreciate the simplistic design, as it simply works - looking good with almost all other gear stacked on top or next to it.

Inputs & Outputs

The choices made regarding the I/O are rather uncommon and pretty unique. We can feed it digital data using one of two coaxial RCA inputs, one of two optical toslinkAn optical S/PDIF digital audio interface using a plastic fibre and a red LED, common on TVs, soundbars, and consumer DACs. Limited to 24-bit/96kHz stereo PCM in practice; longer runs need glass fibre for stability. connectors, wirelessly through Bluetooth, or by connecting a USB-C cable. I have no idea why they went for this doubling of standards instead of replacing one COAX with for example BNC and the second optical with perhaps AES. Maybe they realized those are the most popular ones and it’d be somehow beneficial for people to have multiple of the same standards.

It is powered by a regular C16 power cable with a power switch on the back, which is also included in the box.

For the outputs, it makes more sense. On the back, we have direct DAC outs - a pair of balancedA signal transmission method using two opposite-polarity signal lines plus a ground; noise induced on both lines is cancelled at the differential input. XLRs and single-endedAn amplifier configuration using one output device for the complete audio waveform; produces even-order harmonic distortion considered "euphonic" by many. RCAs in the middle. It’s an interesting layout, but I’d assume it helps to save some more space or separate two channels more. This is a balanced DAC and I found that it performed better in the XLRA professional locking audio connector with three pins: ground, positive signal, and negative signal; the standard for balanced studio connections. mode. The RCA was not massively worse, but it lost some dynamics, detail, and stageShort for soundstage; the perceived three-dimensional acoustic space of a stereo recording. Often used to describe headphone presentation specifically ("the Arya has a deep stage"). width.

On the front, we have headphone outputs, that go through both the DAC and headphone amplifier section. They come in two flavors - desktop-sized 1/4 inch jack, as well as 4.4 millimeters. I’m not sure if the amp section is also balanced, but both outputs sounded pretty similar.

Technologies

As always with SMSL products - it’s packed with fun functions, features, and some extra gimmicks. It supports MQAMaster Quality Authenticated - a proprietary lossy compression format claiming to preserve master-quality information in a smaller file. Critics argue it adds distortion and serves rights-holder DRM more than fidelity; Tidal removed MQA from its catalogue in 2024. decoding and MQA-CD file formats for those Tidal users. I’d say this one is not very useful, I don’t listen to MQA files at all. I have my true lossless music library that is not - like MQA - close to the original recording - it IS the original recording with uncompressed-like quality.

This DAC has 2 of the latest ESS chips - the ES9039Q2M in a configuration that I’d assume to be dual mono, so one separate chip per channel. This increases the channel separationThe isolation between left and right channels, measured in dB; insufficient separation causes stereo crosstalk that narrows the soundstage. as the signal from one chip doesn’t bleed to the other. Additionally, this lowers the distortion and improves the SINADSignal-to-Noise And Distortion - a single-number audio quality metric combining SNR and THD+N; DAC rankings by SINAD are published at AudioScienceReview. slightly.

For wireless audio, Qualcomm’s latest Bluetooth chip supports LDACSony's proprietary Bluetooth audio codec supporting up to 990 kbps - the highest available over Bluetooth. Quality depends heavily on signal strength; in clean RF environments LDAC at 990kbps is subjectively transparent., APTX/HD, SBCSub-Band Coding - the mandatory baseline Bluetooth audio codec, supported by every Bluetooth device. Quality is acceptable at 328 kbps but most implementations default to 200-256 kbps which is audibly compressed., and AACAdvanced Audio Coding - the lossy codec used by Apple Music, YouTube, and most iOS Bluetooth devices. At 256 kbps, AAC is subjectively transparent for most listeners on most recordings; iOS encodes AAC over Bluetooth at lower rates. codecs - none of which are lossless yet.

There are 6 high-end dual OPA1612A op-amps for signal amplification. These operational amplifiers are quite popular, but most companies seem to limit the number they use to 3, 4, or maybe 5. Using 6 is not trivial. The well-known XMOS XU-316 is being used as a digital interface - not a surprise. It can work with PCMPulse-Code Modulation - the standard digital audio format, encoding amplitude as binary integers at fixed time intervals (e.g., 16-bit/44.1kHz for CD)., DSDDirect Stream Digital - a 1-bit, high-sample-rate audio format used on SACD, encoding audio through rapid single-bit switching rather than multi-bit PCM words., and DoP files - so basically no matter what you throw at it, it’ll handle that.

There’s a built-in, developed by SMSL low-noise switching power supply. While we all know the benefits of linear PSUs with large toroidal transformers, good switch-mode designs can also sound good, while not getting extremely inefficient and cooking itself.

Technical Specifications

This is a seriously good measuring unit.

The dynamic rangeThe decibel span between a system's maximum undistorted output and its noise floor; 16-bit audio has ~96dB, 24-bit has ~144dB of theoretical range. and THD+NTotal Harmonic Distortion plus Noise - a more complete distortion measurement that includes both harmonic products and broadband noise. are the same. The XLR outputs have an impressive 132dB, with RCA outputs at 127dB and headphone output at 122dB. A lower distortion indicates that the device produces a sound that is closer to the original audio source without unwanted artifacts or distortions. This means you’ll experience a cleaner, more accurate sound reproduction with less colorationAny consistent deviation from accurate reproduction that imposes the system's own character on recordings; can be pleasant (euphonic) or fatiguing., but it is never the full story. There are different types of distortion, harmonics, and overtones and it all adds up to the final sound.

The line output levels are above the industry standard, with 5.2Vrms for XLR, 2.5Vrms for RCA, and 8.2Vrms for headphone outputs. These amplitude levels suggest high gainThe multiplication factor applied to a signal by an amplifier, expressed in dB; proper gain staging is critical for minimizing noise. for the DAC section. Driving external amplifiers is on one hand going to be easier, as gain shouldn’t be a problem, but on the other hand, you have to be careful of clipping the signal with some amps. Higher output voltages, such as those from the XLR outputs, will provide greater dynamic range and headroomThe decibel margin between the loudest expected signal and an amplifier's clipping point. 10-20dB of headroom is generally needed for unclipped reproduction of dynamic recordings at realistic listening levels., enabling more intricate audio detail to come through. Some may call it cheating to get better measurements though.

The headphone output delivers 2.5W per channel for 16Ω and 1.7W per channel for standard 32Ω loads. This power rating means that a wide range of headphones can be driven, providing sufficient power for both low and high-impedanceThe total opposition (resistance + reactance) a speaker or headphone presents to the driving current, measured in ohms and varying with frequency. cansAudiophile slang for headphones, particularly over-ear models. Originates from the metal "cans" that held early aviation and broadcast headphones.. I wouldn’t trust it as much to drive a SusvaraHiFiMAN's flagship planar magnetic headphone, famous for requiring enormous amplifier power (at least 1-2W) due to its extremely low sensitivity of ~60dBSPL/mW., HE6, or Tungsten with it, but regular headphones should work optimally without distortion, ensuring a satisfying listening experience.

For PCM it supports a maximum of 768kHz at 32bit, with a maximum of DSD512 for direct stream digital files.

Sound Quality

If you think it sounds the same as every other ESS DAC, you’re mistaken. It is even unlike other SMSL chip-based DACs. Even the tonality is not a dead neutral flat line you might be expecting here. Instead, it provides a warmer, but not tube-like experience. It still sounds like a digital device, and it isn’t something bad in particular. But it has that warmthA subjective description of elevated bass and lower-midrange energy giving a sense of fullness; can be a tonally accurate or an artificial coloration., even with no sound color settings.

The bass is typical for any solid-state electronics - meaning well extended, clean, and pretty, but not the most dynamic. I sometimes wanted to get a bit more slamThe visceral impact of low-frequency transients - kick drums, bass drops, tympani - felt as much as heard. High-slam systems combine deep extension with fast transient attack and high SPL capability without compression. together with concentrated punchBass impact in the 60-150Hz region - the chest-thump of a kick drum or the snap of a slap-bass note. Distinct from slam, which extends lower; punch is about the leading edge of bass transients, not the depth., but hey - it still beats most tube-based designs.

In the midrangeThe frequency range from approximately 250Hz to 5kHz where most musical information, vocals, and instrument fundamentals reside., what’s interesting, I perceive significantly more energy. There’s more midrange, than any other frequency spectrum - making it sound a little forwardA tonal character with elevated upper midrange or lower treble that pushes vocalists and lead instruments ahead of the mix; can sound exciting or fatiguing. in these registers. It didn’t overdo that part though, so you don’t have to worry about excessive mids or unwanted forwardness in this range. I think it’s a great match to slightly V-shaped transducers that are lacking in the midrange, as it can fill it in.

The treble performance is reasonable for the price. It offers good extension, and some sparkle on top, but not sharpness. It has a bit of that stereotypical digital glareAn unpleasant emphasis in the upper midrange (~2-4kHz) that makes voices and instruments sound strident or pushed forward. Often a sign of crossover error or an unhappy driver-amplifier interaction. above 13kHz or so, however, it’s not that easily noticeable - you have to listen for it. The resolution is more or less in line with my expectations - it doesn’t go above and beyond to throw the micro-details at you. Despite that, I never felt like it was veiled in any way, shape, or form.

The soundstageThe perceived three-dimensional acoustic space in a stereo recording - width beyond the speakers, depth front-to-back, and sometimes height information. is very flexible, and elastic in its presentation. It can be super close, narrow, and intimate when needed, with for example Billie Eilish vocals. Whereas in large-scale, epic, orchestral symphonies it can immediately expand its boundaries. Of course, it won’t get the typical tube-gear width or a good R2R DAC size. No amount of added artificial harmonics can change that. Those technologies are simply better if you want to achieve the ultimate width. But with that dual mono-chip configuration, it gets pretty close. It doesn’t sacrifice any imagingThe ability to place individual instruments in precise, stable positions within the soundstage - good imaging means you can "point" to a violin in the mix. precision to do it. The individual sounds are well separated, without a feeling of being stretched laterally to achieve that wider staging.

What’s more - this device is silent in terms of noise, it doesn’t produce any high-frequency hiss or transformer DC humAudible low-frequency interference (usually 50Hz, 60Hz, or harmonics) caused by ground loops, induced AC fields, or transformer leakage. The most common form of "noise" in audio chains and often the easiest to track down.. Well, a part of that could be that it doesn’t use a transformer. But at least the other part is a competent design with no ground loops.

Conclusion

Is it a good product? Sure, but keep in mind its tonality and the extra midrange. On some gear, it might not be desirable, while on others it can be exactly what you’re looking for.