How old is this DAC? Isn't it fairly new? Did you buy it through Amazon such that you could send it back? Warranty? My hesitation on buying SMSL (and Topping) DACs and even Denafrips or Shuman Ladder is warranty service. I know some say Denafrips will take care of you, but I've heard horror stories about SMSL and Topping basically ignoring you.
It really sucks because many YouTube reviewers LOVE SMSL and the performance they can give you at their price points, but reliability and longevity are not exactly encouraging.
All things can break, even a $2500 DAC or a $900 one. Still, it is something to consider when buying Topping or SMSL unless you are one to replace DACs every year with a newer model.
Good luck. I hope it can either be returned or replaced under warranty, or at least serviced for a reasonable amount compared to its cost.
DAC failure?
Was listening to some music this evening when suddenly the output dropped to about 25% and the sound turned really static sounding.
The Dac sits on it’s own shelf with about 16” of air space above it, but it was extremely hot to the touch..
After checking a few things, I switched to my R2R DAC and everything sounds normal.
Has anyone had a DAC fail with these symptoms?
I’ve sent an email to the company that makes that dac.. just curious if anyone else ever had it happen and what their issue was finally diagnosed as.
thanks
matt