Design and Build Quality
Casing
As you’d expect, the SMSL HO100 shares the exact same dimensions and design as the D0100.
A black rectangular box, measuring 150 mm x 128 mm x 39mm and weighing 560g, that you can pair with the DO100 to create a full-fledged setup, DAC + AMP. Thanks to that conservative footprint, the amp should easily fit every desktop, even if you pile up the DO100 – in my case the duo fitted perfectly under my screen.
Approximately 40% lighter and smaller than the DO100, the SMSL DO100 doesn’t feel cheaper whatsoever. Sure, you don’t get the superb potentiometers with chamfered edges seen on its bigger sibling, but apart from that, the tiny amp was given the same level of dedication in terms of construction.
Once again, build quality is flawless, and everywhere you touch, the DO100 gives that confident feeling of sturdiness. Even the volume potentiometer, which is now half the size, surprised me with its behavior, I even preferred it to the DO200.
Chi-Fi at its finest!
Layout
For a sub-$150 amp, the SMSL HO100 gets a very good I/O, with balanced and single-ended inputs/outputs, paired with physical toggles for quick and easy control.
The back panel comes with two input ports:
- 1x XLR to connect a balanced DAC
- 1x RCA to connect an unbalanced source
And two ports upfront, to connect all your headphones/IEMs:
- 1x 4.4mm Pentaconn, if you want to go balanced
- 1x 6.35mm jack, for the rest, a classic
In addition to all of that, you also have three switches:
- a power switch, to turn on/off the device
- a source selector, to switch between your XLR and RCA inputs
- a gain toggle, to get into high-level mode with demanding headphones, mid-level with your usual gear, and low-level with your IEMs
Compared to the HO200, the HO100 loses the pre-out section, which means that you can only use the device as a headphone amplifier, but when you consider the customer target and price, this won’t be an issue, at all.
Finally, I was, once again, surprised to see that the SMSL HO100 also integrates the power supply, whereas old devices like my AD18 relied on a separate one. If a bit heavier, this also means that you can use a classic plug.
Let’s check what we got in the box now.
Bundle
The SMSL HO100 is dire, at best:
Inside the box you have :
- 1x SMSL DO100
- 1x power plug
… and that’s it
Okay, it’s an affordable device, but even a cheap RCA cable or a 6.35mm to 3.5mm would have been a nice gesture!
So, now let’s set up the HO100 and see how it goes.
The review continues on Page Three, after the click HERE or by using the jump below.
