Authorized dealers for s.m.s.l SD-9

Addicted to Audio — online and in-store — Epping, Victoria, Australia (website)
Apos Audio — online and in-store — Oakland, California, United States (website)
Audio 46 — online and in-store — New York, New York, United States (website)
Audio Hum — in-store — Norte Sierra, Andalucía, Spain (website)
Audio Magic - EU — online and in-store — Wola, Województwo mazowieckie, Poland (website)
AUDIOPHONICS — in-store — Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France (website)
Bloom Audio — online and in-store — Gibbsboro, New Jersey, United States (website)
Elise Audio — online and in-store — Paddington, England, United Kingdom (website)
Headphone Zone — online and in-store — Laxmi Industrial Estate, Maharashtra, India (website)
Hifi Passion — in-store — Neustadt, Bremen, Germany (website)

and 4 more verified dealers

85%

s.m.s.l SD-9

Name: s.m.s.l SD-9
Brand: s.m.s.l
SKU: 751
Rating: 85 (7 reviews)

View at s.m.s.l

MQA Decoding

DSD Support

USB Audio

Bluetooth

UPnP/DLNA

AirPlay

Display

Built-in DAC

Network digital player

All format playback, support MQA, DSD, WAV, APE, FLAC, AIFF, MP3, etc.;

All digital interface: USB, optical, coaxial, I2S, AES/EBU, Bluetooth;

Support streaming media playback, including DLNA and AirPlay;

Support USB HDD, up to 4TB capacity, and support NTFS/FAT32 file

system;

Support Hiby link, you can use Hiby mobile app to control it;

Support wired or WIFI connection, support 2.4GHz and 5GHz WIFI;

Bluetooth supports transmitting and receiving functions;

USB DAC receiver, can connect to computer to play music;

USB DAC transmitter, can connect to USB DAC (like SU-9) to play music;

USB DAC/I2S output support up to PCM32bit/384kHz and DSD256;

I2S LVDS level output via HDMI physical interface;

SPDIF interfaces supports DOP and D2P output;

The newly designed UI makes the operation easier;

Built-in high efficiency, low noise switching power supply;

Tempered glass top cover, nice and timeless!

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Professional Reviews 85/100

Nicely Roasted

Sound Quality

84/100

Build Quality

88/100

Features Usability

82/100

Value for Money

85/100

The SD-9 makes an external DAC feel far more capable, pairing excellent I²S clarity with unusually broad digital connectivity, local-file playback and two-way Bluetooth. Passion for Sound found its I²S output notably more resolved and separated, while 6 Moons admired the compact chassis’s fit and finish. For a versatile desktop or local-library transport, it is a richly specified contender.

What Reviewers Are Saying

"From an industrial design and fit'n'finish perspective versus euro spent, s.m.s.l certainly had Soundaware thoroughly beat."

— 6 Moons

"it gives you amazing versatility in terms of how you spit that signal out and into your dac or your bluetooth headphones"

— Passion for Sound

Pros

I²S output delivered noticeably stronger clarity, separation and overall resolution than the other tested digital outputs.

Extensive connectivity includes I²S, AES/EBU, coaxial, optical, USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, local storage and bidirectional Bluetooth.

Compact construction and glass-topped styling offer notably strong fit and finish for the price.

Cons

Streaming services and direct JRiver playback can be glitchy; local files or network storage are more dependable.

Menu navigation is clunky, with playback controls and sound settings buried several layers deep.

AirPlay is reliable but delivers audibly lower sound quality than DLNA or local playback.

SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 84/100

Used with external DACs, the SD-9 was reported to preserve a very good listening experience rather than audibly degrading the signal. Its strongest showing was via I²S, while local or network-file playback was favored over lower-quality AirPlay streaming.

Tonal Balance Musicality

83/100

The available listening comments concern the SD-9 feeding external DACs, so there is little direct evidence about an inherent tonal character. The reviewer did find that it did not seem to harm the sound through its various digital outputs, suggesting an unobtrusive and listenable source contribution.

Resolution Detail

86/100

I²S was said to bring a noticeable increase in clarity, separation and overall resolution over optical, coaxial and USB, even if the difference was described as modest. The other connections remained enjoyable rather than poor, but I²S was the clear preferred route.

Digital Performance

85/100

The SD-9 delivered a good listening experience across multiple outputs, with I²S singled out as clearly superior in the review system. There were occasional glitches with JRiver and imperfect streaming-service behavior, while AirPlay was stable but audibly lower in quality than DLNA or local playback.

FEATURES USABILITY PERFORMANCE 82/100

The SD-9 is unusually well equipped for a compact network source, offering broad digital connectivity, local-storage playback and two-way Bluetooth. Its software experience is more variable: AirPlay worked reliably, but direct JRiver use and streaming services could be glitchy.

Streaming Software

78/100

AirPlay was reported to work consistently without hiccups, and the player was considered most effective with local files or a network drive. However, JRiver playback was occasionally glitchy and streaming services were not fully reliable, which limits confidence in the wider software experience.

Features Connectivity

93/100

Connectivity is a major strength, including AES/EBU, coaxial, optical, USB input, USB storage and DAC outputs, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, I²S over HDMI, AirPlay, DLNA, microSD playback and bidirectional Bluetooth. It can also transmit to Bluetooth headphones or accept a Bluetooth source, adding useful flexibility.

Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.

Build Quality

88/100

The compact enclosure made a favorable impression, with an inset glass display cover and color logo noted as thoughtful finishing touches. One reviewer considered its industrial design and fit-and-finish especially strong for the asking price, though there is little commentary on long-term durability.

Value for Money

85/100

The SD-9 was listed at about US$400, and its fit-and-finish was favorably compared with a competing Soundaware product for the money. The reviews do not provide a detailed comparison of its performance against direct price rivals, but they present its extensive feature set positively at this price.

Reviews

Online Reviews & Mentions

SMSL SD-9 - Audio streamer with a great sound and reasonable price

Soundaware Various

9/29/2021

s.m.s.l. SD-9

10/29/2021

Multitest streamers – 1000 Euro – Part Two!

9/25/2023

YouTube Reviews

Thumbnail of the video review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9axkopUXOOU

AV Atmos

SMSL SU-8S DAC, SMSL SH-8S Headphone Amplifier & SMSL SD-9 Music Player Debuts with Big Things

6/10/2021

Thumbnail of the video review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-jTzXIoPJw

Passion for Sound

SMSL SD-9 Network Player - Every feature you can think of (almost)...

9/4/2021

Forum Mentions

No forum mentions found yet

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Authorized dealers for s.m.s.l SD-9

Addicted to Audio — online and in-store — Epping, Victoria, Australia (website)
Apos Audio — online and in-store — Oakland, California, United States (website)
Audio 46 — online and in-store — New York, New York, United States (website)
Audio Hum — in-store — Norte Sierra, Andalucía, Spain (website)
Audio Magic - EU — online and in-store — Wola, Województwo mazowieckie, Poland (website)
AUDIOPHONICS — in-store — Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France (website)
Bloom Audio — online and in-store — Gibbsboro, New Jersey, United States (website)
Elise Audio — online and in-store — Paddington, England, United Kingdom (website)
Headphone Zone — online and in-store — Laxmi Industrial Estate, Maharashtra, India (website)
Hifi Passion — in-store — Neustadt, Bremen, Germany (website)

and 4 more verified dealers