Lynn reviews the SMSL PL100PRO, an affordable USB-powered slot-loading desktop CD player with dual DAC decoding and up to 200mW output power. It is currently priced at $159.00.
Disclaimer: I received this sample in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or partnerships. Thank you to HiFiGO and SMSL for their support.
Click here to learn more about the SMSL products previously reviewed on Headfonics.
This article follows our current scoring guidelines, which you can find in more detail here.
Over the last couple of years, in fact, I have added significantly to not only my vinyl collection but digital CD collection. Presenting an easier-to-use format than vinyl (but less visceral), CDs present good quality listening options, along with ease of use.
SMSL, along with other companies, has latched onto this reinvigoration of a fairly recent technology to present options ranging from affordable to astronomical.
Having kept hold of several of my CD players, the mixing of new and old is a natural application of technology and how it may proceed into the near future.
Using the $159 PL100PRO as the new, comparisons to some traditional and not-so-traditional newer models, such as the Fosi Merak, are a natural occurrence that I was looking forward to.
Features
The SMSL PL100 used a single Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC chip. The PL100PRO uses 32-bit dual Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC chips, with 110dB SNR for better channel separation.
The PL100PRO also comes equipped with an automotive-grade suction-type motor mechanism. Featuring a slot-loading CD drive that purportedly offers stable, reliable, and consistent CD reading and playback.
Due to the automotive-grade motor mechanism, the SMSL PL100PRO can be placed in either horizontal or vertical positioning and can be added to a car stereo audio system as a result.
An upgrade from the PL100, the SMSL PL100PRO features balanced audio circuitry with a 4.4mm balanced headphone output and XLR balanced line-out ports.
The balanced headphone output has a rated output power of up to 200mW per channel, for use with most IEMs and headphones that do not need much juice to run.
The XLR balanced line-out allows for easy pairing with high-end amplifiers, such as the SMSL PA-X Gallium Nitride I previously reviewed.
The SMSL PL100PRO also has RCA line-out and 3.5mm single-ended headphone output ports. Pre-amp functionality enables full compatibility with active speakers for added versatility.
Coaxial and optical output ports can act as a source for other high-end DACs you may add to the chain.
The SMSL PL100PRO has its own volume control for use with headphones or other options, adding to the versatility. In XLR out mode, the volume automatically goes to MAX (75), but can still be changed.
With a lower power requirement, the SMSL PL100PRO can be hooked directly into a system with a USB-C option for powering (not playback).
But some reports state that power requirements need to meet a minimum voltage for proper protection. I used an old Apple wall wart without issue.
Design
Similar in size to what you might have found in an early-90s car CD player, the SMSL PL100PRO can be placed either in horizontal or vertical mode as space limitations require.
The SMSL PL100PRO comes in either a black or silver aluminum shell, and the same glass IPS LCD screen and accenting. The fairly diminutive size (160 x 44.5 x 160mm (W x H x D)) adds to the versatility, as does the weight of just under 2.5lbs.
The front is dominated by the slot ingress/egress on the top of the screen, while the LCD screen and control switches cover the bottom. Even in desktop mode, the black lettering of the controls is very hard to see. The remote is a must-use tool.
The rounded corners are a nice break from the traditional box, but the large “targets” have drawn polarizing responses. They do not bother me.
The back gives plenty of space for all of the potential input and output connections, but the lettering is also hard to see. Those connections are easily differentiated, though. Also, with headphone ports on the back, the use of headphones is less than ideal.
The small LCD screen is well-lit, but the disc track is hard to read. In addition, the only viewing option is the track time counting up. Once the initial screen of total time is displayed, the time changes to time played once the disc starts.
There is no option to change this, and the included remote has several “dead” keys, which may be used for this option in the future (I hope). Anything short of desktop usage severely limits the usability of the screen.
I/O
The volume of options for outputs of the SMSL PL100PRO is commendable.
Balanced XLR out allows the player to be paired with a dedicated amplifier that shares XLR inputs, such as the SMSL PA-X Gallium Nitride. Speakers can then be added, such as the KEF Q150’s I used for my desktop setup.
The RCA-out allowed me to use the Dynaco ST70 Bob Latino version to play through the Dynaco A25s I pair with it.
Optical and coax allowed for a “pure” digital connection to anything that has those inputs, such as the xDuoo TA-32, which I could use with headphones, but also use as a pre-amplifier for the Dynaco tube amplifier.
Versatility is a fine line between too many, limiting space, and too few, which can hinder the user’s options. I appreciate the addition of the balanced XLR outputs, which did not limit space for the other connections on the back.
Controls
The SMSL PL100PRO is a slot front-loading CD player that automatically grabs the disc when barely any of the disc is inserted. When the disc is expelled, the protective “felt” holds it in place until you grab it.
Some will lament that this is not a top-loading or tray-loading model, but the slot loading did not bother me. I understand some may have had issues with their models, but the PL100PRO functioned flawlessly over the testing period.
The touch buttons on the front are very hard to read due to the layering of the front glass with the concentric rings in black underlying the words. From any distance, reading the buttons is nearly impossible.
The full-sized remote functions very well with a light touch to actuate any of the options. But the menu, FN, and DISP buttons serve no purpose.
I hope that a firmware update will allow for those buttons to be used to change the display brightness and visual options to include time left on tracks or the CD itself.
Packaging & Accessories
The SMSL PL100PRO comes in a sleeved white box, well-protected but with medium-grade foam inserts inside.
The included accessories are limited to a USB-A to USB-C cable for power connection, the remote (without batteries), and the user manual.
Most of us have extra wall warts, and I used an old iPhone 5V for connectivity purposes. It is advised by the community that a minimum of 5V power source be used for protective purposes.
Most of us have these lying around, and many companies are going this route of excluding power blocks as a result.
Sound Impressions
Summary
When I used the PL100PRO through its internal DAC with the Grell Audio OAE2, the PL100PRO delivered a fairly clean, neutral, and well-balanced sound signature.
The tonal presentation leaned toward accuracy rather than coloration, but there was no hiding the almost artificial neutrality to it.
The bass, when present, accommodated whatever the source music was. The “typical” CD sound of clean articulation certainly came through along with tight, controlled bass.
The attack is quick and sharp, while the slight delay of decay gives a solid amount of bass weight, if unspectacular.
The midrange comes across as neutral, but with good energy, while the treble presents an extension that is competent without becoming strident or piercing.
Sometimes CDs can artificially add to the top end, becoming grating or harsh. The SMSL balances the line of expressing the extension without too much thinning of notes or becoming shrill.
The soundstage matches what one might expect from a CD player, that is, to promote good three-dimensionality without enhancing any of the three.
Neither too big nor too small, the soundstage comes across as one of those just-right musical experiences. Especially when used on a home system.
Bass
The low-end extension is neither great nor lacking, but promotes a “just right” mentality that stays fairly true to the source input.
If the source CD comes with bass extension, the SMSL PL100PRO promotes this through the listening source.
The attack is quick and tight, with only a slightly longer decay, which adds a decent amount (but not great) of note weight.
If you prefer more bass from your CD listening, you will most likely need a listening device that has more low-end capabilities or add EQ to the low-end.
Many low-end CD players lack deep-reaching bass, and you have to add more grunt into the mix. The PL100PRO fits that mostly, but with a good bass presentation.
The texture is good, which allows the note weight to be slightly additive to the signature, but not like a bass-heavy response might be. Even when used with the Dynaco ST70 tube amplifier straight, the overall bass was controlled but not deeply reaching.
The bass quality and clarity would be called competent, and essentially stays out of the way, lacking color or promotion of too much low-end.
Mids
The midrange did not color the vocal presentation, keeping neutral in that aspect. The source production will play a role in this, of course, but the PL100PRO remained mostly true and neutral to the source input.
The midrange performance is one of the strengths, but without pushing either end to the background. Vocals are clear and natural, with solid differentiation and good note weight.
There is a sense of precision to the midrange signature that works well across genres. But, I would add that overall separation seems to be a case of the whole, rather than the parts. This is a case of listening more closely to the overall instead of the individual.
Treble
The treble remains smooth and clean as part of the signature. There is no harshness up top, which adds to the quality of sound without becoming too thin in note weight.
The resolution is good, which will satisfy most, especially when combined with the lack of harshness noted above.
The instruments that might typically become too sharp on many CD players benefit from the lack of overall extension here.
But this does not mean that the top end becomes flat. Rather, the treble extension is enough to allow for the spectrum to breathe with adequate note weight while presenting good resolution.
Staging
The three dimensionality of the SMSL PL100PRO is quite cubic, with equal spreads in all directions.
Sometimes, more affordable CD players can lack depth, making for an analytically flat presentation. But the SMSL seemingly compensates for this by slightly shrinking the height and width to accommodate a good cubic response.
While not overly extending in any one direction, the signature within still presents as analytical, but with sufficient note weight to cover the whole area. This adds to the experience, especially when you factor in quick transient response.
The whole makes for a pleasant listening situation, without becoming too analytical. That said, if the additional gear presents itself in a neutral, analytical fashion, then the overall signature will be lacking in warmth and richness.
The SMSL PL100PRO does “work and play well with others,” allowing different gear to promote their better aspects when warranted. Because of this, imaging falls behind.
Instead of easy placement of instruments, the PL100PRO affords the listener a more mixed response. Instead of hearing individual instruments, you hear the whole more so.
So, while the overall message might be appealing, the lack of differentiation leads to missed clarity and microdetails.
Click on page 2 below for my recommended pairings and selected comparison.
