In this feature, Marcus reviews the SMSL PL200, which is a compact top-loading desktop CD player with USB-DAC and Bluetooth functionality. It is priced at $669.00.
Disclaimer: This sample was sent to me in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or partnerships. I thank Shenzhen Audio and SMSL for their support.
Click here to learn more about the SMSL products we previously reviewed on Headfonics.
Note that this article follows our current scoring guidelines which you can find in more detail here.
Along with the high-end VMV T2, the PL200 represents SMSL’s first foray into CD players, a move consistent with Asia’s recent love-in with all things retro, particularly when it comes to audiophile gear.
However, priced at $669, the PL200 costs more than our recently reviewed Shanling CA80 so, it is more than just an intricately designed homage to a bygone era.
Including a USB-DAC interface, balanced outputs, and Bluetooth capability suggests SMSL wants to ensure it captures a wide slice of what it feels modern audiophiles might be interested in.
And it largely does that. The range of features on this device is excellent, the top-loading mechanism is very cool, with satisfying disc reading speeds. It is also designed beautifully and very easy to operate.
The one aspect that might polarize is the sound signature. Some will call it clean, detailed, or incisive, owners of the CA80 might call it lean and bright. Much will depend on what specific gear you are hooking it up to.
You can find out how the PL200 performs in more detail, what you should pair it with, and how it stacks up against some competing desktop CD players in my full review below.
Features
So, what is an SMSL PL200? To most, it is a standalone desktop CD player. A player compatible with regular CD and MQA-CD formats, which is very popular in Asia at the time of writing.
SMSL has used the popular top-loader format with a magnetic puck and manual lid to keep the CDs in place combined with P.A.S.S. or SMSL’s in-house Precision Access Servo System which is quiet, fast, and accurate disc reader.
However, it is much more than a CD player. Inside, it houses a flagship AKM AK4499EX DAC capable of up to DSD512, PCM 32BIT/768kHz, and MQA decoding when attached to a PC, MAC, or OTG-compatible device via a USB-C interface on the rear panel.
For the modern audiophile consumer, there is also a Bluetooth or wireless option capable of receiving an SBC signal up to LDAC. Unlike the recently reviewed Shanling CA80, the PL200 is also compatible with aptX and aptX HD.
Since it is a USB-DAC, SMSL has equipped the PL200 with analog outputs but unlike most CD players, this one is equipped with both dual RCA (single-ended) and balanced (XLR) outputs.
That means you can hook it up to a headphone or power amplifier switching between a personal audio setup or becoming part of a larger HiFi system.
If you have no headphone amplifier, the PL200 does provide a built-in headphone amplifier with a single SE 6.35mm output to the rear and rated at up to 1W x 2 into 32Ω which is the beefiest headphone output I have reviewed on a player to date.
Design
The PL200 design is gorgeous. It has a compact squarish form factor with a dimension of 20cm x 17.5cm x 4.2cm, and a profile that’s not much bigger than Shanling’s EC-Mini making it an ideal desktop companion.
The housing is an anodized aluminum alloy cut from a single billet allowing SMSL to dispense with the more common panel and screw design format in players such as the Cayin Mini CD MK2.
Any visible screws are discreetly housed on the base of the player giving the PL200 a very smooth and minimalist aesthetic above.
The finishing on the front panel is split between the mirror black of the IPS display plus bezel on the left and the anodized aluminum on the right complete with a single multifunction dial in the middle and awesome mechanical keys on the top.
I find the visual almost noire-like, you may disagree, but it is a very attractive finish nevertheless and those physical piano key-style buttons are much more useful than you might imagine.
The top-loading elements are refined in their finish with a single physical circular lid with a separate magnetic puck that stabilizes the disc when the lid is closed. Just to note, SMSL has designed the PL200 to operate without the lid giving it some additional visual flair.
I/O
All the PL200’s I/O are on the rear panel save for the top loading disc mechanism. That means you will need clear space above the PL200 to insert or take out the CDs making it less stack-friendly unless at the top.
To the rear, there is a mix of the expected and unexpected. Besides the usual dual RCA single-ended you also get a welcome set of 3-pin balanced XLR outputs allowing the PL200 to be used in a balanced system setup.
SMSL has not released the official Vrms for the XLR output so I presume it is a standard 2Vrms SE and 4Vrms balanced with the superior SNR and dynamic range weighted measurements from the XLR output.
Aside from that you have the BT antennae for receiving wireless signals, and classic coaxial and optical outputs for connecting to a 3rd party source with a USB-C instead of a USB-B (or A) connection.
I think some would have liked to have seen a standard USB-B but since the USB-C port is OTG digital audio compatible you can hook up a smartphone to the PL200 and use it as a source giving you an indirect WiFi lossless streaming feature.
The unexpected is the rear-facing 6.35mm PO output rated at up to 1W into a 32Ω load. The excellent power rating is not a surprise; rather, it is the positioning on the rear of the PL200 housing and not on the front. It is almost as if SMSL wanted to hide it.
Top-Loading Experience
The PL200’s top-loading P.A.S.S. system reads CDs extremely quickly. It is much quicker than anything from Cayin or Shanling at this price point and on par with my old flagship Meridian 506 20BIT player with its slick and very stable motorized tray.
The two-piece lid and magnetic puck system are unique to systems such as the Shanling EC3 which uses an all-in-one integrated top-loading lid.
The stability of the puck without a CD is ‘so so’ and there is the potential to lose it. However, when the CD is in place it feels steady enough and does a good job stabilizing the main lid when placed back down.
Once in place the CD spins and is read by the PL200 and oh boy, this player is fast with disc format and runtime popping up on its gorgeous IPS panel in a matter of seconds.
Controls
There are several ways to control the PL200 but the standout feature is the piano key mechanical button positioned on the front right of the player.
The retro design combined with the very easy access makes it a joy to use though I suspect some might prefer more resistance when pressing down. I do not have that issue and find it a simple and intuitive set of playback controls with the bonus of the stop button being a source selector when long-pressed.
The central dial is your default digital volume control for the headphone and variable volume lineout features. It runs in 1 dB increments from -99 to zero but can be switched off for a fixed volume lineout option via the PL200’s menu system.
You also receive a plastic remote control with the PL200, the quality of which is on par with the CA80 version. However, unlike the CA80 version, it has numerical buttons numbering 0-9 which I find much more useful for CD track control than the CA80’s more linear track-to-track selection dial.
Menu Options
Unfortunately, the PL200 does not have anything quite like the Shanling Eddict app. However, via its remote or manual control system, you can access an option-rich menu with plenty of sound-shaping features.
These include a vast array of input and output controls including the ability to turn on or off any analog output, switch from variable volume to fixed lineouts, and numerous digital filters for both PCM and DSD output.
You can also control the screen brightness setting which might help those using it in dimly lit conditions.
Packaging & Accessories
As with most of the CD player packages I have encountered to date do not expect the PL200 box to be laden with tons of accessories.
The black branded container is at least a setup from a generic brown box with a matching solid foam inner and plenty of wrapping to protect that laser drive from potential damage.
SMSL did at least include a 1m USB-A to USB-C cable which will help you hook it up to a PC or MAC for USB-DAC functionality out of the box. Aside from the region-specific power cable, (the unit has a 110-240V switching power supply), there is not much else.
You may need to visit the SMSL website for the USB audio driver, especially if you are using an earlier Windows version. For Mac, the PL200 is plug-and-play.
Click on page 2 below for my sound impressions and recommended pairings.
