My DAC reviewing spree continues and today I will check out the SMSL RAW Pro DAC1, a $699 unit you can get from here. This is the third SMSL DAC released under the RAW moniker. They started with the RAW MDA1 at $279, which used low-voltage mobile DAC chips. Then they released a much nicer RAW DAC1 at $499 that uses proper flagship-level DAC chips, and now they have the biggest unit in the RAW lineup that swapped AKM chips with flagship-grade ESS Sabre converters. The clocking system was improved and the power supply doubled, and I’m pretty sure all these improvements will have something to say when music starts kicking my eardrums. I will compare this one with Topping’s D90 III Discrete and Centaurus, so let’s check it out in the usual fashion.
