New SMSL M500 MK II DAC extremely low volume

[Riviera_Bluesman (Al Schmidt)]

Core Machine (Operating system/System info/Roon build number)

Roon Nucleus w/latest build

Network Details (Including networking gear model/manufacturer and if on WiFi/Ethernet)

Eero mesh network

Audio Devices (Specify what device you’re using and its connection type - USB/HDMI/etc.)

WiFi >iPhone 6s>SMSL 500>xDuoo TA-20

Description Of Issue

Just unboxed a new SMSL M500 Mk II and am having the same issue as indicated in this thread…

SMSL M500 very low volume and can’t change Fixed Volume setting

Hey, I have just bought a new DAC. The SMSL M500. Plugged it into my Ropieee endpoint and it configured itself all correctly in Roon. However the volume is very, very low - barely audible. I had a search on the forums and found this: “The only annoyance I found was the M500 defaulting to like 20/100 alsa volume level at power on. Setting fixed volume and enabling force of max volume on playback in Roon solved that.” I tried to change the Fixed Volume setting and set the volume to 100% howe…

I’m using WiFi to stream from my Nucleus to an iPhone 6s that I’m using as the endpoint, then connecting to the M500 via an iPhone Lightning to USB adapter. I have the M500 connected to my xDuoo headphone tube amp via RCA currently, as I am awaiting balanced interconnect cables.

I’m not having any problem getting the Roon signal into the DAC but the output to the headphone amp is extremely weak.

In the above thread the answer was to “force maximum volume” in the device set up settings, but I can’t find any way to do that when the device is an iPhone.

Can you help me resolve?

[Riviera_Bluesman (Al Schmidt)]

I was finally able to get this DAC up and running as it should be.

Roon was not allowing me to make volume setting changes from “device” to “fixed” to “DSP” until finally it decided I could. I first made adjustments within the “device volume” setting, then switched it over to “fixed volume.” This seems to have resolved the issue I was having.

This is a very nice sounding MQA enabled balanced DAC.