S.M.S.LAD18 Audio HiFi Stereo Amplifier with Bluetooth 4.2 Supports Apt-X,USB DSP Full Digital Power Amplifier 2.1 Small 80Wx2 Class D Amplifier with Subwoofer Output

I've been using this amp for a while now, so I thought I'd write a review to help others who are considering a purchase. I own a number of small amplifiers I purchased through Amazon from various manufacturers. I have two Nobsounds, two Shunnos, a Douk Audio, and a total of 3 SMSL amps (I'm including this SMSL AD18.) After trying many others, I purchased a SA-50 for my first SMSL amp. I immediately noticed improved sound quality versus all of my existing micro/mini amplifiers. Unfortunately, it only had the most rudimentary subset of functions. There were many things missing, which I was accustomed to having in all of the other amps. The SMSL SA-50 had really great sound, but little input source flexibility. There was no Bluetooth and I was also annoyed that it didn't have a subwoofer output. Even line level sub outputs would have made me much happier. Still, I began to use that amp more than any other because the sound quality was just so noticeably superior.Eventually, the lack of input options and controls became too frustrating, so I decided to see what the next level of SMSL model upgrade would offer. Back to Amazon, I went. There, I discovered there was an SA-50 Plus. Kicking myself for not noticing it when I bought the lower model, I still bought one immediately. It had a display, as well as several control buttons for play, pause, skip forward, and skip backward, etc. Even better, it has a USB port which allows one to load a large thumb drive with music then plug it into the unit to create a very compact, self-contained, stand alone media player. There was even a microSD slot! The additional features really didn't cost a lot more than the basic unit, so like I said, I bought it immediately. The SMSL SA-50 Plus was almost perfect for what I needed. ...Almost...In my excitement over seeing the thumb drive support, microSD, nice screen, and extra song controls on the Plus, I failed to notice that it lacked one more feature I really wanted to have. There was no Bluetooth support. I considered (in fact, I'm still considering) purchasing an external Bluetooth receiver just to have Bluetooth on that unit. When I started looking on Amazon for Bluetooth though, I came across the SMSL AD-18. It had the Bluetooth I wanted and many other features.The grass truly does look greener on the other side of the fence, but it nearly always turns out to be an illusion. The SMSL AD-18 cranked out more power, which meant I could reach the same volume levels with less distortion because the amp wouldn't be working so hard. It would be working in a more conservative portion of its output range than the lower model amp. Plus, this AD-18 actually had optical(!) inputs. It also had a USB port, although for some reason it was Micro USB. It even had a line level subwoofer output! Which was a feature I had in my original herd of lower quality amplifiers. As I ticked off all of those "wish list" features, I realized this might be the perfect micro amplifier for me. It is definitely the best of the many tiny amps I've tried. Of the amps I currently own, only my Denon AVR-X6300 is easily able to beat this little amp in every way - but the Denon was 18-20 times the price. This amp is truly a huge value for the price and was also very very close to perfect for what I wanted.Unfortunately, there was one blemish on the silky skin of this nubile amplifier, which I discovered when I set it up. The USB port on this amplifier works completely differently than the one on the SMSL 50-Plus. On the 50-Plus, I plugged in a 128GB thumb drive full of music and used it most of every day to listen to the music on the thumb drive. Since the AD-18 had a micro USB port, I had purchased an adapter so that I could plug a normal thumb drive into that small USB port. So, I filled another thumb drive with music, added the USB adapter, and attached it to the amplifier. My euphoria over the AD-18 took a hard hit that day. It turns out the USB port on the AD-18 only works as an input to use the amp as an external sound card for a PC. It completely ignored the thumb drive I connected. I couldn't read or play any of the music on the drive. If, like me, you were planning to use the USB socket on this amp to play music from a thumb drive, you will be sorely disappointed. It might even be a deal breaker for many folks.Besides the lack of support for song storage media, there are two other minor annoyances I have with this amplifier. The click/long click/turn/click again method of getting to various settings makes it far more annoying to configure the amplifier for your specific needs. In addition, when you are trying to adjust the volume, it is far too easy to accidentally click the knob while you are turning it a dozen times to try to increase the volume. As soon as it picks up your unintentional click, the volume adjustment ceases and you have potentially inadvertantly changed one of the settings.So, how do you get around this odd interface? Basically, I have set the thing at a satisfyingly high volume which is below the "halfway mark" of the volume level and I never touch the amplifier for any reason other than turning it on and off. Instead, I make volume adjustments and song selections using one of my old iPads which is wired directly to the amplifier using a headphone adapter. I could accomplish the same setup using Bluetooth, if I desired, but they're sitting next to one another on my desk anyway, so I figured why not cable it? This basically gives me a dedicated touch screen media server that is always connected to this amplifier. Used this way, this is a fantastic amplifier for filling any room in your house with music.Overall, this amplifier has more features than the SA-50 Plus and the sound quality is truly excellent. If they sold a version of this with the ability to read music from thumb drives and microSD cards, there wouldn't be anything out there that could come close to the performance of this amplifier at this price. That's why I gave this amplifier 5 stars. You really can't do better for the price and the sound it produces is warmer and more inviting when compared to other micro amplifiers. I can't see myself ever buying a different brand of micro amplifier after having 3 models from SMSL. I highly recommend SMSL micro amplifiers and this one in particular is exceptional.

This amp has been my COVID special. Its on almost all the time everyday. I use it with BT from my iPad or iPhone in the morning for some quick news or a podcast. Once I get my coffee going I switch into some music via the Coax connection while I read my email. Then I flip on the TV monitor to catch the rest of the news through the optical 2 connection, which also works fine for mirroring the President's Corona Briefings. I bought an HDMI adapter for the iPad and found I get a better picture and sound than mirroring. I'll use that for movies. I don't use the tone controls very much but they boost the realism for an action movie from one of the services. The bass response is powerful enough to rattle the walls. I never had a class D amp before, this was a surprise. I have no problem with the sound quality, sounds just like my class A amps, and it's so incredibly flexible it makes a great attachment point for all my electronic devices on the long days of sheltering in place.OK, it's been 6 months and I can't tell you how impressed I am with this powerful little Amp . In the meantime I've noticed a few things. As good as the BT sounds from my phone or iPad, the coaxial connection blows it away. So much so that I only use BT for non-audiophile applications, or if I'm too lazy to plug the powered Doc into the iPad. I'm using an old Blue Circle Thingee (which was very well regarded in it's day) as my USB to Coax converter because my Peach Tree X1 is on another system. I tried an original HiFace. I didn't think it would work because it needs a driver, and it didn't. I'm going to pick up a better USB to coax converter because even with the Blue Circle I can easily hear the difference between an ALAC or 320 internet radio broadcasts and standard lower bit rate broadcast and I know a better converter is going to sound even better. For Speakers, I recycled a 3 piece Polk Satellite system from an old surround hook up and am using it for nearfield listening... and every time I listen to it it blows me away. Clear crisp bass notes and well a articulated treble. These speakers didn't sound this good when I had them connected to an 80W per Ch class A amp, (also in nearfield). I'm impressed. The only other thing I'll mention is that using the Coaxial input sounds sounds better than using the USB input. I haven't tried headphones so I can't comment on the headphone amp.So now it’s 10 months and everything is working well. I have it on a lot during the day and then again at night. After a long session, I noticed that it was warm to the touch but not hot. Never the less, with all the failures that have occurred, I’m looking around for a replacement in case my unit fails too. It’s too bad that these units fail because I really like it. The Blue Circle Thingy has been replaced with a Douk Audio U2 XMOS XU208 USB to COAX converter. Very nice upgrade. Sounds fantastic.One of the things I’ve discovered is that my iPad Pro can Bluetooth video to the TV. Not nearly as good as mirroring, which is not as good as HDMI. I ended up buy a UNI dock for the iPad which allows me to connect a wired mouse, (Bluetooth keyboard) , USB to COAX converter, thumb drives for the file system and a HDMI cable, and charge the iPad at the same time. The only downside to this arrangement is that every once in a while I forget to plug in the 60W Anker charger and the iPad batter runs down until I notice that it’s not charging and plug the charger in. Maybe I should leave it plugged in all the time.... Anyway, back to a Netflix movie... I’ll update this if it fails.It’s now 2024. The S.M.S.L AD18 never failed. I moved it to another room along with the satellite speakers and the subwoofer and it’s no longer Nearfield. My new Nearfield set up is now an RME ADI-2 DAC, 2 Genlec 8010A Powered Studio Monitors and a Genlec 7340A Powered Subwoofer. - Very Nice - The question is always, Does it sound $3000. Better? I think so, but the SMSL AD 18 is very hard to beat and the speakers are different and in another room, so it’s hard to make a valid comparison. What I do know is that the AD18 can EQ my satellites to a very close approximation of the much more expensive rig. ( But the connections have to be wired, and you need the higher Specs of the Douk USB to COAX to do it. The Bluetooth sound is acceptable, but not outstanding )

Great for my basement bar area