Finally the future of CD Players is here, and it is Awesome! SMSL PL200t Review

You guys know I love CDs, I started my audiophile journey by collecting CDs. It still is my favourite way to listen to music, maybe not most convenient, but the one it speaks most to my soul.

My journey with CDs/Stagnating market

Even one of my first reviews on this channel was a Denon CD Player. I love that little guy so much, I am sad to think about it, as it is not any more in my collection.

And I tried few CD Transports and CD players in my day. And something I said in my previous reviews, is that I feel like CD Players are stagnating a lot. Like nothing much new, not much revolutions in internal construction, and are always neglected by manufacturers.

And I recommend that you guys look at my comparison between streamers, CD players and turntables I did. I explained all the benefits of owning every device. I will leave the link in my comments I think it is one of my really neglected reviews, but I think really good reviews.

There has been quite an interesting two new CD Transports with Arcam CD5 and Roksan Attesa Transport, which are cheap and would love love to hear it in future somehow. As they feel like they give a lot of technology in small price.

But then I saw SMSL PL200, and SMSL PL200T and more I read about it the more I started to be fascinated about this device. And it dawned to me this is how new modern CD player transports should look and behave. They are very versatile, they are allowing a lot of adjustment, and flexibility, they look nice, they are not big, they have this amazing top loader. And they are built from really quality materials. I should really test this, I really should and finally after a lot of waiting to receive one I have it.

And it is everything you want in a transport.

Build Quality/Aestetics

Let’s first start with build quality, this is very sturdy aluminum device. And design language is updated design language of SMSL, it follows modern rebrand of SMSL through language of silver color, and have this oval patterns. It is like SMSL PA200 which is a stereo amp, and D200 which is a DAC. So this makes the whole family of device that can stack pretty easily. This is a 1200 euros of pure sonic entries system, I guess add streamer and you are ready for all earthly sonic pleasures. And they are not a big devices, again SMSL kills it with putting a lot of technology in their aluminum boxes.

But also there are more expensive D400 line of devices that follow same language and is yet to have all the devices yet release. I personally can not wait.

But let’s return to CD player do you like 80s, boomboxes, oh you are going to love the tactile feel and sound and look of buttons on this player I love it so much.

One vanity thing from my side, that I could not wait to have is this top loader. I love to watch CDs spinning and in that way showing the interaction between player and listener, I think I can stand and watch it for a long time just to watch it.

But there is also one more thing. In theory Top loaders are the best choice between slide in, tray and top loading mechanism. As they have a weight (this is a first thing you put on CD when you close it), pressing on CDs there is less chance of resonances and have less moving parts therefore less prone to mechanical fault and current interference.

But there are some cons, with dust, and exposure to external elements might damage the laser, which can be an issue on long run.

Features/Inputs/Outputs/

But all of that beautiful thing aside the best thing is what is happening in the back of device. This is where this CD Transport is the future. It have so much flexibility that even my one thousand 400 euros players can not even come close.

One thing I have to commend SMSL is that they try to bring AES/EBU back in fashion as I think is the best way to connect your CD Player. I recommend if you plan to buy this player to invest in DAC that have AES/EBU and of course in the cable, It is very similar as XLR, so if you are deep into that like me you will worship this.

But there is also a usual suspect of I2S which will help you if you want to use this transport as a conductor between a musical hub like PC and to transfer some DSDs or high bitrate FLACs. As to properly transfer it out of all this connection only I2S is truly able to hold the bandwidth together.

There is also Coaxial and optical and also something really great a 5v power supply in. Which allows you if you have linear power supply up to 5v you can actually enhance the sound of this player. Not that internal power supply is bad, but that you might have better and it does bring tangible results on your sound, it truly does.

The screen is great in that sense it is small, but numbers are big, so yeah they are really easy to be seen, good for blind bats like me, who only hears enhanced sonics, but not so much the sharpness of real life images.

But it also they will allow you to choose impedance levels, to program a little bit I2S, and to show you what format you are decoding with this transport. Good if you connect outside sources to see the real picture of your files you are playing.

MQA CDs and Future is happening now!

And to not forget a great point, this is also a MQA decoder transport. Which means it can play MQA discs, I love them, and I am so happy and proud of our Japanese brethren for keeping this format alive. There a quite a nice selection of it on eBay, and at some second hand shops around your town.

Now have to mention there is no Super CD reader here but MQA CD only, which will probably require you a MQA decoder DAC as well to fully work. So what is MQA CD it is MQA coded files that are on CD that are folded to fit on your typical red book 16 bit CD. But this transport will tri time unfold it, until you can have 24bit music send to your DAC. It is a future of CDs and hopefully will have more traction than Super CDs which are becoming rarer and rarer by the day.

And this is a regular CD that can fit in all players it does not require special player, for Super CDs to work and that is a huge benefit of MQA CDs.

Just an amazing build quality and versatility and just literally everything you need in a transport. It is how every future CD player should look and behave or it is stuck in past. I love this and I want more and more of this.

Sound Quality/vs. Competitors

But now let’s go to the meat of this review the sound!

And my god the sound is good. Did I mention that this is a 500 euros transport. This is dangerous it brings tremendous value in this price range, easily challenging top tier competitors. I used cheap Pro-Ject CD Box E, and I used my trusty flagship Audiolab 9000cdt. So player cheaper and player more expensive than this one.

I also used Wiim Pro, Bluesound Node Icons as transports. For additional measurements. Too bad that I don’t have my measuring tools for this review, but in future we will have more precise data.

And beside Audiolab this transport goes toe to toe or even better than everyone mentioned. Psst at 500 euros.

And Audiolab is almost 700 euros more expensive than this device, so it should sound better, and it did sound more dynamically richer, and soundstage is better therefore as it opens a bit more in both sides. And that is mostly by using a bit superior laser and mechanism. But that is it, I feel only by side by side with these two devices that I felt that one is better than other. But it certainly was not 700 euros better.

Yeah if you want better sonics go with Audiolab it truly will allow your songs to open more, and that is getting more and more noticeable as I added more expensive gear in testing. You can pick a bit more instruments in soundstage, their texture and details... but it is also a bigger device, and it is only bigger because it has to stack with Audiolab 9000 other devices. Inside is pretty empty.

The sound signature of SMSL is flat, and it should be, to be honest let Amps, DACs, speakers color. What I need from transport is clarity, amount of details extracted, those information how well it is organised to help all my other gear properly to expand and develop sound.

But stability, focus and authority of details it was extracting was great. It has a clear purpose into being very great on entire dynamic scale. Showing and presenting details from up and down.

And SMSL does a fantastic job in extracting those details. And they feel very focused and firm, it especially helps in treble and bass where it is important to instruments to have presence and on soundstage I can hear drums, percussions and cymbals and hi-hats expanding and decaying without losing its composure. The same thing with bass give that tenor, baritone and bass guitar was clear and present enough to have distinct lane an incursion, I loved to listen everything with large dynamics with this CD transport. Because it did allow them to expand on soundstage greatly.

The music have this firm very precise and authoritative quality to it.

Synergy

I think it is important how you pair this with DAC what the final result will be. The reason I say this is that if you like SMSL sound, a bit more leaner and upbeat, you should go with more AKM DACs, if you want more clarity especially around mids, for that vocals to blossom more go with ESS DACs.

Two DACs I recommend are SMSL D400 pro and SMSL RAW PRO DAC 1. I know they are a little bit more expensive but you are set for life with these DACs and this transport.

As the sound will have synergized components of both devices, and it will create some nice cocktail of sounds.

And I say this mostly as SMSL as Transport, is great but is balanced and transparent, with great dynamics. For that more character or special sound it needs proper synergising to give it more push in one direction as I know it will do it that way. It will open even more and there will be even more details. I always prefer SMSL to be more punchy, but some might like it more clear and more open mids. With beautiful vocals to present right at user.

If you want more weight just get amp and speakers that provide warmth, this player will certainly allow it to expand even in bottom frequencies.

It is you as audiophile who will dictate that, and this transport as a raw material will do its damn job to impress you with extraction, organisation and enhancement.

Conclusion/Future of CD Players

The conclusion to all this is that I am really happy with this Transport, and truly believe this is a future of CD Players/Transports. This is an amazing device that cost 500 euros, that extracts and orchestrates your file with a lot of details, separation, and command. Allowing your other gear like DACs, Amps and Speakers to add a bit more flourish and have with capable gear this amazing sound, that outsmarts and outpaces many other players will that be streamers or CD players by a long shot.

I personally enjoy the sound of this more to many many Music Streamers, and I am speaking in price range of 1000e+. And that is because Sale of CD players have been hampered in recent time, companies have to put all their best technologies and knowledge for less money to bring people in. They are giving us more for less.

And that is what makes this so interesting to me, by listening to this transport, it really invigorated my love for CDs again. I love to watch the CDs spin, I love that it is not big, I love that it works superbly well when integrated with other gear and correct DACs. There is bunch of inputs, and versatility in exploring bigger and better audiophile files.

The sound was really great to audiophile ears, as it was not trying to show off more, but it was trying to do everything great and make a great base other gears can work upon.

Just an amazing value and amazing gear this is, I love it so much. And I think you will too as a CD player, as a MQA player, or as just a hub to connect it to your PC to play all the variety of big audiophile files like DSD etc. This is a great recommendation on my side.

✅ Pros

Sound Quality

• Excellent detail retrieval and clarity, with strong performance across the dynamic range.

• Competes with higher-priced models like the Audiolab 9000CDT, offering comparable sound for significantly less (€500 vs. €1200+).

• Flat and transparent sound signature, making it an ideal base for system synergy via DACs, amps, and speakers.

• Performs well with large dynamic music; great presentation of treble, bass, and soundstage.

  
  

Build & Design

• High-quality aluminum chassis: durable and visually appealing.

• Compact, modern design that stacks well with other SMSL components (PA200, D200, etc.).

• Tactile buttons and top-loader evoke nostalgic appeal and enhance the physical music experience.

• Top-loader design reduces mechanical failure risk and enhances resonance control.

  
  

Connectivity & Features

• Extremely versatile I/O: AES/EBU, I2S, Coaxial, Optical, 5V DC input.

• Support for MQA CDs and DSD/high-res FLAC via I2S — rare at this price point.

• User-friendly screen with large, clear text.

• Adjustable I2S settings and impedance options — allows greater flexibility in system tuning.

• Future-ready philosophy: forward-thinking design and format support.

Value

• Strong price-to-performance ratio.

• Features normally found in much more expensive CD transports.

• Encourages re-engagement with physical media and CD collections.

  
  

❌ Cons

Design Limitations

• No support for Super Audio CDs (SACDs) — only standard and MQA CDs.

  
  

Performance Caveats

• While excellent, not quite on par with higher-end gear in dynamics or expansive soundstage (e.g., Audiolab 9000CDT which is 700e more epxpesnive). But so close that is incredible

• Requires proper pairing with DACs to bring out the best sonic results — some users may find this limiting or confusing.

  
  

MQA Support Caveats

• Full MQA functionality requires a compatible MQA DAC.

• MQA CD format still niche and relatively obscure; uncertain future adoption. But hopefully it will become the future