Streamers — SOtM sMS-500

The sMS-500 is a network music server and player from SOtM, the Korean maker based in Cheonan. Announced in October 2026 alongside the sPS-550 power supply and the sCLK-OCX10ultra master clock, it succeeds the sMS-200, which SOtM sold for over ten years. SOtM redesigned it from the motherboard upward and says the new hardware will serve as the base for its next network audio products. Audio leaves the unit only over USB, so a DAC or other device with a USB audio input is required.

Key specs that matter

The processor board carries a 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU, a Mali-T720 GPU, a hardware floating-point coprocessor and 3 GB of LPDDR3 memory. Connections are one audio-grade USB 2.0 Type-A port rated at 1.0 A, a USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A port rated at 2.0 A, a standard USB 2.0 Type-A port, HDMI 2.0a with 4K and audio support, Gigabit Ethernet and a microSD slot that holds the operating system. Power comes in through a 5.5 mm DC jack accepting 7 to 15 V, with an optional 5 V input, and peak consumption is 30 W. The case measures 106 x 49.5 x 185.5 mm and weighs 1.5 kg. SOtM specifies operation between 0 and 30 degrees Celsius.

Engineering and use context

The unit runs Eunhasu, SOtM's Linux-based operating system, now adapted to the new board. Supported services include Roon Ready, a UPnP renderer with OpenHome, MPD, LMS with Squeezelite, MinimServer, Shairport-sync, LibreSpot, BubbleUPnP Server, Diretta Host and Target, Qobuz Connect, HQPlayer Embedded and HQPlayer NAA. CDs are ripped automatically once an external USB drive is connected. SOtM states that power supply, clock design and signal path were all arranged to serve the USB audio output. Local files can live on a USB drive of up to 2 TB with a single partition, preferably with its own power, connected to one standard port and never to the audio-grade one. Wi-Fi works through a USB adapter with the Realtek RTL8812AU chipset, although SOtM recommends a wired network, and the player needs an active Internet connection to operate. Not every function of the processor board is enabled in Eunhasu.

Pairing

A USB DAC goes on the dedicated audio port, and the wide voltage window lets the player run from a linear supply instead of a plug-in adapter. SOtM names the sPS-550 supply, the sNH-10G network switch, the sCLK-OCX10ultra clock and its own USB and Ethernet cables as matching parts that can be added one at a time. Roon users get a 60-day trial licence with the player.

Alternatives

The SOtM sMS-200ultra is the older compact network player in the range, also running Eunhasu and sending audio to a DAC over USB.