Just received: M2Tech Hiface USB interface

[Encore]

Has the bit error-problem been solved?

 

[labjr]

So everything manufactured before the second half of 2009 is considered old?

 

Maybe issues like these are the reason Wavelength etc. like to use native drivers instead writing their own drivers and having to deal with a multitude of problems in every make and model.

 

[sq225917]

I've had mine for a week and a bit now, mac book pro (July 09built) latest versions of everything, wifi on, itunes used, ALAC for everything , it sounds fine, i get a click when I hit start for the first time, or when i stop and start a new track, but not when i skip or FF to the next track.

 

Sounds very good, genuinely better than toslink out, and I wanted to save the £100 cost by sending it back, but I'm keeping it. Very pleased.

 

[Snoozer]

I can confirm that, in addition to Macbook Pro, my hiface has been having "click" problems with my Macbook and Mac Mini.

 

It seems that is more a problem of developing the drivers without computers to test them.

 

best regards,

Pepe

 

[agentsmith]

I have a Macbook Pro bought in July 2009 and can confirm I have yet to hear any clicks.

 

I have less than 30 minutes listening with it since my boss has been monopolizing prime time living room space, but initial impression is I am hearing things with the HiFace+Naim DAC I have not heard from my Weiss DAC2 previously. And the most obvious difference of the Naim DAC is the almost holographic sound space.

 

Overall this combo has exceeded my expectation. At that price the price of the HiFace is a no-brainer compared to the the competition. But the manufacturing quality is quite cheapish. If I did not know what it does the plastic looks like it belongs to a $10 device.

 

 

 

[labjr]

But the manufacturing quality is quite cheapish. If I did not know what it does the plastic looks like it belongs to a $10 device.

 

If it was a computer dongle and M2tech was selling a million of them they would probably cost $10-20. However, they will probably sell in relatively small numbers. So we're paying for the idea not the quality of the device.

 

[agentsmith]

Not complaining about the price. Just commenting on the construction quality not up to snuff of the mass market stuff.

 

[sq225917]

I think they have sensibly packaged it in the most convenient form factor for their production needs. It's not a piece of Audiophile jewellery, nor is it priced like one. It doesn't need to be any bigger to work, and packaging it in a metal casing with a USB cable attached would just have been a waste of resources. Sure it could look nicer, but it could also cost more without improving the performance. I wish they were a larger company making more units, I suspect all that will take is time, I can easily see the Hiface outselling market leading devices once the word gets out.

 

You pays your money and takes your choice...

 

I think the driver issue is awkward, they would need a large number of different hardware variants to check against, some 20+ different computers just to get the major iterations of operating software that are out there. It's a PITA if you have clicks, but I'm reasonably confident that they will sort it out given time and our continued support.

 

[ramagochi]

My Mac Mini (Intel Core2Duo 1,8) continues with clics, Marco sent me a beta drivers, but no way.

 

[trifoss]

i'll likely buy a new mac mini and apparently there is no problem with clicks. Can someone verify this?

 

 

 

we didn't test hiFace on the new Mac Mini by ourselves. We have some customers using it on last generation Mac Minis with no problems.

 

We can't foresee when we'll solve the problem, but we're working on it.

 

Cheers,

 

Marco

 

[Encore]

I borrowed a MacBook today, a 2.13 GHz with 10.6.2. Hooked up the Hiface with no problems, no clicks. However, used with my EmmLabs DAC2, sound is not as good as when the DAC is fed via Toslink from my Sq.box. Of course, the Hiface is capable of higher sampling rates, but this doesn't seem to make much of a difference, at least not in my system. The big step - in my system! - is from 16 to 24 bit, which the Sq.box is capable of also.

 

[rockerz]

I have a new Mac Mini that I"m using a HiFace with and it works perfectly. No clicks, etc.

 

[sq225917]

Encore, were you comparing the same files? ;-)

 

[sukmano]

Running HiFace without clicks and issues with the latest mac mini SL 10.6.2 running Amarra, PV, Sample Manager connected FW to Weiss AFI1->Weiss DAC1 MK2. Library is also via FW (daisy-chained) on external WD HDD. Drivers for all equipment are the latest updates from respective vendors.

 

Preference is still for the Weiss setup

 

 

 

[Encore]

Yes, they were the same files, except that the files played from the Mac were aiff, whereas the files played through the SB were predominantly FLAC.

 

The EmmLABS DAC apparently benefits from the electrical isolation and is able to deal with the higher jitter levels of the Toslink connection. Several other owners and a reviewer has noted the same here in Denmark. In fact, EmmLABS has dropped the coax S/PDIF connection altogether in their latest product - keeping only the AES/EBU and the Toslink.

 

 

[sq225917]

thanks for the heads up on the EMM coax..

 

[trifoss]

Ahh man!! I just bought a brand new mac mini with my m2tech hiface (BNC) adapator and there are problems!!!

 

This is enough to make a guy pull out his hair. After all this research, and others claim the new mac mini is working. How can this be!!!???

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

Okay, I just opened up the Audio midi setup and see the default was set to 44khz so I jacked it to 192khz and voila!!

 

Its working perfectly with my ps audio dac (mcullen 4 mods), $400 worth of new cables and wow. The Cm9s and rotel power amp/pre have never sounded so good!

 

correction, the new mac mini sounds phenomenal, just remember to tweek the midi setup!

 

[audiozorro]

The quote Encore, "The EmmLABS DAC apparently benefits from the electrical isolation and is able to deal with the higher jitter levels of the Toslink connection. Several other owners and a reviewer has noted the same here in Denmark. In fact, EmmLABS has dropped the coax S/PDIF connection altogether in their latest product - keeping only the AES/EBU and the Toslink."

 

If this is true how does one balance or rank the significance of electrical isolation to that of low jitter? I ask this question because it sometimes seems like some seize on one particular factor that is important to producing excellent sonics while ignoring others. And of course because a particular factor may be a significant impediment to producing excellent sonics in one component it does not follow that the same particular factor is as important in another component. Thus we often say that successful implementation is everything.

 

[Encore]

I'm constantly being told by members of a Danish forum that Toslink just can't be better than coax. Well, if EmmLabs have indeed succeeded at reducing incoming jitter to sufficiently low levels, then other factors become more important. And maybe EmmLAbs reasoning is that Toslink is an easy (i.e. cheaper) way of gaining electrical isolation if you're already immune to jitter. Well, the proof of the pudding is that Toslink from my Sq.box sounds better than when I used AES/EBU from a 5.000 dollar drive!

 

Another thing to which the EmmLabs is very sensitive, however, is power. After I got my Verity Fidelios, I became increasingly frustrated with the sound as the speakers broke in, until I tried putting my Exact Power EP15A back into the setup. That completely took care of the problematic issues, and I now have glorius sound. With my old Audio Note speakers, I only got a minor improvement with the EP15A, with some unacceptable side effects.

 

[rogerdn]

I'm just getting into computer audio so pls excuse any nube questions but i am unable to play back files above 96 sr. 24/96 sound very good but 176 and 192 are distorted and not listenable. My Classe SSP-800 does 24/192. Using foobar v1.0 w/kernel utility, driver 1.02. Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

Toshiba laptop>Vista 32>hiface spdif>SSP-800>Levinson 433/Lexicon LX-5>Wilson Sophia's/Watch/Vandersteen surrounds>new dedicated listening room.

 

 

 

[CharlyD]

Is the USB port on your Toshiba version 2.0? Everything else looks fine. Looks like you have a very good system!

 

[rogerdn]

thks, Yes it's 2.0. Classe says s/pdif is limited to 96 but i understand hiface has a 'work around', if others do 192 apparently they are right. Yes the system is very good, transparent and dynamic, an optimized room moves everything up a level or two.

 

[CharlyD]

Version 3.3 of the user manual (http://www.classeaudio.com/downloads/pdfs/processors/SSP-800_ENG_3-3.pdf) claims suppot for 192 kHz/24-bit. I suggest enlisting the help of your dealer. He owes you one anyway.

 

[rogerdn]

Have been talking to factory actually, will try dealer. So you are suggesting my -800 is the problem ? thks for the heads up, one would think the factory would know wouldn't you.

 

[riderforever]

...new drivers are available, for both Mac and Windows (with WASAPI support).

 

Have you tried them yet?