M2Tech HiFace DAC 24/384

[purite audio]

The new M2Tech HiFace DAC 24/384 arrives this week.
Details are here,
Price is £185 which includes vat and insured delivery.

http://www.m2tech.biz/hiface_dac.html



Keith.

[apollo]

From the specs in that page
Output voltage 2.0 Vrms @ 10KOhms :eek:

I guess that's a typo :scratch:

[purite audio]

The dacs have arrived!
Async USB at 24/384,no larger than the original HiFace, a superb bit of kit.
£185 which includes vat and insured delivery.
Keith.

[Tim]

Hi Keith,

Just a quick question (well two really :o), do you sell the Young DAC is the first one and the second is about the DAC chipset, which I guess if you don't sell it you can ignore ;)

Am I right in thinking when using the USB input on the Young, the DAC chipset is powered via the 5V rail coming from the PC/USB output, but it is stepped down by a linear regulator to 3.3V?

Thanks

[Alan]

Hi Tim

I bought my Young from Keef, and he is a gent. I'm sure he'll be along shortly.

The Young has an off-board power supply, and benefits further from a linear PSU, or a battery unit (such as M2Tech Palmer). As fasr as I can see, it only needs the 5v in a USB cable to detect the computer, and to correctly alter sample rate.

The chip is a Burr Brown PCM 1795, if I remember right. It was a while ago when we were asking these questions...

[purite audio]

Hi Keith,

Just a quick question (well two really :o), do you sell the Young DAC is the first one and the second is about the DAC chipset, which I guess if you don't sell it you can ignore ;)

Am I right in thinking when using the USB input on the Young, the DAC chipset is powered via the 5V rail coming from the PC/USB output, but it is stepped down by a linear regulator to 3.3V?

Thanks

Tim Hi, I don't believe the Young draws any power from the USB raill,only to signify conection but I will check.
Keith.

[Gazjam]

Tim Hi, I don't believe the Young draws any power from the USB raill,only to signify conection but I will check.
Keith.

Have the Young here, been experimenting with cutting the 5V USB line...it DOES have an effect.

First of all, whilst it still plays music, when the Young doesn't receive USB power the display goes out.
Just a line of 3 red led's, no display as usual.

Also, and this is weird, 16/44 material plays fine...but any hires plays at the wrong speed.
Seriously, its like a record running at the wrong speed.
Its usually slow, but depending on the recording runs fast.

I have a vinyl rip of Neil Young "Unplugged" recorded at 24/192.
Sounds like PInky and Perky re-recorded it.
Any other hires album I've tried without the 5v power runs slow.

Go figure.

TBH its debatable whether running without 5V power is actually better with the Young anyway?
To me (and my mate) there's an increase in detail but with a loss of bass weight.
Better on some recordings, but worse on others.

Decided not to bother with it and just enjoy the Dac as is.


Put the 5V power line back in...sounds as it should.

[Ali Tait]

My Touch used to do the slow motion sound thing every once in a while. Never did find out why.

[Tim]

Tim Hi, I don't believe the Young draws any power from the USB raill,only to signify conection but I will check.
Keith.
It would be good if you could find out, I'm doing a study on DAC's, USB cables and how the chipsets are powered by different manufacturers - I have it in my head that the Young has a different approach to Rega and it could make a powered hub/injector like the iFi USB redundant. Of course, I could also be going mad . . . :mental:

[purite audio]

T definitely doesn't need a powered USB hub, just plug it straight into your USB port, I did try it recently with a USB cable that had no power leg, it didn't work, it does need some power to handshake .
Keith.
Tim if you would like to tr ya unit just let me know.
Keith.

[Tim]

I did try it recently with a USB cable that had no power leg, it didn't work, it does need some power to handshake.
Indeed, it definitely needs power along the 5V rail. You should be able to cut the red +5V feed and connect a clean 5V supply but its essential to keep the black ground wire running to the DAC and splice in an external ground. Which is essentially what an iFi USB power does or something like the ADuM4160 board. If you isolate the ground loop or cut the power rail completely the computer will not recognise the device.

What I am trying to find out is what the Young does internally, as I'm sure I read somewhere it takes the 5V rail and regulates it down to 3.3V for the DAC chipset, which to my mind would make USB power injection redundant?

I think once I start my next round of building/testing I may well have to try a Young, so many thanks for the offer Keith. I have spent the last week tinkering, but I tend to go in fits and starts - with long breaks between bursts of manic activity.

If its not something that's easy to find out Keith, no worries ;)

[Gazjam]

Young plays 16/44 just fine Tim without a 5V line, display doesn't work though.
It cant play hires music at the right speed without a 5V power line.

[Tim]

I take it you like the Young Gary?

[Gazjam]

Best Dac I've heard Tim, especially with a linear PSU.

[Tim]

Do you use USB with it all the time, as that's where I am committing my research/testing at the moment?

[Gazjam]

USB from my server, optical from the Tivo and SPdif from the dvd player.
Sounds great from all inputs. :)

Mostly USB though.

[purite audio]

The first orders have been dispatched , it is a fantastic little dac.
I am interested to hear any feedback, especially from listeners who are driving their headphones directly from the HiFace DAC.
Keith.

[purite audio]

Just to answer a few questions, drivers are not needed for Linux or Mac, and only for Windows , I use a Belkin 3.5mm mini jack to RCA cable to connect to my main system.
It will drive most headphones directly.
Price is £185 which includes vat and insured delivery.
It is an outstanding dac.
Keith.

[Alex_UK]

I use a Belkin 3.5mm mini jack to RCA cable to connect to my main system.

One of these (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Belkin-iPhone-3-4-5-iPod-iPad-2-Stereo-Cable-3-5mm-Aux-Jack-to-RCA-2-1m-/221227511946?pt=UK_Computing_Sound_Vision_Audio_Ca bles_Adapters&hash=item33822ff08a), Keith? They're brilliant for the money, use them in both dining room and summerhouse systems to connect my DACs to the amps.

[purite audio]

Alex Hi, yes one of those exactly, the HiFace dac is so good, really outrageously good, either through headphones or through the main system
Keith.

[purite audio]

M2tech in action,
Mac,Spotify sounds fantastic,
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb255/coopie_photo/P6083658_zps1c8dd786.jpg (http://s206.photobucket.com/user/coopie_photo/media/P6083658_zps1c8dd786.jpg.html)
Keith.

[Stratmangler]

M2tech in action,
Mac,Spotify sounds fantastic,

Keith.

Nice one.
However, something like that hanging out of a USB port would make me nervous, and I'd recommend using something like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/StarTech-com-inch-Extension-Adapter-Cable/dp/B000E5CYW8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370900663&sr=8-1&keywords=short+usb+extension+cable
I bought one for when I use my HiFace2 :)

[purite audio]

Chris Hi, yes that's not a bad idea, although they are perfectly happy plugged directly into the USB port, the quality of the dac is extraordinary, a few years ago none would have imagined a dac of this quality which can play 24/384 Async USB and only cost less than £200.
Keith.

[Clive]

The extension USB lead is a very good idea, I constantly tell my son to not walk around the house with a USB stick protruding from his laptop. Fixing a broken USB port on a laptop can be nigh on impossible to do cost effectively.

[purite audio]

The HiFace dac really is a superb bit of kit, async USB wil play anything up to and including 24/384, price is £185 which includes vat and insured delivery.
Keith.

[purite audio]

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb255/coopie_photo/P6083657_zps6cde351d.jpg (http://s206.photobucket.com/user/coopie_photo/media/P6083657_zps6cde351d.jpg.html)

Superb bit of kit,
Keith.

[purite audio]

The M2Tech HiFace is plug and play, no drivers necessary for Mac or Linux, Async USB at 24/384.
http://www.m2tech.biz/hiface_dac.html

£185 which includes vat and insured delivery.
Keith.

[Stratmangler]

It got a decent review from TNT Audio too http://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/m2tech_hiface_dac_e.html

I'd still connect it with a very short USB extender cable :)

[purite audio]

Thanks for highlighting that Chris,
KR Keith.

[purite audio]

TNT review of the M2Tech HiFace dac,
http://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/m2tech_hiface_dac_e.html


Keith.