M2Tech HiFace 24/192 USB->S/PDIF penstyle interface

srb · « **Reply #100 on:** 16 Mar 2010, 03:46 pm »

Quote from: Audioclyde on 16 Mar 2010, 03:12 pm

This may be 'old news', but have you guys seen the thread on the Computer Audiophile site--looks like some speculation that using an external HD for music files via FW (rather than USB) has solved the pop/click issue for some.....

For those experiencing pops and clicks using a USB external drive, you could easily test this by using a songfile played from the internal hard drive.

If using iTunes, under Edit > Preferences > Advanced tab, you uncheck the checkbox "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library", then drag a file located on the internal hard drive into iTunes, iTunes will use a pointer to that file, and not copy it to your default USB drive location. (If you use this method, remember to re-enable the checkbox)

Another method,according to Apple Help, is to hold down the Alt key while dragging, which is supposed to temporarily reverse this checkbox setting.)

For other media players, I would assume there would also be some method to play a file from the internal hard drive instead of the external USB hard drive.

If the file plays OK, then apparently the USB drive (in conjunction with the HiFace driver) is causing the problem in this situation. If the file still has pops and clicks, going to a FireWire external drive will probably not help.

Steve

newzooreview · « **Reply #101 on:** 17 Mar 2010, 03:38 am »

@srb

These are all general steps that one might take to troubleshoot pops and clicks regardless of the DAC or output interface (e.g. HiFace).

None of these steps is specifically relevant to the problem with the HiFace. I had no pops and clicks before I got the HiFace. I use an external Firewire drive. The issue with the HiFace has nothing to do with that, and playing the file from the internal drive makes no different.

M2Tech doesn't have anyone who knows Macs, and so they seem to be stuck with a Mac driver that is flaky.

Here's the e-mail that I received from M2Tech on 31 December 2009 admitting the problem. They have not yet solved it.

Quote

thank you so much for your feedback and suggestions. We're quite sure that it's not a problem of hardware, at least on hiFace side, as it works great on PC's. So it's a problem of driver. That's better, because it doesn't require products callback for servicing. My programmer suspects that it may be a problem with the timer which handles the operation on USB and the priority of tasks accessing USB. He's working on it right now to solve this problem.

Happy new year!

Marco

oneinthepipe · « **Reply #102 on:** 17 Mar 2010, 04:37 am »

Quote from: Audioclyde on 16 Mar 2010, 03:12 pm

This may be 'old news', but have you guys seen the thread on the Computer Audiophile site--looks like some speculation that using an external HD for music files via FW (rather than USB) has solved the pop/click issue for some.....

Nope, didn't work. I have a FW external HD.

wilsynet · « **Reply #103 on:** 17 Mar 2010, 12:16 pm »

Have you written them again and asked for the latest driver? Sounds like as of a few days ago they have a beta driver with a fix.

wilsynet · « **Reply #104 on:** 20 Mar 2010, 07:05 pm »

Got a copy of the newest Mac OS X driver from Michael at TweekGeek and I've posted it here:

http://tinyurl.com/yhs9a9y

Can't promise how long I'll leave it up, but hopefully long enough until M2Tech officially makes the driver available on their website.

oneinthepipe · « **Reply #105 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 03:08 am »

Marco and Michael both sent me the new Snow Leopard driver, and Michael returned the HiFace to me, which arrived today. I connected the HiFace, installed the driver, and voila. It works. No clicks, no pops, just beautiful music. I also purchased Pure Music. This is very, very nice.

jaywills · « **Reply #106 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 11:21 am »

The new driver is now posted on the mfr's site. Cordially,

jkeny · « **Reply #107 on:** 22 Apr 2010, 10:02 pm »

Latest review of my modified Hiface http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f7/review-jkeny-s-modified-hiface-483900/
Abstract

Quote

jkeny described the sound of the modified Hiface as similar to that of expensive analog and I couldn’t agree more: his modified Hiface make the other converters sound broken.

Personally, I have already asked jkeny if I could send him my stock Hiface to have a similar mod done to it.

jkeny · « **Reply #108 on:** 22 Apr 2010, 10:37 pm »

I now have a version of the modified Hiface for feeding I2S to Buffalo or AckoDAC digital inputs see here: DAC Options (Hiface USB Transport Modifications & Ancillaries)

jkeny · « **Reply #109 on:** 22 Apr 2010, 10:44 pm »

I've just had a report back from someone who bought a battery from me to test it against highly regarded commercially available & freely available regs & the battery is noticeably better.

He's running these regs on the AVCC of a Sabre DAC (we all know these are sensitive to PS quality). They are operated form a heavily filtered supply which is fed from a 1KVA isolation transformer - so a serious PS.

He said the change to battery was clearly better & noticeable within seconds but also became more obvious with extended listening.

Atlplasma · « **Reply #110 on:** 10 May 2010, 09:04 pm »

Does anyone know if the HiFace is compatible with USB 1.0?

mgalusha · « **Reply #111 on:** 11 May 2010, 12:59 am »

Quote from: Atlplasma on 10 May 2010, 09:04 pm

Does anyone know if the HiFace is compatible with USB 1.0?

It is not.

coops · « **Reply #112 on:** 13 May 2010, 08:35 pm »

Marco showed me the boards for the new M2Tech 'Evo', at the Munich show ,they looked wonderful, he is a clever guy,some extraordinary new products to come in the following months.

dburna · « **Reply #113 on:** 13 May 2010, 08:47 pm »

OK, I'll bite -- what is the 'Evo'?? Any idea on ETA/announcement?

-dB

Quote from: coops on 13 May 2010, 08:35 pm

Marco showed me the boards for the new M2Tech 'Evo', at the Munich show ,they looked wonderful, he is a clever guy,some extraordinary new products to come in the following months.

coops · « **Reply #114 on:** 14 May 2010, 04:53 pm »

The M2Tech EVO is the totally uncompromised 'big brother' to the 'hiface' , the evo will be in a seperate box, I don't have the full specs, but it will have everything, different options for power,every type of connection , should be out soon I believe at a reasonable price.

dburna · « **Reply #115 on:** 14 May 2010, 07:37 pm »

Will the EVO still be simply an interface? Or is it a DAC also?

Thanks, -dB

pardales · « **Reply #116 on:** 14 May 2010, 07:43 pm »

Quote from: dburna on 14 May 2010, 07:37 pm

Will the EVO still be simply an interface? Or is it a DAC also?

Thanks, -dB

coops · « **Reply #117 on:** 14 May 2010, 09:13 pm »

The EVO is just an interface, M2Tech have two dacs which are almost ready for production, there is an entry level dac priced around Euros 800 and an 'all out' effort, which has quite unique aspects to it's design, lots of other interesting products in the pipeline, including a 'digital hub' with A/D, D/A analogue inputs RIAA in the digital domain remote volume attenuation etc etc.
Keith.

dburna · « **Reply #118 on:** 14 May 2010, 09:57 pm »

Wow, Coops, you certainly have a lot of inside knowledge on M2Tech. Do you know those folks personally? How do you find out all this information?

-dB

ferenc_k · « **Reply #119 on:** 15 May 2010, 02:54 pm »

A photo from Munich. The guy sitting on the right is Marco, the other guy standing on the left is Paolo. The board in the white box is the EVO probably.