M2Tech Evo interface

rklein · « **Reply #40 on:** 13 Oct 2010, 10:34 pm »

Hi Hal:

Thanks for the info.

So I am thinking that this plug/cord could be connected to the A123 battery? Would there be a better option?

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=090-489

Do I need an on/off switch for the A123?

Would this charger work with the A123 9.9v battery?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Balancer-charger-2s3s-lifepo4-A123-USA-/190450859633?pt=US_Batteries&hash=item2c57c17e71

Thanks again for sharing this info with us. I certainly didn't meant to get off topic in regards to the EVO.

Randy

HAL · « **Reply #41 on:** 13 Oct 2010, 10:51 pm »

Randy,
The DC plug looks correct from PE.

I use a switch for the battery pack and a DEANS RC male plug after the switch to connect the battery. Makes it easy to remove the battery for recharging.

The charger specs say that it charges at 1.5 amps. The 2300mAh cells usually call for 3 amp charging. From the picture it looks like they have a two cell 2300mAh pack connected for charging. I would ask the current output question to the eBay seller.

kyrill · « **Reply #42 on:** 15 Oct 2010, 05:44 pm »

Hal
You have now reasonable experience with the Evo

Could you do a review?

Kyrill

HAL · « **Reply #43 on:** 19 Oct 2010, 12:16 am »

Kyrill,
I am not much of a reviewer.

I like what I hear so far with my DAC. I did get the I2S Bus running and with HiRez music it sounded very good indeed. No problem playing any sample rates and bit densities from 16/44.1K to 24/192K.

TweekGeek had one in his room at RMAF and I thought the setup sounded very clean indeed.

My fun project was bringing the complete PC Netbook based music server setup with the Evo, DAC board and Borbely Audio SE headphone amp all running on batteries to RMAF to my hotel room. Had friends over to listen and they all seemed to like what they heard as I saw lots of smiles. Lots of fun listening to the music from the collection!

The noise floor of the setup is the best part. Everything dies to a black background! The silences between notes and the room response between is very apparent on acoustic recordings if it is in the master. Very cool indeed!

HAL · « **Reply #44 on:** 24 Oct 2010, 12:59 pm »

Since I know folks like pictures, here is the PC music server setup with headphones from RMAF in my hotel room. The Evo is connected to the DAC via I2S Bus. My friend Chris took the photo of the setup.

julcat · « **Reply #45 on:** 26 Oct 2010, 06:17 pm »

I just receive my Evo, for now i'm using a teradak linear power supply 8 volts, waiting for the A123 9.9v battery, i have used several usb to spdif converters, Teralink X1, X2, Musiland Monitor 01 and Morello Max, even test them with USB Isolator, but the evo is better than anything else i have used !!!!!!!!!! everything in the evo speaks details, lots of them, all of my records sound like new recordings.

When the battery pack arrives i'll try to do a little review, but this is much better than i imagine.

kyrill · « **Reply #46 on:** 26 Oct 2010, 08:00 pm »

I enjoy your enjoyings like a warm coat I will encounter in my future

HAL · « **Reply #47 on:** 26 Oct 2010, 11:28 pm »

julcat,
Hope the A123 batteries work out as well for you as they do here.

julcat · « **Reply #48 on:** 28 Oct 2010, 11:38 pm »

Hello Hal:

I just get de A123 battery with the charger, i set the charger to mode 2 and proceed to charge the battery but after 20 minutes the charger begins to smell like someting is burning inside and gets a little hot so i disconnected, the charger keeps working so i let it cold and connected again until the green light stops flashing, does your charger works that way???

HAL · « **Reply #49 on:** 29 Oct 2010, 02:57 am »

julcat,
I bought one of these chargers for the A123 battery packs.
http://epbuddy.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=9&products_id=72

It is programmable for battery chemistry, number of cells, charging current, cell balancing, etc. Monitors the cell voltage for each cell when charging and makes sure they are all at 3.60VDC +/- 0.01VDC during the charging process. Runs on AC or DC. So far has worked correctly each time I recharge. Have not had an overheat condition with this charger.

I have the original A123 Hypersonic charger and it did not get hot or smell when charging the 3.3VDC/2.3Ah style cells it was designed to support.

HAL · « **Reply #50 on:** 6 Nov 2010, 08:16 pm »

Has anyone else tried an Evo yet? I know that julcat is still out there listening from the earlier post.

Sounds like the next batch of Evo's should be on the way shortly to the US.

julcat · « **Reply #51 on:** 8 Nov 2010, 04:37 pm »

Mine came directly from Italy to mexico, i am using it with windows 7 64 bits, works with wasapi and KS without any problems in foobar, the batery makes the evo sings but is perfectly ok with the Teradak, i originally buy it for my main rig but liked so much that i order a Jkeny modded hiface for the office, so i will have the chance to compare both units, when arrives, i will report later.

kyrill · « **Reply #52 on:** 8 Nov 2010, 05:18 pm »

there is a review out ( read it alread three times

Review: MK1 Boxed M2Tech hiFace Evo USB To S/PDIF Converter
Plus the Halide Design Bridge and John Kenny Mk1 boxed hiFace.

http://enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/1110/m2tech_hiface_evo_dac.htm

the Evo and the MK2 could be compared to each other in real time, not the Halide and the EVO.

I have ordered the MK2 and will use a 12V Panasonic 7A accu as Kenny said that it would not provide a problem

mgalusha · « **Reply #53 on:** 8 Nov 2010, 05:31 pm »

Quote from: kyrill on 8 Nov 2010, 05:18 pm

there is a review out ( read it alread three times

Somehow I managed to send Steve the one including the typo's.

But thanks for reading anyway.

kyrill · « **Reply #54 on:** 8 Nov 2010, 05:39 pm »

IS it somehow a two reviewers review?
Review By Mike Galusha
Review By Ron Nagle

Anyway
Very readable, and clear and believable especially the last part is for me the most important

mgalusha · « **Reply #55 on:** 8 Nov 2010, 05:58 pm »

Ron wasn't involved, not sure why Steve had that on the page. I think that was an error.

Glad you found it useful.

HAL · « **Reply #56 on:** 9 Nov 2010, 12:58 am »

Mike,
Very nice review on the Evo.

Have you tried the unit via the I2S Bus? With my DIY DAC and it sounds really good with the A123 batteries!

mgalusha · « **Reply #57 on:** 9 Nov 2010, 05:00 pm »

I have not tried it with I2S as I don't have an Evo and the I2S on my DAC is not accessible from the outside. I agree, it works really well with the A123 cells.

HAL · « **Reply #58 on:** 16 Nov 2010, 01:38 am »

Had a listening session with the battery powered music server, M2Tech Evo and the Wolfson DAC at a friends house on Saturday evening with the local Backwoods Audio Society. Used the I2S Bus interface between the Evo and the DAC.

Played DJ with the music server for a few hours and did a short comparison to the Oppo BD-83SE player. Could not get them level matched, so no valid comparison. Still, both sounded very good, with the low noise floor winner being the battery DAC.

My main reason for this was to see how well HiRez downloads would sound, since the web seems to be the main distribution for this level of recordings. So far, very happy with the playback setup using the PC based system.

Maybe the future of hard media being bleak is not so bad if the HiRez recordings keep increasing for download.

HAL · « **Reply #59 on:** 21 Nov 2010, 03:20 pm »

Has anyone tried the Evo via the I2S Bus interface to a DAC? I know a special cable harness is needed for my Wolfson DAC, so I built one.

The Evo should be compatible with the Audio Alchemy and Perpetual Technologies I2S Bus DAC's, just no deemphasis bit to change the setting, but this is usually not a big issue with CD's.