M2Tech HiFace - using it? Like it?

In a forum somewhere online, I saw the modder's assessment of a 95% boost to performance. making it nearly twice as good. maybe. Maybe not.

Mine is still running in and I'm quite happy with the results that continue to be revealed. I'm thinking it is about done though, or it'll be awile for changes to come now, or they'll be quite subtle. The Oyaide T510 continues to provide smiles as well.

I've better uses currently for $200 than to fool around with what is doing me a great service already.

I liked it enough after listening to a borrowed one to buy it in BNC style.

Of Windows Media, J River Media Center iTunes and Fubar 102, the latter player provided the best results in it’s Kernal straming setup. All were improved upon using the Hiface though . Just NOT to the extent Fubar did things!

It’s important to know, some media players are or can be optimized for playback using differring hardware. WMP & iTunes have the least degree of flexibility in this regard.

Media players like J River; Fubar 2K; and perhaps some others allow for more configuration flexibility. PURE MUSIC might just be one of those players that will give you the options necessary to see the Hiface at it’s best . And at rates above 16/48 as with iTunes ceiling, for example.

Itunes & WMP are nice players with great organizational resources, but they just ain't the best sounding players out there.

I should say too... J R MC 15 beta was quite close to sounding as good as Fubar 2K, with better archiving options, but it was clearly second place IMHO to Foo' 25.

Puerto

From where did you order your Hiface unit?

I ordered mine from Tweek Geek... it supposedly doesn't ship until mid May.

RE Pure music
I doubt seriously it will do anything to your existing configuration. I've several music players on one or more machines and they all operate independantly of one another save for MC 14. MC 14 USES some of the iTunes engines for replaying Apple associated file types.... but all the artwork, music folders and so forth aren't compromised at all.

In fact with most MPs, you have to tell them where to find the music on your pc if it isnt in the My Music folder by default.... mine are not.

I don't know enough about PM to say more... I saw it online and it's dedicated for Macs so I looked no further than to see it allowed high res music playback on those Mac OS's.

Personally, once I decided to go all in on downloading or ripping high res files to my PC I'd get it and see how well it plays them. I'm sure it'll play back normal res files too! it might even have a trial period so it can be found out for free.

Don't like it? Just uninstall it. Simple. No biggie.

Cdm

yeah... what about that modified one, and who's doing it for how much?

As small as it is, what's he use? A microscope?

Porta
PM

As best I can tell without getting to deeply into things, it appears as a plug in which see's and allows playback of file types that have higher than norm 16/44 & 16/48 resolutions.

Not owning a MAC pc... I didn't look too much into it apart from reading the intro.

I'd think it must have itunes running first... but I'm not sure. Amara does that as well... uses iTunes for HD file playback.

it's more than highly doubtful any problems would arise from trying it out, with your art work or music folder & files.

the only caveats to be wary of are the usual... uncheck the copy files to itunes folder when importing... to avoid duplications from pre-existing folders and files... and IF PM upsamples AND converts file types, you probably would wwant to disallow that too... in order to perserve the orig file integrity.

Amarra cost was around $400 for the lite version... nearly a grand for the whole shebang. For $80 or $90 provided there's a trial period... I'd give it a go were I to own a MAC... AND BE INTERESTED IN PLAYING HIGH RES FILES i'VE EITHER MADE ON SITE, OR BOUGHT FROM THE WEB.

aNOTHER OPTION AS i THINK OF IT IS fUBAR 2k.

iT'S FREE AND PLAYS BACK hd files... and when I had it with the RCA Hiface I had on loan here, the resultant combination of Fubar + Hiface was fantastic.... using kernal streaming mode.

Ohh... and Fubar? it's free.

thus far I prefer the BNC version, and the cable used with it is as important.

how much does that power mod cost anyhow?

Have any of you seen the outline of the new 'Evo' from M2T yet?

the info I saw at head Fi (?) said...

it's an aluminum box outfit now.
USB fed still, but with it's own power supply now, and an aux input for a master clock, SPDIF, TOS, & BNC OUTPUTS.

so a better regulated and higher pwoer sup, the option for adding another clock and more interfaces.

For about $300. Supposedly ships in July this year.

???

it seems this addresses both the Kenny mod, better colcking, and more flexibility interfacing to other DACs... for about what the Hiface 192 + the Kinney mod does, but more...

Hmmmm.

Pkubica

Gee you're a trouble maker!

it's really gonna piss me off if plugging the Hiface into the DAC and using a longer USB cable sounds better!

My thinking on that was my Oyiade digital cable is shielded and/or constructed better than any USB cable I've seen... so I plug my M2Tech right into the tower and use a 1.3M BNC cable.

the other note was a BNC wire handles transmission of digital info better than does USB.

With a SPDIF RCA connection, perhaps there is something to going with a longer USB wiree.

I've heard/seen online it will work either way.

I suppose too one changes the sound perhaps too by eliminating the SPDIF/BNC cable.

Try it out and let us know... I'd as soon not find out I spent a couple hundred bucks more than I needed to.

After Much moving about, from one OS to another one DAC to another One Coax cable to some others My Hiface (unmodded) landed on my Bedroom system. Feeding directly attached to my Onkyo 805 receiver via a DigiKey BNC to RCA Gold adapter. It is fed from my Vista Laptop via a Belken Gold series USB extension cable. So the Hiface BNC, now RCA, sticks out of my receivers rear panel.

aS I’ve been forced to move much of my main system into my bedroom due to some re-construction efforts, I’m using my main speakers and power filter, power cords, cables, my Odyssey SS Plus amp etc.

the SQ exceeds that of disc playback, STB playback, and rivals that of DVD replay. I’m quite happy with it as is, for what it is it compares favorably with my main setup on many counts. Albeit, my main server is a skosh better overall. It has freed up my Oyaide BNC cable too, which is a real sleeper cable and surpasses anything I’ve heard from SPDIF cables costing several times it’s asking price. It is indeed special. I should perhaps sell my Stereovox wire.

Obsolete does not bug me at all.

I make a point of not allowing any of my equipment to subscribe to, peruse, or crawl the web reviews of new gear!

I also make a point of NOT talking about the latest stuff in their presence!

Not working... broken... burned up... blown up... died... these are a few of my not favorite things.... that really do concern me.

Obsolete used to bother me when I lived on the bleeding edge of technology. I've since retired to a less volitile life style and surely a less expensive one.

if or when it breaks... I will address it then.... like anything else... if I'm able.

Pure Music?

Say what? Is that an iTunes plug in? Or for Macs only?

Yeah... I bet you would have bought the Hiface anyhow... as you would have figured the SQ could be better still, not having experienced the Hiface!

Fried, huh? Amazing.

The PS Audio Duets, UPC 200, and RSA Haley have saved my bacon a few times so far... Early on however, I lost a ph system, one pc, (then, my only PC), and some other low voltage stuff. Lightening hit the phone line/telepohne power line feeding the house. About 70 ft from the house. Felt like it actually hit the house!

Since then, no problems. If it ain't in a filter, I throw the breakers as it's all on dedicated lines... or hit the big blue Duet button.

I am considering yet one more external sound card/USB converter I can run a pc office sound system from. Something to replace or upgrade from my Altec Lansing 2.1 spkr system, and Creative Labs SB Live 24/96 USB card. Which, for the under $200 ?? MSRP, ain't a bad deal at all.

I've gotten immense fun out of them for some time now.

OK.. yeah, I saw some notes of it online in a review.

FUBAR & JR MC utilize similar concepts for replay. MC does allow for the from memory option, and both allow for ways to avoid the Windows sound mixer via ASIO, WASAPI, & Kernal Streaming measures, now there is a WASAPI event choice too, and of course the Direct Sound.

But I'm always on the look out for a better mouse trap. Albeit, with the right settings, JR MC 15 and FUBAR (latest ver) enable bit true replay, and no need for rearranging the bit rates or depths as you go. Play any file type in any playlist or randomly accessed, regardless the sampling rate file type, etc. The app does all the work... once it's setup properly.

Good to know anyhow... thanks.

Now about a decent USB card that ain't way pricey!?