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The Centrance HiFi M8 thread

post #1 of 2294
8/15/12 at 10:03am
Thread Starter 

http://centrance.com/products/new/blog/

 

So guys, despite the huge number of portable sources, there really hasn't been many fully powered DACs from a single manufacturer(if I'm not wrong most of them still draw USB power). However, Centrance's HiFi M8 promises to change the game with a fully powered DAC. I think its about time a acclaimed manufacturer comes in with a portable DAC. What do you guys think?

 

I might be getting one(when I get the cash /student/). Subjective or objective, I think most will agree(myself included) that centrance products sound good and measure well. I do hope the new product will come with a line out and not just be a DACport with batteries. Having a 1 ohm out default will be nice too :)

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post #2 of 2294
8/16/12 at 1:07pm

Thank you for your interest and for wonderful comments about our products. I can assure you that 1 Ohm output impedance will be available. The other things we will announced very soon.

 

What would you be using a line output for? Just curious...
 

Michael


Edited by mgoodman - 8/16/12 at 1:11pm
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post #3 of 2294
8/16/12 at 7:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mgoodman View Post

Thank you for your interest and for wonderful comments about our products. I can assure you that 1 Ohm output impedance will be available. The other things we will announced very soon.

 

What would you be using a line output for? Just curious...
 

Michael

line output would be nice for speakers would be nice but not necessary for a mobile product :) You could try it by putting a bypass switch for the line out perhaps? 

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post #4 of 2294
8/21/12 at 5:19am

http://centrance.com/products/new/blog/2012/08/20/balanced-outputs/

So it looks like it's going to be a portable DAC with a balanced headphone amp in one package.

I wonder what the inputs are. USB, line-in and SPDIF?

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post #5 of 2294
8/21/12 at 6:24am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by bayac View Post

http://centrance.com/products/new/blog/2012/08/20/balanced-outputs/

So it looks like it's going to be a portable DAC with a balanced headphone amp in one package.

I wonder what the inputs are. USB, line-in and SPDIF?

I think most likely it be usb, because as a product for hifi on the go, usb is fast becoming a popular option, especially with many getting devices with usb host(Samsung galaxy s3). Spdif and optical are less likely because not many portable devices support them.

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post #6 of 2294
8/24/12 at 8:03am
Thread Starter 

http://centrance.com/products/new/blog/2012/08/22/unbalanced-outputs/

 

Looks like the M8 will be sporting dual combo jacks, I wonder what will the form factor of this portable product be like, looks to me like a little smaller than Focusrite's Scarlett 2i2.

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post #7 of 2294
8/25/12 at 2:45am

I can't help wondering why they don't just use a single 4-pin XLR socket and separate TRS socket. It would take the same or less space and be closer to what is more common headphones these days.

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post #8 of 2294
8/25/12 at 3:05am
Dual xlr3 has advantages:
1. Two jack outputs (different Zout)
2. XLR3 connectors are readily available in the professional field.
3. You can use existing microphone cables as LONG headphone extensions.
4. Two mono cables are still better than one stereo cable. If you're going to bother with balanced headphones, go all the way.
5. You can use TRS balanced cables.
Edited by eugenius - 8/25/12 at 3:27am
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post #9 of 2294
8/25/12 at 7:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by eugenius View Post

Dual xlr3 has advantages:
1. Two jack outputs (different Zout)
2. XLR3 connectors are readily available in the professional field.
3. You can use existing microphone cables as LONG headphone extensions.
4. Two mono cables are still better than one stereo cable. If you're going to bother with balanced headphones, go all the way.
5. You can use TRS balanced cables.


erm this is a portable device, dual 3 pins is strange, 2 x 3 pin XLR jacks alone is as big as most of the portable dacs available. crosstalk with a properly designed balanced device will be cancelled to within reasonable limits, you know, because its balanced and any error (crosstalk) would be common mode error....

 

2. XLR3 connectors are readily available in the professional field.

 

XLR4 connectors are just as available from the very same manufacturers as the 3 pins in use in pro audio

 

3. You can use existing microphone cables as LONG headphone extensions.

 

and why would one want to do that with a portable device?

 

4. Two mono cables are still better than one stereo cable. If you're going to bother with balanced headphones, go all the way.

 

no, no they arent, any miniscule crosstalk is meaningless in the greater scheme of things and fades in comparison to the advantages of using a single connector. using 2 x 3 pin XLR for headphones was an odd choice to begin with and even more odd now IMO

 

5. You can use TRS balanced cables.

 

again, why would you want to do that? to remove the ability to tightly couple the signal pair? phono is completely unsuitable for balanced and is at best a compromise

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post #10 of 2294
8/25/12 at 8:14am

even better would be a lemo or 4 pin mini XLR, which are also commonly available from neutrik, switchcraft and others. however I understand the wish to keep to somewhat of a standard, well guess what? 4 pin XLR is the new standard and is finally gaining widespread acceptance, forward thinking companies with new products should really be considering it as the way forward.

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post #11 of 2294
8/25/12 at 8:53am
Translation: a device that's made to be easy to use for pro audio has no place in my limited audiophile world ... smily_headphones1.gif
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post #12 of 2294
8/25/12 at 9:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by eugenius View Post

Translation: a device that's made to be easy to use for pro audio has no place in my limited audiophile world ... smily_headphones1.gif

 

no, a device that is made with silly OLD audiophile headphone standards has no place in my logical and practical forward thinking world, particularly if its supposed to be portable

 

ask a pro whether he would prefer one headphone connector to 2, anyone who has the power to choose their connector these days and for some time now, will choose 1 x 4 pin. 2 x 3 pin is hardly a pro headphone standard. he will choose 1 x 4 pin for exactly the same reason as he is choosing 1 x 4 terminal speakon jack for his biamped studio or pro stage monitors, it takes up less room on a rack and causes far less headaches. you are the closed minded audiophile here


Edited by qusp - 8/25/12 at 9:10am
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post #13 of 2294
8/25/12 at 1:57pm
LOL, the pro you presume to know uses those xlr's to to drive cables not headphones. Anyway ... my dacport is good.
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post #14 of 2294
8/25/12 at 7:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eugenius View Post

LOL, the pro you presume to know uses those xlr's to to drive cables not headphones. Anyway ... my dacport is good.


umm, hahaha, your not making any sense, you remember what thread we are in right?  is this line above suppose to somehow dispute what I said? it would seem so, but i'm finding it difficult to find the link. do you read before replying? the underlined part is exactly what I said, but somehow you seem to be trying to argue, lame. this product, the one in this thread is talking about balanced HEADPHONES and 2 x 3 pin is IMO an outmoded idea that was NEVER taken on in the pro field for headphones and IMO a strange choice for a home device, let alone a portable device. I dont expect you to understand at this stage, youve brought up some points, which I have disputed, since then youve been talking nonsense.

 

what i'm saying is, given the choice for connecting balanced headphones, ask an engineer or performer whether they would prefer one or 2 connectors, they will pick one, check out the racks at your next gig thats using active crossovers and notice the speakons, if there is 4 wires they will use a 4 pole, if there is 8 they will use an 8 pole, its what is driving the creation of these connectors, not audiophiles

 

XLRs today in studios are for connecting balanced ADCs, DACs, Mixers and microphones, not just to drive long cable runs. a cable is not balanced, a cable is neither here nor there.


Edited by qusp - 8/25/12 at 7:52pm
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post #15 of 2294
8/25/12 at 7:44pm

It all depends whether this is intended to be a truly portable device, or a transportable one. If the former, then you may as well ditch the huge XLR sockets altogether and just do what RSA and ALO have done with their balanced portables.  If the latter, 4-pin XLR is more common, dual 3-pin XLRs being the result of the original HeadRoom Blockhead, which was two mono amps in one chassis, hence the separate headphone sockets used.

 

It takes only 5-10 mins to re-cable a pair of headphones with a 4-pin XLR plug too. 

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