Quite an accurate summing up of my experiences with the hifi-m8 to date.
Also the bass/treble switches are Really subtle and well done.
Also the bass/treble switches are Really subtle and well done.
Centrance Hifi-M8 and Hifi-M8 LX (8 versions!) impressions thread
- Thread starter ExpatinJapan
- Start date
The most recent video
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/show-newport-2013-highlight-centrance-hifi-m8
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/show-newport-2013-highlight-centrance-hifi-m8
Got to meet Michael and play around with a HifiM8 at Chifiunifi7 this weekend. The fit and finish are nice (although black screws would be nice). It is bigger than most portable amps, but I think it falls short of being overly so. It was very large in comparison to Ray Samuels newest balanced amp (forget the name at the moment), but for the feature set, I am completely geeked.
The devices at the show weren't setup to be USB DACs so I couldn't test with a laptop or my Note II phone as a transport. All listening was out of Michaels Iphone or Ipod Touch. It was meet conditions, so everything should be taken with a grain of salt, but I got excellent sound out of the M8 with both my HD800s and my balanced Momentums. Impossible to really talk about any real nuance to the sound since I couldn't A/B vs other gear right then and there, and I couldn't use my own test tracks, but everything sounded clean and detailed. Just enough gain on low with the HD800s, enough to blow my eardrums on high. I listened briefly with CEntrance's LCD-2 and I thought there was ample power to get good sound out of them.
I played around a little with the toggles on back, which are highlights for me, even though many aren't talking about them when it comes to valuable features. The bass boost was a welcome option with the HD800s. I tested both levels and I think the first level gives just enough a boost without getting in the way. I didn't test the treble boost with the HD800s (are you crazy?), but I did with the Momentums, which are pleasantly rolled off (can listen for a while day without fatigue). The treble boost added a bit of sparkle without any sharpness or peakiness. I liked it alot.
I couldn't really hear a difference between the impedance levels, but I wasn't using any particularly sensitive IEMs for a demo.
I can't wait to get mine and really run it through it's paces, but at this point, I am fully satisfied with its performance and am happy I preordered.
NOTE: I don't have a ton of experience with high end portable amps. I have listened to several Ray Samuels balanced portable amps though not next to each other. Ray's balanced amps have a ton of gain for full sized headphones, especially for the size, but I feel like they might have been lacking on nuance just a tad. Again, not my music and in meet conditions.
The devices at the show weren't setup to be USB DACs so I couldn't test with a laptop or my Note II phone as a transport. All listening was out of Michaels Iphone or Ipod Touch. It was meet conditions, so everything should be taken with a grain of salt, but I got excellent sound out of the M8 with both my HD800s and my balanced Momentums. Impossible to really talk about any real nuance to the sound since I couldn't A/B vs other gear right then and there, and I couldn't use my own test tracks, but everything sounded clean and detailed. Just enough gain on low with the HD800s, enough to blow my eardrums on high. I listened briefly with CEntrance's LCD-2 and I thought there was ample power to get good sound out of them.
I played around a little with the toggles on back, which are highlights for me, even though many aren't talking about them when it comes to valuable features. The bass boost was a welcome option with the HD800s. I tested both levels and I think the first level gives just enough a boost without getting in the way. I didn't test the treble boost with the HD800s (are you crazy?), but I did with the Momentums, which are pleasantly rolled off (can listen for a while day without fatigue). The treble boost added a bit of sparkle without any sharpness or peakiness. I liked it alot.
I couldn't really hear a difference between the impedance levels, but I wasn't using any particularly sensitive IEMs for a demo.
I can't wait to get mine and really run it through it's paces, but at this point, I am fully satisfied with its performance and am happy I preordered.
NOTE: I don't have a ton of experience with high end portable amps. I have listened to several Ray Samuels balanced portable amps though not next to each other. Ray's balanced amps have a ton of gain for full sized headphones, especially for the size, but I feel like they might have been lacking on nuance just a tad. Again, not my music and in meet conditions.
Thanks for your impressions!
We are getting closer to the time when we will receive our Hifi-m8s.
My pre-order is starting to itch!
We are getting closer to the time when we will receive our Hifi-m8s.
My pre-order is starting to itch!
thegrobe
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Fraggler, thanks for the impressions. Good stuff. When you mentioned “I played around a little with the toggles on back, which are highlights for me, even though many aren't talking about them when it comes to valuable features". Well those are highlights for me as well, I am of the opinion that these will be very useful an welcome features. I can't hardly wait to get this baby into the mix.
Expat- my pre-order was starting to itch as well, but I applied an ointment and it seems to help.
Expat- my pre-order was starting to itch as well, but I applied an ointment and it seems to help.
Thanks for the impression.
The tonal knobs are one of reason I pre-order and sound really promising with HD800. Now you get me started to think about buying back the HD800 with bass boost on.
The tonal knobs are one of reason I pre-order and sound really promising with HD800. Now you get me started to think about buying back the HD800 with bass boost on.
aamefford
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Fraggler - thank you. Very encouraging. I am very curious about the switches. Done well, they will be an awesome addition. I have yet to experience tone shaping done well on a headphone amp, so my expectations are still low. My hopes, however, are high!
i was impressed with the bass/lows-treble/highs switches.
To recap they are flat, +, ++.
They are very subtle and can be viewed as enhancements, there are no sharp jumps, no `MOAR BASS BOOST BRO!` to be seen.
It is very gentle on both the low and high switches. So gentle it is even hard to make it I might hesitate to mention, or perhaps its just well design that it fits into the already existing structure rather than super imposing itself over top.
Anyone expecting to be beat boxing super bass around town will be disappointed, If you are looking for well made enhancements to the existing well recording track you are listening to you will be happy.
*edit
To recap they are flat, +, ++.
They are very subtle and can be viewed as enhancements, there are no sharp jumps, no `MOAR BASS BOOST BRO!` to be seen.
It is very gentle on both the low and high switches. So gentle it is even hard to make it I might hesitate to mention, or perhaps its just well design that it fits into the already existing structure rather than super imposing itself over top.
Anyone expecting to be beat boxing super bass around town will be disappointed, If you are looking for well made enhancements to the existing well recording track you are listening to you will be happy.
*edit
elnero
Headphoneus Supremus
Quote:
Is that a minus I see in there? I had been under the impression it was only flat, +, ++ which I was a bit disappointed about.
Is that a minus I see in there? I had been under the impression it was only flat, +, ++ which I was a bit disappointed about.
my bad sorry.
I wrote flat as - which i now see as misleading.
So flat, + and ++ would be more accurate.
(No minus).
ButtUglyJeff
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Quote:
That's great, the RX Mk3 has one of the best bass enhancement I have heard in the portable amp. So if the Centrance resemble that, I am be really happy. I have to give up the MK3 as it is a really warm amp and the added bass boost make it even more so, I am really glad Mike include that Treble knob in the M8 to compensate for the warmth..
I starting to get the pre-order itch as I type. Gotta apply some ointment too..
That's great, the RX Mk3 has one of the best bass enhancement I have heard in the portable amp. So if the Centrance resemble that, I am be really happy. I have to give up the MK3 as it is a really warm amp and the added bass boost make it even more so, I am really glad Mike include that Treble knob in the M8 to compensate for the warmth..
I starting to get the pre-order itch as I type. Gotta apply some ointment too..
Yes, it could be compared favorably to the bass knob on the alo mk3 from my experience.
Very subtle, gradual and seamless.
Very subtle, gradual and seamless.
Photos taken with my Lumia 920
ButtUglyJeff
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^^^ Did you get a good listen? Please do share any impressions...
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