[InsanityOne]

Hello Everyone,
 
My apologies for double posting, but I just had a quick question for those of you who use the Mini-M8 with a Desktop / Laptop PC as a source (USB). I followed all of the instructions to get it setup properly, I am using a dedicated USB 2.0 port on my laptop as well as Foobar2000 with the ASIO output component and the latest CEntrance Universal Driver. But for some reason, whenever I am listening to music and surfing the web I get weird audio skips and crackles when I'm loading webpages or switching tabs. But when I am doing nothing / very light tasks on my laptop I get ZERO skips / crackles what-so-ever. Any ideas?
 
P.S. - I am on a Windows 10 PC and I did follow CEntrances instructions for installing the driver on a Windows 10 PC.
P.P.S. - When doing zero / light tasks on the laptop I get ZERO skips / crackles when having the latency at 1ms via. the Driver Control Panel. But when doing more / heavy tasks on the laptop I even get skips with the latency at 20ms via. the Driver Control Panel.
 
Edit: Upon further inspection it appears that I cannot get any sound from Windows at all. Only from Foobar2000. Odd.
Edit2: Completely uninstalled / re-installed the driver and then Windows Audio worked but Foobar2000 reported "Playback Error: ASIO Buffers Could Not Be Created." Then Windows Audio stopped working again.
Edit 3: Windows Audio is not working due to Foobar2000 taking "exclusive" control of the audio outputs on the laptop due to the ASIO driver. This means that only Foobar2000 can transmit audio to the Mini-M8. Supposedly this "exclusivity" is supposed to stop (and allow Windows Audio) if you close Foobar2000 or reset its output back to default. But that doesn't solve the issue.
 
Thanks!
 
- InsanityOne 

 

 

[TheDreamthinker]

Hey everyone,
I am wondering why the Mini M8 is receiving so little coverage in comparison to its big brother.
 
Currently building a portable rig from scratch. I mainly rely on IEMs and don't need that degree of power - so the Mini M8 seemed like a good option.
I am confused about why the Mini M8 (as a IEM DAP/AMP) still produces a lot of hiss. How bad is it? How black is the backdrop?
 
Considering a iPod Classic 160GB -> Mini M8 -> (currently) ER4s

• I know there won't be a problem with the ER4s, but for future proofing and potential new purchases (UERM, SD2, ATH R70x, etc.), I am not sure how the hiss will affect the versatility of the rig.
• Also the Mini M8 seems to work with iDevices only, so it might become useless if the iPod Classic dies?
• My library is currently mainly 320kbps 16bit - I read the Mini M8 cannot play 16bit files?!

 
As an alternative would be
iPod Classic 160GB -> CL 720 DAP (-> another AMP w/ lower noise floor (for IEMs) ->(currently) ER4s
I would like to avoid this option. Very expensive + Very heavy, but definitely versatile.
 
Do you guys have some experiences in this direction?
Thanks.

 

 

[SDBiotek]

  Hey everyone,
I am wondering why the Mini M8 is receiving so little coverage in comparison to its big brother.
 
Currently building a portable rig from scratch. I mainly rely on IEMs and don't need that degree of power - so the Mini M8 seemed like a good option.
I am confused about why the Mini M8 (as a IEM DAP/AMP) still produces a lot of hiss. How bad is it? How black is the backdrop?
 
Considering a iPod Classic 160GB -> Mini M8 -> (currently) ER4s

• I know there won't be a problem with the ER4s, but for future proofing and potential new purchases (UERM, SD2, ATH R70x, etc.), I am not sure how the hiss will affect the versatility of the rig.
• Also the Mini M8 seems to work with iDevices only, so it might become useless if the iPod Classic dies?
• My library is currently mainly 320kbps 16bit - I read the Mini M8 cannot play 16bit files?!

 
As an alternative would be
iPod Classic 160GB -> CL 720 DAP (-> another AMP w/ lower noise floor (for IEMs) ->(currently) ER4s
I would like to avoid this option. Very expensive + Very heavy, but definitely versatile.
 
Do you guys have some experiences in this direction?
Thanks.

 

I'm not sure if the Mini M8 will work with an iPod Classic. I'd contact CEntrance directly about that before buying. The MiniM8 should work fine with any iOS device, though, but keep in mind that Apple devices have some limitations when used as digital transports (they will not output "full" 24/192, for example). There maybe some exceptions to that, but I'm not that familiar with using Apple devices this way.
 
The Mini M8 is definitely NOT limited to use with iDevices. It will work with almost anything that can output digital via optical or coax, or USB.The only "limitation" is that it cannot be used only as an amp (no analog input).
 
I wouldn't say the Mini has a high noise floor, but I can hear some hiss with a few iems I have. Generally it is not noticeable with music playing. Just keep in mind that very sensitive iems will always be more prone to have hiss issues, and different people have different sensitivity to hiss.
 
It will play 16 bit files just fine. It plays up to 24 bit/192 files.
 
I have no personal experience with the Cypher Labs 720, but I have read about significant noise floor/hiss issues with it.
http://www.head-fi.org/products/cypher-labs-theorem-720-dac-headphone-amplifier

 

[TheDreamthinker]

 
I'm not sure if the Mini M8 will work with an iPod Classic. I'd contact CEntrance directly about that before buying. The MiniM8 should work fine with any iOS device, though, but keep in mind that Apple devices have some limitations when used as digital transports (they will not output "full" 24/192, for example). There maybe some exceptions to that, but I'm not that familiar with using Apple devices this way.
 
The Mini M8 is definitely NOT limited to use with iDevices. It will work with almost anything that can output digital via optical or coax, or USB.The only "limitation" is that it cannot be used only as an amp (no analog input).
 
I wouldn't say the Mini has a high noise floor, but I can hear some hiss with a few iems I have. Generally it is not noticeable with music playing. Just keep in mind that very sensitive iems will always be more prone to have hiss issues, and different people have different sensitivity to hiss.
 
It will play 16 bit files just fine. It plays up to 24 bit/192 files.
 
I have no personal experience with the Cypher Labs 720, but I have read about significant noise floor/hiss issues with it.
http://www.head-fi.org/products/cypher-labs-theorem-720-dac-headphone-amplifier

Thanks for your input.
 
The Mini M8 does have the    on the website, so I supposed that it would work. I can of course ask.
 
Even knowing that there might be hiss, makes me somewhat uncomfortable. Which IEMs are you using that show the hiss? I read earlier in the thread that the UERM is one of the IEMs which exhibit hiss.
I know that no piece of gear is ever absolutely be perfect with everything, but knowing that many people complained about hiss at low gain that early in the MiniM8's life cycle does make me a bit uneasy.
 
Do you happen to have experiences with other DAC/AMP combos?
 
The only piece I have heard people say to be very hiss-free is the Sony PHA-1, but it seem hard to come by and trades low noise floor for weak output (Sony-weakness it seems). 
I am trying to find a piece of gear which can do the middle ground. 
 

 

Future Proof?

The company also claims it is future proof and am going to have to disagree with that statement.  As mentioned it seems like this product was specifically designed for Apple product pairing.  You cannot use this product with RCA cables nor a 3.5 mm input, nor a balanced input.  Your only options are to use this product via a computer USB, coaxial/spdif and lightning, get the various outputs are only 3.5 mm and a four pin balanced hirose typical of Ray Samuels amplifiers.  If I were to call this product future proof, I’d want a number of different inputs other than lightning.  Without a standard headphone input, you cannot classify this product is fully future proof.   I cannot connect the Mini M8 to any normal portable music player, as it is not compatible with 3.5 mm outputs in common audio devices.

Decoding

24-bit 192 kHz is fantastic on the go, and certainly becoming a standard in products like this, however the company designed this dac to be only compatible with ASIO output.  That means if you are a Foobar2000 user who enjoys the extremely high quality and near unbeatable level of high fidelity in the Wasapi output, you are in for a world of hurt.  When selecting music output in your software on your computer, you’ll have to download ASIO.  You cannot use the Mini M8 with any other type of sound codec.  This becomes a real nightmare when your source track is coded in 16-bit, as the stock default for the mandatory Centrance software is 24-bit, you will not be able to listen to his 16-bit track without first selecting either 16-bit mode on that third-party software provided by the company.  (...)

Source: http://headfonics.com/2015/03/the-mini-m8-by-centrance/

- This article is where my confusion stemmed from.

 

[SDBiotek]

  Thanks for your input.
 
The Mini M8 does have the    on the website, so I supposed that it would work. I can of course ask. I'm not 100%sure, but I suspect the compatibility is only with iPod Touch, not the classic (which does not have iOS, unlike the current model iPods, iPhone and iPad).
 
Even knowing that there might be hiss, makes me somewhat uncomfortable. Which IEMs are you using that show the hiss? Mostly I use my Noble iems (K10, Savant, Noble 5). Not sure if these are more or less sensitive than your iems. By the way, where are the lots of reports of hiss with the Mini M8? I made one comment on it a long time ago, but don't remember seeing lots more (at least in this thread.
 
Do you happen to have experiences with other DAC/AMP combos?
Most of my experience with DAC/amp combos is using them with portable players, not with computers. The Leckerton UHA -6S MkII, which I have also owned for a long time, so far has not had any hiss issues with my Noble  or other iems I've tried. I've also tried the ifi Micro iDSD with success.
  - This article is where my confusion stemmed from. I have no personal experience with using this, so unfortunately I can't help you here. From the sound of it, the Mini M8 will play the files, but you will have to make some adjustments in the playback software and make sure to use the required ASIO driver.

 

[TheDreamthinker]

Originally Posted by SDBiotek /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Quote:

  Thanks for your input.
 
The Mini M8 does have the    on the website, so I supposed that it would work. I can of course ask. I'm not 100%sure, but I suspect the compatibility is only with iPod Touch, not the classic (which does not have iOS, unlike the current model iPods, iPhone and iPad).
 
Even knowing that there might be hiss, makes me somewhat uncomfortable. Which IEMs are you using that show the hiss? Mostly I use my Noble iems (K10, Savant, Noble 5). Not sure if these are more or less sensitive than your iems. By the way, where are the lots of reports of hiss with the Mini M8? I made one comment on it a long time ago, but don't remember seeing lots more (at least in this thread.
 
Do you happen to have experiences with other DAC/AMP combos?
Most of my experience with DAC/amp combos is using them with portable players, not with computers. The Leckerton UHA -6S MkII, which I have also owned for a long time, so far has not had any hiss issues with my Noble  or other iems I've tried. I've also tried the ifi Micro iDSD with success.
  - This article is where my confusion stemmed from. I have no personal experience with using this, so unfortunately I can't help you here. From the sound of it, the Mini M8 will play the files, but you will have to make some adjustments in the playback software and make sure to use the required ASIO driver.

 
Thanks for the heads up, i will contact the seller and ask him about it.
 
I just reread the thread a bit and noticed you also mentioning the UHA-6S MKII. How does the MiniM8 compare to the Leckerton, as it also is a DAC/AMP combo? 
EDIT: Just noticed that the Leckerton is also not explicitly said to be compatible with an iPod Classic. 
 
Here are a few examples also on this thread:
 -> I plan on buying a UERM, therefore this statement is especially worrying to me.
 
 
 

 

 

[SDBiotek]

The Leckerton is a great unit, and can be used just as an amp. It doesn't have a balanced output, if it matters to you. It works well with iems. The DAC portion is more limited, but sounds fine even if it doesn't do full high res like the Mini M8).

 

[iridodon]

Hi,
I used the Leckerton as well as centrance hifi m8 with my Ipod classic and customized westones 4R, preferring the hifi m8.
I now switched to ibasso DX50 as player together with mini m8's balanced output to the w4r. This is simply great if it comes to HighRes-Files, and also better than using the ipod as source if not.
The ibasso/mini m8 can also feed my audeze el-8c good enough to enjoy that. In fact, this becomes my favorite combo on travel. Looks like hell, but sounds like heaven. No hiss.
Tried Calyx M as alternative, but ibasso/mini m8 was more emotional. Skipping the mini m8 by using DX 50 (or 90 - tried both) directly shows similar results to the Calyx. Maybe it's due to the ESS dac-chips, which sound kind of boring to me. Music heard ranges from lots of classic (esp. Baroque) and jazz to Johnny Cash and old Genesis.

 

[iridodon]

Edit:
The Leckerton can only be fed with analogue signals from the ipod by a 32-pin connector, while the hifi-m8 reads digitally. Hence, the sound difference between them may rely on the superior DAC of the hifi m8 in contrast to that o the ipod.

 

[manpowre]

I thought to bring life into this thread as I do own a Centrance Mini 8, and I use it with Audeze LCD3 with custom made mini 4pin xlr cable to my LCD3.
 
The mini M8 drives the LCD3 well. Soundstage good and more than good enough for travelling. 
I also tested the dac with my Sennheiser Momentum 2 cabled and oboy isnt it a world of difference compared to a small pocket dac connected to my cell phone.
 
Volume can not be taken very far up though, as the dac doesnt have the power to do that, but if you are a listener that loves medium sound volume, its more than enough.. Volume do go high, just not too high as you can do on a table type amplifier.

 

[dc-k]

I find it works very well with my LCD2 and Alpha Dogs, the sound is great and there's plenty of power for something so portable. I used to take it whenever I went away for more than a night. 
 
I don't use it so much now I have an AK Titan and Glove Audio A1 which is almost like a mini M8 but just for the AK 100/120.

 

[MrMan]

I absolutely LOVED everything about the M8. The only thing I couldn't deal with was you couldn't charge it while using it. After 2 hours it would die and I couldn't use the audio. Does the mini M8 fix this ?

 

[InsanityOne]

  I absolutely LOVED everything about the M8. The only thing I couldn't deal with was you couldn't charge it while using it. After 2 hours it would die and I couldn't use the audio. Does the mini M8 fix this ?

Yes, you can charge it and use it at the same time. I wouldn't recommend it as with any battery operated device it has a chance of damaging the battery over time. But regardless you can do it!
 
InsanityOne 

 

[MrMan]

  Yes, you can charge it and use it at the same time. I wouldn't recommend it as with any battery operated device it has a chance of damaging the battery over time. But regardless you can do it!
 
InsanityOne 

 
So is this something they changed vs the bigger M8 ?

 

[InsanityOne]

Yes I believe so. I have not had any experience with the larger M8, but I have not had any problems or complaints with my Mini-M8. Other than it can be a little noisy depending on what headphones you are using and what source you are using with it. But I think that is a problem that most portable amps suffer from.
 
InsanityOne