Yes you can turn off the weird auto shutdown feature. I forget how as I've only done it once but it's in the manual.

I think that maybe SMSL has confused some on the filter selections. All dacs have a filter. As I understand it, as years have passed, these filters have been updated to provide a better map for translating the digital signal to analog. Most dacs don't offer a selection of these filters as...

7 weeks in and still loving my M8.  My hodgepodge setup is:   PC->Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium HD->optical->SMSL M8->Yamaha CR-2040->CV dx9's   I've heard others talk about how hot the unit gets.  Mine stays cool.  I guess maybe because I just use optical thus not having to power the XMOS usb...

Firefox notified me that there was malicious software on the site as well, but I'm using optical so didn't try to download it.  I don't know if there is a registry that all these companies subscribe to in order to black list the site or if they are actually detecting something.  My guess is that...

  I wouldn't dis too hard on the Soundblaster line unless you've already tried the X-Fi Titanium HD and/or ZxR cards.  With those, they really upped their game over the only other card of theirs I had, the X-Fi Fatal1ty.   I've just received my SMSL M8 from Massdrop today.  No driver install...

Ahh thanks but nevermind.  I contacted their tech support and found that the USB is the only IN and everything else was an out, including the Optical.   I'll be looking for a like unit with an optical in so I can get my sound card's output.   http://i.imgur.com/O9Bi4pv.jpg?1

Hey gents I just picked up one of these things.  Detected fine on the USB but what if I want to use the optical?  Is it still supposed to get power from USB?

Oh man am I ever sorry I missed this one!   Gratz to the winners!  And thanks to TeamHiFiMan for doing this! 

Same cans I got dude!  Mine aren't broken but I've never been happy with them really.   If you got that kinda budget, then I'd have to try the HD600/650's.  Just saw some 650's on Amazon yesterday for $423.   As for me, I think I'm going to try something less expensive like maybe some...

You don't have to worry about it as it's just total digital USB transport level at this point (jeez don't give the mfg's ideas).  Just figure out what kinda slot you have available (pci or pci-e), and try to find a card with 4 ports & doesn't require addl. power.

Yeah man,.. even Soundblaster's Titanium HD is only like $120,.. and it'll make your speakers scream!  Which slot do you want to use though?  Can you use that PCI-Ex2 or is it too close to the video card?  You've got that one PCI slot on this micro board.  Hell if it were down to that, you might...