I was looking at DACs in the price range of 100€ to 150€ to use with my Objective 2 headphone amplifier. Objective DAC and USB powered Modi 2 were the two I narrowed it down to. Both at arroud 125€ in Europe. But the ODAC (revB) only goes up to 24/96 so that meant a lot of downsampleing, the USB powered Modi 2 had reports of USB noise, or at least the first Modi did.
Then I saw the M2 Tech HiFace DAC which retails for 150€ to 190€, but used at half the price. There is not a lot of reviews of this DAC online, but still in most of those reviews the main downside is the build.
Packaging:
The box it comes in is roughly 100x135x40 mm, it has a sleeve around it with the graphics and on the back a hand written serial number. The same one is also hand written on the device. Inside there is a white box. When you open it up there is foam, in fact there is foam all around the DAC so you can kick the box and the HiFace DAC would be safe. I did not get any papers inside, but I bought it used so I am not sure if it originally came with any papers.
Build:
It feels like a cheap 88x14x20 mm orange USB stick with a thin plastic housing. The plastic 3.5 mm output is sturdy and it will securely hold you plug in. The writing is actually stickers, this goes fort he front and the back, the one in the back is not applied on straight. On the back it says MADE IN ITALY, right next to this there is the hand written serial number. And above it says DOWNLOAD MANUAL FROM WWW.M2TECH.BIZ, so maybe there was not supposed to be any documentation with the device after all. The previous owner did open the device because there is marks from a screwdriver on the seem. So now the two plastic halves do not align and the DAC squeaks when you squeeze it.
Some specifications:
Taken from www.m2tech.biz website.
Input USB 2.0 Audio Format
Output stereo analog
Sampling Frequency
44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4khz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz
Resolution
16 up to 32 bit
Output voltage:
2.0Vrms @10kOhms
Frequency response:
5-22kHz (fs=44.1kHz)
5-150kHz (fs=384kHz)
THD+N:
112dB (@ 1kHz, A-weighted)
Weight:
20gr approx.
In use:
On Linux, you plug it in, select the output device and it works. On windows it is the same, but if you want to go beyond 24/96 you need drivers. You download them from the website www.m2tech.biz and it is 1.5MB in size. Then install, select your preferences and you are set. It only takes a few minutes. I tested all the advertised sampling rates and frequencies, they all work with no problem or extra settings. I have this DAC for 6 months now and all that time it has been plugged in my PC. There were only three times it stopped working. I just unplugged it, plugged it back in and it worked again. So I would say it is reliable and extremely easy to use. It also does not get warm. If you touch it with cold hands you can just feel some warmth. So cool operation.
Sound:
Tested on Sennheiser HD580, HD215 and Takstar ts-671 and the Objective2. After getting this DAC I noticed how much the Sennheiser HD215 and Takstar ts-671 lack behind the Sennheiser HD580. Listening to the three with no DAC, they sounded pretty similar, but with the M2 Tech HiFace DAC, the HD580 is just clearer, more detailed, less muddy than the other two. Bas salso improved on the HD580, not in quantity, but in quality. The sound is just pleasurable. And when listening to the HD215 or ts-671 there is just something missing.
In general the DAC is detailed, I would say there are more highs than lows. But at the same time the sound is not fatiguing, you can listen to it for extended periods of time. The vocals always come to the front. By this I mean when someone starts singing, it is the main portion of the sound and the instruments get less noticeable. The bass is just enough for me, I do not like a lot of bass, and here you hear it when you are supposed to hear it, so it does not overpower anything. Therefore the DAC is flat, leaning slightly towards highs.
Or I am describing my amplifier and headphones, because good DACs do not have a sound?? Check the reviews for the HD580 and the Objective2 and then asses if the sound I described here is to your liking. There are a lot of reviews for both.
Use as a DAC/AMP:
This is also advertised and yes it does work. My HD580 gets slightly to loud on already loud songs bust slightly below listening levels on quieter songs. For my taste at least. I listen to music at slightly lower volumes, so I assume for most it would be slightly to underpowered. It does change the sound a little. The bass is more in quantity, less highs and there is less detail all around. I used it with no amplifier just a few times so that may not be entirely accurate. But the feature is there and it works just perfectly if you want to use it like that.
Imaging and soundstage:
The horizontal sounds coming from the front sound like they are coming from in between your ears, and not from in front of you. You have to focus picturing the performer in front of you to move the sound slightly forward in your head. But really the sound is coming from in between your ears.
From the left, right and rear, horizontal sounds come from around you. By this I mean you can hear how far an instrument or performer is away from you.
Vertical sounds, for example in test tracks with a single instrument changing heights, you can clearly hear the height of the instrument. This also holds true fort he front.
Noise:
With the volume maxed out on my Objective2 (on high gain of 6.5X or 16dB) with nothing playing and making sure nothing is going to play, so I do not blow out my ears, there is no noise, no buzzing, no nothing, absolutely quiet.
Conclusion:
A few main points. The M2 Tech HiFace DAC is plug and play on Linux, on Windows it takes a few minutes of your time install the 1.5MB driver. After that it just works, but only stereo.
The sound is detailed, with more highs than lows but at the same time not fatiguing. The bass is detailed but less in quantity, you hear it when you are supposed to hear it.
The only downside is the build quality and the lack of additional inputs and outputs. But for my use not an issue.
The value is high if you can find it used for less than 90€. For the retail price I would recommend you look at something else.
Then I saw the M2 Tech HiFace DAC which retails for 150€ to 190€, but used at half the price. There is not a lot of reviews of this DAC online, but still in most of those reviews the main downside is the build.
Packaging:
The box it comes in is roughly 100x135x40 mm, it has a sleeve around it with the graphics and on the back a hand written serial number. The same one is also hand written on the device. Inside there is a white box. When you open it up there is foam, in fact there is foam all around the DAC so you can kick the box and the HiFace DAC would be safe. I did not get any papers inside, but I bought it used so I am not sure if it originally came with any papers.
Build:
It feels like a cheap 88x14x20 mm orange USB stick with a thin plastic housing. The plastic 3.5 mm output is sturdy and it will securely hold you plug in. The writing is actually stickers, this goes fort he front and the back, the one in the back is not applied on straight. On the back it says MADE IN ITALY, right next to this there is the hand written serial number. And above it says DOWNLOAD MANUAL FROM WWW.M2TECH.BIZ, so maybe there was not supposed to be any documentation with the device after all. The previous owner did open the device because there is marks from a screwdriver on the seem. So now the two plastic halves do not align and the DAC squeaks when you squeeze it.
Some specifications:
Taken from www.m2tech.biz website.
Input USB 2.0 Audio Format
Output stereo analog
Sampling Frequency
44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4khz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz
Resolution
16 up to 32 bit
Output voltage:
2.0Vrms @10kOhms
Frequency response:
5-22kHz (fs=44.1kHz)
5-150kHz (fs=384kHz)
THD+N:
112dB (@ 1kHz, A-weighted)
Weight:
20gr approx.
In use:
On Linux, you plug it in, select the output device and it works. On windows it is the same, but if you want to go beyond 24/96 you need drivers. You download them from the website www.m2tech.biz and it is 1.5MB in size. Then install, select your preferences and you are set. It only takes a few minutes. I tested all the advertised sampling rates and frequencies, they all work with no problem or extra settings. I have this DAC for 6 months now and all that time it has been plugged in my PC. There were only three times it stopped working. I just unplugged it, plugged it back in and it worked again. So I would say it is reliable and extremely easy to use. It also does not get warm. If you touch it with cold hands you can just feel some warmth. So cool operation.
Sound:
Tested on Sennheiser HD580, HD215 and Takstar ts-671 and the Objective2. After getting this DAC I noticed how much the Sennheiser HD215 and Takstar ts-671 lack behind the Sennheiser HD580. Listening to the three with no DAC, they sounded pretty similar, but with the M2 Tech HiFace DAC, the HD580 is just clearer, more detailed, less muddy than the other two. Bas salso improved on the HD580, not in quantity, but in quality. The sound is just pleasurable. And when listening to the HD215 or ts-671 there is just something missing.
In general the DAC is detailed, I would say there are more highs than lows. But at the same time the sound is not fatiguing, you can listen to it for extended periods of time. The vocals always come to the front. By this I mean when someone starts singing, it is the main portion of the sound and the instruments get less noticeable. The bass is just enough for me, I do not like a lot of bass, and here you hear it when you are supposed to hear it, so it does not overpower anything. Therefore the DAC is flat, leaning slightly towards highs.
Or I am describing my amplifier and headphones, because good DACs do not have a sound?? Check the reviews for the HD580 and the Objective2 and then asses if the sound I described here is to your liking. There are a lot of reviews for both.
Use as a DAC/AMP:
This is also advertised and yes it does work. My HD580 gets slightly to loud on already loud songs bust slightly below listening levels on quieter songs. For my taste at least. I listen to music at slightly lower volumes, so I assume for most it would be slightly to underpowered. It does change the sound a little. The bass is more in quantity, less highs and there is less detail all around. I used it with no amplifier just a few times so that may not be entirely accurate. But the feature is there and it works just perfectly if you want to use it like that.
Imaging and soundstage:
The horizontal sounds coming from the front sound like they are coming from in between your ears, and not from in front of you. You have to focus picturing the performer in front of you to move the sound slightly forward in your head. But really the sound is coming from in between your ears.
From the left, right and rear, horizontal sounds come from around you. By this I mean you can hear how far an instrument or performer is away from you.
Vertical sounds, for example in test tracks with a single instrument changing heights, you can clearly hear the height of the instrument. This also holds true fort he front.
Noise:
With the volume maxed out on my Objective2 (on high gain of 6.5X or 16dB) with nothing playing and making sure nothing is going to play, so I do not blow out my ears, there is no noise, no buzzing, no nothing, absolutely quiet.
Conclusion:
A few main points. The M2 Tech HiFace DAC is plug and play on Linux, on Windows it takes a few minutes of your time install the 1.5MB driver. After that it just works, but only stereo.
The sound is detailed, with more highs than lows but at the same time not fatiguing. The bass is detailed but less in quantity, you hear it when you are supposed to hear it.
The only downside is the build quality and the lack of additional inputs and outputs. But for my use not an issue.
The value is high if you can find it used for less than 90€. For the retail price I would recommend you look at something else.
