Purchased it 2020. Never made a head gear post for it.
It does not have a cold tonality. Warm organic presentation. Organic as in "not dark in the treble, yet forgiving somehow".
Track with normally harsh voices get softened on tracks. My reference track is Chun Li- Nikki Minaj.
Treble details do not become sibilant like cold tonality dacs. It has airy extension, but it forgiving in the lower treble/upper-mids area.
The real standinf-out factor is the bass extension I get with this dac/amp. The subtle hidden subbass in Kill Jill- Big Boi is presented well with no 1-note bass distortion. It actually gets defined as a rumbly wave. (time point 1:30 and 3:00 minute in song).
Gain switch is really small difference between low-medium-high on the single-ended output. You'll notice a greater power jump in the 4.4mm balanced output.
There is some usb type noise that comes through the output after 80/100 on the volume pot. It is dead quiet before 79 though. It is sudden. You will not need to go this loud as this device has a lot of power. 80/100 is beyond listening volume. Might benefit to have an Intona 7055-C on hand or such device; though if your connected source isn't noisy then it won't be needed.
Oh volume knob is the kind that solidly clicks as you move it. Not a smooth attenuator, but a digital knob. The knob will not change position as you carry it around.
Does not compress the 3d depth plane of songs. Like some cheaper implemented dacs. But in terms of width it isn't as great as its depth, almost feels like there is a crossfeed active.
Device is very very portable. Is light and the size of my Hiby R6 Pro dap. Gets hot with use, but that is expected with running off a battery. Build quality is great and confidence assuring. I guess the opamps are implemented to function in Class-A?
Other sources:
M400 got a less warm tonality compared to the Hiby R6 Pro. Though you can alter the R6 Pro with the global mseb. M400 is more reasonable.
The m400, subjectively to me, equivalent in enjoyment to my Chord Hugo 2. Hugo2 is more nuetral dry sounding compared to the M400. M400 being more organic & forgiving in its play on nuetral.
Hugo2 of course wins with the non-FR stuff like the exaggerated Chord Hugo imaging/seperation. That some people find uncanny.
Box it came in:
Can charge with any USB-A charger, but it also came with one:
Came with a Apple lightning to usb-C cable! Apple ready.
Used attached to a smaller dap as a music file source. Works with phones too of course.
Love the look of this unit, and that useful small (OLED?) screen... beaut.
thankyou
Also ’love’ how the word COAX has been abbreviated to COX. Can I buy a vowel? (not picking, it ‘fits’ and it is obvious what it is.....)