[louderthebetter]

Whats wrong with CEntrance? Either they have complete disregard for how customers feel and do not know the meaning of word "Promise" or just dumb.
They have collected around 160 grand. Why can't they send someone to china?( Whole trip will cost 2 grand)
How long they are going to use "stuck in customs" excuse?
They promised iPhone 6 skyn by Christmas and they are not even trying.
I have never come across such an inefficient and dishonest company in my not so long experience with high end audio.
We will have to come up with a new thread to wake them up from this slumber.
They did respond quickly to CEntrance Hifi Skyn scam thread.

 

[jeliotb]

Originally Posted by louderthebetter /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I have never come across such an inefficient and dishonest company in my not so long experience with high end audio.

 
The longer you're around this hobby, the more you'll see like this. Some names you might "enjoy" Googling:
 
LH Labs
AV123 and Mark Schifter (convicted of actual felonies related to the operation of his company)
Tweak City Audio and Craig Chase (who since started and then left another questionably operated company)
Epik Subwoofers
 
I'd add Audio Alchemy to the list in their original incarnation, but there were no issues with design or manufacture there. The company collapsed very suddenly, and there were whispers of embezzlement. Reliable information on what happened to that company is VERY hard to come by.
 
CEntrance has demonstrated at least a few actual shipments of the Skyn, and their products have not caught fire in customer homes, putting them ahead of pretty much everyone on this list.

 

[ExpatinJapan]

My early impressions:
 
 
Centrance Hifi-Skyn.
 

 
http://headpie.blogspot.jp/…/centrance-hifi-skyn-early-impr…

Impressions from first few days of casual listening with about ten hours of use (not a final full review).

 

*DITA-The Truth, ATH-CK10 and ATH-ESW11.
*Ipod touch 6G 128GB, Flacplayer and relisten apps.

 
Hifi Skyn is what I have become to be accustomed to from Centrance. 
A robust, solid and clean build is noticeable in the unit.

The Skyn has three levels of gain - IEMs, line out and over the ear headphones. 3.5mm headphone jack, charging and on/off LED lights and a power on/off switch. It also comes with a small flat rubber insert to be used with ipod touches for a good fit, iphone users need not worry - I did lose it one day and several pieces of folded paper did the same trick.

 



 
The sound is also what might be termed the in house Centrance sound: uncolored and flat in the sense it isn`t boosted in the lows, mids or highs leaving the user to decide how they would like their music to sound by choosing an appropriate pair of headphones or using one of the music player OS apps with EQ. I generally stick to using no EQ.

I have the gain switch set in the middle position as that is also the setting I preferred on the Centrance Mini-M8 and also the Hifi-M8.

My early sound impressions have been positive. It certainly is uncolored. I have some recordings which aren`t as well mastered and the Skyn has been quite unforgiving on them, in that it has played those recordings back so the flaws are easily noticeable.
Decent mastered tracks are rewarding to listen to, and enjoyable.
On my daily commute by train I have found it to be a trusty companion allowing myself to be lost within the music and not searching for technical faults with the device itself.

The sound is full, with a decent separation of instruments, highs are where you expect them to be and not sibilant, drums are recreated with realism and vocals are well balanced within the music itself and not forward as on some devices.

 



 
All in all my early impressions are positive, as of yet I have not run the battery dry by my OCD need to routine charge but will do so for the full review eventually.

It feels weight wise well balanced, the covering is soft and firm and seems to provide an adequate grip to the device.

More to come...

Kind regards
expatinjapan 
for www.headpie.blogspot.com

 

[louderthebetter]

   
The longer you're around this hobby, the more you'll see like this. Some names you might "enjoy" Googling:
 
LH Labs
AV123 and Mark Schifter (convicted of actual felonies related to the operation of his company)
Tweak City Audio and Craig Chase (who since started and then left another questionably operated company)
Epik Subwoofers
 
I'd add Audio Alchemy to the list in their original incarnation, but there were no issues with design or manufacture there. The company collapsed very suddenly, and there were whispers of embezzlement. Reliable information on what happened to that company is VERY hard to come by.
 
CEntrance has demonstrated at least a few actual shipments of the Skyn, and their products have not caught fire in customer homes, putting them ahead of pretty much everyone on this list.

Thanks 
First experience with crowdfunding, definitely last

 

[coastal1]

I finally received my device after the long anticipation so it pains me to not give this a listen, but have decided $ is better put towards Christmas this year and have listed my Ipod Touch/iPhone 5S model in the classifieds (brand new in box).

 

[jeliotb]

November 18:

This situation cannot go on forever. I expect that this will be resolved by XMAS

Today:

Meantime, the approval lab business is driving us nuts. I'm planning to get on the plane to China in early January and just hand-deliver the units to the lab.

A few days ago, the lab supposedly was refusing it because of a $30 customs fee. So is mentioning hand-delivery another round of blaming Customs? Or the lab?

 

[ghostchili]

At this point I'm not wondering if I should just wait until I get my iPhone 6 Plus replacement. I did pay for 2 amp extremes though. How long would my 2nd amp be available for? I wanted to get one for my 6 plus then use the 2nd for the 7.

 

[mark1993]

Has anyone thought about a hack to make skyn work with a laptop? ( mac or windows)

 

[sheldaze]

  Has anyone thought about a hack to make skyn work with a laptop? ( mac or windows)

Until I have a Skÿn in hand, I cannot say for sure. But it is my understanding that the DACport HD has the same parts, other than the battery.

 

[JerseyD]

Ha. More people would probably be interested in a hack to make the DacPort HD work with an iPhone!

 

[DrSheep]

Ha. More people would probably be interested in a hack to make the DacPort HD work with a iPhone!

Try that with the CCK or maybe a powered hub perhaps?

 

[DrSheep]

As far as I know the USB port for the Skyn is for charging only.

 

[BB 808]

  Has anyone thought about a hack to make skyn work with a laptop? ( mac or windows)

It would probably be better to get something else with a more convenient connection...
But if you're really desparate or you're feeling like Dr. Frankenstein or MacGyver...you start with a female lightning connector cable like this to connect your Skyn to an iPad.  You will need another cable to attach to that to connect it via USB to your laptop.  With all this going on, you probably would not be able to utilize the DAC, but maybe you can try it out and let us know.

 

[tylerchris]

At this point I'm not wondering if I should just wait until I get my iPhone 6 Plus replacement. I did pay for 2 amp extremes though. How long would my 2nd amp be available for? I wanted to get one for my 6 plus then use the 2nd for the 7.

That's an interesting question - given all the drama over this project, I wonder if it's effected CEntrance's desire to keep making these for future iPhone generations (ie. iPhone 7)? I had forgotten that there was a perk in the early days to get 2 Skyns and "bank" one for a future iPhone release.
 
Given all the R&D that's already gone into the product, I would think it would make sense to keep it going in the future, but who knows?
 
The latest update re: delays in the Chinese lab approval tests for the 6/6+ are definitely unfortunate. If Michael does end up flying them over to China personally, hopefully he can do both the 6 and 6+ at the same time (if I recall, in a previous update, he had only sent the 6+ to get tested?). If these don't get approved by early Jan, it might start creeping into Chinese New Year, which I think China takes a week+ off for holiday.  

 

[DrSheep]

Guys, my review over at HeadPie is out:
 
http://headpie.blogspot.jp/2015/12/centrance-hifi-skyn-review-by-dr-sheep.html
 
It is more for "gen pop", if you want details, ask away.