[Edwood]

  Seems to me, the new FW sounds a little warm and some detail is lost.
 

 
Try turning off Digital Bypass Filter in the Settings menu.  It is on by default in 1.085b

 

[y2jdmbfan]

This c
the card is known as the standard classic card and yours is the lastest version based on the marking on the card which is same as I bought this classic card from hifiman directly.

You should also try take out your battery and insert back and try charging after turned green for a couple of hour. Or u can try to discharge the battery and re charge to full again. I usually charge it a couple of hour initially after turning green during mid night. Pls also ensure the player is fully switched off before one let it fir charging and that is important.

Rgds,

 
Well it appears I may have a bad battery, or defective unit, it was on the charger for 10 hours today, and I came home tried to play some flac, alac, and mp3 files and I got about 20 minutes in and the battery died. I could see it draining from the meter. I am going to try charging again tonight and see what happens. 
 
Another question, does this support 176/24 ALAC files? I mistakingly bought some high res albums in ALAC thinking I could transfer them to an iPod before I knew better and I can't get the HM-901 to play them. Michael Jackson - Thriller in particular is the one I am having problems with. I bought it from HDtracks.I wonder if I can contact them to let me re-download these in FLAC...My Fiio X3 plays these files fine BTW...
 
Y2J

 

[AlanYWM]

   
Another question, does this support 176/24 ALAC files? I mistakingly bought some high res albums in ALAC thinking I could transfer them to an iPod before I knew better and I can't get the HM-901 to play them. Michael Jackson - Thriller in particular is the one I am having problems with. I bought it from HDtracks.I wonder if I can contact them to let me re-download these in FLAC...My Fiio X3 plays these files fine BTW...
 
Y2J

 
Instead of asking HDtracks to resend you in FLAC format, you can consider converting the ALAC files to FLAC yourself by using players like Foobar2000 or AudioGate from Korg. I am not 1000% sure if these players can do the conversion but I am sure there must be something on the web that can do that.

 

[jamato8]

I am going back to 1.084. I find that 1.085 is too warm and there is a loss of detail, filter or no. 

 

[LECW]

Well it appears I may have a bad battery, or defective unit, it was on the charger for 10 hours today, and I came home tried to play some flac, alac, and mp3 files and I got about 20 minutes in and the battery died. I could see it draining from the meter. I am going to try charging again tonight and see what happens. 

Another question, does this support 176/24 ALAC files? I mistakingly bought some high res albums in ALAC thinking I could transfer them to an iPod before I knew better and I can't get the HM-901 to play them. Michael Jackson - Thriller in particular is the one I am having problems with. I bought it from HDtracks.I wonder if I can contact them to let me re-download these in FLAC...My Fiio X3 plays these files fine BTW...

Y2J

ya possible your battery got issue. I only listen WAV so I not sure other file. Take care.

Rgds

 

[fermelom]

I noticed the same thing. What to to now ?

I just turned off the digital filter and sounded fine. I'll listen more carefully.

 

[Edwood]

  I am going back to 1.084. I find that 1.085 is too warm and there is a loss of detail, filter or no. 

 
Hrm, I'm not really hearing such dramatic effects with the new firmware.
 
I guess I do have two HM-901's I can hook up to my EF-6 with their line out dongles, and do a direct head to head comparison with the same Files on SD Cards, with 1.084 on one and 1.085b on the other HM-901.

 

[jamato8]

To me, the new firmware sounds warmer and less detail. I don't have time to go back to the previous FW right now, too many hours of work but I would appreciate anyone's input on this. 
 
Having two 901's! Well that is a good way to compare. 

 

[Edwood]

I actually have 3 to use since I still have custody of units set up for the past SoCal Head-Fi meet.
 
I'm also curious about the Digital Bypass Filter.
 
So here's the set up:
 
HM-901 #1.  Firmware 1.084
 
HM-901 #2.  Firmware 1.085b , Digital Bypass Filter Off
 
HM-901 #3.  Firmware 1.085b,  Digital Bypass Filter On
 
Since the EF-6's inputs are not the same volume level when I switch dynamically between the 3 inputs, I'm just swapping the dongle between the bottom interface of the HM-901's.  That way the Cable and dongle is the same in each instance.
 
I'm using the EF-6 with HE-560.   And using Pico Power with JH Audio Roxanne.
 
Using a variety of demo music I have.   Mostly high res, 24 bit FLAC files.

 

[Trogdor]

I actually have 3 to use since I still have custody of units set up for the past SoCal Head-Fi meet.

I'm also curious about the Digital Bypass Filter.

So here's the set up:

HM-901 #1.  Firmware 1.084

HM-901 #2.  Firmware 1.085b , Digital Bypass Filter Off

HM-901 #3.  Firmware 1.085b,  Digital Bypass Filter On

Since the EF-6's inputs are not the same volume level when I switch dynamically between the 3 inputs, I'm just swapping the dongle between the bottom interface of the HM-901's.  That way the Cable and dongle is the same in each instance.

I'm using the EF-6 with HE-560.   And using Pico Power with JH Audio Roxanne.

Using a variety of demo music I have.   Mostly high res, 24 bit FLAC files.

Edwood, I think you have some kind of rapport with Fang.

Can you please ask him to NOT release beta firmware to customers? I think this is a REALLY bad move on his part.

The fact is the RELEASE firmware is unstable, some examples on 1.084:

- CUE sheet support still locks up my player
- Low battery warning hangs the unit
- The search mechanism on start up is still dirt slow (is this due to the root directory tree walk? looking for new files? I don't understand why this is so slow)

And I'm sure there are others. It would behoove him to be more careful with these firmware updates and I would include less, not more in each one until the software stabilizes.

 

[Edwood]

Edwood, I think you have some kind of rapport with Fang.

Can you please ask him to NOT release beta firmware to customers? I think this is a REALLY bad move on his part.

The fact is the RELEASE firmware is unstable, some examples on 1.084:

- CUE sheet support still locks up my player
- Low battery warning hangs the unit
- The search mechanism on start up is still dirt slow (is this due to the root directory tree walk? looking for new files? I don't understand why this is so slow)

And I'm sure there are others. It would behoove him to be more careful with these firmware updates and I would include less, not more in each one until the software stabilizes.

 
1.085 Beta is exactly that.   A Beta release.  I got it from the Chinese link, it wasn't announced or released in North America.   Fang and HiFiMan are very open to people experimenting and assisting with improving their products.  Rather than a blanket, "don't mess with anything at all, or you void your warranty and we won't touch it" attitude.

 

[Trogdor]

1.085 Beta is exactly that.   A Beta release.  I got it from the Chinese link, it wasn't annouced or released in North America.

My friend, it sure was. Very bad idea.

 

[Edwood]

My friend, it sure was. Very bad idea.

Oh, nevermind then.
 
Yeah, sure it takes a few steps forwards and a few back.  But it is a BETA release still.
 
It's very easy to flash back and forth.  If you're not planning on getting the Dock, I'd stick with 1.084 then.

 

[Trogdor]

Oh, nevermind then.

Yeah, sure it takes a few steps forwards and a few back.  But it is a BETA release still.

It's very easy to flash back and forth.  If you're not planning on getting the Dock, I'd stick with 1.084 then.

What's the release date on the dock? I don't see it available on Head-Direct.

 

[fermelom]

I actually have 3 to use since I still have custody of units set up for the past SoCal Head-Fi meet.

I'm also curious about the Digital Bypass Filter.

So here's the set up:

HM-901 #1.  Firmware 1.084

HM-901 #2.  Firmware 1.085b , Digital Bypass Filter Off

HM-901 #3.  Firmware 1.085b,  Digital Bypass Filter On

Since the EF-6's inputs are not the same volume level when I switch dynamically between the 3 inputs, I'm just swapping the dongle between the bottom interface of the HM-901's.  That way the Cable and dongle is the same in each instance.

I'm using the EF-6 with HE-560.   And using Pico Power with JH Audio Roxanne.

Using a variety of demo music I have.   Mostly high res, 24 bit FLAC files.

I would like to hear your impressions. Mine is than rather than a loss on detail we have the system running in a lower latency or more accurate reclocking. The way that the sound changed reminds me when I set up the values in my computer to reach the lowest latency possible for my system: Sound smoother and with more depth. Also more separation and detail but less sparkle. Bright it's not equal to detailed and often is result of a poor digital to analog conversion.