[miguelpp]

Guys, just an update... I have sent the following to HF CustServ today:
 

I am emailing you again so to provide further information. 
I have studied the pattern for the issue where albums from the same artist overlap and crash the player and I have concluded that it happens for every artist with more than one album on my SD Card. 

So:
1 - copy two albums from the same artist to your SD and refresh hm-650 database
2 - go to "artists" and choose that artist 
3 - album titles will overlap and if you scroll all the way down you will cause the player to reboot

I thought it might be related to special characters or something like that, but it seems it happens for every artist with more than one album. Can any of you confirm this?
 
btw, meanwhile I bought the RE-600 IEM and love it  
I might even consider the balanced card, provided the upgrade is worth it - any feedback? Is this the best amp card for a balanced IEM? 

 

[chawya22]

  Guys, just an update... I have sent the following to HF CustServ today:
 

I thought it might be related to special characters or something like that, but it seems it happens for every artist with more than one album. Can any of you confirm this?
 
btw, meanwhile I bought the RE-600 IEM and love it  
I might even consider the balanced card, provided the upgrade is worth it - any feedback? Is this the best amp card for a balanced IEM? 

I reported the same problem about three weeks ago in this thread and to HiFiMAN:
 
"I've narrowed down the crash, reboot problem. As I've said already, it's only when searching in artist mode and isn't dependent on how many folders or sub-folders. It only happens when I get to the last folder in that directory. Instead of looping back to the first folder again, like it does in other directory searches, it crashes and reboots. (i.e. Artist > Albums > scroll down to the last Album folder > Crash/reboot)"

 

[miguelpp]

Yep, that's how it reboots. However, I have another issue:
If under Wayne Shorter you have "Speak No Evil" and "Adam's Apple" CDs, something like "Speak NApple" is displayed. This "merging" of two album titles happens whenever two or more albums exist under a given artist.

 

[chawya22]

  Yep, that's how it reboots. However, I have another issue:
If under Wayne Shorter you have "Speak No Evil" and "Adam's Apple" CDs, something like "Speak NApple" is displayed. This "merging" of two album titles happens whenever two or more albums exist under a given artist.

Haven't had that specifically. If you read through this thread (only 19 pages), you'll see a number of UI peculiarities and overall strange behavior. It's a little disconcerting that the OS is at 2.0 and still has so many bugs.  

 

[miguelpp]

I did read it and considered everything I found here before I bought it.
However, I must say that this is far more relevant to me than gapless support or other issues I read about. 
 
Like you said, 2.0 and still at this point? Thank god for SQ!

 

[chawya22]

  I did read it and considered everything I found here before I bought it.
However, I must say that this is far more relevant to me than gapless support or other issues I read about. 
 
Like you said, 2.0 and still at this point? Thank god for SQ!

Absolutely the sound is the saving grace!

 

[chawya22]

For anyone questioning the quirks of their HM-650, maybe the reply to the questions I asked HiFiMAN customer service, will help you out. BTW, I can't say enough good things about HiFiMAN's service rep in China.
 
 
 
Please find some feedback from our engineer:

1. The Gain and HD - Vintage switch don’t seem to do anything when using the Standard Card. More gain means more power offered; As per our engineer very few people could tell the difference between HD - Vintage. 2. I hear clicks (electrical not mechanical) when adjusting the volume control. This is normal, because the potentiometer we used is marching type to provide better sounds. There are around 20 grades in volume control module, if you put the button between 2 grades, the noise will occur, you just need to adjust it slightly. 3. I hear clicks and pops when randomly choosing a track but not while playing consecutive tracks .This is normal,  because the potentiometer we used is marching type to provide better sounds, some buffer will be released, the degree of cliks and pops depends on the content and size of the buffer.  But for automatically playing of songs, this will not occur.    4. Crash and reboot when scrolling using Artist > Albums and I get to the last Album folder in that directory. Instead of looping back to the first folder again, like when scrolling in other directory searches, it crashes and reboots. (i.e. Artist > Albums > scroll down to the last Album folder > Crash/reboot) This one is  noted bug to us, that is under the same artist if you search albums, and albums are more than 3, it tends to crash and reboot. We will improve on this aspect for future design. 5. All numeric album names aren’t displayed in Album view. Ex. Adele's albums 19 or  21. Please update Media Database   6. Wav files metadata isn’t displayed, just the file name. Yes, HM650 does not support Wav files metadata. 7. Arbitrary displaying of Album Artwork. Some are displayed and some not. All files display properly on my MacBook Pro using Audirvana, on my Astell and Kern AK240 and my iBasso DX90.

              Please update Media Database

 

[miguelpp]

There is no firmware update, right? Updating the media database was not the answer, I'm still facing the same. What about you guys?

 

[chawya22]

There is no firmware update, right? Updating the media database was not the answer, I'm still facing the same. What about you guys?

Nothing yet and I'm reluctant to ask support when this might happen. There are many troubling bugs that really need to be fixed ASAP. The last firmware update was in Sept of last year.

 

[CJG888]

Yup, I was categorically promised gapless support. Had I known that it would not be forthcoming, I would have bought a DX90.

Still waiting.

 

[chawya22]

There is no firmware update, right? Updating the media database was not the answer, I'm still facing the same. What about you guys?

 
 

Yup, I was categorically promised gapless support. Had I known that it would not be forthcoming, I would have bought a DX90.

Still waiting.

I wrote to HiFiMAN customer service asking when a firmware update might be available, the answer I received was very troubling!
 
"Sorry, we do not have any plan to update the firmware of HM650, please kindly pay attention to our website."
 
I'm not sure if there's a language barrier or if HiFiMAN feels that the current operation of the HM-650 is as good as it gets. I wrote back asking for clarification. I've owned the DX-90 and the HM-650 for about two months and so far, the DX-90 has had three firmware updates. iBasso also constantly monitors the DX-90 threads and reports the bugs back to the developers. Even if HiFiMAN means no updates are currently planned, it's still disturbing, given the OS erratic behavior, no gapless support and the firmware is from Sept. of last year! Purchasing the HM-650 is proving to have been a very poor decision.    

 

[CJG888]

Well, in that case, I have to cast aspersions on their professionalism. You can't reassure potential customers that gapless will be available when it clearly won't, just to make a sale.

I myself work in marketing, and take a very dim view of this approach. It looks like opportunism. This is a shame, as this company clearly harbours some extremely fine engineering minds.

If there really won't be gapless, I, as a Wagnerian, will be selling my HM-650 (despite its excellent SQ). I can't keep on lugging two DAPs everywhere. I guess it will be DX90 next, or maybe the Suzanne (it would be nice to have an end-to-end Opera Consonance rig). Any idea if this one does gapless? Their desktop servers don't (or there would be one in my listening room already).

I'll still probably buy that HE-6, though (when the replacement comes out, and prices come down). Now I just need to find out if the Opera Consonance Reference 5.5 Mk. II will drive it (18W into 8 ohms from parallel single-ended 300B).

 

[chawya22]

Well, in that case, I have to cast aspersions on their professionalism. You can't reassure potential customers that gapless will be available when it clearly won't, just to make a sale.

I myself work in marketing, and take a very dim view of this approach. It looks like opportunism. This is a shame, as this company clearly harbours some extremely fine engineering minds.

If there really won't be gapless, I, as a Wagnerian, will be selling my HM-650 (despite its excellent SQ). I can't keep on lugging two DAPs everywhere. I guess it will be DX90 next, or maybe the Suzanne (it would be nice to have an end-to-end Opera Consonance rig). Any idea if this one does gapless? Their desktop servers don't (or there would be one in my listening room already).

I'll still probably buy that HE-6, though (when the replacement comes out, and prices come down). Now I just need to find out if the Opera Consonance Reference 5.5 Mk. II will drive it (18W into 8 ohms from parallel single-ended 300B).

As I stated earlier, it's possible that the CSR didn't realize that the statement could be interpreted as the HM-650 will be orphaned. I should have a definitive reply by tomorrow. I'm pretty much with you in that my HM-650 will probably be up for sale soon. Gapless is way up on my list of priorities but just as important is a stable, predictable OS. I had never heard of the Suzanne but it does look interesting. The DX-90 does support gapless and as of the current firmware (2.2.0), from a couple of days ago, it's near perfect. The first gapless play when first turned on is missed but all subsequent gapless plays are flawless. iBasso is aware and working on a fix. 

 

[CJG888]

Please let me know what they say.

I thought the deal was: HM-650 = HM-802 minus casework quality, scroll wheel, USB DAC capability.

Nowhere does it say that it also excludes any form of ongoing support....

Lack of gapless is not the only FW issue (random clicks and pops, the occasional BANG between tracks, laggy key responses and a heroically slow boot-up time also feature).

 

[miguelpp]

I did find it strange when you posted their reply above:
"This one is noted bug to us, that is under the same artist if you search albums, and albums are more than 3, it tends to crash and reboot. We will improve on this aspect for future design."

It seems they agree a bug has been found, but no support will be given.
As you said, I hope most of this is just lost in translation!

Aren't they a sponsor over here? Shouldn't they, as a sponsor, pay attention and participate?