mmerrill99
Member of the Trade: M2 Tech
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2006
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I was prompted to start a separate thread to collate & clarify the information about the modifications to the Hiface that I have done.
M2tech Hiface
Ok, First the stock HiFace is an excellent product built with some particular goals in mind that I'm going to guess at here:
- compactness
- portability; related to above but it also means that it takes it 5V supply from USB & regulates it down to 3.3V & 1.8V not unlike other USB transports
- asynchronous USB - HiFace have written proprietary drivers which do the job
- low-jitter clocks in the right place
Hiface Power Supplies
The Hiface uses 3 different power supplies internally to it’s different on-board chips
5V supply to the SPDIF generating chip
3.3V supply to the USB receiver chip, FPGA chip & clocks
1.8V supply also to the FPGA chip.
Ensuring clean PS is important for every area in the unit but it is crucial in the clock handling areas.
My PS mods address these crucial clock handling functions bypassing the 3.3V regulator & providing a way to connect an independent clean external 3.3V supply to the clocks & a separate 3.3V supply to the FPGA & USB receiver chips. These mods significantly improve the sonics of the unit. This is not a subtle change – it is noticeable from the first note.
Sound Improvements
All the usual clichés apply but they are true:
- The HiFace has better clarity all through the frequency range
- bass is amazingly textured & powerful
- treble has an airiness to it
- finer details are revealed
- soundstage is deep & wide with venues & recording ambience being revealed clearly
as I’ve said before, it sounds just like really good analogue, not a bit of digititis in it.
Other improvements
Other smaller improvements are also achieved through bypassing the USB 5V supply & providing a clean 5V external supply. Not only does this improve the supply to the SPDIF generating chip but it also removes the need for the USB cable to carry power. The cable can now just perform the job of carrying the USB signals and nothing else. This should allow the use of a reasonably cheap USB cable & no more need for expensive “audiophile” USB cables. It should also mean that the variability of the PC/laptop PS is no longer an issue with USB audio.
A unit is being sent to slim.a next week for review & I will be posting pictures of a boxed unit next week also.
M2tech Hiface
Ok, First the stock HiFace is an excellent product built with some particular goals in mind that I'm going to guess at here:
- compactness
- portability; related to above but it also means that it takes it 5V supply from USB & regulates it down to 3.3V & 1.8V not unlike other USB transports
- asynchronous USB - HiFace have written proprietary drivers which do the job
- low-jitter clocks in the right place
Hiface Power Supplies
The Hiface uses 3 different power supplies internally to it’s different on-board chips
5V supply to the SPDIF generating chip
3.3V supply to the USB receiver chip, FPGA chip & clocks
1.8V supply also to the FPGA chip.
Ensuring clean PS is important for every area in the unit but it is crucial in the clock handling areas.
My PS mods address these crucial clock handling functions bypassing the 3.3V regulator & providing a way to connect an independent clean external 3.3V supply to the clocks & a separate 3.3V supply to the FPGA & USB receiver chips. These mods significantly improve the sonics of the unit. This is not a subtle change – it is noticeable from the first note.
Sound Improvements
All the usual clichés apply but they are true:
- The HiFace has better clarity all through the frequency range
- bass is amazingly textured & powerful
- treble has an airiness to it
- finer details are revealed
- soundstage is deep & wide with venues & recording ambience being revealed clearly
as I’ve said before, it sounds just like really good analogue, not a bit of digititis in it.
Other improvements
Other smaller improvements are also achieved through bypassing the USB 5V supply & providing a clean 5V external supply. Not only does this improve the supply to the SPDIF generating chip but it also removes the need for the USB cable to carry power. The cable can now just perform the job of carrying the USB signals and nothing else. This should allow the use of a reasonably cheap USB cable & no more need for expensive “audiophile” USB cables. It should also mean that the variability of the PC/laptop PS is no longer an issue with USB audio.
A unit is being sent to slim.a next week for review & I will be posting pictures of a boxed unit next week also.