[DjBobby]

   
Yes, it does. 
 
Maybe your music software is "secretly" upsampling the music files.

Thanks, sounds reasonable. Was never aware of it, because all DACs I used previously didn't have a display.

 

[willowbrook]

 
Thanks, sounds reasonable. Was never aware of it, because all DACs I used previously didn't have a display.

I recommend the famous foobar2000, works perfectly

 

[fritobugger]

  So yeah it was definitely iTunes screwing around with my M8's performance, as I used another media player (Audirvana Plus) and the sound quality and overall performance was massively improved to the point where I'm actually floored.
 
Very annoying fiasco to deal with but I'm glad its no longer a problem for me.

Yet another reason to hate iTunes!

 

[bnsb]

I use Foobar2000, but still my M8 dac shows 44.1 what ever media I play. Foobar correctly shows the media at 44.1 or 192. Is there a solution?

 

[DjBobby]

 
I recommend the famous foobar2000, works perfectly

Unfortunately there is to my knowledge no Foobar for Mac OSX.

 

[willowbrook]

I use Foobar2000, but still my M8 dac shows 44.1 what ever media I play. Foobar correctly shows the media at 44.1 or 192. Is there a solution?

If you are using output as DS, you will have to set it manually in sound setting. Or use wasapi or asio for output and it will change accordingly to files

 

[bnsb]

How would I do that? Would appreciate simple step by step guidance please. Thanks in advance
 
Edit.
 
Found step by step guide for wasapi. Will try over weekend

 

[hpamdr]

First install the drivers for the M8..
If you also want to play dsd follows this guide http://jlsounds.com/uploads/foobar_ASIO_setup.pdf

 

[DjBobby]

Tried M8 with iPhone - digital out, and it shows and changes correctly all frenquencies from 44,1 to 192.  So it's obvious now that my IOS Swinsian software is upsampling everything to 384Khz, and that was the reason of having everything shown on display as 384khz. Happy to find out that it's not a M8 bug. 

 

 

[willowbrook]

So I finally got to test the Modi 2U and SMSL M8 with no LPS with HE-560. After repeatedly switching back between on the same songs for numerous times, I came to the conclusion that there is a slight difference. The Modi 2U is slightly compressed in comparison to M8 as in more centered as well as slightly sibilant. Very slightly. The biggest difference is the sense of air that the sabre chip in the M8 gives. I guess it's more of a constant 'ss' sound at very high frequency giving a sensation of more clarity. This is a typical trait of sabre chips and I found it favorable on my end since the Modi 2U sounded muddy and compressed compared to M8. It is very weird while the Modi sounds muddy in comparison, the sound signature is slightly brighter which makes it more prone to sibilance. The biggest difference of resolution would cause this. I haven't tried anything higher above this price range for DAC, so I have no idea how it compared with $500+ DACs, but for $150 from frequent MD sales. This is a no brainer IMO.
 
Of course all this is YMMV because the ability to notice slight differences really depends on the music source, how resolving other gears are, and how far your hearing can extend. For me, I am quite young and can hear up to 19~20 khz, so any slight difference is very noticeable for me, hence finding the M8 superior enough.

 

[Dimon Hell]

Eventually my M8+P1 is on their way to seller for full refund. No more smsl in my house!

 

[DjBobby]

  Eventually my M8+P1 is on their way to seller for full refund. No more smsl in my house!

Because of?

 

[Dimon Hell]

Few pages before i wrote about. 
One day it's just lost connection and won't seen by any pc anymore.
As i find out - it even don't have optical insulation of usb connection! Nonsense for such not cheap gadget.

 

[DjBobby]

  Few pages before i wrote about. 
One day it's just lost connection and won't seen by any pc anymore.
As i find out - it even don't have optical insulation of usb connection! Nonsense for such not cheap gadget.

That happened to me with my SMSL M2. One day just dropped out, there was no way to bring it back to life. I wanted to throw it away, but incidentally found out, that it worked on my other laptop without any issues. So I think it could be sometimes about the drivers conflict. 

 

[sr2002]

I did some exhaustive reading on these forums for the past 4-5 days on DACs and wanted some recommendations. (I might start thread too lol). 
I decided to post here as I saw this thread has been quite active and also the fact that the M8 is an option I am considering. 
Please pardon me if this feels like a repeat from the new thread I am about to post
 
I'm looking for my first DAC and was wondering what would be your suggestions.
I used to have the Harman Kardon HK3990 (the stereo 120Watt amp) + Polk Monitor 70s ( had to sell them because I moved and they were to big to fit my car).
My current setup: Windows Desktop with onborad realtek audio (which sucks) + JBL LSR305 + M50x Headphones.
 
I recently auditioned the Steinberg UR22II with the CS4270 DAC and was somewhat impressed, but unfortunately I had to return it as it was a defective unit. 
So, as for what I'm looking for: 
Budget: 150-250$ may stretch to 300$ if its a real bargain
Use: Music listening and PC Gaming (surround not a requirement) 
Connectivity: USB input, RCA out (Balanced out is even better), Optional: optical in/out
Optional: Headphone amp not a requirement but wouldnt mind if its AIO
 
I read that the ES9018 is a good chip but the M8 uses the ES9018K2M which I've read mixed reviews about. 
The current options I'm considering:
Schiit Modi 2
Aune X1S
SMSL M8
Cambridge DacMagic 100
Peachtree Dacit X
MF- V90 DAC
Fostex HP-A3
(Not considering the Audio-gd products as I'm not too sure about the whole shipping from china and waiting for a month to arrive. Plus their cheapest DAC is 350$ something)
 
My questions: 
What might be the major differences that I could actually hear between all of these? 
Will DSD support be of any benefit? (is there enough source music available to take advantage of it?)
Any thoughts on audio latency issues with any of them, in case I use them for gaming?
Any other suggestions apart from the ones I listed ? (Especially ones with some exotic DAC like Sabre 9018 or some Wolfsons?)