New M8 DAC from SMSL (9018/XMOS)

[Jimster480]

   
The M8 is worth it tho, but you do need the amp too so it's just not a very transportable option.
 
By the way, for Europeans, I'm thinking of flipping my VA2+M8+P1 stack.... works fine but I have some unfrugal gluttony for the Sony TA-ZH1ES and well, one makes the other redundant.

Well I just got the M8 via Massdrop, will have to wait like a month or so now until it arrives.
I also ordered a Topping A3 amp.
At $113 shipped it was too good to pass up and try out.

Magni 2 Uber is far too powerful for my sensitive headphones & IEM's and the O2 Amp doesn't have a Aux Passthrough, meaning I need a second box which brings the total cost for one to around $175 with shipping and requires more hardware + unmatching hardware.
The M8 (and later on the Modi Multibit) will match with the Topping A3 which from the pictures seems to be very well built.

They have designed an audio stack of D30 + A30 to compete I guess with SMSL's M8 + VA2 + P1 stack, although they are coming in at basically half the price with very similar if not the same features.

 

[DjBobby]

 
Well I just got the M8 via Massdrop, will have to wait like a month or so now until it arrives.
I also ordered a Topping A3 amp.
At $113 shipped it was too good to pass up and try out.

Magni 2 Uber is far too powerful for my sensitive headphones & IEM's and the O2 Amp doesn't have a Aux Passthrough, meaning I need a second box which brings the total cost for one to around $175 with shipping and requires more hardware + unmatching hardware.
The M8 (and later on the Modi Multibit) will match with the Topping A3 which from the pictures seems to be very well built.

They have designed an audio stack of D3 + A3 to compete I guess with SMSL's M8 + VA2 + P1 stack, although they are coming in at basically half the price with very similar if not the same features.

Couldn't find any reference to Toping A3 on their website. Did you mean maybe A30 or NX3?

 

[Jimster480]

 
Couldn't find any reference to Toping A3 on their website. Did you mean maybe A30 or NX3?

Sorry I meant A30, it was a typo

 

[beowulf]

Anyone using the full M8+VA2+P1 stack?

 

[Shredder11]

Anyone using the full M8+VA2+P1 stack?

 
Yes I am.

 

[beowulf]

   
Yes I am.

 
Have you compared the noise floor while using the P1 vs using the wall power cubes for the M8+VA2?

 

[Shredder11]

No I have only used the P1 power supply.  I have not noticed any noise but then again I have not measured it with software either.  I've done all kinds of audio recording and sequencing over the past thirty years, and so I am used to the causes and amounts of noise etc.  Anyway the SMSL bundle works really well in this regard, and I was fussing over certain aspects prior to purchasing such as the lack of balanced audio outputs, but I need not have worried.

 

[beowulf]

  No I have only used the P1 power supply.  I have not noticed any noise but then again I have not measured it with software either.  I've done all kinds of audio recording and sequencing over the past thirty years, and so I am used to the causes and amounts of noise etc.  Anyway the SMSL bundle works really well in this regard, and I was fussing over certain aspects prior to purchasing such as the lack of balanced audio outputs, but I need not have worried.

 
It's a good stack indeed. I only partially regret getting the P1 because I think my power lines here are not too noisy. But to be fair, I haven't compared with the power wall-warts yet. The SMSL stack is totally flat silent with the CA Andromeda tho, which is always rare.. those things pickup noise out of any source.
 
I also wondered about the balanced, but after comparing with other sources, I think they're not relevant or necessary for such a stack.

 

[ljbrandt]

Wow, I'm the OP and I never would have thought this item would have received so much attention! It's funny that I'm still using the Stoner UD120 and never ended up trying the m8.
 
Has anyone successfully used the m8 to power loudspeakers through a straight power amp?  I need good volume control, and I thought sabre chipped DACs had the ability to do digital attenuation, but it doesn't look like the M8 has this capability. I would be a bit hesitant to use their VA-2 headphone amp as a preamp to a 200w power amp.  What do you guys think?

 

[Jimster480]

I am actually getting an M8 in the mail and I have a Topping D30/A30.
I will compare them all, but the Topping stuff looks really really competitive especially for the price, with nice build quality too.

 

[Shredder11]

  Wow, I'm the OP and I never would have thought this item would have received so much attention! It's funny that I'm still using the Stoner UD120 and never ended up trying the m8.
 
Has anyone successfully used the m8 to power loudspeakers through a straight power amp?  I need good volume control, and I thought sabre chipped DACs had the ability to do digital attenuation, but it doesn't look like the M8 has this capability. I would be a bit hesitant to use their VA-2 headphone amp as a preamp to a 200w power amp.  What do you guys think?

 
I use my M8 bundle through a Mackie 402VLZ4 mixer and into a pair of hand made active Quested S7 reference studio monitors.  Nice clean and transparent sound with a strong signal from the Mackie.  However when using my AKG K712 PRO headphones I plug those into the SMSL VA2 headphone amp.  I have the output from the SMSL M8 DAC going into a switch, which routes it to either the Mackie or the VA2.

 

[Jimster480]

   
I use my M8 bundle through a Mackie 402VLZ4 mixer and into a pair of hand made active Quested S7 reference studio monitors.  Nice clean and transparent sound with a strong signal from the Mackie.  However when using my AKG K712 PRO headphones I plug those into the SMSL VA2 headphone amp.  I have the output from the SMSL M8 DAC going into a switch, which routes it to either the Mackie or the VA2.

What switch are you using?

 

[fritobugger]

  Wow, I'm the OP and I never would have thought this item would have received so much attention! It's funny that I'm still using the Stoner UD120 and never ended up trying the m8.
 
Has anyone successfully used the m8 to power loudspeakers through a straight power amp?  I need good volume control, and I thought sabre chipped DACs had the ability to do digital attenuation, but it doesn't look like the M8 has this capability. I would be a bit hesitant to use their VA-2 headphone amp as a preamp to a 200w power amp.  What do you guys think?

 
Funny, I recently switched from the Stoner UD120 to the Schiit Modi Multibit on my speaker system.  Nice improvement overall.  I should probably sell the UD120.

 

[Shredder11]

  What switch are you using?

 
I just used what I had available and that is a simple 3-way audio video box,  that you can buy anywhere very cheaply.

 

[ljbrandt]

   
Funny, I recently switched from the Stoner UD120 to the Schiit Modi Multibit on my speaker system.  Nice improvement overall.  I should probably sell the UD120.

Have you owned the M8 as well? If so, how did it compare to the UD120?