Shanling M8 Android Portable player
Jan 23, 2021 at 4:55 PM Post #1,366 of 5,808
I am with you, but some people choose both :wink:

I'm that guy. Torn between deciding if I should get the M8 or hook my Hugo2 with this new Cayin c9 that is ridiculously priced imo. Looking for a more full bodied and warmer signature compared to a reference setup of a Hugo2 or DX220 MAX. At this point, I should hand over the wallet to headfi already.
 
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Jan 23, 2021 at 5:00 PM Post #1,367 of 5,808
I can't imagine what wouldn't go well with the M8...maybe a hard v-shape. The M8 is powerful and I'm sure the e-stats in the Odin will love that.
My Valkyries sound great!
 
Jan 24, 2021 at 1:19 AM Post #1,371 of 5,808
Just ordered The M8 along with the ODINs, and I am wondering if they are going to pair nicely since people have been saying the M8 is similar to the N8. Ive been using cf Atlas out of a laptop/phone so I am sure there's is going to be an adjustment period either way. I have no idea what a "thick and meaty" sound sig could even sound like, but thought the warmth might do the ODINS some justice. Gut tells me is going to be a good matchup though.
It is an excellent pairing to my ears. The ODIN won't be "thick and meaty' and the M8 is more rich, full with a comfy tonality, if that makes you feel better than the chili or spaghetti sauce analogy of thick and meaty'. I think you will be happy and made a great choice for both.
 
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Jan 24, 2021 at 1:36 AM Post #1,372 of 5,808
Screenshot_20210124-013357_Qobuz Bta.jpg

Tonight's listening session...with the M8 and Legend X. The pairing of these two will cure your craving for tonality....long session front to back. Photo was a screenshot from my phone and Qobuz, to show the album, but I have the hard file on my M8 @ 96kHz/24Bits.
 
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Jan 24, 2021 at 3:19 AM Post #1,373 of 5,808
Hello from Hong Kong,

I am currently using a Fiio M11 with my CA Solaris in balanced mode. The M11 produces quite a bit of noise with the Solaris and the sound signature is a bit to clean for me. Couple of questions:
- Would the M8 be better in terms of synergy, especially to get some fuller lows and maybe a tad warmer sound sig? Other Headphones I am using are Sennheiser HD660S and Sony Z1R.
- Would the noise floor be significantly better with the M8 and create a black background which I am really looking for?
- After what I read, I guess it is safe to assume that MQA support for Tidal plus Tidal offline will be available via firmware update at some point? (very important for me).

Many thanks for your views
 
Jan 24, 2021 at 10:32 AM Post #1,374 of 5,808
Screenshot_20210124-013357_Qobuz Bta.jpg

Tonight's listening session...with the M8 and Legend X. The pairing of these two will cure your craving for tonality....long session front to back. Photo was a screenshot from my phone and Qobuz, to show the album, but I have the hard file on my M8 @ 96kHz/24Bits.

Wow cool! I don't have the M8 (yet) but I do have the LX. I was wondering by reading this thread, that the M8 is kind of warm and since the Legend X is definitely on the darker side as well, doesn't it double down on the warmth? I'm just curious as I plan to get the M8 and also have the LX, among other IEMs. @Rockwell75 has the LX too, what do you think?
 
Jan 24, 2021 at 10:36 AM Post #1,375 of 5,808
Wow cool! I don't have the M8 (yet) but I do have the LX. I was wondering by reading this thread, that the M8 is kind of warm and since the Legend X is definitely on the darker side as well, doesn't it double down on the warmth? I'm just curious as I plan to get the M8 and also have the LX, among other IEMs. @Rockwell75 has the LX too, what do you think?

I sold my LX last summer so have not had a chance to hear it with the M8. I imagine the M8 would sound great with anything but I do wonder if super dark/v-shaped IEMs would be the best fit for it but others who have tried may be able to provide some better perspective. I literally can't imagine a better source for my Elysium though.
 
Jan 24, 2021 at 10:38 AM Post #1,376 of 5,808
Hello from Hong Kong,

I am currently using a Fiio M11 with my CA Solaris in balanced mode. The M11 produces quite a bit of noise with the Solaris and the sound signature is a bit to clean for me. Couple of questions:
- Would the M8 be better in terms of synergy, especially to get some fuller lows and maybe a tad warmer sound sig? Other Headphones I am using are Sennheiser HD660S and Sony Z1R.
- Would the noise floor be significantly better with the M8 and create a black background which I am really looking for?
- After what I read, I guess it is safe to assume that MQA support for Tidal plus Tidal offline will be available via firmware update at some point? (very important for me).

Many thanks for your views

I can't comment on most of these but looking at Fiio's track record, they still haven't figured out offering full MQA unfolding (like 8X) through the Tidal app. But UAPP, can get around it as you probably know from your M11. So, I reckon, it would take a while for all DAP makers to get MQA unfolding going on in native Tidal since they need an explicit license from MQA/Tidal to do that. Also, both M8 and Fiio players run Android 7.1 which is not exactly the newest, so there's that too.

But from what I read, the M8 has a very distinct "character" or sound signature if you will as opposed to the M11 or M11pro. The awesome headfier I quoted in the last post has the M8 and also the Solaris ( @Rockwell75 - sorry to have tagged you twice in a day but seems you fit the bill for most queries of members ... :) ). I'm sure he can tell you about the noise floor better cause I know what you are asking.
 
Jan 24, 2021 at 10:40 AM Post #1,377 of 5,808
I can't comment on most of these but looking at Fiio's track record, they still haven't figured out offering full MQA unfolding (like 8X) through the Tidal app. But UAPP, can get around it as you probably know from your M11. So, I reckon, it would take a while for all DAP makers to get MQA unfolding going on in native Tidal since they need an explicit license from MQA/Tidal to do that. Also, both M8 and Fiio players run Android 7.1 which is not exactly the newest, so there's that too.

But from what I read, the M8 has a very distinct "character" or sound signature if you will as opposed to the M11 or M11pro. The awesome headfier I quoted in the last post has the M8 and also the Solaris ( @Rockwell75 - sorry to have tagged you twice in a day but seems you fit the bill for most queries of members ... :) ). I'm sure he can tell you about the noise floor better cause I know what you are asking.

I haven't heard the M8 with my Solaris either as I briefly traded it for another IEM...I should have it back in about a week and am very much looking forward to plugging it into the M8.
 
Jan 24, 2021 at 2:09 PM Post #1,378 of 5,808
Some preliminary thoughts about my new M8 from a Calyx M aficionado:

Pros - Significantly more power reserves (M8 is even more dynamic). Balanced mode allows use of REAL headphones like my Audeze LCD-2 Fazors. Similar noise floor (i.e. total lack of background noise). Similar "analog" sound signature. All mod cons - WiFi, Bluetooth. Much faster UI. Much better battery life (9 hours+ versus 4). Fires up in seconds versus minutes. Essentially, what I had hoped a Calyx "N" might be.

Cons - even bigger and heavier (but not prohibitively so). No gapless playback.

Wishes - Ideally one could pick how to sort by genre (e.g. by artist, album). At the very least I would like to have albums represented by thumbnails, like in the album view. Instead, you get a header for each album (alphabetically) and a list of all tracks. I have over 500 classical albums. Each takes at least a page on the screen. Browsing is a nightmare. Frankly, that is about it. Sure, I could use Neutron or another app, but I have too many DSF files that I would like to play natively. Matter of principles.


Some brief context - I have been an audiphile since I bought my first stereo for $50 at Montgomery Wards. I was 10. It was 1976. That was more money to me then than the M8 is to me now. I replaced the speakers with open baffles I pulled from our Datsun. My main system has evolved quite a bit, and is now a pretty serious piece of kit with a delicate beast amplifier from Germany's T+A driving Magnepans, controlled by a Sonic Frontiers hybrid pre. But with a family of five in sound-averse Switzerland, letting it rip is verboten. So I have become a real head-fi enthusiast over the past decade. Luckily, headphones have come a very long way indeed since 2010, never mind 1976. And portable players, too. My Calyx M from 2014 has until now been the one piece of gear I used the most. It was a revelation. Miles ahead of the Walkman WM-10 I still miss, and as satisfying, if in different ways, as my speaker system.

The M8 clearly surpasses both. Sure, for a dinner party or a stolen kiss of a moment, I will fire up all the components and let the beast purr and roar. And pray the police don't come a-knocking. Otherwise, it's the M8. Even for my LCD-2s, which I used to jack into the big rig. No longer. The M8 beats it.

The spaciousness, "iron fist in a glove full of Vaseline" dynamic control, resolution, bass, glisten and just overall richness the M8 provides is what I have been searching decades to find. It handles my Noble K10 iems, my closed Sines, and my open LCD-2s with equanimity. I just pick which 'phones make the most sense at a given time and I am gone.

The M8 is pretty expensive, even if there are lots of pricier options these days. But it is worth every penny. Want to feel Stewart Copeland's octobans cut through as intended? To be in the room with Janos Starker as he duels with Bach over the cellos sonatas? Mainline the briliant expression of the Red Priest as interpreted by Rachel Podger? Untangle the harmonic lines by John, Paul and George from that AAA 24bit-192kHz needledrop of their 2014 mono remasters? Get seduced then steamrolled by Talk Talk? Get some good hi-res files, a great set of a cans, and let the M8 take you away.

Bravo, Shanling. And thanks.
 
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Jan 24, 2021 at 2:20 PM Post #1,379 of 5,808
Some preliminary thoughts about my new M8 from a Calyx M aficionado:

Pros - Significantly more power reserves (M8 is even more dynamic). Balanced mode allows use of REAL headphones like my Audeze LCD-2 Fazors. Similar noise floor (i.e. total lack of background noise). Similar "analog" sound signature. All mod cons - WiFi, Bluetooth. Much faster UI. Much better battery life (9 hours+ versus 4). Fires up in seconds versus minutes. Essentially, what I had hoped a Calyx "N" might be.

Cons - even bigger and heavier (but not prohibitively so). No gapless playback.

Wishes - Ideally one could pick how to sort by genre (e.g. by artist, album). At the very least I would like to have albums represented by thumbnails, like in the album view. Instead, you get a header for each album (alphabetically) and a list of all tracks. I have over 500 classical albums. Each takes at least a page on the screen. Browsing is a nightmare. Frankly, that is about it. Sure, I could use Neutron or another app, but I have too many DSF files that I would like to play natively. Matter of principles.


Some brief context - I have been an audiphile since I bought my first stereo for $50 at Montgomery Wards. I was 10. It was 1976. That was more money to me then than the M8 is to me now. I replaced the speakers with open baffles I pulled from our Datsun. My main system has evolved quite a bit, and is now a pretty serious piece of kit with a delicate beast amplifier from Germany's T+A driving Magnepans, controlled by a Sonic Frontiers hybrid pre. But with a family of five in sound-averse Switzerland, letting it rip is verboten. So I have become a real head-fi enthusiast over the past decade. Luckily, headphones have come a very long way indeed since 2010, never mind 1976. And portable players, too. My Calyx M from 2014 has until now been the one piece of gear I used the most. It was a revelation. Miles ahead of the Walkman WM-10 I still miss, and as satisfying, if in different ways, as my speaker system.

The M8 clearly surpasses both. Sure, for a dinner party or a stolen kiss of a moment, I will fire up all the components and let the beast purr and roar. And pray the police don't a-knocking. Otherwise, it's the M8. Even for my LCD-2s, which I used to jack into the big rig. No longer. The M8 beats it.

The spaciousness, "iron fist in a glove full of Vaseline" dynamic control, resolution, bass, glisten and just overall richness the M8 provides is what I have been searching decades to find. It handles my Noble K10 iems, my closed Sines, and my open LCD-2s with equanimity. I just pick which 'phones make the most sense at a given time and I am gone.

The M8 is pretty expensive, even if there are lots of pricier options these days. But it is worth every penny. Want to feel Stewart Copeland's octobans cut through as intended? To be in the room with Janos Starker as he duels with Bach over the cellos sonatas? Mainline the briliant expression of the Red Priest as interpreted by Rachel Podger? Untangle the harmonic lines by John, Paul and George from that AAA 24bit-192kHz needledrop of their 2014 mono remasters? Get seduced then steamrolled by Talk Talk? Get some good hi-res files, a great set of a cans, and let the M8 take you away.

Bravo, Shanling. And thanks.

Excellent impressions. Much appreciated. It's so well written that you could structure it as a small review and post it with pictures. Kudos. :)
 
Jan 24, 2021 at 2:55 PM Post #1,380 of 5,808
The ... "iron fist in a glove full of Vaseline" dynamic control

Your whole post was brilliant but I loved this...I swear some of the time I'm tricked into thinking my Ely is using a DD for the bass.
 

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