[elnero]

Quote:

Think of this situation as well.
 
I now have a Bifrost with USB in but I am thinking about upgrading to Gungnir. If I had the M8 with coaxial out, then I won't have to order the Gungnir with USB and save even more money out of that. It is still being debated here but most desktop DACs don't have good USB implementations and having a coaxial or optical out from portable devices like CLAS and M8 is super useful for most of us whose main source is a laptop.

The HiFi-M8 is meant to be a very versatile product but I think asking it to have an extra connection on an already packed front panel simply to serve as a bridge between a computer and another DAC is asking a bit too much of it's versatility.

 

[MorbidToaster]

I'd really prefer it be Coax rather than Optical (as a few others have said, too). 
 
I honestly don't mind much as long as it's not on the front panel.  

 

[dan_can]

Coax on the back is nice. It can be used to connect to any home DAC.

No line out on this one?

 

[Yuceka]

Quote:

The HiFi-M8 is meant to be a very versatile product but I think asking it to have an extra connection on an already packed front panel simply to serve as a bridge between a computer and another DAC is asking a bit too much of it's versatility.

What? I didn't say anything about it being on the front panel. It can be anywhere that Centrance sees fit.
 
Do you think this is too much?

 

 

[MorbidToaster]

I think people are wrong comparing this to the Solo-db. They're very different devices.
 
One is purely a DAC/Transport. The M8 is meant to be a much different product with a built in amp. 
 
To take it from another point of view...Yes...I do think that'd be too much for the M8. The back panel is pretty crammed full already and putting more in the front panel is just wrong, me thinks. Larger connectors need room to breathe and you wouldn't want to block the volume knob either. 
 

 
The only available spot would be where the name is. Slap a Coax out there and I'd say fine, but putting an Optical out on the front is odd.
 
EDIT: They're also using full size balanced plugs instead of those stupid (IMO) jacks on the Solo.

 

[elnero]

Quote:

What? I didn't say anything about it being on the front panel. It can be anywhere that Centrance sees fit.
 
Do you think this is too much?

 

Well the mock ups posted on the blog have the optical output on the front and it doesn't look like there's any room for such an output on the back so it seems like a fairly logical assumption that what we're talking about is an optical output on the front panel. I believe Michael has also stated previously that if there is to be any SPDIF connections it would have to be an optical connection.
 
IMO, while the Solo and HiFi-M8 have some crossover in their intended purpose, they are not the same kind of device. The Solo has a different feature set and is versatile in a different manner. It's a bit like comparing apples and oranges. The HiFi-M8 is the type of device I've been waiting to be released for a couple of years now, the Solo has never interested me in any way.

 

[MorbidToaster]

As vain as it seems the optical on the front might be a deal breaker. I have no use for it, I don't like Optical as an interface anyway, and I don't like the way it looks on the front. I also don't like the idea is having cables coming out the front and the back. It really ruins the 'streamlined' look the unit would have having all the hook ups in the back.
 
I feel weird saying that, but it's true. 

 

[jamato8]

There are receivers that use the mini optical cable connector and double as a coax input. I have some of these and have implemented them and they work fine as a 2 in one and small footprint. 

 

[MorbidToaster]

This is what I was thinking. Why not do this? Lots of people have cables for the mini-optical jacks, and it'd work.
 
Quote:

There are receivers that use the mini optical cable connector and double as a coax input. I have some of these and have implemented them and they work fine as a 2 in one and small footprint. 

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

One use of optical or coaxial out comes from the fact that this device is meant to be used with laptops and iDevices. And not all laptops have optical out.
 
I recently sold my bulky and sluggish Macbook Pro and got a Macbook Air. And I lost the capability of using my desktop DACs optical input. Instead of shelling something like $200 for a good digital interface, it'd be great to have the M8 playing that role between a laptop and a desktop DAC so that it can be used ALL the time and not just with USB and iDevices. If you guys think this is too much to ask, look at Cypher Labs' new SOLO. They renewed the entire thing but did not get rid of S/PDIF out.
 
I guess no one can please all the customers. Great customer service and work on the M8 here but my needs may be better met with the new CLAS -db.

 
Counterargument being that this makes the M8 an expensive swiss army knife. A very nice knife perhaps, but still more costly and unnecessary for most where I suspect they'd be better served with a standalone usb-optical (or coax) interface. I think these days the differences between usb and optical/coax implementation aren't that far off anyways, if even noticeable by most.
 
Another thing to consider is that a converter running all the time even if not used will probably eat into battery life.

 

[Yuceka]

Alright guys I am going to drop it. Let's just go with the demand-supply principle 

 

[Armaegis]

Well if there's demand, I guess Centrance will just have to develop another toy for us. Aw shucks

 

[eron]

Regarding the optical out, if CEntrance is considering putting a 3.5mm out, then they could consider a combo port like those on the Macbook Pros. 
You can then use a cable like this.

 

[jacal01]

Coming in here late, guys, and at the risk of flogging a dead horse, I like the the idea of having a digital TOSLINK out, mini or otherwise.  It would make this product more versatile, having a USB input device that supports asynchronous 24 bit/192 kHz data transfer as a front-end transport to integrate digital file sources into older home and desktop systems that include a DAC component that is very much still high end, but that doesn't have a USB input, doesn't support asynchronous data transfer, and/or supports a lower transfer rate, such as 16/44.1 or even 24/96, which is not all that much in the rear view mirror these days. One less tinker toy to buy for the home gear, having this feature included in a handy multi-purpose portable/desktop DAC/amp.  I'm with Mike on this one. Hindsight is 20 bit/20 kHz (or something). 
 
And even the optical digital out connector makes sense to me, because all my current coax S/PDIF I/O ports are already occupied, but my DAC TOSLINK port sits there all neglected.  I'd love to be able to introduce audio files to my ANK DAC.  I vote include it if you can, but its relative location could probably still be further optimized, ala the crowded volume knob argument. 

 

[MorbidToaster]

If you're using the 'my dac is old' stance there are a lot more that don't have optical either.