[aamefford]

  I received my M8 3 days ago and have been taking it through its paces. I like what I am hearing. It has enough power to drive even the difficult to drive HE-6 to acceptable SPL, though without much headroom. Everything else I throw at it is handled with finesse, clarity, and pleasing SQ.
 
All the switches for impedance, gain, and tone shaping work as designed except for the treble tone shaping switch. The only way I can obtain the highest tone shaping is by finagling the switch half-way between the middle and highest position. I assume there is a problem with the treble tone shaping switch such that it does not make a good connection when fully engaged in the highest position (far right). Has anyone else encountered this problem?
 
I am going to have to send my M8 back for a check-up. Since I also have to return my Dacmini for repair of the RCA Line OUT (Right Channel) problem, I will be DACless in Memphis until their return.  I have complete confidence, though, that Centrance will handle these problems as they have with previous issues...with fast turn-around and problems solved.
 
EDIT: Looks like my attempt to edit was lost during a head-fi maintenance "time out."  O.K...so here goes again... I hope this doesn't result in a double edit.
 
I mistakenly had the gain switch set to medium when first testing with HE-6 and the volume was not loud enough. I discovered my error and set the gain switch to High. This delivers more SPL than I can stand with the volume pot set at full volume. At 12 o'clock, the SPL is ~ 85 to 90 dB. I prefer it set to 11 o'clock so there is plenty of headroom for me, after all. There is no difference running with the power supply vs the battery.

 
HE6?  Seriously?  Do they sound as they should?  My listening levels sound about as yours do, not too loud.  I gotta find someone in the SF Bay area with a pair that wants to hear a HIFI-M8.

 

[mgoodman]

  http://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/iphone-5/audio-quality.htm
 
anyone care to address the info from this site.
I just called one of the audiophile shops in town and explained I was going to use my iphone as my source with a hifim8 and they told me using an iphone you wont hear all the music and it was a mistake.
 
yet i do some research and this guy in the link above says you will get full 20 to 20 cleanly and flat response and that it is better then most Dacs. ANy iphone experts out there? If its off topic let me know but  ordered my HIFIM8 and am curious as to how true this is.
 
thanks

 
I respect Ken Rockwell, he helped me navigate through a lot of photography equipment. Having said that, iPhone and HiFi-M8 are in different leagues when it comes to driving big headphones.
I'm suspecting Ken has not tried his favorite LCD-3 headphones with the iPhone. It will not drive them. This is where HiFi-M8 comes in. Drive capability. Power. Girth. Gusto. You get the point...

 

[DrSheep]

Dr sheep
So why do you think it would not drive 600 ohm cabs it says the hifiM8 will drive 600 ohm cans

I was only referring to that article with the iPhone 5 headphone out, not with a M8.

 

[Headphonejunky]

I was only referring to that article with the iPhone 5 headphone out, not with a M8.

Misunderstood earlier i know the iphone could not drive it by itself. Glad thats cleared up

 

[moodyrn]

HE6?  Seriously?  Do they sound as they should?  My listening levels sound about as yours do, not too loud.  I gotta find someone in the SF Bay area with a pair that wants to hear a HIFI-M8.

I've been enjoying my he6 out of the m8 much more than I though I would. It doesn't drive them to their full potential though, but more than enough to be very enjoyable. I have to use the bass shaping switch in the second position to get bass levels close to what I get out of both my he6 rigs. And it can't push them to ear blasting levels, but it does drive them to moderately loud levels which is just right above where I normally listen. After burn in, the sound has really opened up, and the sound is very spacious, with good depth and clarity.

 

[bluemonkeyflyer]

I've been enjoying my he6 out of the m8 much more than I though I would. It doesn't drive them to their full potential though, but more than enough to be very enjoyable. I have to use the bass shaping switch in the second position to get bass levels close to what I get out of both my he6 rigs. And it can't push them to ear blasting levels, but it does drive them to moderately loud levels which is just right above where I normally listen. After burn in, the sound has really opened up, and the sound is very spacious, with good depth and clarity.

 
Same, here... Bass shaping and treble shaping in the middle positions and gain on High. At these settings, the M8 pushes the HE-6 to ear blasting levels for me. I'm not sure if I can hear much difference one way or the other by changing the impedance setting, so I tend to keep it a 1. The HE-6 + M8 combo sounds wonderful, IMO.
 
Even better with an HE6 rig? Nice!
 
Edit: The HD-800 also sounds amazing with the HiFi M8. I would be hard pressed to have to choose just one but, if forced to do so, I would pick HE-6. I would love to hear the LCD3 with my M8 and I'm seriously considering getting one....must check the For Sale threads.

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

   
Same, here... Bass shaping and treble shaping in the middle positions and gain on High. At these settings, the M8 pushes the HE-6 to ear blasting levels for me. I'm not sure if I can hear much difference one way or the other by changing the impedance setting, so I tend to keep it a 1. The HE-6 + M8 combo sounds wonderful, IMO.
 
Even better with an HE6 rig? Nice!

 
I'd love to see that new Cypher Labs amp/dac pull that off....

 

[Yuceka]

I know this may be too early to ask but do we have any sonic comparisons with CLAS -db/-r and iBasso DX100? 
 
Lastly, how long does the battery last when used with iDevices? 

 

[moodyrn]

O​

Same, here... Bass shaping and treble shaping in the middle positions and gain on High. At these settings, the M8 pushes the HE-6 to ear blasting levels for me. I'm not sure if I can hear much difference one way or the other by changing the impedance setting, so I tend to keep it a 1. The HE-6 + M8 combo sounds wonderful, IMO.

Even better with an HE6 rig? Nice!

Edit: The HD-800 also sounds amazing with the HiFi M8. I would be hard pressed to have to choose just one but, if forced to do so, I would pick HE-6. I would love to hear the LCD3 with my M8 and I'm seriously considering getting one....must check the For Sale threads.

Yes the m8 does fall short of what the he6 is capable of. But the fact it can drive them as well as it does is very high praise. One thing it doesn't do that most other dedicated headphone amps does with the he6 is clip. You can push the volume pot all the way and there's not even a hint of distortion. But if you really want to hear great synergy, the lcd3/m8 combo is just sublime. Overall I slightly prefer the he6 to it, but the lcd3/m8 sounds as good as lcd3/darkstar combo. And there's no need to use any of the tone shaping controls either.

 

[bluemonkeyflyer]

 

O​

Yes the m8 does fall short of what the he6 is capable of. But the fact it can drive them as well as it does is very high praise. One thing it doesn't do that most other dedicated headphone amps does with the he6 is clip. You can push the volume pot all the way and there's not even a hint of distortion. But if you really want to hear great synergy, the lcd3/m8 combo is just sublime. Overall I slightly prefer the he6 to it, but the lcd3/m8 sounds as good as lcd3/darkstar combo. And there's no need to use any of the tone shaping controls either.

 
Thank you for these impressions. Very helpful.  And I agree there is no clipping at full M8 volume.

 

[headwhacker]

Is it normal when I slide the Treble/highs boost switch to position 2 or 3 it does not seem to engage. I looks like you have to set it somewhere in between position 2 and 3. I don't hear any change switching from position 1 to 2. The bass boost switch appears worst I can't hear any boost at all in any position or anything in between. 
 
The volume gain is spot on. So is the output impedance switch I can definitely hear notice the difference selecting different switch positions.
 
Other than that SQ is solid compared to my Sony PHA-1. I really enjoying my daily commute to work with my hifi-m8/T-Peos H200 combo. I just wish the switches are more robust.

 

[Nitrile]

  Is it normal when I slide the Treble/highs boost switch to position 2 or 3 it does not seem to engage. I looks like you have to set it somewhere in between position 2 and 3. I don't hear any change switching from position 1 to 2. The bass boost switch appears worst I can't hear any boost at all in any position or anything in between. 
 
The volume gain is spot on. So is the output impedance switch I can definitely hear notice the difference selecting different switch positions.
 
Other than that SQ is solid compared to my Sony PHA-1. I really enjoying my daily commute to work with my hifi-m8/T-Peos H200 combo. I just wish the switches are more robust.

 
Not normal at all.
 
tested the bass switch on brown noise, subtle differences between all 3 positions.
Brown noise: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPauaZfL6BI
 
tested the treble switch on pink noise, I can definitely hear a differene between all 3 positions.
Pink noise: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXtimhT-ff4
 
if you would like to test the switches at the same time, you can try grey noise.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=0iGdLDeyeso

 

[bluemonkeyflyer]

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Is it normal when I slide the Treble/highs boost switch to position 2 or 3 it does not seem to engage. I looks like you have to set it somewhere in between position 2 and 3. I don't hear any change switching from position 1 to 2. The bass boost switch appears worst I can't hear any boost at all in any position or anything in between. 

The volume gain is spot on. So is the output impedance switch I can definitely hear notice the difference selecting different switch positions.

Other than that SQ is solid compared to my Sony PHA-1. I really enjoying my daily commute to work with my hifi-m8/T-Peos H200 combo. I just wish the switches are more robust.

I had the exact same problems with the treble shaping switch. I cannot hear any difference switching between the impedance options. These switches feel Loose.

The bass shaping switch seems to work but the differences are subtle.
 
As suggested by M. Goodman, I sent my unit to Centrance and it should arrive in Morton Grove, today. 

 

[headwhacker]

Thanks Nitrile for the test links, I don't really hear any difference when the gain switch is set to 1 (lowest) on the pink noise. But setting it to 2 and turning the volume knob at 12 o'clock position then I can start to hear the difference but like you said it's very subtle. Going from position 1 to 3 doesn't make much difference. The clicks from changing the switch position is louder than the actual boost level.
 
As for the brown noise I really can't hear any difference even at gain switch set to 2. I can only hear the clicks from changing the switch position sounding louder as I turn the volume or/and gain level up.

 

[aamefford]

Regarding the bass and treble switches:
 
Using my HD650's or my Mad Dogs and my HIFI-M8,  Both switches work subtly but very noticeably in their respective ranges, and with each position.  The bass switch has a more prominent effect in the off, 1 and 2 positions.  The treble is a bit harder to discern, but the effect in each position is audible.  This with music.  I have not tried colored noise, though if I have some time I will.  Sounds like a cool test.
 
Summary - My rig, both switches have audible differences in each of their respective positions, as do the impedance and gain switches.
 
Just provided as a data point for those expressing issues.