[aamefford]

A) I have an MBA - we used to play buzz word bingo in lecture classes.  Micheal's sentence was a sure winner!
 
B) I use my engineering degree - the MBA - not so much.
 
C) I'm teetering on the brink of a pre-order.  I suspect it will happen tomorrow - or any second now...  I'd backed off with the prospect of 3 pin dual XLR only - just wasn't the solution I was looking for.  With the 4 pin + 1/4" plus not sure if a 1/8" is gonna be on board or not, I'm back into thinking I ought to have one of these.  Anyone want a bargain on a sweet HeadAmp Pico Dac/Amp?
 
 Can anyone provide the Cliff Notes version of the available analog and digital output?  My input is set with idevice / USB.
 
Also, I'f I've followed correctly - idevice is 30 pin to the flat USB (A), and computer DAC input is the sort of square 6 sided big USB input (B).  Is this still the case?

 

[TigreNegrito]

 
Also, I'f I've followed correctly - idevice is 30 pin to the flat USB (A), and computer DAC input is the sort of square 6 sided big USB input (B).  Is this still the case?

 
I certainly hope so, as I just ordered a KimberKable USB A-B!
 
I ordered the M8 as soon as they confirmed a single 4-pin option.  Everything else is just icing.  Thank God the holidays are coming and will make the wait time seem to go by faster!  

 

[aamefford]

Quote:

 
I certainly hope so, as I just ordered a KimberKable USB A-B!
 
I ordered the M8 as soon as they confirmed a single 4-pin option.  Everything else is just icing.  Thank God the holidays are coming and will make the wait time seem to go by faster!  

I think I've got a leftover shorty from a mac mini external drive/USB & Firewire hub that went south.

 

[jacal01]

Amazon has quantity 1 of a Specialty AV OC-192 HD Toslink to coax SPDIF converter which they advertise as able to support PCM up to 24/192.
 
For appreciably more, RDL makes a model FP-SPR1 SPDIF repeater/amplifier for BNC/coax/optical I/O that may support 24/192 as well.  I'll know better next week.
 
That's it, near as I can tell.
 
Sure wisht...
  

 

[MorbidToaster]

Amazon has quantity 1 of a Specialty AV OC-192 HD Toslink to coax SPDIF converter which they advertise as able to support PCM up to 24/192.

For appreciably more, RDL makes a model FP-SPR1 SPDIF repeater/amplifier for BNC/coax/optical I/O that may support 24/192 as well.  I'll know better next week.

That's it, near as I can tell.

Sure wisht...
  

Coming to see us in Austin this spring? Big meet.

 

[jacal01]

Quote:

Coming to see us in Austin this spring? Big meet.

 
Possibility. Is it official?  There's starting to be a few audio build companies in and around Austin.  Sure wouldn't mind seeing Dr. Alex and Brian again.
 
Is it a contingency to getting Michael to pay attention to me here?    

 

[MorbidToaster]

Yeah. Follow the link in my sig and get in on the action. Gonna be better than ever this year.
 
Quote:

 
Possibility. Is it official?  There's starting to be a few audio build companies in and around Austin.  Sure wouldn't mind seeing Dr. Alex and Brian again.
 
Is it a contingency to getting Michael to pay attention to me here?    

 

[Saraugie]

Quote:

> Michael, would you please confirm that using the headphone out to connect to another amp, that the sound quality will not be degraded?
Yes, we've offered this functionality with our other DAC products - DACport and DACmini and customers report excellent results. HiFi-M8 will not compromise that reputation.
 
> In other words, can the H8 be used as a USB DAC with a computer?
Yes, of course, provided you use the appropriate cable to go from one of M8's outputs into the inputs of your (other) amp.
 
> [size=medium]Down the run you need to standardize on an I/O connector configuration, you can use the majority buyer configuration selection on this limited first run as sort of a demographic focus group to identify your target market preference.[/size]
The audiophile industry segment exhibits niche qualities and cannot leverage economies of scale. Therefore the value proposition seems to favor flexibility and customer focus over manufacturing efficiency (get the MBA joke? LOL)
 
Translation: We've actually designed this thing with swappable side panels, to accommodate multiple configurations easily. The more people like this thing, the more friends we get to have
 

Thank you for the info. Ordered

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Guys, I'm sorry to read that some prefer the coax spdif output. I don't believe it's possible now. It's just too darn big and will probably raise concerns about ugliness again
 
We plan to put in an optical spdif out, in a combo with the 3.5 mm headphone jack. We picked out a part that will do 192 kHz

Michael

 
Michael, I'm just happy that you can put in a decent optical out, so I can plug this into my high-end electrostatic headphone rig with lossless music on an iPod as transport.  The one DAC that's coax only is one I'm thinking about getting but don't own yet.  Maybe in the future you can come up with a small 5v or battery powered device for $50-100 that converts optical out into coax.  Macbook owners will love you for that, if it can be used as a standalone device as well.

 

[jamato8]

Quote:

 
Michael, I'm just happy that you can put in a decent optical out, so I can plug this into my high-end electrostatic headphone rig with lossless music on an iPod as transport.  The one DAC that's coax only is one I'm thinking about getting but don't own yet.  Maybe in the future you can come up with a small 5v or battery powered device for $50-100 that converts optical out into coax.  Macbook owners will love you for that, if it can be used as a standalone device as well.

It is easy to convert the optical into coax, a few dollars in parts, at the most and then the case.

 

[aamefford]

Sigh...  I just pre-ordered.  The allure of something shiny, powerful and that takes digital from my idevice and my computer AND is built and backed by Centrance was too much to resist.  I loved my DAcPort, and the hifi-M8 looks to add what I missed with the DacPort.  I'd backed away with the 3 pin XLR balanced as the only option.  With the 4 pin XLR balanced plus 1/4" SE, I'm on board.  I just didn't want two x 3 pin XLR's hanging from my phones should I decide to go balanced.
 
I do have a question - When listening from unbalanced 1/4", is one effectively using only half the amp?  I believe this is the case with at least some balanced configurations.  If this is the case, is there any issue with putting many hours on part of the circuitry listening single ended (likely my primary), and much less hours on the remaining circuitry when listening balanced (less often to almost never for me, at least initially)?
 
Also, with the "modular" design - would the end plates that have the S/PIDF input and / or 3 pin XLR combo outputs be user changeable pieces?  Or Centrance changeable pieces?  Just curious on this one.

 

[jacal01]

Quote:

Guys, I'm sorry to read that some prefer the coax spdif output. I don't believe it's possible now. It's just too darn big and will probably raise concerns about ugliness again
 
We plan to put in an optical spdif out, in a combo with the 3.5 mm headphone jack. We picked out a part that will do 192 kHz

Michael

 
[size=11pt]Just to be clear here, I’ve been arguing for an SPDIF coax vs. optical digital output, but what I really mean in this case is the 1/8” headphone/SPDIF optical combo jack vs. a dedicated 1/8” SPDIF copper TRS phone jack.  So effectively what I’ve been lobbying for is an SPDIF digital output signal option with the same size/location jack hole on the side panel, as per your value proposition favoring flexibility and customer focus over manufacturing efficiency ecospeak.[/size]
 
[size=11pt]The panel appearance remains the same.[/size]

 

[bluemonkeyflyer]

Anyone besides me interested in a cross feed option?

 

[TigreNegrito]

I like that concept on my Total BitHead, but isn't that counter-intuitive for balanced output?

 

[bluemonkeyflyer]

I like that concept on my Total BitHead, but isn't that counter-intuitive for balanced output?

I use unbalanced.