When I used a pair of 32ohm headphones with the high gain switch it sounded horrible. I could hear all this hissing and low crackling noise. Once I set it to the low ohm setting it went away. Also a bad usb could cause this too.
The Centrance HiFi M8 thread
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When I used a pair of 32ohm headphones with the high gain switch it sounded horrible. I could hear all this hissing and low crackling noise. Once I set it to the low ohm setting it went away. Also a bad usb could cause this too.
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I use a Vaunix hub, have a Geek Out Special Edition also connected, GO never had this problem. I'll try the other suggestions, pay attention to the gain setting. Thanks.
KrissBill
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I have a Centrance Hi-Fi M8 with EarSonics Velvet, using a printer cable that I just replaced by a totaldac d1, listening for Classical and Jazz from My Powerbook with PureMusic on it.
The totaldac d1 cable does not add anything to the music but presents everything with a little bit more coherence: the micro-sounds, whenever there is, are better identified (turning the pages of the music booklet, singing from the pianist...) but I could not say there are more micro-details. Background is a little darker. Acid sounds have a little more body. Instead of hearing the strings alone, you feel you also hear the body of the violon and the harsh sounds are a little rounded. Has less effect to the music than PureMusic for instance, but the global effect is about the same: cleaner sound.
Subtil effect, and I am comparing with a printer USB cable. It contributes in 3 to 5% of the listening pleasure.
I said to myself: "It is not possible that moving from a printer cable to one of the best cable around just provides such a slight improvement".
Could it be that the Centrance is not transparent enough? bingo! I tested a Resonessence Herus + , which has a reputation of transparency, with my EarSonics Velvet, and here what I noticed:
HERUS +
Bass are not as deep and powerful as what the Centrance M8 offers, but they have more texture, more definition and also more dynamic.
Microdetails make the Centrance sound like if soft pedal were engaged
3D is very good and the scene is more open than with the Centrance (due to microdetails, more air and better cohesion)
With the Centrance, the differences between 44.1KHz and 192KHz were subtils, if any. Now the difference is huge!
Harmonic content for the Herus is richer, making the sound more natural, more like if "you were there".
Sound is fuller, meatier with the Herus.
Dynamic is explosive (too much! or is it because I am not used to it?), even for low level sounds, which makes details much more intelligible than with the Centrance.
Contrast and definition are excellent.
You can listen with lower volume and still enjoy the music, because the details are still there. This was not true with the Centrance.
The Herus has no grain, no noise, no harshness.
In a word, it sounds "transparent".
The sound was a little bright at the beginning, but this improves after one week.
I can't believe how a dongle, the size of my 512GB USB Kingston, can easily outperform the Centrance and its brick power supply in almost all of the fields. Maybe with difficult headphones, the power of the Centrance will make a difference, but for IEM, the Herus is tremendous.
Oh! and guess what? I did try to replace the totaldac d1 with the printer cable, the difference was so immediately evident that I did reconnect the totaldac before the end of the song. Life is too short.
Next step, one of the best amplifier around: The Analog Squared Paper TU-05
The totaldac d1 cable does not add anything to the music but presents everything with a little bit more coherence: the micro-sounds, whenever there is, are better identified (turning the pages of the music booklet, singing from the pianist...) but I could not say there are more micro-details. Background is a little darker. Acid sounds have a little more body. Instead of hearing the strings alone, you feel you also hear the body of the violon and the harsh sounds are a little rounded. Has less effect to the music than PureMusic for instance, but the global effect is about the same: cleaner sound.
Subtil effect, and I am comparing with a printer USB cable. It contributes in 3 to 5% of the listening pleasure.
I said to myself: "It is not possible that moving from a printer cable to one of the best cable around just provides such a slight improvement".
Could it be that the Centrance is not transparent enough? bingo! I tested a Resonessence Herus + , which has a reputation of transparency, with my EarSonics Velvet, and here what I noticed:
HERUS +
Bass are not as deep and powerful as what the Centrance M8 offers, but they have more texture, more definition and also more dynamic.
Microdetails make the Centrance sound like if soft pedal were engaged
3D is very good and the scene is more open than with the Centrance (due to microdetails, more air and better cohesion)
With the Centrance, the differences between 44.1KHz and 192KHz were subtils, if any. Now the difference is huge!
Harmonic content for the Herus is richer, making the sound more natural, more like if "you were there".
Sound is fuller, meatier with the Herus.
Dynamic is explosive (too much! or is it because I am not used to it?), even for low level sounds, which makes details much more intelligible than with the Centrance.
Contrast and definition are excellent.
You can listen with lower volume and still enjoy the music, because the details are still there. This was not true with the Centrance.
The Herus has no grain, no noise, no harshness.
In a word, it sounds "transparent".
The sound was a little bright at the beginning, but this improves after one week.
I can't believe how a dongle, the size of my 512GB USB Kingston, can easily outperform the Centrance and its brick power supply in almost all of the fields. Maybe with difficult headphones, the power of the Centrance will make a difference, but for IEM, the Herus is tremendous.
Oh! and guess what? I did try to replace the totaldac d1 with the printer cable, the difference was so immediately evident that I did reconnect the totaldac before the end of the song. Life is too short.
Next step, one of the best amplifier around: The Analog Squared Paper TU-05
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Interesting...I'd agree that the sound of the M6 is not the most detailed or rich. Mine (when I can get it to work on my PC) is easily bested in SQ by my Geek Out Special Edition, which was a bit more expensive, and a bit less flexible (though lack of Coax is actually very limiting, and not being able to get it to work with my PC after it worked initially is a major bummer), but in the same price ballpark. It wasn't subtle, went back to the GO SE, even when I could get the M8 to work with the PC...
Question:
I just got my hands on the Centrance M8 with Optical and RSA.. is it possible to use it with my Samsung S4 via USB OTG?
I checked the site and it shows compatible but I was wondering if anyone has gotten it to work and ifso, how. Thanks!
I just got my hands on the Centrance M8 with Optical and RSA.. is it possible to use it with my Samsung S4 via USB OTG?
I checked the site and it shows compatible but I was wondering if anyone has gotten it to work and ifso, how. Thanks!
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I have read that people have had success with the Samsung phones. I have never been able to get it to work with my HTC M8.
See page one of the hifi-m8 impressions thread for info on android.
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Not the s4 but i have had success with note4. Just play around with the order you attach it and turning it on. I and some of the others may have posted it already. Good luck.
The Output Impedance switch only works with Single Ended correct? It has no effect on Balanced output?
When using my M8 it doesn't change anything when connected via RSA balanced but changes with both the 1/8" and 1/4" jack.
When using my M8 it doesn't change anything when connected via RSA balanced but changes with both the 1/8" and 1/4" jack.
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What does the M8 do with a DSD (DSF, DFF) file from a computer through USB? Does it dumb it down to PCM or does it ignore it,
and give you what Achmed says….
…."SILENCE!!!"?
and give you what Achmed says….
…."SILENCE!!!"?
macadmv
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I just got my Hifi-M8 a few days ago and I LOVE IT!
I'm a little confused with the output impedance switch...it's 1, 2, and 11. Right now I'm assuming 1 is for IEM's, 2 for most headphones, and 11 for 300 Ohm and above? If someone could explain this to me that would be great!
I'm a little confused with the output impedance switch...it's 1, 2, and 11. Right now I'm assuming 1 is for IEM's, 2 for most headphones, and 11 for 300 Ohm and above? If someone could explain this to me that would be great!
I don't know the answer exactly, but do know that like all the other switches, to the right, means it outputs more/higher power.
macadmv
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Yes, I understand the gain switch produces more power...just the output impedance switch I know nothing about.
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