[ButtUglyJeff]

I was surprised at all the positive feedback with the HD800s.  Those are picky headphones when it comes to source and amplification...

 

[FraGGleR]

  I was surprised at all the positive feedback with the HD800s.  Those are picky headphones when it comes to source and amplification...

 
Maybe I am just not picky enough to be a true audiophile, but I haven't had that hard a time to get my HD800s to sound good.  I mean the headphones themselves are phenomenal.  Have they sounded better on certain gear than on others?  Yes, of course.  But they sounded pretty decent out of an HRT Microstreamer, better out of a Nuforce HDP, and even better out of a Concero/Bottlehead S.E.X. combo.  But regardless of the setup, they still sounded like HD800s and they sounded good.  
 
I did listen to my own HD800s on a demo M8 at a meet and they sounded great!  I will need some time with my own M8 to do a really good comparison (and decide if I can sell off everything else and just live with the M8).  I honestly don't know when my M8 will be ready.  The last shipping schedule indicated mine should ship by the 16th of this month, but my last correspondence with CEntrance indicated it might be early October.  I paid in November of last year.

 

[xinghui0711]

I got my M8 LX last night. Decent looking. Only uses low-mid gain to drive my HD800. Lots of switches are waiting for me to faddle

 

[verber]

  I was surprised at all the positive feedback with the HD800s.  Those are picky headphones when it comes to source and amplification...

 
I wouldn't call the HD800 picky, they are just revealing.  So crap sounds like crap, decent is decent, and exceptional makes the HD800 sing.  I would put the HiFi-M8 in the good category.  It doesn't give me the sparkle, dynamics, or spaciousness of my main rig, but it's keep up with a number of desktop systems I have listened while being versatile and portable.
 
--Mark

 

[xinghui0711]

I wouldn't call the HD800 picky, they are just revealing.  So crap sounds like crap, decent is decent, and exceptional makes the HD800 sing.  I would put the HiFi-M8 in the good category.  It doesn't give me the sparkle, dynamics, or spaciousness of my main rig, but it's keep up with a number of desktop systems I have listened while being versatile and portable.

--Mark

You want M8 to rival those insanely priced desktop rigs?? Lol

 

[verber]

You want M8 to rival those insanely priced desktop rigs?? Lol

 
I had no expectation that the M8 would rival top performing desktop amplifiers & DACs, hoped yes

, but no expectations.
 
It's a great portable unit. It's only the second portable amplifier I have heard that I thought adequately drove the HD800. It's good as a general DAC / amplifier,  impressive that it rivals reasonably priced desktops units, at a competitive price.  It doesn't keep up with top performing DACs and amplifiers... but given the  complexity and trade offs needed to make a portable unit, this should surprise no-one which is what I think you are getting at.  I understand why people are excited about the M8, I just think people should have reasonable expectations, that it is an innovative and versatile product with good SQ, but it's not a giant killer.
 
--Mark

 

[aamefford]

   
I had no expectation that the M8 would rival top performing desktop amplifiers & DACs, hoped yes

, but no expectations.
 
It's a great portable unit. It's only the second portable amplifier I have heard that I thought adequately drove the HD800. It's good as a general DAC / amplifier,  impressive that it rivals reasonably priced desktops units, at a competitive price.  It doesn't keep up with top performing DACs and amplifiers... but given the  complexity and trade offs needed to make a portable unit, this should surprise no-one which is what I think you are getting at.  I understand why people are excited about the M8, I just think people should have reasonable expectations, that it is an innovative and versatile product with good SQ, but it's not a giant killer.
 
--Mark

 
Maybe not a giant killer, but I am pretty floored with the performance.  Definitely kicks the Giant in the shins and makes him jump around a bit at least.

 

[headwhacker]

Maybe not a giant killer, but I am pretty floored with the performance.  Definitely kicks the Giant in the shins and makes him jump around a bit at least.

I have never tried a desktop DAC/Amp before but I'm currently enjoying my music with M8/T1 combo. Not exactly the most portable rig but pretty much doable.

 

[ExpatinJapan]

   
Maybe not a giant killer, but I am pretty floored with the performance.  Definitely kicks the Giant in the shins and makes him jump around a bit at least.

 
Thats right!

 

[mtntrance]

OK I have done a search.  Do we know if the M8 will work with a lightening connector yet or not?  Thanks.

 

[ExpatinJapan]

lightning cable looks like its working.
 
 
Quote:

  I just tried the Kero Nomad cable with iPhone 5 and there's sound.  
 
  
 

 

[Nitrile]

  OK I have done a search.  Do we know if the M8 will work with a lightening connector yet or not?  Thanks.

 

  Would like to report that the M8 works flawlessly on my iPad 4 through lightning with iOS 7.
The native music player, Spotify and Deezer work fine and the volume control is disabled when the M8 is connected.
It should be the same with the iPhone 5 and iPad mini.
 

 
 
Its in the other thread.

 

[snapple10]

anybody knows when the next preordered will ship, hoping I will make the list, sorry if the question has been asked?

 

[mgoodman]

  From everything that I've read,  it seems like the M8 is currently at least a step above the current highest level of portable dac/amps, especially when it comes to power.  However,  I often see pairs for it qualified with "for a mobile".   This makes me wonder how far off it really is from desktop components.  
 
The specs, at least on the DAC, read as good or better than many desktop DAC's in the entry to even mid-range,  but I understand that specs really dont tell the story of sound.  So how does it sound in comparison to a desktop setup?  
 
Logic would make me think that a well spent $600 desktop components would result in better sound than the M8,  just because so much of the expense form the M8 come with creating mobility and conservation of space is expensive,  where as desktops deal with a "space is free"  situation,   but is this actually the case?  
 
How does the M8's sound stack up to ~$600 spent on Schiit or Audio-GD or any of the other good value desktop setups in a similar price range?

This may be a little late, but check Michael Mercer's review. He stopped listening to his desktop rig now that he has his M8.
 
http://parttimeaudiophile.com/2013/09/14/centrance-hifi-m8-an-evolution-in-portable-fidelity/

 

[mgoodman]

   
 
Thanks for checking and clearing this matter. I suppose I just cant hear the difference since it's very subtle for my hearing. Anyway, I'm not concerned too much even at the lowest switch position (for both bass and treble) I can definitely hear good quality sound using 3 different iems. I think the gain and output impedance control are more important to me at the moment.
 
Having said that, I wish the 4 switches are more robust. At least similar to, or better than the "usb/off/ipod" selector switch. I believe most people here would be trying different IEMs and headphones and constantly moving the switches to discover the best possible combo. I'm just afraid the switches won't hold that long.

No issues, these are professional switches. They will last for years.