[ES_EF]

funny how preferences go, i love the M400 so much i'm upgrading to the m400 plus for the added bluetooth features

 

[ES_EF]

out of 7 different desktop / portable iem set ups i have, i find myself using this probably more than anything

 

[seamon]

Oops I meant M400 Plus. I have not heard the M400.

 

[wwyjoe]

I'm loving my m400 plus.. Very enjoyable, full bodied and addictive sound. Impressed with the bass too

 

[Bellyworshipper]

Well, I've spent only a couple of evenings with my M400Plus and HiFiMan HE-500 yet, but it was enough to impress and surprise me If you are a metalhead (which I'm more than not), like instrumental music/jazz then you are in for a treat when you try M400Plus. Heck, it's cool for any music and vocals! I was afraid the lows would be muddy or boomy on M400Plus, at least with my HiFiMan HE-500. Fortunately, I could not be more wrong. Yes, the bass is emphasized on M400Plus (it seems to me that M400Plus has a W-shaped frequency response, but I'm really not sure now), but it is far from the point of being ostentatious or overwhelming. And it provides an excellent control and detail for sure. Actually, it's the best bass I've heard in DAPs and DACs to the date. Subjectively, I feel more energy on the mids and highs too compared to more "linear" A2.

 

[Bellyworshipper]

By the way, has anyone owning M400Plus experienced any quirks with the DAC's display? A couple of times I got PCM and two battery symbols on the display instead of current gain, filter and volume numbers. The DAC switched to this weird display mode after me adjusting the volume. M400Plus remained fully operational, but the gain/filter/volume info just would not show up until I rebooted the device

 

[davesa]

Has anybody used the Lo/Coax jack on the M400 - is the Coax a digital in or digital out? How do you select it?

If it is a digital coax out I don't understand how you would use that... USB in... bypass the DAC and then output coax to another dac... bypassing the dac and amp? Does not make sense to me

 

[Bellyworshipper]

Has anybody used the Lo/Coax jack on the M400 - is the Coax a digital in or digital out? How do you select it?

If it is a digital coax out I don't understand how you would use that... USB in... bypass the DAC and then output coax to another dac... bypassing the dac and amp? Does not make sense to me

Yes, the M400/M400Plus has COAX as a digital OUT using the AK 4118 chip. And yes, it works the way you mentioned: digital signal USB in->digital signal COAX out bypassing the DAC and amp parts. However, you can only output up to 24bit/192 kHz via the digital COAX out (AK 4118's limitation) though the M400's USB in supports up to 32bit/384 kHz.
It is just another option and makes perfect sense if you have a PC/laptop with no SPDIF out and an external receiver/DAC with only COAX/SPDIF in with no USB in. In this scenario, M400 is a digital-digital converter (USB->SPDIF). That's all

 

[eskamobob1]

Anyone have some higher end daps to be able to compair this with? BGGAR is the only review I can find of it and he compairs it favorably to M11 and Dx160, but I am currious how it stacks up against newer stuff than that. Does it seriously compete with an M15, DX220/300, etc? Or is the sound more on the upper end of mid-fi than the lower end of hi-fi?

 

[Bellyworshipper]

Or is the sound more on the upper end of mid-fi than the lower end of hi-fi?

Wait, I'm confused Did you mean the lower end of high-end? Cause, pretty all the devices produced today can be considered high-fidelity (Hi-Fi) devices, as Hi-Fi specs were adopted in the 80s (if not earlier). On the other hand, I see high-end, mid-end (or mid-fi) and low-end (low-fi) as purely marketing inventions or highly personal evaluation terms with very vague (if any) specs.

 

[eskamobob1]

Wait, I'm confused Did you mean the lower end of high-end? Cause, pretty all the devices produced today can be considered high-fidelity (Hi-Fi) devices, as Hi-Fi specs were adopted in the 80s (if not earlier). On the other hand, I see high-end, mid-end (or mid-fi) and low-end (low-fi) as purely marketing inventions or highly personal evaluation terms with very vague (if any) specs.

I meant the later. I will agree the low-fi, mid-fi, and hi-fi terms are pretty vauge where the transitions are, but I think there are certain devices that are pretty clearly in each group. Like an m11 is clearly mid-fi and a LPGT is clearly hi-fi. I will agree that the m11 pro and m15 blur that line quite a bit though. My main question was if this stacks up against the sq of the ~800 USD daps or pushes higher than that (excluding outliers obviously)

 

[Bellyworshipper]

My main question was if this stacks up against the sq of the ~800 USD daps or pushes higher than that (excluding outliers obviously)

To my mind, M400 Plus stacks up against ~800 USD DAPs/DACs pretty well. M400 Plus even sounds well beyond its price.Though I think this DACAmp does not sound neutral, it has an energetic, vivid sound signature with tight bass and detailed highs. M400 Plus's signature is close to the W-shaped one, I think. As for comparisons, for me M400 Plus is technically much better than Shanling M6 Pro (more body and details, no sibilance, tighter bass, wider soundstage), FiiO M11 (more details, tighter bass, wider soundstage), AK Kann Cube Alpha (more details on mids, tighter bass, wider soundstage). It's even on par with LPGT if to compare them from memory. Actually, I didn't find LPGT anything extraordinary in terms of the SQ, and still think that my YinLvMei A2 is quite comparable to it with a different signature and accents, of course.
In terms of the output power, the M400 Plus successfully competes with AK Kann Cube Alpha and runs circles around ~1000 USD DAPs (with very few exceptions. like QLS361, I think)

 

[wwyjoe]

it has an energetic, vivid sound signature with tight bass and detailed highs.

Very well described, my exact sentiments too for my M400plus I will also add 'strong bass' too when listening with my Noble Audio Encore customs.

 

[wwyjoe]

Well, I've spent only a couple of evenings with my M400Plus and HiFiMan HE-500 yet, but it was enough to impress and surprise me

@Bellyworshipper, just to clarify, each time when listening your M400plus via Bluetooth, the steps are to press the power button first, followed by pressing the bluetooth button to connect? My previous YLM B2 connects to bluetooth automatically once powered on, so find the 2-step process for the M400plus a little inconvenient. Not a biggie though...

 

[Bellyworshipper]

@Bellyworshipper, just to clarify, each time when listening your M400plus via Bluetooth, the steps are to press the power button first, followed by pressing the bluetooth button to connect? My previous YLM B2 connects to bluetooth automatically once powered on, so find the 2-step process for the M400plus a little inconvenient. Not a biggie though...

Yes, this is the sequence. Well, I listened to M400plus via Bluetooth just a couple of times, so no problem either