M2Tech HiFace - using it? Like it?

Here's the follow-up I got from John Kenny after he received my faulty hiFace mod:

“I just this morning received your Hiface & immediately opened it up to test it. Rather than it being a burnt out switch, I found a bad solder joint on the switch to one of the batteries. This prevented this battery from being re-charged. So the battery (that goes under the Hiface) now measures 2.7V The battery is the one that is connected to the LED & this explains how it dimmed after 10 mins (something I couldn't explain at the time) - the depleted battery will recover a small amount of its charge when left to sit & when reconnected this charge is enough to light the low current LED but at too low a voltage for the Hiface. I have put a new test procedure in place to prevent this problem in the future. Sorry you had to be the one that uncovered this & that you were an international postage away."

John's a completely trustworthy guy and the SQ of his hiFace mod is superb.

Thanks for the follow-up Cdm. I have the same feeling about John Kenny. Here in Mexico one cannot send insured mail (believe it or not), so I have given my HiFace to a friend headed back to the States. She will be mailing it to John from there. As you did, I will provide a follow-up. Most likely the whole process of sending and receiving back the Hiface will take a month depending on the mail and John's backlog.

Again, Thanks!

In reading the thread, there seems to be an audible improvement in using the BNC rather than the RCA termination. Also an improvement in going with an external power supply.

Not sure if anyone tried it, but would there be a difference in where the device is located. Standard is to put it on the computer and then use a longer length of coax cable to the DAC. You could also locate it at the DAC and use a longer length of USB cable back to the computer. I was thinking that to locate the cable before the reclocking might be better.

Has anyone tried it?

Paul

Pkubica

Gee you're a trouble maker!

it's really gonna piss me off if plugging the Hiface into the DAC and using a longer USB cable sounds better!

My thinking on that was my Oyiade digital cable is shielded and/or constructed better than any USB cable I've seen... so I plug my M2Tech right into the tower and use a 1.3M BNC cable.

the other note was a BNC wire handles transmission of digital info better than does USB.

With a SPDIF RCA connection, perhaps there is something to going with a longer USB wiree.

I've heard/seen online it will work either way.

I suppose too one changes the sound perhaps too by eliminating the SPDIF/BNC cable.

Try it out and let us know... I'd as soon not find out I spent a couple hundred bucks more than I needed to.

Just got the modified HiFace back from John Kenny - he has proven beyond a doubt the notion that cleaner power provides cleaner sound. Using a couple of books to prop it up, I plugged the Hiface (Kenny's box style) directly into the computer and then out to a 35' run of digital SPDIF to the processor. The sound is markedly improved, I am excited about my system all over again. BTW, propping up the HiFace on books is really not a permanent solution - I'm trying to purchase a 1 ft. 2.0 USB extender but living in Mexico that is more difficult than you would think.

FWIW, I prefer the idea of a very short USB and a long SPDIF digital cable. I have more confidence in the SPDIF. I regret not being set up for BNC.