Modding a M2TECH Hi-Face

Hi Guys,

I've been using CAS for the past 6 years and for the last 3 years the CAS was mated with a M2TECH HiFace so that I can replay 2496 recordings.

In the 1st year of incepting HiFace, I thought what's the big deal - the sound is just similar to my previous USB converter and very similar in resolution to a Sony DVP-S7000. The only advantage was to be able to replay 2496 materials which has a slight gain in resolution.

In the 2nd year I manage to discover a literature on how to detune a PC for Audio purpose so that it runs without all the Window frills and background processing. Upon this knowledge, I migrated to a laptop which is slow enough to minimize emi-rfi generation - used a HP NX5000 running on batteries and upon detuning it, not bad, it warms up the sound with slight increase in resolution.

Using Foobar, the latency delay can be set to a minimum of 50mS for that slight gain in clarity.

So far pretty happy with the overall sound as the sound improvements are adding up nicely.

NOW, in the spirit of Mr.Fikus Lampha... (of Lampizator fame), this mod was just done 2 hrs ago and I just want to say, it ROCKS ! I've never felt such great urge to share this.

First thing to be noticed is the amount of AAAAIIIIIRRRRR that was recovered in the recording. This is especially obvious when replaying back LP rips 24bits 96 Khz stuffs. My jaws literally dropped - to be able to listen to the stylus picking up the micro details and the extra click and pops that was previously subdued.

The other thing I really loved is the treble quality - it is just not bright/piercing anymore and has transformed into this large particle movement of sounds. Really reminds me of those multicell horn quality of the Altecs.

For e.g. when listening to the cymbals crash, the sound is just more realistic - the warmth tone and decay of the brass alloy sound is reproduced much more in a wholesome manner. No kidding. And I'm using a large ribbon tweeter which is just deadly revealing.

Thanks for not falling a sleep so far.

This is how the mod is done. It takes some micro surgery skills to do it, so those with masturbating trembling hands better stay away



This pic shows the DIT4192 chip. Heat up the pin #18 and gently lift it up using a sharp penknife tip.





Incidently pin#18 is Tx+.





I 1st removed the BNC connector so that the center output pin can be lifted off from the PCB and then straightened. Then the BNC connector is reassembled back into the PCB. Now, just connect the dots. Pin #18 connects to the output of the BNC. No need for any other coupling cap and resistor. This of course is provided that your SPDIF receiver in your DAC is cap coupled which mine already has. If you have a transformer input on your DAC then I would suggest you mod it to cap coupled.

It's that pure. Voila.....





cheers

thanks for sharing.

in doing so you bypass the transformer right ? won't you lose galvanic isolation then ?

carz wrote:thanks for sharing.

in doing so you bypass the transformer right ? won't you lose galvanic isolation then ?

Yes the transformer is bypassed.
As Mr Fikus asked the designers:
( I quote from his site: http://lampizator.eu/LAMPIZATOR/TRANSPORT/CD_transport_DIY.html )

""One may ask: Why is every manufacturer insisting on installation of series caps and also separation transformers in CD player transport and DAC and why is Mr. Fikus telling it is unnecessary?
That is a good question. When I ask others - what is the separation transformer for? they answer me: it is there to separate. Separate what? I ask - They say : to separate the grounds. Why ? Well, because the grounds must be separated.
Then I ask: what is the capacitor for ?
They answer: son, the capacitor is there to isolate. Isolate what? I ask...
Well, isolate noises or protect from spikes.
What noises? - answer is Digital noises.

So shortly speaking, nobody has a clue what to answer. NOBODY. They are in the fog of stereotypes and meaningless talk.""

Hmm... interesting. I should open up the M2Tech EVO to see if it is similar.

Pls publish some gut pics of the Evo too, if you don't mind.

cheers.

When I get access to my unit, I will open up the cover (been meaning to for some time but never got round to it) and take a couple of photos. Then post it here.

Here is what I have done to my Hiface:
1. Removed 2 on board DC-DC step down converters, put in external shunt regulator power supply.
2. By pass the output transformer, direct connect chip DIT4192 pin 18 to a 10nF cap and 300ohm resister.

kwwong wrote:

2. By pass the output transformer, direct connect chip DIT4192 pin 18 to a 10nF cap and 300ohm resister.

Have you tried using direct pin #18 to the output minus the cap and resistor? Pls have a go and see.

I believe 1 cap in the entire digital signal path in the receiving end of the DAC is enough to remove DC components. Why have it at the output and then another at the input?

cheers.

I have tried direct pin 18 to my Buffalo II DAC, it didn't work at all because the dDAC end no cap. With just the cap without resistor, got some distortion at certain frequency. If follow the spec of DIT chip (with cap and resistor), it work like a charm with my DAC. The cap value I use 10nf but spec say 0.1uf because I found 10nf is more airy and cleaner.

So is still 1 cap in my system

I compare it with my Marantz CD50, with direct rip CD with EAC uncompress wave file, this modded Hiface wins by a mile, every department is better in my taste.

I am interested in the PC setting you mention. I use mostly default now.

On the subject of m2tech, anyone found an external clock which works well with the evo ?

kwwong wrote:I am interested in the PC setting you mention. I use mostly default now.

Search for "The art of building computer transports".
I tried searching the link for you but it seems that all are dead now - not sure why.

Basically in my laptop, I partition the HDD so that 2 windows XP are installed.

One is "Audio Only" and the other is "Regular XP".

The "Audio Only" is where only XP and Foobar is installed.
ALL other items are not installed and default items like networking, background processing etc etc are disabled.
When running foobar, there is a specific .BAT file that was created, and we run Foobat thru that file. What the .BAT file does is that it first runs a special script so that even more items are disabled. With that, when foobar is running, the windows taskbar, windows menu etc are all jammed. We can't do anything except running Foobar.

Well that's some of the gist. Interesting huh...
cheers

Wikin wrote:

kwwong wrote:I am interested in the PC setting you mention. I use mostly default now.

Search for "The art of building computer transports".
I tried searching the link for you but it seems that all are dead now - not sure why.

I might still have the PDF copy of it, if it is the same one September 2007 Version 0.3 by cics.

Since then the site had been moved to http://www.cicsmemoryplayer.com/ and foobar had been replaced by cPlay.

tycham wrote:

Wikin wrote:

kwwong wrote:I am interested in the PC setting you mention. I use mostly default now.

Search for "The art of building computer transports".
I tried searching the link for you but it seems that all are dead now - not sure why.

I might still have the PDF copy of it, if it is the same one September 2007 Version 0.3 by cics.

Since then the site had been moved to http://www.cicsmemoryplayer.com/ and foobar had been replaced by cPlay.

Thanks for the link.

This one seems highly similar to the document that I used previously.
http://www.cicsmemoryplayer.com/index.php?n=CMP.07Optimisations

cheers

Wikin,

Below is a photo I took of the inside of the M2Tech EVO using my iPhone. Not the best of photos especially the flash blurring out part of the circuit board. I don't believe I see DIT4192 chip on the circuit board. Almost all the components are surface mounted so they are difficult to solder/unsolder.

WongKN wrote:Wikin,

Below is a photo I took of the inside of the M2Tech EVO using my iPhone. Not the best of photos especially the flash blurring out part of the circuit board. I don't believe I see DIT4192 chip on the circuit board. Almost all the components are surface mounted so they are difficult to solder/unsolder.

Looking at the way M2TECH does things and if they kept the same recipe, the DIT chip will be on the underside of the PCB similar to the HIFACE.

You can see the photos I posted on my HIFACE; the output transformer is facing up, and the DIT chip is on the underside of the PCB.

cheers.

Ah OK, that means I need to open up the bottom plate, not the top plate. I will check when I next get access to my unit again. I don't have the proper soldering station to handle surface mounted IC chips however. But I will check first anyway.

Wikin wrote:


When running foobar, there is a specific .BAT file

The two batch files required together with the optimization instructions can be obtained here:http://www.scribd.com/doc/50731064/The-art-of-building-Computer-Transports-v0-3

tycham wrote:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/50731064/The-art-of-building-Computer-Transports-v0-3

Excellent, this is the exact document, the holy grail.

cheers.

How does the new Hiface Two compare to this modded Hiface?

ryder wrote:How does the new Hiface Two compare to this modded Hiface?

Why don't you buy the hi-face II and we can have a mini shoot-out at my place.



cheers