M2tech Sound Cards & Media Devices Driver

• M2tech Sound Cards & Media Devices Driver
• M2tech Sound Cards & Media Devices Drivers

This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. The sound is just pleasurable. Welcome and nice review Jason. Aqua La Voce S3 Discrete arrival. Will try to have some battery tests on Tuesday when i'll get back. Vertical sounds, for example in test tracks with a single instrument changing heights, you can clearly hear the height of the instrument.

You connected through USB? If so you can pull your sound card out because it doesn't matter. I dont have this DAC but normally all you have to do is sellect playback devices (from the role bar - the speaker icon) and set it the Young as default then go do properties and bypass all enhancements, select all available sample rates and most important go the the last tab (advanced) and select the. Native DSD512 up to 24.576MHz MQA full decoder 24-bit / 384kHz.

Post 6 of Amazing because of it's diminutive size, the fact that dzc is powered from the computer, and its low price. In the end it will be worth it.

Use kHz sampled stuff, and you get 5HzkHz. It feels like a cheap 88x14x20 mm orange USB stick with a thin plastic housing. There were only three times it stopped working.

I have tested it and it appears to work – even after a reboot. The sound is detailed, with more highs than lows but at the same time not fatiguing. Post 15 of Thanks for posting those review links.

By continuing to use this site, you niface consenting to our use of cookies.

M2 Tech HiFace usb dac | Reviews | Headphone Reviews and Discussion –

Post 13 of By this I mean you can hear how far an instrument or performer is away from you. After that it just works, but only stereo. The bass is just enough for me, I do not like a lot of bass, and here you hear it when you are supposed to hear it, so it does not overpower anything. Using the hiFace DAC is thankfully quite straight forward.

This isn't a dig at Jason or hi fi class warfare, but him so enjoying a ‘small budget' sac put a huge smile on my face. Welcome and Good-Bye Submitted by anomaly7 on August 1, – 9: This fix appears to solve the problem on a permanent basis, ie, you do not need to do it each time that you restart the computer.

hiFace DAC by M2Tech Audio

Thanks to all who have welcomed me, either in postings or in thought. But for my use not an issue.

A comparison review of two DACs. Submitted by JayPee on July 31, – 4: I was looking at this before and after reading those I am very interested. It took no more than starting up the PC, going to sound preferences, selecting the DAC, and then playing music. In fact, the two sound very close in performance which meant that once again, I was nailed to my listening seat for much longer than I intended.

[Review] M2Tech hiFace USB DAC listening test

Woo Audio WA8 Eclipse. Discussion in ‘ Dedicated Source Components ‘ started by taz23Jun 9, I can see this little orange DAC becoming a very familiar sight in many audiophile systems. Check the reviews for the HD and the Objective2 and then asses if the sound I described here is to your liking. Post 10 of If you already have a computer audio set up, and want an upgrade where you can really hear the improvement, but don't want to break the bank, the hiFace DAC is probably exactly what you are looking for.

By this I mean when someone starts singing, it is the main portion of the sound and the instruments get less noticeable. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting from the hiFace but the iDAC had set the bar so high, I wasn't really prepared for something that would also make me say 'WOW'.

There's little to add about the sound of this DAC because it simply does everything so well.

February 2013

M2Tech Joplin Analog-To-Digital Converter
An amazing 384kHz/32-bit ADC designed for modern audiophiles.
Review By Tom Lyle

In the June issue of Enjoythe Music.com's Review Magazine I reviewedthe Benchmark ADC1USB, the first outboardtwo-channel analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that I had ever auditioned in mysystem. I was very, very impressed with this ADC, not only because of itsexcellent sound quality. What was really nice about this unit was that eventhough it was initially designed for the professional recording studio market,unlike most pro gear it is 'only' a two-channel unit, which makes it perfect forthe audiophile with the desire to archive LPs to digital. Its most likeablefeature by far is that it has a USB output that is capable of creating a 96kHz/24-bitfile. My experience with ADCs of the past were within multipurpose PCI soundcards, and I've only read about the outboard professional multi-channeldedicated ADCs. The sound cards usually are bundled with a digital-to-analogconverter (DAC), speaker outputs, headphone amps, and the like. Unlike mostother pro models which most likely connect to a studio owner's computer viaeither S/PDIF (coax), AES/XLR, or FireWire, the Benchmark has its convenient USBoutput. So, if one reads my review of the Benchmark ADC1USB one will realizethat archiving LPs is both fun and relatively easy, mostly because using aconverter with a USB is so simple.

Not only that, the sound quality of the Benchmarkwas better than excellent, and it blows away the ADC that was contained withinmy multipurpose sound card. Upon receiving the more expensive, higher resolutionM2Tech Joplin under review, I was excited to again archive some records,anticipating even better sound quality. Not so fast. Yes, the M2Tech Joplin canbe used as I did with the Benchmark, but the Joplin can be used as a phonopreamp (although one with only one default loading option, 47kOhm), with amultitude of phono equalization curves all performed within the digital domain.This feature alone would be good enough for some, yet one of the design goals ofthe Joplin is that since any analog signal applied to its analog inputs isdigitally converted to this extremely high resolution, connecting one ofJoplin's digital outputs to a digital inputs of a DAC, or better yet, adigital preamplifier, allows for listening to the analog signal through theJoplin and the DAC in one's digital system with no perceptible loss in headroomor dynamics.

Herein lies the benefit to those foolish enoughto abandon analog for a totally digital system, and now either regretting thatthey abandoned vinyl, or those just wanting to add vinyl playback back intotheir system without having to give up their digital preamps. Conversely, thosewho use an analog front-end along with their digital front ends can takeadvantage of the newest breed of digital preamps being offered. So, along withdescribing the performance of the M2Tech Joplin when used to make digital copiesof vinyl, I'll also discuss its performance when used as a gateway between myanalog front-end and a digital preamp.

M2tech Sound Cards & Media Devices Driver

Mission
M2Techis from Pisa, Italy and have their products distributed in the WesternHemisphere by TEAC America. M2Tech's stated mission is 'to offer in the form ofequipment and software packages for domestic entertainment, a pleasant and easyaccess to audio contents with regards to new methodologies, and to guarantee ahigh quality of the exploitation experience'. Regardless of M2Tech's possibleneed for an English translator, their sense of design certainly comes to thefore when viewing the beautifully designed, half-rack width cabinet of theJoplin. The cabinet is made of rather thick aluminum with a recessed, curved,black grille as its front panel, the red characters of its display glowingthrough the lattice. There are only two silver-colored controls, a smallstandby/exit button on the left and a larger 'controller knob' on the right. Bypressing the controller knob one accesses the menu. Rotating the knob displaysother menu options, pressing the knob selects the values within these menuoptions. Once I got the hang of it, selecting the input gain, sample rates, etc.wasn't much of a big deal. A small black plastic IR remote control duplicatesall the controls on the front panel, but it instead uses a four-point wheel withan 'OK' selector in its center, and also has a menu/escape button. Anyone with acable TV remote will be familiar with this layout. Even though I kept misplacing the tiny remote it hardlymattered because once the options for the Joplin were set it was a rare instancethat I had to make any changes.

Along with a host of standard digital outputs(S/PDIF, AES/EBU, TosLink), the M2Tech Joplin has a high-speed asynchronous USBconnection. On its rear panel is also a connection for its power supply, a small'desktop' (rather than wall wart) type box that has an IEC if one wishes toconnect an after-market power cord, which I did. The two RCA inputs with aground post are evidence that one is expected to connect one's turntable outputsto this unit.

Expecting
I mentioned above that since the Joplin is priced higherthan the Benchmark I was expecting better sound. I also mentioned that becauseit is also a phono preamplifier, it would also be a game-changer of sorts. WhatI didn't mention was that the M2Tech Joplin is also a much more advancedelectronically, with 384kHz sampling rates and 32 bits resolution throughits USB output. In addition to its four digital outputs it also hasan S/PDIF input for connecting other digital sources. M2Tech says they designedthe Joplin's analog stage based on the 'best PGA (Programmable Gain Amplifier)available on the market', with a maximum gain of 65 dB. The 16 phonoequalization curves available on the Joplin including, of course, the standardRIAA, which allows to play through the Joplin any record from any eraimaginable, including curves for aficionados of pre-1954 records. There is alsoan EQ for reel-to-reel tape with settings for 3.75 ips, 7.5 ips, and 15 ipstape, allowing one to feed the Joplin straight from the tape head.

Use kHz sampled stuff, and you get 5HzkHz. It feels like a cheap 88x14x20 mm orange USB stick with a thin plastic housing. There were only three times it stopped working.

I have tested it and it appears to work – even after a reboot. The sound is detailed, with more highs than lows but at the same time not fatiguing. Post 15 of Thanks for posting those review links.

By continuing to use this site, you niface consenting to our use of cookies.

M2 Tech HiFace usb dac | Reviews | Headphone Reviews and Discussion –

Post 13 of By this I mean you can hear how far an instrument or performer is away from you. After that it just works, but only stereo. The bass is just enough for me, I do not like a lot of bass, and here you hear it when you are supposed to hear it, so it does not overpower anything. Using the hiFace DAC is thankfully quite straight forward.

This isn't a dig at Jason or hi fi class warfare, but him so enjoying a ‘small budget' sac put a huge smile on my face. Welcome and Good-Bye Submitted by anomaly7 on August 1, – 9: This fix appears to solve the problem on a permanent basis, ie, you do not need to do it each time that you restart the computer.

hiFace DAC by M2Tech Audio

Thanks to all who have welcomed me, either in postings or in thought. But for my use not an issue.

A comparison review of two DACs. Submitted by JayPee on July 31, – 4: I was looking at this before and after reading those I am very interested. It took no more than starting up the PC, going to sound preferences, selecting the DAC, and then playing music. In fact, the two sound very close in performance which meant that once again, I was nailed to my listening seat for much longer than I intended.

[Review] M2Tech hiFace USB DAC listening test

Woo Audio WA8 Eclipse. Discussion in ‘ Dedicated Source Components ‘ started by taz23Jun 9, I can see this little orange DAC becoming a very familiar sight in many audiophile systems. Check the reviews for the HD and the Objective2 and then asses if the sound I described here is to your liking. Post 10 of If you already have a computer audio set up, and want an upgrade where you can really hear the improvement, but don't want to break the bank, the hiFace DAC is probably exactly what you are looking for.

By this I mean when someone starts singing, it is the main portion of the sound and the instruments get less noticeable. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting from the hiFace but the iDAC had set the bar so high, I wasn't really prepared for something that would also make me say 'WOW'.

There's little to add about the sound of this DAC because it simply does everything so well.

February 2013

M2Tech Joplin Analog-To-Digital Converter
An amazing 384kHz/32-bit ADC designed for modern audiophiles.
Review By Tom Lyle

In the June issue of Enjoythe Music.com's Review Magazine I reviewedthe Benchmark ADC1USB, the first outboardtwo-channel analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that I had ever auditioned in mysystem. I was very, very impressed with this ADC, not only because of itsexcellent sound quality. What was really nice about this unit was that eventhough it was initially designed for the professional recording studio market,unlike most pro gear it is 'only' a two-channel unit, which makes it perfect forthe audiophile with the desire to archive LPs to digital. Its most likeablefeature by far is that it has a USB output that is capable of creating a 96kHz/24-bitfile. My experience with ADCs of the past were within multipurpose PCI soundcards, and I've only read about the outboard professional multi-channeldedicated ADCs. The sound cards usually are bundled with a digital-to-analogconverter (DAC), speaker outputs, headphone amps, and the like. Unlike mostother pro models which most likely connect to a studio owner's computer viaeither S/PDIF (coax), AES/XLR, or FireWire, the Benchmark has its convenient USBoutput. So, if one reads my review of the Benchmark ADC1USB one will realizethat archiving LPs is both fun and relatively easy, mostly because using aconverter with a USB is so simple.

Not only that, the sound quality of the Benchmarkwas better than excellent, and it blows away the ADC that was contained withinmy multipurpose sound card. Upon receiving the more expensive, higher resolutionM2Tech Joplin under review, I was excited to again archive some records,anticipating even better sound quality. Not so fast. Yes, the M2Tech Joplin canbe used as I did with the Benchmark, but the Joplin can be used as a phonopreamp (although one with only one default loading option, 47kOhm), with amultitude of phono equalization curves all performed within the digital domain.This feature alone would be good enough for some, yet one of the design goals ofthe Joplin is that since any analog signal applied to its analog inputs isdigitally converted to this extremely high resolution, connecting one ofJoplin's digital outputs to a digital inputs of a DAC, or better yet, adigital preamplifier, allows for listening to the analog signal through theJoplin and the DAC in one's digital system with no perceptible loss in headroomor dynamics.

Herein lies the benefit to those foolish enoughto abandon analog for a totally digital system, and now either regretting thatthey abandoned vinyl, or those just wanting to add vinyl playback back intotheir system without having to give up their digital preamps. Conversely, thosewho use an analog front-end along with their digital front ends can takeadvantage of the newest breed of digital preamps being offered. So, along withdescribing the performance of the M2Tech Joplin when used to make digital copiesof vinyl, I'll also discuss its performance when used as a gateway between myanalog front-end and a digital preamp.

M2tech Sound Cards & Media Devices Driver

Mission
M2Techis from Pisa, Italy and have their products distributed in the WesternHemisphere by TEAC America. M2Tech's stated mission is 'to offer in the form ofequipment and software packages for domestic entertainment, a pleasant and easyaccess to audio contents with regards to new methodologies, and to guarantee ahigh quality of the exploitation experience'. Regardless of M2Tech's possibleneed for an English translator, their sense of design certainly comes to thefore when viewing the beautifully designed, half-rack width cabinet of theJoplin. The cabinet is made of rather thick aluminum with a recessed, curved,black grille as its front panel, the red characters of its display glowingthrough the lattice. There are only two silver-colored controls, a smallstandby/exit button on the left and a larger 'controller knob' on the right. Bypressing the controller knob one accesses the menu. Rotating the knob displaysother menu options, pressing the knob selects the values within these menuoptions. Once I got the hang of it, selecting the input gain, sample rates, etc.wasn't much of a big deal. A small black plastic IR remote control duplicatesall the controls on the front panel, but it instead uses a four-point wheel withan 'OK' selector in its center, and also has a menu/escape button. Anyone with acable TV remote will be familiar with this layout. Even though I kept misplacing the tiny remote it hardlymattered because once the options for the Joplin were set it was a rare instancethat I had to make any changes.

Along with a host of standard digital outputs(S/PDIF, AES/EBU, TosLink), the M2Tech Joplin has a high-speed asynchronous USBconnection. On its rear panel is also a connection for its power supply, a small'desktop' (rather than wall wart) type box that has an IEC if one wishes toconnect an after-market power cord, which I did. The two RCA inputs with aground post are evidence that one is expected to connect one's turntable outputsto this unit.

Expecting
I mentioned above that since the Joplin is priced higherthan the Benchmark I was expecting better sound. I also mentioned that becauseit is also a phono preamplifier, it would also be a game-changer of sorts. WhatI didn't mention was that the M2Tech Joplin is also a much more advancedelectronically, with 384kHz sampling rates and 32 bits resolution throughits USB output. In addition to its four digital outputs it also hasan S/PDIF input for connecting other digital sources. M2Tech says they designedthe Joplin's analog stage based on the 'best PGA (Programmable Gain Amplifier)available on the market', with a maximum gain of 65 dB. The 16 phonoequalization curves available on the Joplin including, of course, the standardRIAA, which allows to play through the Joplin any record from any eraimaginable, including curves for aficionados of pre-1954 records. There is alsoan EQ for reel-to-reel tape with settings for 3.75 ips, 7.5 ips, and 15 ipstape, allowing one to feed the Joplin straight from the tape head.

Fantasy
In the white paper for that M2Tech sent me, they write, 'Providedthat the only limit in enjoying the Joplin is user's fantasy, we dare tosuggest some interesting uses for the Joplin:', and they list these foursuggestions:

1) as an analog input for digital systems, suchas connecting one's turntable to a DAC/digital preamp.

2) as a phono stage when performing digitalarchiving of analog sources.

3) as a bridge between an analog system and amulti-room digital distribution system through a preamplifier or integratedamp's tape output.

4) as a bridge between a digital source and acomputer lacking digital audio input.

In my system, I mostly used the Joplin to archivevinyl, using the Joplin both as a phono preamp and connected through thetape-out of my preamplifier. I also spent time using the Joplin as per theirfirst suggestion, to connect the turntable to a digital preamplifier. As far astheir third suggestion, using it as a bridge for multi-room distributions, Iwould feel uneasy putting on a record on the turntable and then leaving the roomto enjoy it in another part of the house. I can foresee become distracted andleaving the stylus to remain in the LP's run-out groove thus wearing out myphono cartridge. Plus, I save LP for serious listening, not for backgroundlistening. I guess I could have connected my FM tuner, but as far as multi-roomlistening, the only other room where I would need it, there is internet radio.

The procedure in using this ADC to archive vinylwas very similar to the Benchmark. Plus, the front-end remains the same: aLyraKleos moving coil (MC) phono cartridge mounted on a Tri-Planar 6 tonearm,which is hardwired with Discovery cable terminated in Cardas RCAs. Included inmy Benchmark review is a sort of mini-primer on archiving vinyl, so I'll skipthose details, and go right to describing my time with the M2Tech Joplin.Setting up the Joplin was a bit more complicated, as a driver must be installedin one's computer.

Plus,M2Tech suggests one use Kernel streaming, so one must download and install thatfiles, and install it in the server software. Thosefamiliar was Direct Streaming and ASIO will know what I'm talking about when Isay that installing and then changing the setting for these options might notprogress as smoothly as one expects (although I should mention that there arethose that are more computer literate than I am, and they would most likelythink that this statement is ridiculous). I also thought that parts of theJoplin's manual are a bit difficult to follow. Although it has been translatedto English, the screenshots are of a computer that has its default language setto Italian. Still, after loading the driver, getting my computer and recordingsoftware to recognize the Joplin's driver, and setting the computer and thesoftware to accept the far superior and highly recommended Kernel Streaming (asopposed to the Direct Streaming that I've used in the past) there weren't anyproblems.

So, it first it was on to making a digital fileof a record. I decide to start simple, by burning a 45rpm seven inch single, TheSweet's 'Action', with its fantastic hard-rock/glam/Brit-pop B-Side 'Medusa'that I swear must have heavily influenced the rockumentary-parody band SpinalTap's song 'Stonehenge'. I connected my turntable directly to the Joplin,ignoring the fact that the LyraKleos phono cartridge mounted on my Tri-Planar 6tonearm usually sounds its best at loaded at 100 Ohms. When set at the Joplin's47k Ohms default setting, so it wouldn't be what a perfectionist would havechosen, yet when changing the loading setting other than the optional setting onmy phono preamp it isn't bad by any means, just not perfect. During a shorttrial run where all I had to do was choose the Joplin's input for USB and setthe gain just short of clipping, I moved to the recording software, SonyCreative Software's Sound Forge, to change in its preferences for the incomingsignal to be recorded at its maximum resolution of 192kHz and 24 bit. And theresults? In a word: Extraordinary. The most positive aspect of the Joplin'ssound when used as an ADC is transparency, and really, what more could anyonereally ask for.

My experience with burning vinyl has led me tothe realization that if the record that is being burned is in good conditionthere are very, very few cases where the officially issued Red Book CD willsound superior to a burn of an LP. Even when burning (or simply down-convertingthe high-resolution file) to CD's 44.1kHz/16-bit resolution, a file made fromvinyl will sound better. This is even true when using my humble M-Audio soundcard with a street price of under one hundred dollars. We could spend the restof our lives how or why this could possibly be so, given the steps involvedbetween the original master tape and the resulting computer file made by an 'amateur'.Yet the results speak for themselves. Comparing the music files made by theM-Audio and the M2Tech Joplin is hardly sportsmanlike, but as I expected theJoplin trounced the M-Audio. Comparing it to files burned by the Benchmark ADC1USB was more of a matter of nuance, but the fact that the Joplin could create afile from its USB port with a higher resolution made that comparison valid onlywhen comparing material burned at a similar sample rates at or lower than 96kHz.Disregarding the fact that the Joplin has more features (and a more stylishexterior), with those files the sound quality of the two was practicallyindistinguishable.

When I just used the tape-out of the preamplifierthe sound quality of the resulting files were even better than using the Joplinas a phono stage. I suppose that because I was able to use the Lyracartridge's more accepted loading options might have been partiallyresponsible for that, but the fact that the phono cartridge's signal was fed toa Pass Labs XP-15 phono stage before it entered the Joplin's conversion stage isa more feasible explanation. But wowie, what a sound! All the audiophile clichéscould easily be employed to describe the sound of the files made via the M2TechJoplin analog-to-digital converter: it has excellent transparency, a hugesoundstage and precise imaging. Acoustic instruments have a realistic timbre,the highs are extended and delicate, it has thunderous but a pitch specificlow-end, and the mids are clear and lifelike. Most importantly it has amusicality that bears repeated listenings. These traits were discovered infurther detail after burning Led Zeppelin's HousesOf The Holy LP pressed by Classic Records where all the traits listedabove were in full sonic view. Comparing these 92kHz/24 bit to the original RedBook CD were a waste of time, as during the first few seconds of 'The SongRemains The Same' anyone with ears could tell that now we were hearing aslamming digital copy as close to this 200 gram slab of monster-rock vinyl onewas ever going to hear, limited only by the quality of the playback equipment,which in this case was M2Tech's Vaughan DAC.

Accomplishment
It is now time to mention a couple of asides. It is quitea technological accomplishment that the M2Tech Joplin is able to transfer a384kHz/32-bit signal through its USB output. This makes the Joplin asfuture-proof a component one is likely going to encounter for at least a while.Recording software that is able to capture this mega-hi-rez signal is onlybeginning to appear on the market. Thankfully, my software was able to takeadvantage of the excellent sounding 192kHz/24-bit sound. Although disc space isbecoming more affordable by the minute, the file I made of this Zep LP was justshy of three gigabytes on its own. I guess there are many that don't considerthis too large. When one starts building a collection of these album files ahard-drive is going to fill up rather quickly. I'd rather not get out my sliderule to compute how large a decently sized collection of 384kHz/32-bit albumswill be.

As to the other aside, I think Red Book CD's poorreputation in light of these higher resolution files is somewhat undeserved, asone will quickly discover when one starts to carefully burn their LPs or otheranalog sources, and then convert the hi-rez files to burn a CD. I realize thatone's results will be dependent on the quality of the analog front-end. Ihave never attended a mastering session of any CD that is mass produced andwidely distributed. But if I were loaned a master tape of my favorite artist,borrowed a pro reel-to-reel tape machine, ran its signal through the M2TechJoplin, and then burned a CD from the files I created on my PC I would bet thefarm it would sound better than the majority of crappy sounding CDs that themajor record labels have hoisted upon the public. And it makes sense why the re-masteringsmade by the smaller audiophile record labels sound so much better. I'm nottrying to defend the Red Book standard, as I'm sure almost all audiophiles(including yours truly) would agree that in retrospect the 44.1kHz/16-bitstandard is insufficient, but the M2Tech Joplin proves that one can overcomemany of its limitations.

Suggestion
M2Tech's first suggestion for using the Joplinis as an analog input for digital systems. I spent less time using it for thispurpose than using it to archive digital, but during the Joplin's review perioddid use it in that way. I had in house two different DAC/preamplifiers, theWadia 121 Decoding Computer, and M2Tech's Vaughan DAC/digital preamplifier. Bothhave similar purposes, but the Vaughan was the superior of the two, if onlyconsidering the fact that it is able to decode higher sample rates. It is alsonearly eight times as expensive. Using the Vaughan, the Joplin performed as itsliterature stated it would. Utilizing the M2Tech Joplin as a phono preamp toconnect it to a Vaughan DAC/digital preamp was an interesting experience. As Isaid, the Joplin performed as advertised; I was able to use my analog front-endin the system when using the Vaughan DAC as a digital preamplifier. During thisperiod I was comparing two different LP reissues of Antal Dorati conductingProkofiev's Love For Three Orangesand Scythian Suite originallyreleased on Mercury, the Classic Records pressing, and the newer double-LP 45rpmversion from ORG. It was easy to differentiate the two; the Classic Recordsreissue was the far better at every quality that made this 'Living Presence'such a joy in the first place, and perhaps one of the best sounding LPs in mycollection. Most noticeable was that the ORG didn't have nearly the quality oramount of bass response as the Classic Records version, nor didn't have thesoundstage, sparkling treble, or luscious string sound. No, the ORG versionisn't a piece of junk, so if one missed purchasing the Classic Records version(or doesn't have an original Mercury pressing in perfect condition in thecollection) the ORG will do just fine, as it is a great performance of two greatpieces of music, the Love For Three Orangesbeing the better of the two, in my opinion.

The LP converted to digital through the Joplinalso sounded excellent, but let's put things into perspective here. When I wouldarchive an album at a decent sampling rate, say 96kHz/24-bit, then play theresulting signal through my system with an analog (tube, no less) preamplifierthe signal sounded marvelous, highlighting the excellent way the Joplin had withconverting the signal to digital with far less 'damage' then I, or anyone else Isuspect, would anticipate. When playing LPs directly through the Joplin, thenthrough the digital preamp, the LP sounded good, but very good digital.There is not enough space here to get into the argument that gooddigital does not sound good because it sounds like analog, or vice versa. Theseare two different animals, and suffice to say, the Joplin did its partparticularly well at converting the signal to digital. And with ananalog-to-digital converter as good as the Joplin, one isn't going to bepunished, for lack of another term, for converting that signal. When I switchedout the Vaughan DAC/preamp for my tube preamplifier when playing LPs, yes, itdid sound much better. To me. I feel I should also add that digitizing theanalog-front end leveled the playing field, of sorts, for when I played back afile I'd burn from an LP at a high enough sample rate, say 96kHz/24-bit, andplayed the file back through the same digital preamplifier I would use tomonitor the recording, the resulting sound was for all practical purposesindistinguishable from this signal played 'directly' from the LP.

System
I have only one problem with the M2Tech Joplin, and thatis M2Tech's support system in the US. Often I have questions about thehigh-end equipment I either own, or am auditioning for Enjoy The Music. Most, ifnot all of this equipment is manufactured by small, sometimes very smallcompanies. I've gotten used to the tech support phone being answered by designeror designers themselves of the small company that manufactures the piece ofequipment in question, and these people that answer the phone are 99% of thetime audiophiles. M2Tech is not the largest company in the world, but it isdistributed in the US by a company that conceivably aspires to be one of thelargest, TEAC. The folks that answered the phone had to reference the manual tohelp me, and there really wasn't any point in kibitzing with them about themerits of the equipment in question. I imagined them in a cubicle in an officepark wearing a headset, my call just one in a string of phone calls from peoplewith questions regarding different forms of consumer electronics, not justhigh-end components. And he or she is likely notan audiophile. I guess this is more of an observation rather than a compliant,because although it took a bit longer to answer my questions, there was no lackin quality of the tech support they provided. It's just nice to sometimes talkto someone about their perspective about using a piece of gear.

Fantastic
TheM2Tech Joplin is a fantastic product. Not only is it a fantasticanalog-to-digital converter, it also seems as if it was designed for a modernaudiophile, particularly one that enjoys archiving vinyl. With its phonoequalization performed in the digital domain, the 'straight wire with gain'paradigm comes closer to reality when one is transferring their precious recordsto digital formats. As a bonus, since digital preamps are becoming more popularevery day, the vinyl aficionado is being invited to the party because ofcomponents such as the Joplin, which not only allows one to connect theturntable to a digital preamp, but to do so in style.

Specifications
Type: Analog to digital converter
Inputs: analog single ended on RCA female, S/PDIF on RCA female
Outputs: S/PDIF (RCA female), AES/EBU (XLR), optical (TosLink), and USB (USB female Type-B)
Frequency Response
10 Hz to 20 kHz +0.1/-0.5dB (fs = 44.1kHz)
10 Hz to 150 kHz +0.1/-0.1dB (fs=384kHz)
Sampling Frequencies (kHz): 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352.8*, 384* (*USB only)
Resolution: 16, 20, 24 bit (S/PDIF, AES/EBU, optical, with or without dither), 16, 20, 24, 32 bit (USB, with or without noise shaping)
SNR: 122dB (A-weighted, 384kHz, 32 bits, gain 0dB), 114dB (A-weighted, 192kHz, 24 bits)
THD+N: 0.00045% (1.7Vrms in, 192kHz, 24 bits, gain 0dB)
Gain: 0dB, 10dB to 65dB in 1dB steps
Cross-talk: -110dB @1kHz
Input voltage: 1.7Vrms (4.8Vpp @ 0dBFS)
Dimensions: 200 x 50 x 200 (WxHxD in mm)
Weight: 2.2 lbs.
Price: $2499

Company Information
NortM2Tech
Via Mario Giuntini, 63
56023 Navacchio di Cascina (PI)
Italy

Idata driver download. E-mail: info@m2tech.biz
Website: www.m2tech.biz

M2tech Sound Cards & Media Devices Drivers

Distributor Information:
TEAC America, Inc.
7733 Telegraph Road
Montebello, CA 90640

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