M2TECH HIFACE EVO TWO User Manual

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M2TECH

HIFACE EVO TWO

UNIVERSAL D-TO-D CONVERTER

USER MANUAL

M2TECH

HIFACE E VO TWO

UNIVERSAL D-TO-D CONVERTER

REV. PrA – 8/2015

HIFACE EVO TWO UNIVERSAL D-TO-D CONVERTER

REVISION PRA – AUGUST 2015

M2Tech

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HIFACE EVO TWO UNIVERSAL D-TO-D CONVERTER

REVISION PRA – AUGUST 2015

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Warning!

Changes or modifications not authorized by the manufacturer can invalidate the compliance to CE regulations and cause the unit to be no more suitable to use. The manufacturer refuses every responsibility regarding damages to people or things due to the use of a unit which has been subject to unauthorized modifications or to misuse or to malfunction of a unit which has been subject to unauthorized modifications.

This unit is compliant with the following CE regulations: CEI EN 55022:2009 Class B (Radiated Emissions), CEI EN 55024:1999, CEI EN 55024:A2/2003, CEI EN 55024:IS1/2008 (Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields, 50Hz Magnetic Field Immunity Test and Electrostatic Discharges – ESD).

For a proper operation of this unit, all connections to other equipment in the system must be done when all equipment are off. Failing to comply with this advice may lead to damage to the hiFace Evo Two.

The label above, printed on the product case, indicates that the product, when no more usable, can’t be treated as generic garbage, but must be disposed of at a collection point for recycling of electrical and electronic equipment, in compliance with the WEEE regulation (Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment). By making sure that this unit is correctly recycled, you will help preventing potential damages to environment and human health, which could be caused by a wrong treatment of this product as generic garbage. Materials’ recycling helps saving natural resources. For more in-depth information about recycling this product, please contact M2Tech Srl.

WARNING: the information contained in this manual are considered to be reliable and accurate. M2Tech reserves the right to change or modify the information any time, without prior advice. It’s up to the customer to ensure that the manual being consulted is the latest version.

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Dear customer,

Thank you for purchasing HIFACE EVO TWO. You’re the owner of a very high quality D-to-D converter with a wealth of unique features, conceived to deliver the best performance in conjunction with your computer and digital audio devices.

HIFACE EVO TWO implements a set of technological and functional solutions, from the low jitter, high precision crystal oscillators, to the versatile external clock input for higher quality clocks like those delivered by the EVO CLOCK TWO, to the I2S output in PS Audio format, to the S/PDIF input with sample rate converter for digital audio signals acquisition on the computer, to the low noise supply which can also use the USB bus 5V.

HIFACE EVO TWO is provided with a wide range of outputs in all the most used formats, therefore it’s able to interface with virtually every device accepting digital audio signals on its input. The special optical output for communicating information about the sampling frequency being selected allows for automatic external clock generator reconfiguration when used with the EVO CLOCK TWO.

The remote control provided with the HIFACE EVO TWO grants complete access to all its features, while the LCD display clearly shows all the operation information..

We’re sure that your expectations will be fulfilled by purchasing HIFACE EVO TWO: your system will exhibit an incredible sonic performance, so you can now prepare for a whole new listening experience!

Nadia Marino, CEO

Please note here your HIFACE EVO TWO serial number and purchase info for future reference:

S/N: _______________________ Date of Purchase: _________________________

Place of Purchase__________________________

Note: Proof of retail purchase, such as your purchase receipt, will be required in the unlikely event that any warranty service will be required

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Unpacking and Placing the Unit.......................................................................................7

2. Front Panel ......................................................................................................................9

3. Rear Panel.....................................................................................................................11

4. remote control................................................................................................................13

5. Connecting and Powering the Unit ................................................................................15

6. Cleaning the Unit ...........................................................................................................17

7. Using the HIFACE EVO TWO........................................................................................19

7.1. Input selection .........................................................................................................19

7.2. HID with the USB input............................................................................................19

7.3. Sampling frequency conversion with the S/PDIF input............................................19

7.4. External clock..........................................................................................................20

7.5. DSD and DXD .........................................................................................................20

7.6. S/PDIF output level .................................................................................................20

8. Configuring the HIFACE EVO TWO...............................................................................21

8.1. External clock (EXT CLK)........................................................................................21

8.2. S/PDIF output level (OUT. LEVEL) .........................................................................21

8.3. Sample rate converter (SRC) ..................................................................................21

8.4. Menu exit (EXIT) .....................................................................................................22

9. Using a Computer as Digital Source ..............................................................................23

9.1. Plug’n’Play Operation with Apple OSX....................................................................23

8.1.1. DSD files playback with Mac.............................................................................25

9.2. Plug’n’Play Operation with Linux .............................................................................26

9.2.1. DSD files playback with Linux...........................................................................28

9.3. Using the hiFace Evo Two with Windows................................................................28

9.3.1. Installing the Windows driver ............................................................................29

9.3.2. Windows driver uninstall ...................................................................................36

9.3.3. Windows Driver Panel ......................................................................................41

9.3.4. Using the HIFACE Evo Two as Windows predefined audio device ..................45

9.3.5. Configuring the player: FooBar and JRiver Media Center ................................46

9.3.6. Connecting the HIFACE Evo Two to an USB 1.1 port ......................................52

10. Updating the HIFACE EVO TWO ................................................................................53

11. Specifications...............................................................................................................55

HIFACE EVO TWO UNIVERSAL D-TO-D CONVERTER

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1. Unpacking and Placing the Unit

Lay the box on a table and open it by separating it from the external paperwork and removing or cutting the adhesive tape seal. The following items are included:

• one HIFACE EVO TWO;

• one 9V wall adaptor;

• one remote control.

Should one or more item be missing, please contact your retail dealer. Please note no clock cable is provided; the user is free to choose her/his favourite.

Remove the HIFACE EVO TWO from the foam enclosure and place it onto a stable base, far from heat sources. Avoid full sunlight on the unit. Allow for ample room around the unit for venting.

Avoid smoke, moisture, dirt and liquids from reaching the unit. Please note that any signs of abuse will void warranty coverage.

Do not place the unit on thick carpets or inside a box or piece of furniture, not even close to curtains.

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2. Front Panel

M2TECH

HIFACE E VO TWO

UNIVERSAL D-TO-D CONVERTER

Figure 1

1) Display.

It shows the operation information (sampling frequency, selected input, etc.).

Moreover, it shows all active options (See Chap. 7).

2) Remote control IR receiver.

Aim the remote at this point to send command to the

device.

NOTE: the remote control provided with the

HIFACE EVO TWO

is the same used for the

JOPLIN

and

JOPLIN MKII

. For this reason, whenever the user owns both units, it may happen that a command sent to one of them will also affect the other. To avoid interferences, place the two units apart each other or keep the unused unit off.

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3. Rear Panel

M2TECH

AES/EBUIN S/PDIF OUTI2S

MADE IN ITALY

OPT

USB INCLOCK IN CLK INFO

VIN

7.5-15VDC

34567

8910

Figure 2

3) I2S output.

Delivers the straight I2S signal in PS Audio format. Connect to the I2S input

of a DAC or other digital audio device which uses the same format. HDMI connector.

WARNING: this connector does not deliver HDMI signals, do not connect to any HDMI input.

4) Optical output.

Connect to the Toslink™ receiver of a digital audio device using an

optical interconnect terminated with Toslink™ plugs. Toslink™ transmitter.

5) S/PDIF input.

Connect to the S/PDIF output of a digital audio device. It may be used to

record digital audio on a computer. Female RCA connector.

6) S/PDIF output.

Connect to the S/PDIF input of a digital audio device. Female RCA

connector.

7) AES/EBU output.

Connect to the AES/EBU input of a digital audio device. Male XLR

connector.

8) Supply input.

Connect the stock wall wart or one of the outputs of the

EVO SupplY Two

using one of the cables provided with the latter. 5.5/2.1mm jack.

9) External clock input.

Connect to the output of a clock generator, like the

EVO CLOCK

Two

using a 75 Ohms BNC terminated cable. This input works at its best when connected

to the

EVO CLOCK Two

master clock output, anyway it also accepts standard word clocks

and even the reference 10MHz clock. Female BNC connector.

10) USB port.

Connect to a 2.0 or 3.0 USB port of a computer. The

HIFACE EVO TWO

exchanges audio data with a computer through this connection.

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11) Optical output for clock information.

Connect to the clock info input of the

EVO

CLOCK Two

using a Toslink™ fibre cable. Toslink™ transmitter.

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4. remote control

OK >

MENU/ESC

M2TECH

Figure 3

1) Standby.

This button has no effect on the

HIFACE EVO TWO

2) Menu/Esc.

Press this button to access the menu and to exit the menu without affecting

the current settings.

3) Navigation buttons.

They have various functions, both during menu navigation and

when the menu is not active, as explained in detail in the following chapters.

4) OK.

IT selects the menu option shown on the display. When the menu is not active and the USB input is selected, this button allows to send the player running on the computer the play/pause command or, with a long press, the stop command.

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5. Connecting and Powering the Unit

WARNING: All connections between the

HIFACE EVO TWO

HIFACE EVO TWOHIFACE EVO TWO

HIFACE EVO TWO

and other equipment must be made when all units are turned off and completely powered down or unplugged. Failing to do so may cause damage to the

HIFACE EVO TWO

HIFACE EVO TWOHIFACE EVO TWO

HIFACE EVO TWO

and/or other units.

Please refer to chapter 3, “Back Panel”.

Connect the

HIFACE EVO TWO

to a computer with a 2.0 A-B USB cable connected to the

USB port (Fig. 2,10). We recommend the cable be no longer than 3m.

If you also own the

EVO CLOCK TWO

, connect its master clock output to the

HIFACE EVO

TWO

external clock input (Fig. 2, 9) with a 75 Ohms BNC-terminated cable (not in stock). It is also possible to use other clock generators, whereas their output is able to drive 75 Ohms matched lines.

If the

EVO CLOCK TWO

is used, connect its clock info optical input to the

HIFACE EVO TWO

clock info output (Fig. 2, 11) using a Toslink™ fibre interconnect (not in stock) to make the

EVO CLOCK TWO

clock switching automatic.

Connect one or more digital audio devices (DAC’s, A/V receivers digital inputs, digital mixers) to the

HIFACE EVO TWO

outputs (Fig. 2, 3,4,6 and 7) using the appropriate digital

interconnects (not in stock).

Connect the output of a digital audio device which signal should be acquired (e.g. a CD player) to the

HIFACE EVO TWO

S/PDIF input (Fig. 2, 5).

Connect the stock +9V wall wart or one of the

EVO SUPPLY TWO

outputs to the supply input

of the

HIFACE EVO TWO

(Fig. 2, 8). Please note the

HIFACE EVO TWO

may also be powered by the USB bus 5V supply. This happens every time that the device is connected to an USB bus and no power supply is connected to its supply input. Obviously, in such a scenario its performance will be sub-optimal.

WARNING: the maximum voltage allowed by the

HIFACE EVO TWO

HIFACE EVO TWOHIFACE EVO TWO

HIFACE EVO TWO

at its supply

connector is 15V. Whenever a power supply delivering more than 15V is used, the

HIFACE EVO TWO

HIFACE EVO TWOHIFACE EVO TWO

HIFACE EVO TWO

may be damaged. Should this be the case, the warranty is void and

servicing or replacement of the faulty unit will be charged to the user.

Please note that the

HIFACE EVO TWO

is not provided with a power switch, therefore it will power on as soon as a power supply is connected to it, lighting the display (Fig. 1, 1) and showing the operation status info.

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6. Cleaning the Unit

The

HIFACE EVO TWO

should be cleaned with a soft, slightly damp cloth. Do not use

alcohol or any other types of cleaning fluids as they could damage the unit.

Avoid fluids from dropping or leaking inside the unit. Fluids of any type poured into the unit will void your warranty.

Do not apply excessive force to the display, to avoid damaging it.

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7. Using the HIFACE EVO TWO

HIFACE EVO TWOHIFACE EVO TWO

HIFACE EVO TWO

7.1. Input selection

The

HIFACE Evo Two

is provided with two inputs: one is the USB port (Fig. 2, 10) and the other is the S/PDIF input (Fig. 2, 5). They are selected using the navigation buttons on the remote control: press the “arrow up” button to select the USB input, press the “arrow down” button to select the S/PDIF input.

7.2. HID with the USB input

The

HIFACE Evo Two

allows the user to control the player on the computer when the USB

input is selected. The following commands are available:

•

Play/Pause (“OK” button);

•

Stop ( “OK” button, long press);

•

Previous track ( “arrow left” button);

•

Next track ( “arrow right” button).

To use the HID feature, it is necessary to use a compliant player.

7.3. Sampling frequency conversion with the S/PDIF input

The

HIFACE Evo Two

is provided with an asynchronous sampling rate converter (ASRC). It is mandatory for the acquisition of a digital audio signal by the S/PDIF input (Fig. 2, 5), as both the device connected to it and the

HIFACE Evo Two

are clock master, and it’s necessary to place in between something compensating the small frequency drift of the two devices’ clocks.

The ASRC may also be used to deliver the signal on the S/PDIF input to the

HIFACE Evo

Two

outputs with a different sampling frequency. For example: if the user owns a DAC which is known to deliver best performance when driven by a 192kHz signal, she/he can set the

HIFACE Evo Two

ASRC to perform the upsampling of the signal coming from a CD

player connected to the S/PDIF input (as everybody knows, the CD signal is sampled at

44.1kHz).

When the ASRC is enabled, the user can choose the output sampling frequency using the “arrow left” and “arrow right” buttons on the remote control.

NOTE: the ASRC is only effective on signals applied to the S/PDIF input. This feature would be useless for the USB input as the sampling rate conversion can be more easily performed by the player or by the computer’s operating system itself.

NOTE: When the S/PDIF input is selected and the ASRC is disabled, the I

S is also

disabled.

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7.4. External clock

The

HIFACE Evo Two

is provided with an input for an external clock. This input is very versatile, as it’s able to recognize the frequency of the clock applied and, when needed, synthesize the needed master clock.

The external clock input accepts all most common word clocks and the so-called “super clock” plus, of course the master clocks generated by the

Evo CLOCK Two

. Moreover, it

accepts the 10MHz standard reference clock.

The external clock input can be disabled, or enabled in automatic mode: in this mode, when a valid clock is detected on the external clock input, it is used to clock the unit, otherwise the

HIFACE Evo Two

automatically reverts to the internal oscillators.

Together with the external clock input, the

HIFACE Evo Two

is provided with an optical

output by means of which it sends the

Evo CLOCK Two

information about the needed

sampling frequency. This way, the

Evo CLOCK Two

is able to automatically switch the

clock based on the

HIFACE Evo Two

requirements, without the use being asked to

manually operate it.

7.5. DSD and DXD

The S/PDIF, AES/EBU and Toslink™ output the

HIFACE Evo Two

is provided with can only

deliver PCM signals with sampling frequency up to 192kHz, as stated by the standard.

Anyway, the

HIFACE Evo Two

is also provided with an I2S output in PS Audio format, through which it is possible to transfer PCM signals up to 384kHz (DXD) and DSD signals up to DSD256.

When a DXD or DSD signal is transferred, only the I2S output is enabled, while the other output are disabled as they’re not able to handle this signal.

7.6. S/PDIF output level

Sometimes it’s useful to have a higher output voltage on the S/PDIF output than the standard, (which is 0.5Vpp on 75 Ohms), for example when long cable runs must be driven (more than 2 meters). The

HIFACE Evo Two

allows for doubling the output voltage

on the S/PDIF connector, to 1Vpp on 75 Ohms.

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8. Configuring the HIFACE EVO TWO

HIFACE EVO TWOHIFACE EVO TWO

HIFACE EVO TWO

The

HIFACE Evo Two

offers various operation options which can be chosen by a menu

navigated with the remote control.

To access the menu, the user must press the MENU/ESC button once (Fig. 3, 2). Once in the menu, a second press of the same button will cause the menu to exit.

The menu is two-level: the first level is the list of available options, in the second level are the lists of available value of each option. In the second level the item “BACK” is always available which allows to go back to first level. Alternatively, it is possible to go back to first level by pressing the “arrow left” button on the remote. In the first level, the “EXIT” item allows for exiting the menu.

In each level, it’s possible to scroll the available items using the “arrow up” and “arrow down” buttons. To confirm the displayed value, press the “OK” button. To go back to higher level, just press the “arrow left” button.

NOTE: after a few seconds idle, the menu automatically exits.

Below, the various menu items and related values are described in detail.

8.1. External clock (EXT CLK)

This item relates to 3 values:

•

BACK: go to level 1;

•

NO: forces the

HIFACE Evo Two

to always use the internal oscillators;

•

AUTO: sets the

HIFACE Evo Two

to use any valid external clock present on the

external clock input, otherwise the internal oscillators are used.

8.2. S/PDIF output level (OUT. LEVEL)

This item relates to 3 values:

•

BACK: go to level 1;

•

STANDARD: sets the

HIFACE Evo Two

S/PDIF output to deliver the standard 0.5Vpp

voltage;

•

HIGH: sets the

HIFACE Evo Two

S/PDIF output to deliver the non-standard 1Vpp

voltage.

8.3. Sample rate converter (SRC)

This item also relates to 3 values:

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•

BACK: go to level 1;

•

ON: the sample rate converter is enabled on the S/PDIF input: on all

HIFACE Evo

Two

outputs, the audio signal applied to the S/PDIF input (when this input is selected) will be delivered with the sampling rate chosen by the “arrow left” e “arrow right” buttons of the remote;

•

BYPASS: the sample rate converter is not active: on all

HIFACE Evo Two

digital audio outputs the audio signal applied to the S/PDIF input (when this input is selected) will be delivered with its original sampling rate.

8.4. Menu exit (EXIT)

The menu is terminated when this item is selected. As already stated, the menu automatically exits after a few seconds idle.

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9. Using a Computer as Digital Source

Connecting the

HIFACE Evo Two

to a computer via its USB ports needs a few

configuration operations by the user.

Fortunately, the

HIFACE Evo Two

is provided with an USB 2.0 interface which is compatible with USB Audio Device Class 2. Therefore, Apple and Linux computers natively support the

HIFACE Evo Two

, that is they do not need a driver and immediately recognize the DDC in a plug’n’play fashion. Conversely, a computer provided with a Microsoft operating system require a suitable driver which can be downloaded from M2Tech website (www.m2tech.biz).

Below, the procedures to set a computer for music playback by the

HIFACE Evo Two

are described. Reader are advised that some details in the described procedures may differ depending on the operating system version installed on your computer and the player chosen by the user; the following descriptions are general guidelines to the configuration of computer and player.

9.1. Plug’n’Play Operation with Apple OSX

As explained in the introductory paragraph to the present chapter, the

HIFACE Evo Two

is provided with an USB interface compatible with USB Audio Device Class 2 which is natively supported by Apple OSX since the 10.6.4 release, without the need for any driver: It is sufficient to connect the

HIFACE Evo Two

to own Mac with an USB cable (not in stock) to have it recognized by the Mac, which will then include it in the audio devices list, as shown in Fig. 4. Being a bidirectional audio device, the

HIFACE Evo Two

is listed in both

input (M2Tech USB 2.0 Audio In) and output (M2Tech USB 2.0 Audio Out) devices list.

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Figure 4

To send the computer audio to the

HIFACE Evo Two

it is necessary to select it in the

“Sound” window as shown in Fig. 4.

Figure 5

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It’s possible to set some parameters related to the

HIFACE Evo Two

operation (specifically, the sampling frequency at which the Mac will send audio samples to the DAC) by the MIDI Audio window, as shown in Fig. 5.

It is now possible to listen to music by simply selecting the USB input on the

HIFACE Evo

Two

and using iTunes. Please note that even when the chosen playlist includes tracks

with different sampling frequencies, the

HIFACE Evo Two

will always display one sampling frequency that is the one selected in the MIDI Audio panel (Fig. 15). This implies a realtime resampling feature by the Mac’s operating system which is seldom welcome by the user. In this case, another player should be used which is able to automatically change the above setting, like Amarra, PureMusic and Audirvana. Unlike iTunes, other players need to be properly configured to use the

HIFACE Evo Two

as output device. As an example, Fig. 6

shows the configuration window of Audirvana. Please note it is necessary to choose the

HIFACE Evo Two

as Active Audio Device.

Figure 6

Also please note that amongst the available options are those related to Direct Mode and exclusive access to the resource (“Exclusive Access Mode”). They are peripheral access modes which provide a higher listening quality and which are supported by the

HIFACE Evo

Two.

Therefore, we suggest using them whenever possible.

8.1.1. DSD files playback with Mac

The

HIFACE Evo Two

is able to transfer music files recorded with the DSD format. A player

able to send DSD data to the

HIFACE Evo Two

in a standard format handled by the DAC must be used. As an example, the configuration of Audirvana necessary for DSD files playback is shown in Fig. 7.

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Figure 7

9.2. Plug’n’Play Operation with Linux

As explained in the introductory paragraph to the present chapter, the

HIFACE Evo Two

is provided with an USB interface compatible with USB Audio device Class 2 which is natively supported by Linux with ALSA since its 1.0.24 release.

NOTE: given the vast availability of different Linux distributions, often heavily customized, it may be necessary to check that both kernel and ALSA versions are suitable for native USB Audio Device Class support. When in doubt, ask the creator of your Linux distribution for more information.

As with Apple OSX, with Linux it is necessary to choose the

HIFACE Evo Two

as the output device. This can be done accessing the audio management window and setting the various parameters as shown in Fig. 18 which shows Ubuntu’s audio configuration windows. Ubuntu is one of the most successful Linux distributions. Other distributions may differ in the number and kind of available parameters. The window displayed in the figure lists two M2Tech audio devices: they are actually the same device that is the

HIFACE Evo

Two

, it is therefore sufficient to select any one to choose the

HIFACE Evo Two

as the

output audio device.

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By setting the

HIFACE Evo Two

as predefined audio output device, we make it available to all those apps which rely on the operating system to transport audio. This is mandatory to listen to streaming music by a browser, for example. This operation mode already allows for high quality playback (sampling frequency up to 192kHz). It also could be desirable to use a player which doesn’t rely on the operating system to transport audio, in order to overcome its limits (for example, to listen to audio file samples at 352.8kHz or DSD audio files).

Figure 8

Depending on the chosen player, it is necessary to configure it to use the

HIFACE Evo

Two

. Obviously, each player has its configuration parameters. As an example, the

configuration panel of Audacious, a widely used player, is shown in Fig. 9.

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Figure 9

9.2.1. DSD files playback with Linux

The availability of DSD audio files is quite recent, therefore it’s possible that your player is not able to play DSD files, or maybe its most current release it is, but not the one you have installed on your computer. For example, MPD player, by far the most used under Linux, only supports DSD since its 0.17 release. Be sure that your player supports DSD and refer to the instructions provided by the player creator, or install a player which you’re sure supports DSD.

9.3. Using the hiFace Evo Two

hiFace Evo TwohiFace Evo Two

hiFace Evo Two with Windows

As explained in the introductory paragraph to the present chapter, no Microsoft operating system natively supports USB Audio Device Class 2. To listen to music files with the

HIFACE Evo Two

connected to a computer running Windows it is therefore necessary to

install a driver. The following paragraph describes the driver installation procedure.

NOTE: Installation procedure’s details may vary depending on the version of the operating system installed on your computer. This description is meant to be

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accurate with regards to the fundamental steps necessary to its successful completion.

NOTE: The

HIFACE Evo Two

HIFACE Evo TwoHIFACE Evo Two

HIFACE Evo Two

is designed to implement the HID interface for remote control of the player running on a computer attached by USB (see chapter 9). This could lead to compatibility problems with Windows XP. We strongly suggest updating the operating system to a more recent version than Windows XP before installing the driver.

9.3.1. Installing the Windows driver

First, it is necessary to download the driver from the M2Tech website at (www.m2tech.biz/it/hifaceevotwo.html) Here you’ll find the compressed folder containing all installation files. It’s a self-extracting file: automatic extraction is launched by doubleclocking on its icon, as shown in Fig. 10.

Figure 10

NOTE: files are extracted in the folder displayed in the window, usually the desktop. For a better handling of the installation operation, we suggest to create a temporary folder and extract files into it, or into a folder you may want to keep. In this case, just designate a new folder and direct the extraction process to that folder.

A window showing the extraction process appears for a while. When extraction is complete, the application finishes automatically. In case of errors during extraction, a diagnostic window is shown instead (Fig. 11), which remains open to show error messages. After reading messages, close the application by clicking on the “close button”.

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Figure 11

Once the files are extracted, open the temporary folder or the folder you have designated and run the setup application by double-clicking on “setup.exe” (Fig. 12).

Figure 12

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Once setup is launched, the window shown in Fig. 13 appears.

Figure 13

NOTE: It may happen that the operating systems shows a warning window first, stating that the setup application will modify the operating system. Close the warning window by clocking on the “OK” button to let the setup program free to proceed.

Connect the

HIFACE Evo Two

to the computer and switch it on. Then, click on the “Next”

button to proceed with installation. The window shown in Fig. 14 will appear.

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Figure 14

If the DAC is correctly connected to the computer, after a few seconds the window shown in Fig. 15a will appear. If necessary, indicate a folder of your choice, otherwise leave the one proposed by the setup. Click on the “Install” button.

When the

HIFACE Evo Two

is off or when the computer doesn’t recognize the connection

to the

HIFACE Evo Two

, then window shown in Fig. 15b may appear. In this case, follow

the instructions displayed in red and then click on the “Next” button.

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Figure 15a

Figure 15b

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If the window shown in Fig. 15a has appeared and the user has clicked on the “Install” button, the installation procedure goes on and a new window appears that shows the progress of the installation of the various files which make the driver, as shown in Fig. 16.

Figure 16

At the end of installation, the windows will show the complete list of installed files and will enable the buttons located in the lower right angle of the window border, as shown in Fig.

17.

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Figure 17

As suggested by the instructions, click on the “Next” button to confirm the installation. The final setup window will appear as shown in Fig. 18.

Figure 18

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Click on the “Finish” button to close setup: The driver installation is now complete.

NOTE: Some Windows versions require a reboot to enable the driver just installed: Fig. 19 shows the dialog window for Windows 7.

Figure 19

Installation success can be checked by looking for the big “M2” icon in the peripheral section of Windows bar or in the active peripherals window, depending on operating system version.

NOTA: With some Windows versions (e.g. Windows XP, which we strongly suggest that you don’t use), the driver installation procedure does NOT complete with setup end. In fact, the operating system will recognize a new USB device (the

HIFACE Evo

HIFACE Evo HIFACE Evo

HIFACE Evo

Two

TwoTwo

Two

, of course) and will begin a search for the best driver (which is the one just installed) to create an instantiation associated to the specific port to which the DAC is attached. Should this happen, reject the option of internet search for the driver files and proceed with automatic installation: the Windows wizard will then search amongst the drivers already installed, will locate the right one and proceed to the end of the association process. At this point only, will the

HIFACE Evo Two

HIFACE Evo TwoHIFACE Evo Two

HIFACE Evo Two

correctly recognized and can be used to listen to music files.

9.3.2. Windows driver uninstall

The

HIFACE Evo Two

driver uninstall may be required for various reasons. For sure, it is

mandatory to uninstall any previous driver version before installing the latest one.

It is possible to start uninstall in two different ways: Using the applications installation utility from the Control Panel or directly launching the uninstaller that can be found in the driver folder on the hard disk. The same application is actually used in both cases; the choice is up to user’s preference.

When launching the Windows’ applications installation utility from the Control Panel, the window shown in Fig. 20 appears, this also lists

HIFACE Evo Two

driver.

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Figure 20

By double-clicking “USB Audio Driver for M2Tech…” the uninstall application is launched, which shows itself like in Fig. 21.

Figure 21

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It’s sufficient to click on the “Uninstall” button to start uninstall. A windows appears that shows the uninstall progress, like as shown in Fig. 22.

Figure 22

At uninstall completion, the window will show the entire list of deleted files and will enable the buttons located to the lower right corner of the window border, as shown in Fig. 23.

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Figure 23

Click on the “Next” button to confirm uninstall completion and to close the uninstall utility. One last window will appear as shown in Fig. 24 .

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Figure 24

Clock on the “Finish” button to close the application. At this point if the user launched uninstall from the Control Panel, it is possible to verify that the driver has really been uninstalled by checking for its absence from the applications list, as shown in Fig. 25.

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Figure 25

NOTE: Even after uninstall, depending on the Windows version used, it is possible that the system may require a reboot to update its configuration.

9.3.3. Windows Driver Panel

Together with the

HIFACE Evo Two

driver, a comprehensive management panel is

installed, which runs in background and allows user to optimize the driver operation.

The panel can be restored in the foreground by clicking on the big “M2” icon present in the right part of the Windows bar or in the peripherals window, depending on the operating system version installed on your computer.

When the

HIFACE Evo Two

or any other M2Tech device is not connected to the computer,

the window shown in Fig. 26 will appear.

Conversely, when the

HIFACE Evo Two

is connected, then the panel will show some

general information about the driver and will exhibit a tree menu as shown in Fig. 27.

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Figure 26

Figure 27

Of main interest is the driver version, as users may visit the M2Tech website from time to time to check for availability of more recent driver versions and eventually go for an update to download and install.

By clicking on “Buffer Settings” the user accesses the window to set the buffers through which the driver exchanges data with the operating system or directly with the player (Fig.

39). Two drop boxes are present, one for the buffer shared with the operating system and one for an ASIO buffer (which bypasses the operating system and needs a specific setting). As a general rule, a small buffer is to be preferred when low latency is required (e.g. when the

HIFACE Evo Two

is used to listen to a movie’s audio). In any event, a small buffer needs frequent data transfers, which may result in “holes” in the audio stream when the CPU is heavily loaded or when one of the active drivers doesn’t comply with the time specification of the system.

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Figure 28

For every device associated to a driver instantiation, a setting window is available. In Fig. 29 the window is shown.

Figure 29

The control panel also sports a volume control, shown in Fig. 30. there are two volume control, one for the computer input and one for the computer output.

The XMOS-based system used in the

HIFACE Evo Two

allows for digital volume setting. Anyway, we suggest not to use this feature as its operation will reduce the sonic performance, even more so for low volume settings. It’s important to be aware that, in case of the absence of sound, the total mute in this window may be enabled (one or both “M” buttons pressed).

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Figure 30

To end up, the panel allows for setting the default format for data samples (Fig. 31).

Figure 31

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9.3.4. Using the HIFACE Evo Two

HIFACE Evo TwoHIFACE Evo Two

HIFACE Evo Two as Windows predefined audio device

When using certain players, such as Windows Media Player, or when listening to streaming music from the Internet, it is necessary to set the

HIFACE Evo Two

as the predefined audio output device. To this purpose it is necessary to access the Audio Configuration utility from the Windows Control Panel (Fig. 32).

Figura 32

Here the user must select “hiFace Evo Two UAC2” as predefined device (as it’s already been done in the case shown in Fig. 32). From that moment on, every sound produced by Windows or any application which relies on Windows to deliver its sound will be sent to the

HIFACE Evo Two

It is also possible to tell the operating system which sampling frequency and resolution are to be used to operate the

HIFACE Evo Two

. To this purpose, it is sufficient to click on the

“Properties” button, thus opening the window shown in Fig. 33.

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Figure 33

By accessing the drop-down menu available in the “Advanced” tab it will be possible to choose one of the system’s available configurations. Once a configuration is chosen, the system will automatically convert any audio signal with different sampling frequency and resolution so that the

HIFACE Evo Two

will always work at the sampling frequency and

resolution set by the user.

Should the user need the operating system not to process the audio to be sent to the

HIFACE Evo Two

, or when the limits of system settings need to be overcome, it is necessary to use a player able to directly interface to the driver, using a transfer mode like Kernel Streaming, WASAPI or ASIO, all are “bit-perfect” modes as they ensure that no signal changes occur during the transfer from the player to the

HIFACE Evo Two

9.3.5. Configuring the player: FooBar and JRiver Media Center

A player able to communicate with the driver without using the operating system usually delivers better performance with respect to players which rely on Windows to transport audio.

Amongst the problems or limits more often observed when the latter kind of players is used, is the 192kHz limit, the lack of compatibility with DSD and the fact that all various sampling frequencies are always converted to the sampling frequency chosen by the user in the Control Panel.

As examples, following are some suggestions to use the

HIFACE Evo Two

with two well-

known media players, a free one and a commercial one.

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The first one is FooBar (www.foobar2000.org). FooBar is able to work in all modes accepted by the

HIFACE Evo Two

: Direct Sound, Kernel Streaming, WASAPI and ASIO. Skipping installation instructions, which are beyond this manual’s scope, we explain how to configure FooBar in ASIO mode, which is the

optimal choice

for the

HIFACE Evo Two

Foobar offers ASIO support through the installation of a specific DLL. It must be downloaded from the “Components” section of the FooBar website, from the page

http://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_out_asio.

NOTE: Unlike many other FooBar DLL’s, which are contained in a zip file and must be manually extracted and copied into the “Components” folder inside FooBar’s root folder, the ASIO file which is downloaded from the FooBar website is an application which automatically installs the DLL in the right folder, without any explicit action by the user. It only needs to be launched by double-clocking its icon.

Once the operation above is done, FooBar can be launched to access the configuration windows by typing CTRL+P, or selecting the menu item “Preferences” from the “File” menu. Then, select the sub-menu item “Output”, which should also have a lower menu level called “ASIO”: The window shown in Fig. 34 will appear.

Select “ASIO: MUSBAudio ASIO Driver” in the dropdown menu called “Device”. FooBar is then ready to use the

HIFACE Evo Two

as the output device in ASIO mode, to play bit-

perfect PCM audio up to 384kHz and 32 bit.

It is now necessary to set FooBar for DSD file playback. To this purpose, it is necessary to install another DLL, the one for SACD compatibility, which can be downloaded from the Sourceforge website: http://sourceforge.net/projects/sacddecoder/files/latest/download.

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Figure 34

The zip file contains two executables, both to be used: one for the installation of the component for the compatibility with SACD ISO files, plus a proxy file to send DSD to a compatible audio device provided with an ASIO compliant driver, like the

HIFACE Evo Two

After installing DLL and proxy, in the “ASIO” section of “Output” two ASIO objects will appear (Fig. 48): the M2Tech driver and the proxy (“foo_dsd_asio”).

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Figure 35

Double-click on “foo_dsd_asio” to open the configuration window as shown in Fig. 36.

Figure 36

Configure the parameters as in the figure: FooBar is now ready to send DSD streams from DSD files to the

HIFACE Evo Two

The second player used as an example is JRiver Media Center (www.jriver.com). JRiver is a commercial player, a “closet” product which is delivered provided with all the needed features to support various audio transfer modes and the various audio formats.

As with FooBar, we’ll skip the installation instructions for the player. Access JRiver’s option window and set “ASIO” in the “Audio” section as “Output mode” (Fig. 37).

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Figure 37

Then, open the window for the configuration of the output mode (“Output mode settings”), which is obviously dedicated to ASIO, and select the “MUSBAudio ASIO Driver”, as shown in Fig. 38.

Figure 38

At this point, JRiver recognizes the capability to handle DSD in DoP (DSD over PCM) format. From the dropdown menu which is selected by clicking on “Bitstreaming”, select “Custom…” as shown in Fig. 39

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Figure 39

A window will automatically appear in which the user can manually set the bitstream configuration parameters (Fig. 40). Set parameters as shown in figure.

Figure 40

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The configuration procedure is almost over: we still need to tell JRiver not to downsample data streams with sampling frequency higher than 192kHz, (An operation which is usually enabled to cope with all those DAC’s, still the vast majority, which can only accept sampling frequencies up to 192kHz). Obviously, this would lead to trouble with DSD128, which is same as a 352.8kHz PCM stream. Therefore, access the “DSP and output” menu and set the parameter related to the processing of files with sampling frequency higher than 192kHz as in Fig. 41.

Figure 41

JRiver configuration is complete and the user can now listen to PCM files up to 384kHz and DSD files up to DSD128.

9.3.6. Connecting the HIFACE Evo Two

HIFACE Evo TwoHIFACE Evo Two

HIFACE Evo Two to an USB 1.1 port

It is possible to connect the

HIFACE EVO TWO

to an USB 1.1 port under Windows. In this case, the driver will scale the DAC’s performance to comply with USB Audio Device Class 1 specifications. When choosing the predefined output device, the name “hiFace Evo Two UAC1” will appear.

In such a scenario, the

HIFACE EVO TWO

will still be usable, however limited to audio PCM

files with sampling frequency up to 96kHz and with no DSD playback.

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10. Updating the HIFACE Evo Two

HIFACE Evo TwoHIFACE Evo Two

HIFACE Evo Two firmware

The user can update the firmware of the

HIFACE EVO TWO

straight from her/his Windows PC. To this purpose it is necessary to download the latest firmware from M2Tech website and use the app named "MUSBAudioDfu.exe" which can be found in the "C:\Program Files\M2Tech\M2TECH_USBAudio_Driver" folder (unless the user, during driver installation, has chosen a different destination folder).

Figure 42

Fig. 42 shows the list of files in the folder above, in which the app is highlighted.

Once the app is launched, the window in Fig. 43 appears.

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Figure 43

Click on the “Browse” button to select the file previously downloaded from M2Tech website, which contains the new firmware. Then, click on “Start” button to launch the update procedure. Wait for the update completion, which will be indicated by the control panel showing a new firmware version.

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11. Specifications

Allowed sampling frequencies: ......... 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352.8*, 384kHz*, DSD64*,

DSD128*, DSD256*

S/PDIF output level:.......................... 0.5Vpp or 1Vpp (on 75 Ohms load)

S/PDIF output impedance:................ 75 Ohms

AES/EBU output level: ...................... 2Vpp (on 110 Ohm load)

AES/EBU output level: ...................... 110 Ohms

I2S output level:................................. compliant to LVDS standard

I2S output impedance:....................... 120 Ohms

S/PDIF input sensitivity: .................... 0.5Vpp

S/PDIF input impedance: .................. 75 Ohms

Supply voltage: ................................. 7.5-15VDC

Current requirement:......................... 250mA

Size:.................................................. 110x55x100mm (w x h x d)

Weight............................................... 0.5kg (device only)

0.8kg (packaging)

* on I2S output only

M2TECH HIFACE EVO TWO User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual