Halide Bridge vs hiFace Evo vs Sonicweld 192

01-25-11: Sakahara
Everything looked fine, power on,..etc, except for the fact that it would only play through the internal speakers.

You have to select it to play through the external speakers in the Apple Midi application. It will not do play through the external speakers automatically (the Apple Built-In Output is the default). Selecting it to play through the external speakers is not intuitive in my experience.

I had to highlight the HiFace in the menu of available output devices, then two-finger tap on the trackpad to pull up the configuration menu, and then select the external speakers from the configuration menu. I you didn't get this far (and I can understand how you might not have), then it was a configuration error and not a hardware problem.

I know you've moved on, so I'm mentioning this for future readers who may encounter the same issue.

"I was about to buy the new Wadia 171iTransport but decided to try the Sonos ZP90 first. Then I just came across comments that it doesn't support 24/96. Is this true?"

Correct, both of these do 44.1 only. I have customers reclocking both. Sonos has the highest digital output jitter of the WiFi devices. If you dont like EVO or Wavelink, this will be worse IMO.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

"Evo was plugged in prior to driver installation (I realized it required a driver after noticing the device wasn't listed under Sound>Output Prefs). Everything looked fine, power on,..etc, except for the fact that it would only play through the internal speakers."

This is really simple. You go to preferences - audio and select the EVO and then you get output.

It is the operating systems that are causing these problems and confusions, not the device. Dont blame the device or the driver. If you install the driver according to the instructions and select the device in preferences, it just works.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

In simpler language AUDIOENGR, it is Operator Error, NOT lack of adequate Manufacturer Instruction that is at fault-is that it? Not buying it! If Manufacturer is advertizing
USB Converter/Driver to be compatible with Windows 7 or
MAC OS X System, Manufacturer never tests these Devices in
these specific Operating Systems to make sure they work?
What do they do, just cross their fingers and hope for the best? Customer becomes the Guinee Pig? If you drove a brand
new car off of the Salesman's Lot, and the wheels fell off,
I don't think that you would be so gracious! Especially if
Salesman ran up to you waggling his finger in your face,
"Whooops....must be Operator Error"! You will have to forgive some of us for not being as gracious with PC Audio.
Some of us want to break that finger off, and shove it were the sun don't shine. If that just makes us uncivilized
brutes, so be it. Just how many times do the wheels of PC Audio have to come off, before we learn anything? I have
learned one thing, Operator Error is a piss poor excuse for
lack of Manufacturer Prior Proper Planning in Adequate
Instruction for the Proper operation of any Device. In
simpler language, that boat won't float no matter who is
operating it! What, the Operator simply didn't bail water fast enough, so says the Boatmaker? How convenient!

by Audioengr: "This is really simple. You go to preferences - audio and select the EVO and then you get output. It is the operating systems that are causing these problems and confusions, not the device. Dont blame the device or the driver. If you install the driver according to the instructions and select the device in preferences, it just works."

Steve, I've been using computers since '95 (self taught/administrator on UNIX/IRIX SGI, WIN DOS/NT/2K/XP, and MAC OS X). I know how to select the sound output device under OS X System Prefs. Evo showed up after installing the driver, but would only play through iMac speakers. Is that clear now? I've used other USB DAC's and converters and know what I'm doing. Don't just presume user is to blame.

Fyi; There was no mention on the M2Tech website about a driver being needed. And at first I ignored the small folded 2"x5" strip of paper included in the box that informs the customer they'll need to download the instruction manual and driver. But I'll accept the blame for that one. I should have known that tiny scrap of paper held the answers. Point is, set up on OS X is easy, practically does it on it's own (yet look at the WIN instructions. Geesh!).