But on to my question: What do you think about the new Batch 6 and Batch 8 miners, with the giant Buck Converter on it? What's the reason for this, and how might it affect efficiency and stability?
I have not seen it, sorry.
He's referring to the large inductor and various capacitors you see in the top right corner underneath the 6 pin PCI-e jacks:
Well as I have said in a couple of other threads.

I believe / hope that the inductor & capacitors we can see on Batch 8, and presumably batch 6, Hash Boards are for a Buck Converter chip that is on the other side of the board. So I will say again if anyone gets a chance to take a photo of the other side that would be great.
So assuming it is a Buck Converter, which does make sense because without it the Core Voltage with only 15 Chips in the chain (was 18 on the 162 chip systems) is too high at 0.8V. So what this would then give us would be a hybrid system with a string of 15 Chip Tripples but fed with the voltage from the Buck Converter reduced to around 10 Volts.
Now if all is the above is correct the great thing for Bitmain to have done would be to have made the Buck Converter voltage software adjustable.

Even without that there would almost certainly be a way, such as pencil mod, of adjusting the voltage.
Hopefully we will get some Batch 6 in the field soon and may be able to begin answering some questions, and seeing what has happened to the overall efficiency?
Rich