This Schiit is Bananas! $99 Schiit Magni Amp and $99 Modi DAC - Page 64

It's not the bit depth. I believe the Modi is failing. When I first plug it in and start playing something, it sounds ok for a few seconds, and then it quickly degrades. I've recorded an example for you:

 

https://soundcloud.com/phalangees/broken-modi

 

Please let me know what you think.

 

No it sounds fine, that's just dubstep.

 

 

 

 

hehehe jk

Sounds good to me--is there a problem?

Seriously, have you tried it with another computer? If you still have the same problem on another machine, it's probably a bad board.

Yeah, I tried it with 3 different computers. Same thing on all. I'll send it in for a warranty replacement.

Modi problems, good news, workaround without reboot.

 

Report:  The Modi sounds great for a certain period of time.

I have tested the device from USB powered hubs, directly to 

two different Macbooks and I definitely have an ISSUE.

 

Background:

I am far from a MacOSX expert but I am intimately familiar with

the workings of the CoreAudio Stack.  

 

I worked the Modi through all my Aggregate Devices, Multi-Output Devices 

and through several different routing configurations with Jack Audio, Audio Hijack

Soundflower and MAX/MSP.

 

The CoreAudio/Audio Midi Setup in OSX, lets you see where clock is derived from

 

 

In Aggregate and Multi Devices you can select a specific device.  I present this

as there are many test cases and use cases that are absolutely regular and do

work with other USB audio devices.  Definitely there can be more debugging

but if the MODI is a "USB audio class device" it should work. 

 

Of note you can also do re-sampling and drift correction within an Aggregate or

Multi-Device Output, you can also have any number of these with any combination

of different audio devices even firewire.

 

Problem:

At any given moment in time it could and I have experienced a few failure scenarios.

 

1. Right channel is lost, replaced by background digital clipping

2. Left channel is lost, replaced by white noise

3. All audio stops, no sound, empty

4. A digital clipping starts at low volume then ramps slowly to MAX output (SCARY)

 

By far the weirdest is losing one channel. since the other channel is working. 

 

I will highlight the more advanced use case just because it is also a great testing platform.

The simplest setup and anyone with a Macbook and a DAC and two amps (lol) can do this.

With the aforementioned Multi-Output device,  you will create a new device and add the

Mac's  Built-in Output and MODI together into a device.

 

Multi-Device Output (24bit 48khz) Clock Source (Built-In or Schiit doesn't matter)

->Built-In Output

->Speaker-Schiit USB Audio Device

 

Right click on Multi-Output and select "Use this device for sound output" 

Fire up Itunes play a song, and it comes out both devices at the same time, simple.

 

Wait then at sometime even up to a day later only the MODI drops out

 

Another from my working setups.  

For example, Modi 1 + USB audio (2/4out) + Built-in Output (24bit-48hz)

 

 

The Modi will stay accurate in reference to sample rate for some period of time, it 

does seem arbitrary after about 30 minutes. Then a failure occurs.  I like this use case

as well because another USB audio device with a different chipset is involved. Other

devices still output correctly. Modi is in one of failure states.

 

Diagnosis:

I say clock or USB chipset implementation of the MODI seems to be the culprit

because the only way to fix this is to change the sample rate in Audio Midi Settings

You must change the MODI to a DIFFERENT sample rate then change it back again.

Once it flips back and sometimes immediately on change to new sample rate the

MODI will again function. 

 

Oddity:

I have also seen a very bizarre event whereby the modi has stopped working and when

I looked at it in the Audio-Midi Settings it had changed its sample rate to 88200.  Very strange.

 

Regards,

l0rdr0ck

What does Schiit say about your problem?

I am trying to gather as much data as I can so that we can fix the issue. I am totally committed to providing something not just venting.

Once I have a complete roundup and test against Linux and Windows systems I expect to reach out.

My Magni has started making this intermittent scratching noise. It almost sounds like interference. It does it on it's own without input, so it's gotta be from the Magni. I recently picked up a new monitor, but I doubt that's causing it... my older FiiO E9 isn't doing anything out of the ordinary. I have an email in to Schiit already, but do any of you guys have any ideas of anything I can try in the interim?

Thanks so much Jason!!

 

I wanted to try and test and make sure I didn't waste your time. 

Don't for a moment think I am not a happy customer, I own a Lyr too.

my unit is B080137 maybe number 137?  

 

By the way it does sound awesome!

How can you solve/reduce the noise( suppose the interference) from the Magni? It's very noticeable when not playing any music.

I literally never got any noise from the Magni itself, even at full volume (no sound playing obviously).

The only noise I ever got was from my source, the Magni itself was always dead quiet.

you just sold me on this combo :)

Haha, well I hope you enjoy it. As far as noise floor the M&M are very impressive.

Question about the Magni. I've been using it with an AKG K550 with no noise whatsoever. I believe it's rated at 50ohms. But when I switch to my Sony 7506, which I believe has higher ohms specs, there's a ton of noise at low level volume as well as popping sounds at higher volumes. The same happens when I plug in my Sennheiser HD558... Can anyone help explaining this? Is there something wrong with my Magni?

I tend to switch headphones quite a bit so not sure if its an amp problem.