Since the release I had been looking into getting a Fulla 2 for my home office (aka the kitchen or garden table) and for trips. Prior to this a Magni/Modi combo served this purpose but were sold due to the fact that you have three pieces of equipment laying around (Magni - Modi - wallwart) plus cables. This is not practical to get out for a quick listen and certainly not for taking on trips. Also the need to have the Magni plugged in was not working for me.
So the Fulla 2 scratches a few of my itches:
- It is powered over USB so only a USB cable and the Fulla 2 are needed.
- Small, so easy to store and take on trips.
- Enough power for my headphones (more on that later).
For a few days I was quite happy cruising away with the Fulla 2 at home in combination with the HD-650. Just some remarks on that combo:
- The Fulla 2 has sufficient power for the HD-650.
- I liked the setup: get out the laptop, hook up a small box, get headphones and listen. Nice and convenient.
- The over build quality of the Fulla is good. My volume knob is not quite level (but I already knew this could happen). If it had been level I would give it a 10/10 in build quality. Now it gets an 8/10, also due to only having 3 feet which makes it wobble.
- The volume knob has some imbalance below 8 o'clock so when listening at really low volume you might need software volume control.
What would I like in a Fulla 3
- A gain switch so I can use the pot above the imbalance threshold. Even if this makes it 1 cm wider.
- 4 feet instead of 3. Not really an issue.
- Multibit (I know it is not possible for now but hey, we can dream right).
Today I decided to take them to work to test them against the Bifrost Multibit / Magni 2U combo (7 times more expensive than the Fulla 2). To summarize the Bifrost Multibit review I did: this is an amazing value for money and will stay in my end game setup. The Magni 2U might see a replacement by an Aagard 3 or Lyr 3 when and if it comes out to complete my endgame setup.
The two setups compared are:
Tidal Hifi - USB - Bifrost Multibit - Magni 2U - Audeze LCD-2 / Byerdynamic DT-880
Tidal Hifi - USB - Fulla 2 - Audeze LCD-2 / Byerdynamic DT-880
Upon plugging in the Fulla 2 what is apparent that it has enough power to push the LCD-2 to earbleeding levels (your mileage may vary tough, I tend to listen at rather low volumes) and the DT-880 to quite high levels. So no issues there.
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Love Struck Baby (LCD-2)
The Fulla has somewhat boomy/dirty bass compared top the Bifrost/Magni combo. This wil come back multiple times with other tracks. What is also apparent is the mids on the Fulla lack detail. When listening to the Bifrost/Magni combo all instruments are clearly distinguishable and they are not with the Fulla. Overal impression is that the Fulla is less engaging than the Bifrost/Magni combo and observation I already made with the HD-650 at home.
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Love Struck Baby (LCD-2)
Same observations as above but somewhat less pronounced. What I started noticing here is that distortion (guitars) in the song are just beautifully reproduced by the combo and less so by the Fulla.
Ludovico Einaudi - Primavera (LCD-2)
Same observations here, the Fulla just lacks in details and is generally less engaging. The difference is not small either on this track.
Ludovico Einaudi - Primavera (DT-880)
Same observations as above but somewhat less pronounced.
Warren Zevon - Splendid Isolation, Live on Learning To Flinch (DT-880)
The first track where despite the differences both the Fulla and the combo just made the music shine. Listening in more detail I would say the combo sounded more detached/detailed while the Fulla being somewhat more dirty really worked well with the live recording.
Warren Zevon - Splendid Isolation, Live on Learning To Flinch (LCD-2)
Same observations as above but with different accents due to the LCD-2's different signature.
Dire Straits - The Man's Too Strong
Ali Farka Touré, Toumani Diabaté - Ruby
This Mortal Coil - Fond Affections
Love and Rockets - Kundalini Express
Jacques Brel - Quand On N'A Que L'Amour(LCD-2 and DT-880)
After an hour of switching between the setups my ears and brain are clearly getting tired. The difference overal remains audible on all tracks and echos the above. What starts getting clear is that the Fulla is really good. Yes, in direct comparison with the combo the differences are clearly audible but the effect wanes the longer a session takes and when you just listen and focus less. Would I trade in my Bifrost/Magni combo for a Fulla? Hell no! Will I be happy this evening when Fulla is back home listening to some tunes? Hell yes.
In conclusion:
Rating not taking into account price: 3.5/5
Rating taking into account price: 4.5/5
Would I recommend buying one? If you need a dac/amp to move around the house with a laptop, it is perfect.
So the Fulla 2 scratches a few of my itches:
- It is powered over USB so only a USB cable and the Fulla 2 are needed.
- Small, so easy to store and take on trips.
- Enough power for my headphones (more on that later).
For a few days I was quite happy cruising away with the Fulla 2 at home in combination with the HD-650. Just some remarks on that combo:
- The Fulla 2 has sufficient power for the HD-650.
- I liked the setup: get out the laptop, hook up a small box, get headphones and listen. Nice and convenient.
- The over build quality of the Fulla is good. My volume knob is not quite level (but I already knew this could happen). If it had been level I would give it a 10/10 in build quality. Now it gets an 8/10, also due to only having 3 feet which makes it wobble.
- The volume knob has some imbalance below 8 o'clock so when listening at really low volume you might need software volume control.
What would I like in a Fulla 3
- A gain switch so I can use the pot above the imbalance threshold. Even if this makes it 1 cm wider.
- 4 feet instead of 3. Not really an issue.
- Multibit (I know it is not possible for now but hey, we can dream right).
Today I decided to take them to work to test them against the Bifrost Multibit / Magni 2U combo (7 times more expensive than the Fulla 2). To summarize the Bifrost Multibit review I did: this is an amazing value for money and will stay in my end game setup. The Magni 2U might see a replacement by an Aagard 3 or Lyr 3 when and if it comes out to complete my endgame setup.
The two setups compared are:
Tidal Hifi - USB - Bifrost Multibit - Magni 2U - Audeze LCD-2 / Byerdynamic DT-880
Tidal Hifi - USB - Fulla 2 - Audeze LCD-2 / Byerdynamic DT-880
Upon plugging in the Fulla 2 what is apparent that it has enough power to push the LCD-2 to earbleeding levels (your mileage may vary tough, I tend to listen at rather low volumes) and the DT-880 to quite high levels. So no issues there.
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Love Struck Baby (LCD-2)
The Fulla has somewhat boomy/dirty bass compared top the Bifrost/Magni combo. This wil come back multiple times with other tracks. What is also apparent is the mids on the Fulla lack detail. When listening to the Bifrost/Magni combo all instruments are clearly distinguishable and they are not with the Fulla. Overal impression is that the Fulla is less engaging than the Bifrost/Magni combo and observation I already made with the HD-650 at home.
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Love Struck Baby (LCD-2)
Same observations as above but somewhat less pronounced. What I started noticing here is that distortion (guitars) in the song are just beautifully reproduced by the combo and less so by the Fulla.
Ludovico Einaudi - Primavera (LCD-2)
Same observations here, the Fulla just lacks in details and is generally less engaging. The difference is not small either on this track.
Ludovico Einaudi - Primavera (DT-880)
Same observations as above but somewhat less pronounced.
Warren Zevon - Splendid Isolation, Live on Learning To Flinch (DT-880)
The first track where despite the differences both the Fulla and the combo just made the music shine. Listening in more detail I would say the combo sounded more detached/detailed while the Fulla being somewhat more dirty really worked well with the live recording.
Warren Zevon - Splendid Isolation, Live on Learning To Flinch (LCD-2)
Same observations as above but with different accents due to the LCD-2's different signature.
Dire Straits - The Man's Too Strong
Ali Farka Touré, Toumani Diabaté - Ruby
This Mortal Coil - Fond Affections
Love and Rockets - Kundalini Express
Jacques Brel - Quand On N'A Que L'Amour(LCD-2 and DT-880)
After an hour of switching between the setups my ears and brain are clearly getting tired. The difference overal remains audible on all tracks and echos the above. What starts getting clear is that the Fulla is really good. Yes, in direct comparison with the combo the differences are clearly audible but the effect wanes the longer a session takes and when you just listen and focus less. Would I trade in my Bifrost/Magni combo for a Fulla? Hell no! Will I be happy this evening when Fulla is back home listening to some tunes? Hell yes.
In conclusion:
Rating not taking into account price: 3.5/5
Rating taking into account price: 4.5/5
Would I recommend buying one? If you need a dac/amp to move around the house with a laptop, it is perfect.
I returned my Fulla 2 within the 15 day window for most of the same reasons. I would have kept the Fulla 2 if it weren't for all the little quirks. There are times where I'm tempted to buy another just for travel and use at work, but I always decide to hold off. Like you said, perfect on paper but the execution probably could have been done a little better. What can you really expect out of a DAC/amp combo with all those features for $99 though? Thankfully, Schiit was very easy to work with for the return & refund.
The Fulla 2 was my "gateway drug" in the world of DAC/amps. Now I have a Mimby & Vali 2 and am considering buying a Jotunheim. If Schiit ever comes out with a revised version of the Fulla 2 that addresses the current quirks, I'd be very hard pressed to not rush onto their website and click the order button.