[stv014]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdockweiler /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
How do you tell if it's really the music's fault, the O2 or the headphone? Impossible i'd think. I'm going to say it's just nit-picking.

 
Music can be analyzed in software, and obvious problems due to bad mastering (like excessive dynamic compression or clipping) can be detected. It can also be compared to known "good" tracks for tonal balance problems like boosted treble or sibilance. Headphones have frequency response graphs available - if a particular model is measured to have a 10 dB treble peak, then it makes more sense to blame the brightness on the headphones than the O2.

 

[adydula]

and it now available for $129!
 
A.

 

[cubiboy90]

  The Objective Combo

 
 
 
The Schiit Stack

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Review
 
The two perform and sound too close to each other to make any practical differences. The Schiit Stack looks better and costs less.  Get the Schiit Stack.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
For those who don't know how these combos sound:
 
Both the Schiit Stack and Objective Combo can be described as as very neutral to slightly bright. The first thing you might notice when coming off of your computer's onboard sound or other components is the treble.  It might seem elevated or more apparent, and possibly way more resolving.  I find that, for the money, the Schiit Magni and Modi are very resolving in the upper registers-- and just like the Objective Combo, have a clean and clear presentation that allows for instrument separation to be off the charts.  Some might find both of these combos a little lacking in the deepest of bass extension and impact, and thus I ideally recommend them to be paired with neutral to warm sounding headphones, but they still sound fine with bright headphones and are a good upgrade from your average computer onboard audio.
 
 
Songs Used:
Tool: Lateralus
Mumford & Sons: Broken Crown
Hans Zimmer: Mombasa
Johnny Cash: Highwayman
Trentemøller: Moan
Jethro Tull: Up To Me
Depeche Mode: Personal Jesus
Beck: Paper Tiger
Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven's Symphony 9 in D Minor
Arne Domnerus, Bengt Hallberg et al: Jazz At The Pawnshop, Now's The Time
 
 
All songs were level matched by ear with a Hifiman HE-400 before comparison.  Switching between the two source combos takes approximately 5 seconds.

 
Did you mix Magni - ODAC , Modi - O2 ? May be you will find out something 

 

[TMRaven]

I have absolutely no reason to test a magni or modi by themselves if paired with another component.  They're meant to be a pair aesthetically.
 
Find out something as in what?  Assuming I'm ignorant on the matter at hand?

 

[muad]

Lol, I think he meant maybe there would some kind of magical synergy if you mixed and matched...

 

[TMRaven]

Nothing more magical than looking at a Magni sitting on top of a Modi or vice-versa.  A heaping stack of Schiit.

 

[Nowhere]

initially i had the modi/magni but i spent little time with them and returned them for the odac/o2 because i felt the modi/magni had an effect on my listening to where it was too fast/energetic which i'm not a fan of... it was my first official setup into the world of amps & dacs so i didn't know what to expect or anything to compare to.
 
i've had decent time with my o2/odac now and it's an interesting, somewhat funny experience... i say funny because i've actually enjoyed the set up much more for movies/television and situations where i'm observing sound like listening to the live feed on big brother where they're whispering and it's hard to hear, i'm one of those people who has trouble with muffled sounds, not distorted or even low just muffled and with this set up all sound is so crystal clear and it's now rare to have any muffled sound moments.
while this has been a surprisingly entertaining stumbling into... it wasn't exactly my intent haha.
 
the same reasons i've greatly enjoyed it for the aforementioned is the reasons i'm not feeling it as much in the musical side of things, it comes across as too technical and analytical.. it's the "spock" of setups, all logical and analyzing hehe.
this could be in part based on my headphones the hd600 which from what i've been told are very neutral, so... combining neutrality with even more could be giving me these results.. something like "spock" and "data" (tng) brainstorming together.
 
if i'm being completely honest it's taken away a bit of the fun side of music and i've noticed myself becoming bored and fatigued quicker than usual, when i say quicker we're still talking about hours.. i usually have long sessions when i get to it but evenso i still have observed myself putting the music down faster than i used to.
 
the short time i had with the modi/magni, i remember hearing the twang of the guitar player's strings and a more musical experience that i'm now wondering if that was the right choice.
 
 
oh! and that brings me to one of the points i wanted to ask about, with the magni/modi i was using rca<--->rca but because this stupid o2 has no rca and i went to the only store that was open at the time officemax which didn't have the right connector it only had a 3.5mm <----> 3.5mm and so i'm using this on it.
this makes me wonder if the difference i experienced where i mentioned hearing that twang of the guitar and the more musical aspect, could that actually be down to the rca interconnects vs this connection i'm using with the o2/odac?
i'm hoping to get a 3.5mm ----> rca to test this out and see if that had any real effects...  but now every time i look at this o2 i get annoyed that it doesn't have rca.
 
anyway, that's my story and rant lol.
 
i'm currently looking into going in a whole new direction from both the o2/odac and magni/modi but not set on what yet.
 
[edited the part out about the power button because i'm an idiot and didn't see the thing right there, but in my defense the front of this thing is packed with buttons and connectors]

 

[TMRaven]

The interconnect shouldn't make one lick of difference in sound unless you're one of those guys who believes in cables, so no worries there.
 
The O2 should be able to be turned off.  It has two buttons in the front-- one for gain switching and the other for power on/off.
 
 
Yes I would recommend going in a completely different direction altogether from these two combos if you don't want the 'analytical' sound.  You could either go for a much warmer dac/amp or a much warmer pair of headphones.  HD600 aren't exactly fit to my preferences either, in fact I would describe their upper mids as being more aggressive than neutral on certain setups.

 

[Nowhere]

it does? there's so many freaking buttons and connectors on the front of this thing i haven't noticed. i just checked again. haha it actually does have a power button! all this time i'm sitting there trying to figure it out and the button is right there. well, that is completely embarrassing.
 
ok i take back the stuff about the power button and call myself an idiot!
i'll go back and edit that out.
 
would trying out that gain button do anything? i usually just plug stuff in and don't mess with it again. (obviously *cough* power button).. so, not sure if i want to push the thing if it will cause complications.

 

[Nowhere]

got that different cable (with rca connectors/just a basic radio shack one) i spoke of a few posts up, maybe my mind is playing tricks on me but i honestly think it changed the sound experience for the better... not as cold and analytical anymore and actually feeling some of the musicality.
not a huge change to where it's like "omg this is amazing" but even a small change from that is felt.
i never bought into the whole wires making a difference but maybe there's something to it afterall. or it's just in my mind.*shrug*.

 

[tdockweiler]

  got that different cable (with rca connectors/just a basic radio shack one) i spoke of a few posts up, maybe my mind is playing tricks on me but i honestly think it changed the sound experience for the better... not as cold and analytical anymore and actually feeling some of the musicality.
not a huge change to where it's like "omg this is amazing" but even a small change from that is felt.
i never bought into the whole wires making a difference but maybe there's something to it afterall. or it's just in my mind.*shrug*.

 
I stopped caring as much about cables when I switched from the HRT MSII to the ODAC and Modi. Now there's like a .5% - 1% difference. Wonder why?
Before it was much greater it seems like. Maybe the differences are more audible if the gear is more colored?
 
I've always believed the differences were due to different capacitance ratings and it will vary depending on the gear. Right now I will only buy whatever has good shielding. Monoprice or Mogami.
 
I wouldn't give Canare to my worst enemy, but I won't derail this thread on why.
 
What cable did you switch to? IMO Canare/Mogami seems to give me an impression of a little warmth. No changes in frequency response of course.
 
BTW I still believe that silver plated copper stinks on bright headphones. Someday i'll figure it out.
 
These days I would never buy an expensive cable, but $30 for an interconnect that's made in the USA is OK.
 
EDIT: What's weird with the Magni is that I got a ton of hissing/noise with poorly shielded interconnects. I even started hearing it when I was using a crappy detachable headphone cable with my Tony Bennett headphone. Weirdest thing i've ever experienced.
 
Last night I used my O2 with a Denon 1920 CD player and it sounded amazing. Pretty warm sounding and the best soundstage i've ever heard with the HD-650. Even really airy sounding and that's not the norm with the HD-650. I'm sure the 1920 isn't transparent and more "musical" sounding. Uses BurrBrown chipsets. Paid $10 for it in mint condition.
 
Sorry off-topic, but I really like the O2! I also keep forgetting I can use it without the wall wart

 

[Nowhere]

to answer:
i changed from a basic 10 dollar belkin cable 3.5mm>3.5mm connection to a 12 dollar radio shack cable 3.5mm>rca cable
i believe the switch to using rca cables on my odac changed the sound experience slightly, although as mentioned it could be my mind playing tricks on me. sounds different to me though.

 

[adydula]

the only thing i look for in a cable is its mechancal construction, is it well built with good connectors terminated well.
 
cap value can be an issue with long runs, but with the short cables i use...i dont really see any major issues here..
 
A.

 

[Dizzante]

In comparing the magni with the O2 I have found that the magni is a lot brighter than the O2. Out of the two I like the O2 way better for rock music and I like the magni better for acoustic stuff and for artists like Elton John and the mellower styles of music like that. Jack Johnson and Jim Croce sound killer on the magni. The only thing I don't like about the magni is the heat it puts off. There is no heat at all to the O2.

 

[SovietShaman]

I actually greatly prefer the look of the o2, and I would just have the odac contained within the unit. The only thing I don't like is the fact it has the power connector on the front, and uses a 1/8" jack instead of 1/4". The price is almost the same between the Schiit and the o2 in kit form, but because of the power and audio connectors I think I'm going to get the Schiit, even though I hate silver look.