I’m really enjoying the Loki Mini + after a few days of getting to know it. I like an analog, non-fatiguing sound that has impact even at lower volumes. I don’t like overly bright headphones or speakers. After over a decade in this hobby, I have found a good match in the Audeze LCD2Cs. They come closest to the sound I am after. There seems to be a consensus that the LCD2Cs open up a bit with a SPOFC headphone cable so I added one from
C3 Audio that did just what people were saying it would. It was a nice SQ bump with my Bifrost 2/Asgard 3 rig.
Next I wanted to put my ModiMultibit back into service and I was interested in adding a tube so I bought the new Vali 2+. Again there seemed to be a consensus of LCD2C owners that a vintage Sovetek tube paired well with these headphones and once again I found that they were correct. It is a really nice pairing that is fun in it’s own way, separate from the Bifrost/Asgard stack. In another review I compared the bigger stack to eating at a fine dining restaurant and the Vali 2/ModiMulti to the best taco truck in LA.
Those small tweaks made me wonder what I could be missing out on with the bigger stack. Should I add a tube preamp to the chain or get a Lyr 3 since I liked the Vali so much? About then Jason announced the Loki Mini + and it got me thinking about EQ. Roon has an EQ setting provided by Audeze for the LCD2Cs but I haven’t found it to be an improvement. It changes the sound but it’s just different, not better to my ears. I started thinking about how the Multibit DACs work and that they do best when fed non-oversampled files, letting the MegaComboBurritoFilter do its numerical thing. When using the Roon EQ setting, it upsamples the file to optimize it for the EQ process so that it is now feeding the Bifrost 2 something different than the original file. Putting the EQ in the chain after the DAC seems like a more logical solution for the way Multibit DACs work.
I should add that I seek out the best CD pressings without a of compression from the Loudness War. I came up in the 80s and as a result I own a lot of these CDs in my collection. Before using Schiit Multibit DACs I was buying a lot of high resolution files, SACDs, Buu-ray Audio, DVDA and expensive Japanese discs. After hearing how good 16/44 sounded on multibit, I sold most of those discs to fund the Bifrost 2 purchase and I’ve been buying a lot of used CDs instead. Some albums I have purchased multiple copies in various formats hoping for an improved sound. One example is Hall & Oates Rock’n Soul Pt 1 where even the SACD version is missing a bit of slam or bass I'd like to hear and that I remember from seeing them live in 1983. ModiMulti and Bifrost 2 bring out the best I’ve heard from this album and a lot of early CDs that people think sound thin but I’ve always felt it could be better.
Adding the Loki to the chain gives me that extra little bit that I was looking for when buying different versions of my favorite albums. It also takes the place of tube and cable rolling which is so hit and miss. I can add air and sparkle to the existing dynamics of the LCD2Cs and some bass slam on the low end. My original plan was to look at the graphs and correct the dips and peaks but it has become more about experimenting with albums and finding the perfect match for my ears and system. The bypass toggle really helps, letting you reset to neutral to hear your changes. I understand why Jason is building the Loki Max with memory settings and a remote. It would be a pain to get up and cross the room to change EQ settings on a living room system especially if you are listening to a playlist and not entire albums. It’s easier on a desktop rig to make small changes by turning the small knobs. I have a primary setting with the treble adjustment between 2 and 3 on the dial and the bass in the 2 o’clock position. This works well for a lot of modern albums that already have good mid bass and prominent vocals. On older recordings I also turn up the midbass and midrange to around 1 or 2 as needed.
I’ve also found that I prefer the Asgard’s low gain setting when the Loki is in the chain as opposed to the high gain without. I think I needed a higher volume for treble clarity and impact but the Loki lets me “turn up” the volume on just those areas of the music. I’ll need to live with this set up for a while before I land on a final setting but it has been a fun and rewarding experience with a low barrier for entry - $149 for the Loki Mini + and $36 for new Blue Jeans Cables RCAs.
My source is Roon playing CD’s I’ve burned as FLAC and Tidal streams via a RaspberryPi 4 running Silent Angel VitOs USB to Bifrost 2. Based on my experience with the Loki Mini, I will consider adding the Loki Max in the future to my living room set up. My ideal device would actually be a Saga S with the Loki Mini + built into it. Probably wouldn’t fit in the same case but it would be nice to have a matching stack and one less power supply on my desktop.
Really, I have alot of schiit gear that need this.
