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Magni 3 Impressions
Oct 7, 2017 at 10:59 AM Post #511 of 2,593
16 Bit Bowser said:
I don't have any clue what people are hearing... Almost every source I have sounds pretty great with HD650 and if anything the Magni 3 is limiting them compared to others that give off sub bass.
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The Magni 3 isn't limiting your bass frequencies.

It has -0.1dB attenuation at 20 Hz and the cutoff -3dB point is at 2 Hz

i1I0hrb.png

I'm not saying you aren't hearing a sound difference, but the Magni 3 is not the cause. (Unless you can hear 2 Hz)

Since the DAC and amp you are using are both on the motherboard it's possible they have access to a cleaner signal than whatever output you are connecting to the Magni.

My recommendation is a Modi Multibit, and an Eitr wouldn't hurt either!
 
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Oct 7, 2017 at 11:05 AM Post #512 of 2,593
JoeKickass said:
The Magni 3 isn't limiting your bass frequencies.

It has -0.1dB attenuation at 20 Hz and the cutoff -3dB point is at 2 Hz

i1I0hrb.png

I'm not saying you aren't hearing a sound difference, but the Magni 3 is not the cause. (Unless you can hear 2 Hz)

Since the DAC and amp you are using are both on the motherboard it's possible they have access to a cleaner signal than whatever output you are connecting to the Magni.

My recommendation is a Modi Multibit, and an Eitr wouldn't hurt either!
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Thanks for the info!

Yeah I can't hear 2hz, but that would be cool.

I'm going to continue testing sources and continue listen to it before I decide what to do.
 
Oct 7, 2017 at 11:31 AM Post #515 of 2,593
16 Bit Bowser said:
I don't have any clue what people are hearing... Almost every source I have sounds pretty great with HD650 and if anything the Magni 3 is limiting them compared to others that give off sub bass.

For $99 I'm confused.

The build quality is above $99 and it does sound great.

...
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I also noticed that the Sub bass is slightly less with the Magni 3.
I tested a few of my favorite jazz tracks along with my Yahamha YH-2 and my Topping A30 and my JDS O2.
The magni does have less sub bass vs both of those, but it also has smoother and sweeter treble, although its a tad brighter as I encountered one song where my volume had to be lowered with the Magni because the instrument was sharp, but it wasn't this way on other amps.
I wonder if its treble extension overall.
 
Oct 7, 2017 at 11:44 AM Post #516 of 2,593
This is pretty odd, the Magni 3 is supposed to be very similar to a single ended Jotunheim, which has stellar sub-bass!

Maybe it's the external power supply of the M3 vs. the internal transformer of the Jot, or maybe the circuit really is a bit different...

I only have the Jot, but if someone has both it sounds like a bass shootout is in order!
 
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Oct 7, 2017 at 12:35 PM Post #518 of 2,593
RickB said:
I agree that the Vali 2 has a slightly warmer, pleasing presentation. However, the fact that with the Magni 3 I don't have to use up tube life and keep buying tubes is enough of a factor that the M3 will be my main amp for now. I'm keeping the Vali 2 as a backup.
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As you, I also wondered if there would be regrets with having to constantly source tubes for a tube amp but after the reasonably priced Vali 2 was released I thought what the heck I'm going for it. Since acquiring it I did purchase 3 popular tubes in order to satisfy my curiosity how they alter the sound of this amp. It is sonically noticeable but not earth shatteringly so. At that time I also owned the Magni 2U so I compared the two amps pretty closely. They sounded quite similar but the Vali 2 just had a warmer, less edgy sound that was just easier to listen to for an extended period of time. I ended up selling the M2U. The V2 was a more versatile amp that sounded similar but more pleasing than the Magni.

Initially I was leaning more towards the Project Ember hybrid tube amp but I just couldn't overlook the lower cost of the V2. This summer we visited my uncle in the U.S. (I'm from Canada) so I decided to order the Ember and have it shipped to his place. Avoiding import and tax charges I feel that it was a worthwhile purchase as the Ember is clearly superior to the V2. I still have the V2, now connected to my iMac system and it's doing a perfectly nice job there.

Regarding tube life and tube replacement costs, so far I haven't had to replace any of my tubes yet and I regularly rotate my tubes amongst both amps. Eventually the time will come when this happens but I figure it's going to be quite some time before I burn out my entire modest collection.

I'm glad that you're enjoying your M3 and it sounds like some of the rough highs have been tamed as compared to the earlier version. It sounds like a tremendous value at $99.
 
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Oct 7, 2017 at 12:35 PM Post #519 of 2,593
JoeKickass said:
The Magni 3 isn't limiting your bass frequencies.

It has -0.1dB attenuation at 20 Hz and the cutoff -3dB point is at 2 Hz

i1I0hrb.png

I'm not saying you aren't hearing a sound difference, but the Magni 3 is not the cause. (Unless you can hear 2 Hz)

Since the DAC and amp you are using are both on the motherboard it's possible they have access to a cleaner signal than whatever output you are connecting to the Magni.

My recommendation is a Modi Multibit, and an Eitr wouldn't hurt either!
Click to expand...

Published specs don't tell the whole story, and can be misleading. If the m3 is anything like the m2 in the bass department, then I can believe it that the low bass is cut off or recessed. Only your ears can be the judge, not a spec sheet! :thumbsup:
 
Oct 7, 2017 at 1:13 PM Post #520 of 2,593
16 Bit Bowser said:
I don't have any clue what people are hearing... Almost every source I have sounds pretty great with HD650 and if anything the Magni 3 is limiting them compared to others that give off sub bass.

For $99 I'm confused.

The build quality is above $99 and it does sound great.

...
Click to expand...
The HD650 doesn't really have sub-bass, its a mid bass hump that you are most likely hearing. While my BH Crack is a tube amp it doesn't make the HD650 any warmer due to the tubes used and as good a pairing its not going to make the HD650 have sub-bass but it does tighten up the bass that is there so it gives the impression of having some sub-bass but its not going to have the sub-bass of something like the HE560 or LCD-2 which do have sub-bass. Basically what you are hearing is that your other sources are a bit warmer (boosting the mid-bass hump) so you are perceiving it to have more sub-bass which is a sound that you seem to prefer. If the Magni3 does nothing for you send them back and use the money saved on other gear, music or just pocket it, only your impression counts and if you are happy that's all that matters.
 
Oct 7, 2017 at 1:25 PM Post #521 of 2,593
MixMasterMan said:
Published specs don't tell the whole story, and can be misleading. If the m3 is anything like the m2 in the bass department, then I can believe it that the low bass is cut off or recessed. Only your ears can be the judge, not a spec sheet! :thumbsup:
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Exactly, published specs are just that.... published specs.

Often products sound different despite them all having the same frequency responses, distortions, etc

Clearly there are other factors which are not measured.
 
Oct 7, 2017 at 5:35 PM Post #524 of 2,593
The Mimby, M3, HP50 combo is to my ears very pleasing. So much so I've caught myself easing the volume up and unintentionally over driving them. On most modern mastered recordings about 9 o'clock will fill your ears with sound. My Grado's love this combo, and even a seldom used pair of tape removed Sennheiser 558's that I considered bloated and mid bass mushy sound much better with the M3. With all the features of the M2U and improved performance all for $100.00 and change delivered, this is an easy keeper.

The M2U stack still has home, as I'm still pleased with their performance/$ ratio.
 
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Oct 7, 2017 at 11:58 PM Post #525 of 2,593
To be honest I think that the HD650 sounds the same or slightly worse when running threw the Magni 3, compared to my iPhone 5S. Apparently smart phone's outputs are awful and the HD650 sounds better amped...

I don't believe either now! Maybe when the HD650 released in 2003 they needed a dedicated amp but not anymore.

The Magni 3 softens the treble and low bass slightly while providing more volume and does absolutely nothing else!

This is my first headphone Amp, is that what it's supposed to do?
 
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