[HeyLarry]

Hey everyone,

So, I just ordered a pair of Senn HD 598s (my first pair of audiophile-grade headphones) and am leaning toward picking up the Schiit Magni & Mani to use with my record player (as recommended by a user on here and which suit my price point). I have also been doing some research on how to maximize the enjoyment of music on my laptop. What's come up consistently is the use of a DAC - here are where my questions start (please excuse my technological ignorance):

1. Can the Magni & Mani combo be used you maximize the audio from my laptop?

2. With headphones like the 598, is it necessary to have a DAC with built in amplifier versus one without a built in amplifier? (Ie. could I get a DAC without amp and use it with the Magni?). I notice that Schiit also carries a DAC (the modi)

3. Is there a substantial difference in DAC performance across price points considering we are just talking about making compressed music files sound better?

If it matters, I am indeed a PC guy.

Thank you!

 

[PurpleAngel]

So, I just ordered a pair of Senn HD 598s (my first pair of audiophile-grade headphones) and am leaning toward picking up the Schiit Magni & Mani to use with my record player (as recommended by a user on here and which suit my price point). I have also been doing some research on how to maximize the enjoyment of music on my laptop. What's come up consistently is the use of a DAC - here are where my questions start (please excuse my technological ignorance):
1. Can the Magni & Mani combo be used you maximize the audio from my laptop?
2. With headphones like the 598, is it necessary to have a DAC with built in amplifier versus one without a built in amplifier? (Ie. could I get a DAC without amp and use it with the Magni?). I notice that Schiit also carries a DAC (the Modi)
3. Is there a substantial difference in DAC performance across price points considering we are just talking about making compressed music files sound better?
If it matters, I am indeed a PC guy.

 
It's Modi, not Mani, so your looking at getting a Modi DAC and Magni amplifier.
(Schiit does not make anything called Mani)
A DAC can not be used with a record player, as a record player is analog output and a DAC is digital input.
The Magni amplifier can be used with a record player.
The Modi/Magni should improve the audio quality of headphones with over 95% of the laptops out there.

 

[billybob_jcv]

The Magni amp accepts a line-level, analog input signal via a pair of RCA jacks. It will accept that input from anything capable of producing that signal - including the Magni or DACs of other brands. Just make sure the DAC has a stereo line-out, and that you have the proper cable to connect the two, and you are good to go.

Like everything else in audio, the differences in DAC performance is a hotly debated topic. Also, it's typical in audio that as you move up in price, the improvement for the dollar you spend goes down. It's easy to make that first jump from rather poor onboard sound in a typical laptop to a good, inexpensive DAC. but as you spend more, the differences tend to get smaller. At the very top, it's often not always an "improvement" at all - it might just be a slightly different flavor of "excellent".

Finally, humans are generally very poor at evaluating & describing comparison judgements. One person's "night & day difference" is another person's "indistinguishable". The human brain also likes to play tricks on us and create differences that may or may not really be there - just because we *expect* there to be a difference (this is sometimes called "psychoacoustics").

What does this all mean? It means that in the end, you takes your chances, you spend your money, and you decide for yourself.

 

[Music Alchemist]

a slightly different flavor of "excellent".

 
It is for this very reason that I am intrigued by ultra-high-end audio gear. It may not be a worthy step up over something much more affordable, but at the top of the spending spectrum, there could still be different but equally impressive experiences to be had. ...Or a DAC that costs as much as a house could sound the same as the DAC in an iPod, like some people claim. I'll reserve judgment until hearing a good number of them.
 
By the way, I've seen you around in random threads and always thought your posts were helpful. I wonder if you ever have some fun with that Al Bundy theme.

 

[HeyLarry]

It's Modi, not Mani, so your looking at getting a Modi DAC and Magni amplifier.
(Schiit does not make anything called Mani)
A DAC can not be used with a record player, as a record player is analog output and a DAC is digital input.
The Magni amplifier can be used with a record player.
The Modi/Magni should improve the audio quality of headphones with over 95% of the laptops out there.

Purple Angel:
http://schiit.com/products/mani
The mani is their preamp which I was planning to use with the Magni for my record player. The modi was a separate thought for use with my lap top. In fact, ironically it was billybob who first made that recommendation for me to look into Schiit.

The Magni amp accepts a line-level, analog input signal via a pair of RCA jacks. It will accept that input from anything capable of producing that signal - including the Magni or DACs of other brands. Just make sure the DAC has a stereo line-out, and that you have the proper cable to connect the two, and you are good to go.

Like everything else in audio, the differences in DAC performance is a hotly debated topic. Also, it's typical in audio that as you move up in price, the improvement for the dollar you spend goes down. It's easy to make that first jump from rather poor onboard sound in a typical laptop to a good, inexpensive DAC. but as you spend more, the differences tend to get smaller. At the very top, it's often not always an "improvement" at all - it might just be a slightly different flavor of "excellent".

Finally, humans are generally very poor at evaluating & describing comparison judgements. One person's "night & day difference" is another person's "indistinguishable". The human brain also likes to play tricks on us and create differences that may or may not really be there - just because we *expect* there to be a difference (this is sometimes called "psychoacoustics").

What does this all mean? It means that in the end, you takes your chances, you spend your money, and you decide for yourself.

Billybob: thank you for the input, yet again!

 

[billybob_jcv]

Purple: He's right, the Mani is a phono preamp, which is needed to provide RIAA correction to turntable signals. A turntable doesn't output a traditional line-level signal - it's always been a bit different. Only old f@rts like me know this...

http://schiit.com/products/mani

 

[PurpleAngel]

Purple Angel:
http://schiit.com/products/mani
The mani is their preamp which I was planning to use with the Magni for my record player. The Modi was a separate thought for use with my lap top. In fact, ironically it was billybob who first made that recommendation for me to look into Schiit.

 
Wow, I had just gone thru and checked all the Schiit DAC and amp for a Mani, but did not find it.
Never thought to check the pre-amps?