[ABuilder]

I am putting together my first setup to go with my gaming computer and think I am going to order a Schiit Jotunheim 2. There is the option of selecting a "True Multibit" DAC but I thought maybe the Modius made more sense. What are people opinions if building a new setup, would you go with the separate Modius or is the True Multipbit" a better DAC. Or should I go with something other then Schiit?

 

[bemeurer]

I think consensus is the DAC cards from Schiit kind of suck. My Jot 2 has the AK4490 card and it's not great, I've heard similar things about the multibit cards, but I've never owned one.

I do own both the Modius and the Jot2 and it's a combo I can happily recommend (although I currently pair the Jot 2 with a Bifrost 2).

Hope this helps!

 

[ABuilder]

So... would I be better off with a different source for the DAC like the iFi Zen CAN or Topping then the Modius? I don't need to be matchy matchy or care about that stuff, just looking for good gear at a reasonable price. I do like that Schiit is local, but if they don't do DACs as well as others, I would rather just get something else to begin with.

 

[bemeurer]

So... would I be better off with a different source for the DAC like the iFi Zen CAN or Topping then the Modius? I don't need to be matchy matchy or care about that stuff, just looking for good gear at a reasonable price. I do like that Schiit is local, but if they don't do DACs as well as others, I would rather just get something else to begin with.

Their DAC products are great, it's only the DAC add-ons for their amps that are not good

 

[cinemakinoeye]

Their DAC products are great, it's only the DAC add-ons for their amps that are not good

@bemeurer can you be more specific about why the DAC add-on cards are available for the Schiit Jotenheim 2 (Multibit DAC module or ES9028 delta-sigma module) are not good DACs?

 

[bemeurer]

@bemeurer can you be more specific about why the DAC add-on cards are available for the Schiit Jotenheim 2 (Multibit DAC module or ES9028 delta-sigma module) are not good DACs?

They use lower-tier DAC chips than standalone DACs, and (at the time I wrote that message) didn’t have the new unison USB interface, ultimately they also measure poorly.

Unless you really need the portability, it just doesn’t make sense to pay for a module that measures so poorly and isn’t cheap.

AIUI there are new modules now, and they haven’t been measured by ASR or anyone that I’ve seen, so YMMV and my comment may no longer apply.

 

[cinemakinoeye]

They use lower-tier DAC chips than standalone DACs, and (at the time I wrote that message) didn’t have the new unison USB interface, ultimately they also measure poorly.

Unless you really need the portability, it just doesn’t make sense to pay for a module that measures so poorly and isn’t cheap.

AIUI there are new modules now, and they haven’t been measured by ASR or anyone that I’ve seen, so YMMV and my comment may no longer apply.

Schiit now offers a DS DAC card ($100 USD) for the Jotunheim 2 based on the ESS ES9028 along with their Unison USB interface. From a measurement standpoint, according to the APx report available on their web site (PDF) the ES9028 card has respectable measurements and is certainly cleaner measurement-wise compared to the Multibit card ($200 USD).

In the end though, since their website said "SILVER MB & ALL BLACK SHIP IN 1-3 DAYS. SILVER PHONO, 9028 & NOMOD SHIP IN 6-8 WEEKS" and I wanted to have the unit in my hands over the winter holidaze, I ended up getting the Jotunheim 2 with the Multibit card among the many options in the marketplace based on: 1. Preference for silver; 2. Need for balanced input and output; 3. Preference for front-panel preamp out on/off switch; 4. Preference for differential (a.k.a. "balanced") headphone output; 5. Need for USB input for connection to a computer; 6. all-in-one design. After two weeks of a mix of casual and critical listening, I can't say one way or another if I might have been happier with the ES9028 card, in the end, I suspect that the difference between the two cards has more to do with measurements and marketing and design and price than general listening experience which can't be quantified but some limited aspect of it can be qualitatively explained. With the Jotunheim 2 paired with Sennheiser HD 650 headphones connected via differential (a.k.a. "balanced") cabling, I'm happy with my listening experience so far.