[RickB]

Excellent points! I agree... Well maybe doing a bit better than 'acceptable'... but soon after it's just not worth the tiny gains...

By acceptable, I mean what sounds good to you.

 

[bcaulf17]

Excellent points! I agree... Well maybe doing a bit better than 'acceptable'... but soon after it's just not worth the tiny gains...

Tiny gains you may or may not even hear!

 

[GearMe]

This might be a dumb thing to ask in a thread for $100 amps (albeit great ones) but I’m kind of stuck in a situation and not sure which direction to take.

I was originally gonna just get a Magni 3+ or Heresy with a Modi but I figured the more logical upgrade from the Magni 3 would be the THX 789, especially now since it’s $300, so I ordered it. But I started getting cold and wondering if it was really worth the extra coin. So I’m considering returning it and getting these instead.

The most demanding headphones I plan on using are the HD6XX and Sundara, which should be no problem for the Magnis, and the Magnis are actually more powerful in SE than the THX.

Thing is, I don’t know if I would be able to tell the difference between amps. And I don’t want to sit around and strain myself to hear them, that’s just too stressful. The 789 is probably the last amp I’d ever need, but I don’t know if it’s really necessary if the Heresy is just as good. But then, I may be left wondering if I’m missing anything from the 789. Also, I would need to wait until I score a Grace SDAC Balanced.

Some people say there’s no difference and it would be a waste of money unless I need the extra features (which I don’t, although I do love the aesthetic of the THX), some say there’s small differences. Others say there’s huge difference.

I know “listen for yourself” and yadda yadda but does anyone have any advice? All I really want is clean power to drive my headphones. Only recently I learned that some people perceive large differences between two amps that measure nearly identical.

Just my .02...I'd be looking for $300 of additional music, a complimentary set of cans, or possibly some combination thereof!
(maybe the Meze 99 Noirs and $100 of new tunes!)

 

[bcaulf17]

Just my .02...I'd be looking for $300 of additional music, a complimentary set of cans, or possibly some combination thereof!
(maybe the Meze 99 Noirs and $100 of new tunes!)

The next and last headphone I’m looking at buying to complete my collection is the Hifiman Sundara, and it’s the one that’s made me consider upgrading my amp setup.

 

[GearMe]

Sounds like a plan...
That leaves $300 for more music!

FWIW...my HiFiMans sound fine through the Magni 3; so expect you'd be good with one of the newer versions

 

[tmb821]

My hifiman 4xx sound fantastic with my heresy. As do my k240s and my shp9500s...

 

[tafens]

This might be a dumb thing to ask in a thread for $100 amps (albeit great ones) but I’m kind of stuck in a situation and not sure which direction to take.

I was originally gonna just get a Magni 3+ or Heresy with a Modi but I figured the more logical upgrade from the Magni 3 would be the THX 789, especially now since it’s $300, so I ordered it. But I started getting cold and wondering if it was really worth the extra coin. So I’m considering returning it and getting these instead.

The most demanding headphones I plan on using are the HD6XX and Sundara, which should be no problem for the Magnis, and the Magnis are actually more powerful in SE than the THX.

Thing is, I don’t know if I would be able to tell the difference between amps. And I don’t want to sit around and strain myself to hear them, that’s just too stressful. The 789 is probably the last amp I’d ever need, but I don’t know if it’s really necessary if the Heresy is just as good. But then, I may be left wondering if I’m missing anything from the 789. Also, I would need to wait until I score a Grace SDAC Balanced.

Some people say there’s no difference and it would be a waste of money unless I need the extra features (which I don’t, although I do love the aesthetic of the THX), some say there’s small differences. Others say there’s huge difference.

I know “listen for yourself” and yadda yadda but does anyone have any advice? All I really want is clean power to drive my headphones. Only recently I learned that some people perceive large differences between two amps that measure nearly identical.

If you have both amps, I’d say give it a try and compare them for yourself. Regardless of what anyone says about the one vs the other, the only way to know if you hear a difference, and more importantly, if the difference matters to you, is you.
Even if you don’t hear any differences, that’s great too because then you know you can make the decision between them purely on features and price - and knowing you’ll never have to look back and wonder if that other one could have sounded better.
What other people think can be good indicators of course, especially if many say similar things, but in the end they have their ears and you have yours.

I have compared some amps and headphones for myself a couple of times (mostly Schiit vs Schiit amps/dacs or Senn vs Senn headphones, but also tubes) and managed to hear differences between them. Sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious. The point being, I didn’t think I would be able to hear differences before I tried, either.

In my experience, rapidly switching back and forth gets you nowhere. Instead it has worked a lot better for me to just let the music flow for a bit and switch to the other, and then back at both longer and shorter intervals. A quick switchover is preferable of course. At one time or another something feels different. Keep doing this and brain starts to quantify the differences and the feeling starts to sum up to a description, perhaps “flatter”, “more dynamic”, or “punchier”, or whatever it may be. It doesn’t really matter if the description is correct “audio lingo” either as long as you know what it means to you.

That’s my $0.02 anyway, I hope it can be helpful

 

[bcaulf17]

If you have both amps, I’d say give it a try and compare them for yourself. Regardless of what anyone says about the one vs the other, the only way to know if you hear a difference, and more importantly, if the difference matters to you, is you.
Even if you don’t hear any differences, that’s great too because then you know you can make the decision between them purely on features and price - and knowing you’ll never have to look back and wonder if that other one could have sounded better.
What other people think can be good indicators of course, especially if many say similar things, but in the end they have their ears and you have yours.

I have compared some amps and headphones for myself a couple of times (mostly Schiit vs Schiit amps/dacs or Senn vs Senn headphones, but also tubes) and managed to hear differences between them. Sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious. The point being, I didn’t think I would be able to hear differences before I tried, either.

In my experience, rapidly switching back and forth gets you nowhere. Instead it has worked a lot better for me to just let the music flow for a bit and switch to the other, and then back at both longer and shorter intervals. A quick switchover is preferable of course. At one time or another something feels different. Keep doing this and brain starts to quantify the differences and the feeling starts to sum up to a description, perhaps “flatter”, “more dynamic”, or “punchier”, or whatever it may be. It doesn’t really matter if the description is correct “audio lingo” either as long as you know what it means to you.

That’s my $0.02 anyway, I hope it can be helpful

That is helpful, thank you. I gave it some more thought and I’m deciding to keep the THX 789. Yeah it cost a little more but in that cost I have peace of mind knowing I have the best option in my budget and it has everything I could need from an amp, so I wouldn’t have to worry anymore and be happy for years to come. I also got it at the cheapest price it’s ever been.

 

[oakparkmusicguy]

Good for you! There isn't a wrong choice here. Enjoy!

 

[TS0711]

I thought a balanced rig was one of those thing I could live without, until I heard my HD6xxs with a balanced cable plugged into Neil Young's famous fail, the Pono player. Fast forward to today and I rocking a Schiit Jotunhien with balanced HD6xx's. It's sourced from a PC into an Etir and then at 24/96 into a very old Mark Levinson MB dac. Life never sounded so good.

So my advise would be to buy the best you can reasonably afford (in the used market), with the most current feature set for that price point. Even if it takes years to get a balanced dac/amp combo having the feature in one piece (even unused) isn't a bad thing and could help with resale.

 

[Koren]

helllo. currently there is nowhere to order schiit heresy amplifier? Europe?

 

[Koren]

where can i order a schiit heresy device from europe now?

 

[h.rav]

I just got a Magni 3+, I really like the amp, except the small volume pot.
Sound-wise, the amp is never fatiguing, neutral, black background.

 

[McLambo]

where can i order a schiit heresy device from europe now?

I'm afraid there are not many options right now. Schiit-europe has no stock. Schiit UK cannot ship to many countries in EU. You could try Schiit USA and take a gamble on importing and tax costs

 

[Richsvt]

I have a Heresy coming soon. Haven't had a Magni since 3. Really looking forward to its sound. Love the color scheme. Wish my Lyr 2 and Bimby was in that color...going to use primarily with the Dekoni Blue and HD6XX. Really thinking of getting a Loki again, that was a fun piece of gear.