[amcrebelfan]

I just hope to save up for the combo for my bedroom system. It looks like it would be great in there where I spend a lot of time due to disability. I don't like the headphone jack out of receiver so something like this would be perfect.

 

[soldierblue348]

I got the pair. I'm digging them so far. The volume pot is a little stiff past 11 or 12 o'clock (intentional?), but no biggie.

 

[MrViolin]

Quote:

I just hope to save up for the combo for my bedroom system. It looks like it would be great in there where I spend a lot of time due to disability. I don't like the headphone jack out of receiver so something like this would be perfect.

:/ man sorry to hear that. Hope you get better. 

 

[Asr]

I ordered just the Magni amp which came in today. Less than half an hour of listening so far.
 
I'm going to start with two operational complaints: (1) There's "noise bleed" at zero volume - i.e., I can hear music (although very quietly) when the volume is set to zero. Not that it's a dealbreaker, but I'm definitely surprised to hear an amp with noise bleed, mostly because I've gotten used to dead-quiet amps over the years. The volume pot also has channel imbalance near its lowest settings, just as it turns up from zero. (2) The gain is a little bit too high to be ideal for very efficient low-impedance headphones, like the Audio-Technica AD2000. It's only a little bit annoying to reach an ideal volume setting because of the gain. I would've liked a lower gain like 3x. It might not be an ideal amp for IEMs for that reason. In fact, I'd caution owners of low-impedance headphones to check their headphones' sensitivity ratings before buying this amp. Not sure I'd recommend the Magni for low-impedance headphones with sensitivities over 100 dB/mW, especially if using a source that has 2V RMS output (or more).
 
That said, the first headphones I tested it on were my always-reliable AD2K. The specs indicated high-current capability for headphones of this type, so of course I had to try it.

My immediate conclusion so far will be both positive and negative:
 
+ For $99 it's an absolute steal! It makes the AD2K sound decently good, something which not all amps can really claim. (I've heard a lot of amps sonically subtract something from the AD2K.) And the chassis has a great visual aesthetic too, IMO.
- There's obviously no substituting for a Dynalo for the AD2K. While the AD2K still sounds good, the sound lacks both the accelerated forward-moving drive and extreme tightness of the Dynalo, particularly in the bass.
 
The Magni reminds me of the HeadAmp Gilmore Lite in so many ways - American-made, solid-state, high-current output for low-impedance loads, discrete, DC-coupled, silver in color, and in a sleek chassis that fits the "cute as a button" metaphor. It's smaller than the GL though (the wall-wart is also smaller than the GL's Elpac). Not quite as good I'd expect if I could do a direct comparison, but still very good, and for $99, I can't really fault anything at that price. Seriously folks, I've heard worse amps that were a lot more expensive! The Magni has "steal me" written all over it. I'd call it the best-value amp of all time!

 

[miceblue]

Quote:

I ordered just the Magni amp which came in today. Less than half an hour of listening so far.
 
I'm going to start with two operational complaints: (1) There's "noise bleed" at zero volume - i.e., I can hear music (although very quietly) when the volume is set to zero. Not that it's a dealbreaker, but I'm definitely surprised to hear an amp with noise bleed, mostly because I've gotten used to dead-quiet amps over the years. The volume pot also has channel imbalance near its lowest settings, just as it turns up from zero. (2) The gain is a little bit too high to be ideal for very efficient low-impedance headphones, like the Audio-Technica AD2000. It's only a little bit annoying to reach an ideal volume setting because of the gain. I would've liked a lower gain like 3x. It might not be an ideal amp for IEMs for that reason. In fact, I'd caution owners of low-impedance headphones to check their headphones' sensitivity ratings before buying this amp. Not sure I'd recommend the Magni for low-impedance headphones with sensitivities over 100 dB/mW, especially if using a source that has 2V output (or more).
 
That said, the first headphones I tested it on were my always-reliable AD2K. The specs indicated high-current capability for headphones of this type, so of course I had to try it.

My immediate conclusion so far will be both positive and negative:
 
+ For $99 it's an absolute steal! It makes the AD2K sound decently good, something which not all amps can really claim. (I've heard a lot of amps sonically subtract something from the AD2K.) And the chassis has a great visual aesthetic too, IMO.
- There's obviously no substituting for a Dynalo for the AD2K. While the AD2K still sounds good, the sound lacks both the accelerated forward-moving drive and extreme tightness of the Dynalo, particularly in the bass.
 
The Magni reminds me of the HeadAmp Gilmore Lite in so many ways - American-made, solid-state, high-current output for low-impedance loads, discrete, DC-coupled, silver in color, and in a sleek chassis that fits the "cute as a button" metaphor. It's smaller than the GL though (the wall-wart is also smaller than the GL's Elpac). Not quite as good I'd expect if I could do a direct comparison, but still very good, and for $99, I can't really fault anything at that price. Seriously folks, I've heard worse amps that were a lot more expensive! The Magni has "steal me" written all over it. I'd call it the best-value amp of all time!

From what JDS Labs' FAQ section says:
Quote:

Why do nice amps have low volume imbalance?

    This is a minor side effect of a high performance analog volume control. Any amplifier which relies on an analog potentiometer to control volume will exhibit some degree of channel imbalance at the lowest threshold of knob rotation. Imbalance is audibly resolved normally by 10-20% rotation of the knob.

    So why do amplifier designers still use analog potentiometers? Performance! A digital potentiometer can control volume with great resolution and balance at all volumes. However, digital pots introduce unwanted capacitance, which directly degrades total harmonic distortion and noise (THD+N). Not exactly audiophile grade! High-end digital potentiometers with sufficiently low THD+N do exist, but implementation in a headphone amp would more than double the cost of a cMoy.

    Thus, entry-level amps still use analog potentiometers. You get better THD+N at the slight expense of channel imbalance at very low volumes. If you're unable to listen to your headphones at the desired volume level, there are two solutions:

    1) Use a standard interconnect cable to reduce audio player volume.
    2) Reduce gain of the amplifier. Contact us for help.

 
 
3.0x is a more reasonable gain for more sensitive headphones. 2.5x gain on my O2 is already pretty high for the V-MODA M-100 (I had to manually cut out resistors because the default 2.5x/6.0x was way too loud for me + background hiss). What's the gain for the Magni? Just read the product page and the gain is 5. That's allotta gain for me...

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I prefer more gain for desktop amps. I wish it had a gain switch.

 

[ChefJoe]

Quote:

I ordered just the Magni amp which came in today. Less than half an hour of listening so far.
 
I'm going to start with two operational complaints: (1) There's "noise bleed" at zero volume - i.e., I can hear music (although very quietly) when the volume is set to zero. Not that it's a dealbreaker, but I'm definitely surprised to hear an amp with noise bleed, mostly because I've gotten used to dead-quiet amps over the years. The volume pot also has channel imbalance near its lowest settings, just as it turns up from zero. (2) The gain is a little bit too high to be ideal for very efficient low-impedance headphones, like the Audio-Technica AD2000. It's only a little bit annoying to reach an ideal volume setting because of the gain. I would've liked a lower gain like 3x. It might not be an ideal amp for IEMs for that reason. In fact, I'd caution owners of low-impedance headphones to check their headphones' sensitivity ratings before buying this amp. Not sure I'd recommend the Magni for low-impedance headphones with sensitivities over 100 dB/mW, especially if using a source that has 2V RMS output (or more).

I hooked up my Modi/Magni combo tonight and noticed the same thing you did with the noise floor still allowing a small amount of signal through.   Listened for about an hour, driving an old set of Sennheiser 280 Pros.  The Magni gets warm after being on for hours (although not to the point I'd worry about melting the rubber feet, just softening the adhesive). That said, I'm a happy camper.
 
I think there's probably some room for aesthetic improvements in manufacturing with getting the volume pot mounted straight on (mine points down and to the left) and possibly incorporating some sort of guide/feet for stacking with the 4 corner screws at the top of the casing.  Then again, when you're amp number 310 off the line maybe the assembly line is just getting the hang of mounting the pots.

 

[DarthUnnamed]

Ugh, i ordered them on sunday, still processing 

 

[olddtfan]

Quote:

 
I was able to re-produce it on video, check it out.
http://youtu.be/uPfiBHQxppc
 
Skip to 1:40 to listen to volume pot weirdness I'm having
 

I would contact Jason and get another unit .

 

[Barry S]

I could do with a little less gain, but it's not really an issue for me.  The background on the Magni is quiet--hum and hiss free.  There's a difference between a tiny bit of bleed at the lower end of the pot and a black background.  There's some imbalance at the very low end of the pot, but this doesn't have any practical effect for me.  My pot is also not aligned precisely with the chassis (low in the mounting and axis to the lower-left); I'd rank this as a very minor annoyance.  I'm listening to the M&M/HD-650 at work and I'm really happy with this combination.

 

[BLACKENEDPLAGUE]

Quote:

I just hope to save up for the combo for my bedroom system. It looks like it would be great in there where I spend a lot of time due to disability. I don't like the headphone jack out of receiver so something like this would be perfect.

 
Are you me?

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

Ugh, i ordered them on sunday, still processing 

Wouldn't be surprised if they were closed on Monday and Tuesday and that led to a delay. I ordered mine on Wednesday, but hopefully I'll get it next week.

 

[Hawkinsman07]

I just got mine this morning for my Christmas gift from the lovable folks. (Both the Magni (#107 baby!) and the Modi + PYST Unbalanced cables)
 
Anyways, I'm burning them in.
 
As its early on, but from my Q701's...it sounds a lot more resolving than my e17/e7 + e9. Smoother with slightly warmer mids? Still burning in....
 
Still trying to pick out the nuances tho. These ears are still in training.
 
Edit: I am hearing the (extreme) low end imbalance. With the pot all the way turned down, however, I can't hear any music coming through as a previous poster mentioned. It is most likely the AKG's picky nature. 

 

[fizzix]

Quote:

I just got mine this morning for my Christmas gift from the lovable folks. (Both the Magni (#107 baby!) and the Modi + PYST Unbalanced cables)
 

Where does it say which # it is?

 

[smellyfungus]

Ugh, i ordered them on sunday, still processing 

mine was processing for a couple days but it finally went thru and shipped today. hope yours did too.