[bowei006]

Subbing to check out this thread

 

[pelli]

Quote:

Can anywhere here tell me if the upgrade from Magni/Modi to lets say Asgard 2/Bifrost worth it? I plan to get a Schiit stack along with some ~$400-$600 headphones this summer and I cant decide if I should just go the extra mile for the Asgard 2 and Bifrost or start small with Magni and Modi.

I say just go for it.  at least the Bifrost.  It is a big step up from the Modi and has a lot more functionality.  I Haven't heard the Asgard 2, but the Asgard sure does look nice on top of the Bifrost 

 

[Teraflame]

I say just go for it.  at least the Bifrost.  It is a big step up from the Modi and has a lot more functionality.  I Haven't heard the Asgard 2, but the Asgard sure does look nice on top of the Bifrost :wink_face:

Big step up from the modi in what ways?

 

[BeAsTMode4MVP]

    Since this thread is active and deals with the Schiit product line, I thought I could post my question here:
 
    I live in a pretty small space (and of course I already have tons of electronics piled on shelves), so how much "breathing room" does the LYR need to safely operate it (i.e. not burn my house down)? Also, how much space does there need to be between it and other electronics? Thanks.

 

[USAudio]

Quote:

Can anywhere here tell me if the upgrade from Magni/Modi to lets say Asgard 2/Bifrost worth it? I plan to get a Schiit stack along with some ~$400-$600 headphones this summer and I cant decide if I should just go the extra mile for the Asgard 2 and Bifrost or start small with Magni and Modi.

Check out this thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/643368/schiit-modi-and-magni-comparison-to-bifrost-and-asgard

 

[USAudio]

Quote:

    Since this thread is active and deals with the Schiit product line, I thought I could post my question here:
 
    I live in a pretty small space (and of course I already have tons of electronics piled on shelves), so how much "breathing room" does the LYR need to safely operate it (i.e. not burn my house down)? Also, how much space does there need to be between it and other electronics? Thanks.

I would suggest you direct that question to Schiit for an official answer.  They are very good at answering email inquiries.

 

[Aaron94]

I was under the impression that Schiit designed their products to use the external shell as a heatsinc, thus why the Asgard got so hot. I would assume that the Lyr would do the exact same thing, but I have never seen a review that mentioned the Lyr running hot at all, mostly it would just be the tubes.
 
Please correct me if Im wrong.

 

[April2Ari]

Quote:

Why are 100% transparent amps always labeled as cold, bright and analytical?
 
It's rather amusing. I mean how can an amp sound bright when it measures flat?
 
Sounds like it's the music or DAC that's bright and not the amp. Or maybe the Magni is so transparent that it's the Modi itself that's kind of bright? Highly unlikely.
 
Amps to me remind me of headphone cables (the capacitance). Yeah, i'm weird. Ultra low capacitance cable always sounds "cold and analytical", but yet it measures the same too.
 
How does an amp sound warm or cold despite measuring ruler flat? Not talking about distortion.
 
I think I need to do my research, but it's interesting..
 
In a related note, my Ipod Touch 2G also sounds bright with edgy treble, but measures flat..
 
Sorry, I'm bored.
 
Love the Magni though! Listening to it now with my HD-598. It's a bit scary considering it needs to be at like 5% volume.

 
 
@tdock...could you provide some more feedback about how the Magni does with the 598's? I am stuck on which way to go with my Senn HD598's...I have it narrowed down to the Fiio e09k + e17 + LOD/L9 combo or the Schiit Magni/Modi stack. I like that you can adjust more on the e17 and someone said the e17 adds some bass to the 598's, but the Magni doesn't- have you noticed that?
 
If you could compare how both those setups work on your 598's, that would help so much I have been researching this a ton, but I am still split 50/50...

 

[BeAsTMode4MVP]

    Thanks for the replies. I see pictures of people stacking the bitfrost and LYR, but they usually have it on a desk or something with ventilation on all sides. I would like (if it's safe) to put the bitfrost and LYR in a cabinet. It would have space to breathe, but it wouldn't be out in the open as much as the pictures I have seen from other users on this forum. I ill try sending them a message via there website, thanks. 

 

[stereoguy]

In response to any cans that go "past 50 percent" on magni volume knob question. 600 ohm Beyers took it past that to approach loud levels. The sound was maybe a little lean with them, I like this amp best with my Denon and AT cans.
 

 

[ninjames]

Quote:

 
 
@tdock...could you provide some more feedback about how the Magni does with the 598's? I am stuck on which way to go with my Senn HD598's...I have it narrowed down to the Fiio e09k + e17 + LOD/L9 combo or the Schiit Magni/Modi stack. I like that you can adjust more on the e17 and someone said the e17 adds some bass to the 598's, but the Magni doesn't- have you noticed that?
 
If you could compare how both those setups work on your 598's, that would help so much I have been researching this a ton, but I am still split 50/50...

I have the HD-595, which is the same thing as the 598 with a different construction.
 
I have used them with the Schiit Magni and Modi, and with my Fiio E17. Personally, I don't get enough play on the volume pot of the Magni with the 595, but the sound is excellent. I have the -12dB attenuator pair that gives me more play on the volume knob which eliminated my problem.
 
I do not use the E17 with the E09K or the L7, and I also don't think it's necessary. The 595/598 are not hard-to-drive headphones, and the Fiio E17 drives them as well as you could want. They get all the power they need, and the 595 responds well to the bass EQ on the E17.
 
In fact, my primary setup is the Magni, Modi and HiFiMan HE-400 headphones. My "bedroom rig" is simply the HD-595 and the Fiio E17 on its own. I love the setup.
 
That said, the Magni can drive the next tier of headphones (HE-400, HD600, HD650, LCD-2) very, very well and if you want something that's a bit more powerful and future proof than the E17, you can't go wrong with the M&M.

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

 
 
@tdock...could you provide some more feedback about how the Magni does with the 598's? I am stuck on which way to go with my Senn HD598's...I have it narrowed down to the Fiio e09k + e17 + LOD/L9 combo or the Schiit Magni/Modi stack. I like that you can adjust more on the e17 and someone said the e17 adds some bass to the 598's, but the Magni doesn't- have you noticed that?
 
If you could compare how both those setups work on your 598's, that would help so much I have been researching this a ton, but I am still split 50/50...

Well, I don't know what to say. It sounds exactly how it's supposed to sound. No colorations at all and a very good soundstage. Lots of detail. I think it does sound as clear as it's ever going to get. It doesn't make it any bassier or make it too bright.
 
IMO the Magni+Modi is kind of overkill for the HD-598. I mean it is fine with even a portable amp such as a CMOY or that E17 I imagine.
 
As long as the 598 has enough power it doesn't seem to improve all that much with better amps. Well not like the HD-600/650 or my Q701.
 
I think for the HD-598 the DAC is more important than the amp. The 598 seems to love the ODAC. I haven't tried the Modi though (yet).
 
The E9 is really good with the 598 and that's what I'd suggest. I actually think you could find one used for under $75! It's an older version and much cheaper. The 598 is NOT bothered by the 10ohm output impedance. The Magni is a little better, but there's not a dramatic difference when used with the 598.
 
Oh and I totally think the Modi/Magni is worth the $200, but it just seems overkill for the 598. Many would disagree.
 
EDIT: You might even be OK with just an E7 or similar. Even a $35 Creative X-Fi Go Pro DAC/AMP made my 598 sound amazing. It measures well too, even has low distortion despite what people say.

 

[USAudio]

Quote:

 

 
Quote:

Why are 100% transparent amps always labeled as cold, bright and analytical?
It's rather amusing. I mean how can an amp sound bright when it measures flat?
Sounds like it's the music or DAC that's bright and not the amp. Or maybe the Magni is so transparent that it's the Modi itself that's kind of bright? Highly unlikely.
...
How does an amp sound warm or cold despite measuring ruler flat? Not talking about distortion.

I agree, it seems more like a reflection of today's modern digital music recordings.  Often the output impedance is why headphones sound different on different amps.  The Magni output impedance is less than 0.1 Ohms, so it won't in of itself have an impact on the headphone sound.
 
Quote:

Love the Magni though! Listening to it now with my HD-598. It's a bit scary considering it needs to be at like 5% volume.

Enjoying my Magni/Modi stack as well.  With my HD-650's I'm typically listening around 9am on the volume dial, depending on the recording of course.
 
It's been my experience so far that it's best to settle on quality and transparent equipment such as the Magni/Modi combo, then spend the majority of your time and money finding headphones to your liking.  Headphones appear to be what makes the largest impact on SQ, assuming appropriate/adequate electronics are driving them.

 

[April2Ari]

Quote:

I agree, it seems more like a reflection of today's modern digital music recordings.  Often the output impedance is why headphones sound different on different amps.  The Magni output impedance is less than 0.1 Ohms, so it won't in of itself have an impact on the headphone sound.
 
Enjoying my Magni/Modi stack as well.  With my HD-650's I'm typically listening around 9am on the volume dial, depending on the recording of course.
 
It's been my experience so far that it's best to settle on quality and transparent equipment such as the Magni/Modi combo, then spend the majority of your time and money finding headphones to your liking.  Headphones appear to be what makes the largest impact on SQ, assuming appropriate/adequate electronics are driving them.

 
@USAudio...very helpful advice. Thank you so much! It's really helped me narrow down some decisions regarding equipment setups
 
Quote:

Well, I don't know what to say. It sounds exactly how it's supposed to sound. No colorations at all and a very good soundstage. Lots of detail. I think it does sound as clear as it's ever going to get. It doesn't make it any bassier or make it too bright.
 
IMO the Magni+Modi is kind of overkill for the HD-598. I mean it is fine with even a portable amp such as a CMOY or that E17 I imagine.
 
As long as the 598 has enough power it doesn't seem to improve all that much with better amps. Well not like the HD-600/650 or my Q701.
 
I think for the HD-598 the DAC is more important than the amp. The 598 seems to love the ODAC. I haven't tried the Modi though (yet).
 
The E9 is really good with the 598 and that's what I'd suggest. I actually think you could find one used for under $75! It's an older version and much cheaper. The 598 is NOT bothered by the 10ohm output impedance. The Magni is a little better, but there's not a dramatic difference when used with the 598.
 
Oh and I totally think the Modi/Magni is worth the $200, but it just seems overkill for the 598. Many would disagree.
 
EDIT: You might even be OK with just an E7 or similar. Even a $35 Creative X-Fi Go Pro DAC/AMP made my 598 sound amazing. It measures well too, even has low distortion despite what people say.

 
@tdock...thanks again I agree that the Magni/Modi is probably overkill for the 598's, but I started thinking about the payoff over time with other phones...and although the bass addition on the e17 would probably sound great on the 598's, I am not sure if I would like that on other headphones as well. Hmmm...I am swaying more towards the Magni/Modi today and maybe the e17 + L9 for on the go- probably just the Magni/Modi for starters though, since that is about where my budget is at.
 
Quote:

I have the HD-595, which is the same thing as the 598 with a different construction.
 
I have used them with the Schiit Magni and Modi, and with my Fiio E17. Personally, I don't get enough play on the volume pot of the Magni with the 595, but the sound is excellent. I have the -12dB attenuator pair that gives me more play on the volume knob which eliminated my problem.
 
I do not use the E17 with the E09K or the L7, and I also don't think it's necessary. The 595/598 are not hard-to-drive headphones, and the Fiio E17 drives them as well as you could want. They get all the power they need, and the 595 responds well to the bass EQ on the E17.
 
In fact, my primary setup is the Magni, Modi and HiFiMan HE-400 headphones. My "bedroom rig" is simply the HD-595 and the Fiio E17 on its own. I love the setup.
 
That said, the Magni can drive the next tier of headphones (HE-400, HD600, HD650, LCD-2) very, very well and if you want something that's a bit more powerful and future proof than the E17, you can't go wrong with the M&M.

 
@ninja...thanks for the input I definitely plan on using the setup for more than just my 598's, which is kind of why I am torn. I like that the e17 adds a bit of bass and that there are more controls to adjust- plus it's portable if necessary...but when I start thinking about future phones that I would like to get, the Magni/Modi seems like the way to go- I haven't really heard anything bad about it now that I think about it...

 

[ruleof72]

What DAC with optical inputs would go well with the Magni?
 
I really like the Magni and am thinking it would be a great amp for whatever headphones I end up getting (I'm seriously considering the Mad Dogs at this point) but I can't use the Modi with it because I need a DAC with optical inputs in order to improve on the sound coming straight out of the Squeezebox I use to stream music.
 
Has anyone else come across this and what DAC did you use? I'd like to keep the DAC cost around $100, less if possible.