Schiit Modi and Magni comparison to Bifrost and Asgard

[227qed]

Deleted, time changed my story.

 

[arthurl]

Thanks for the unbaised review, looks like there's nothing more compact and better dac amp combo for now?

 

[mysticstryk]

Thanks for the unbaised review, looks like there's nothing more compact and better dac amp combo for now?

This review is 5 years old. Better stuff has come out since. In the same footprint, you could get a Modi Multibit and Vali 2 stack.

 

[Defiant00]

  Thanks for the unbaised review, looks like there's nothing more compact and better dac amp combo for now?

 

This review is 5 years old. Better stuff has come out since. In the same footprint, you could get a Modi Multibit and Vali 2 stack.

 
Yeah, I'd definitely go multibit and either Magni 2 or Vali 2 if you want a good compact stack. Or normal Modi 2 depending on funds, it's still very good sounding as well (the multibit offerings are pretty special though).

 

[pephurdur]

   
Thank you for all your advice. I've told myself to wait a bit and see if Madddrop does another 6XX drop, but I've decided I'll eventually order:
1) HD 6XX/HD 650
2) A balanced replacement cable for (1) (probably this one on Amazon)
3) The Jot
4) The Mimbi

 
This is a little off-topic... sorry for that. But If you have a soldering iron and some basic skills the stock cable on HD6XX/HD650 is really easy to turn into balanced for no less than what a Neutrik 4-pin male head costs. Instructions at:
https://robrobinette.com/BalancedCable.htm#Sennheiser_HD
 
I've done it and it sounds great. 

 

[DJ The Rocket]

More than anything this comparison emphasized to me how little of a difference I can hear between DACs. Both were run into the Magni at 50% computer volume in 24 bit mode and volume matched by ear

This 50% computer volume thing is bugging me, and I have to wonder if the results would be different at 100% volume. It comes down to the specific implementation of the digital amplifier in your PC, but it seems to me you must have been losing sound quality there. There's a reason why the rule of thumb is to keep all volumes at 100% except for the very last component before the headphones.

I know this review is from 2012, but it's still relevant, and pops up highly in google search results.

 

[Defiant00]

This 50% computer volume thing is bugging me, and I have to wonder if the results would be different at 100% volume. It comes down to the specific implementation of the digital amplifier in your PC, but it seems to me you must have been losing sound quality there. There's a reason why the rule of thumb is to keep all volumes at 100% except for the very last component before the headphones.

I know this review is from 2012, but it's still relevant, and pops up highly in google search results.

Playing 16-bit audio in 24-bit mode means that, from a digital perspective, you have quite a large range of digital volume control before it has any effect on SQ.

A single 24-bit packet at full volume looks like this: [16 bits of data][00000000] (8 zeroes, resulting in a 24-bit piece of data)

When turned down to half volume, all that does is move the 16 bits of data over one, so instead you get: [0][16 bits of data][0000000] (one zero, your data, then the other 7 zeroes). The 16 bits of actual musical data are still entirely intact.

Digital volume control is primarily something to focus on if you're running your DAC at the same bit depth as your source files, because then you are throwing away the least-significant bits. But when you have it set at a higher bit depth then you're just throwing away some of the padding.

The only potentially averse effect is that yes, this does get me 6db closer to the noise floor of the DAC. But that is something, especially with today's music, that I have never been able to actually notice.

 

[DJ The Rocket]

Playing 16-bit audio in 24-bit mode means that, from a digital perspective, you have quite a large range of digital volume control before it has any effect on SQ.

A single 24-bit packet at full volume looks like this: [16 bits of data][00000000] (8 zeroes, resulting in a 24-bit piece of data)

When turned down to half volume, all that does is move the 16 bits of data over one, so instead you get: [0][16 bits of data][0000000] (one zero, your data, then the other 7 zeroes). The 16 bits of actual musical data are still entirely intact.

Digital volume control is primarily something to focus on if you're running your DAC at the same bit depth as your source files, because then you are throwing away the least-significant bits. But when you have it set at a higher bit depth then you're just throwing away some of the padding.

The only potentially averse effect is that yes, this does get me 6db closer to the noise floor of the DAC. But that is something, especially with today's music, that I have never been able to actually notice.

Oh I see, I didn't see the part about using 16 bit recordings in 24 bit mode. That's a key detail, there

 

[EzequielFriscia]

This is the kind of review that someone wants to read! Thanks a lot !

 

[ScubaMan2017]

Yeah, I'd definitely go multibit and either Magni 2 or Vali 2 if you want a good compact stack. Or normal Modi 2 depending on funds, it's still very good sounding as well (the multibit offerings are pretty special though).

...if you were to press me for WHY I like my Modi-Multibit, USB-SPIDF (Eitr) Vali 2 combination... I struggle to articulate it. Special? Hell yeah. Why? ... errr....

 

[SHIMACM]

Is it worth upgrading Modi Multibit to a Bifrost Multibit?

 

[tafens]

Is it worth upgrading Modi Multibit to a Bifrost Multibit?

Based off of what I’ve heard, that the original Bifrost MB is a marginal improvement over Modi MB, I’d say no. If, however, you mean the Bifrost2 then yes, absolutely.