Schiit Modi USB DAC
Oct 26, 2013 at 4:32 PM Post #242 of 870
I think this is one of the most natural sounding DACs there is. Doesn't seem to be adding anything that shouldn't be there.
I've been listening to my new Headroom Micro DAC which was around $350 a year ago and the Modi isn't really any worse.
The Micro is a little more revealing/detailed but that's about it. The Micro DAC is better for making more of my music collection sound like garbage.
It really sounds like it's putting my music under a microscope. The ODAC or Modi is not like this at all IMO.
 
I can finally hear a difference between them but it required a T90 and my DJ100
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With my other headphones that was a fail.
I can't hear any warmth coming from the Modi unless it's on those and I think I may be hearing things. Some music sounds slightly thinner on the Micro DAC (that uses a CS4398 chipset).
 
Modi sounds more musical and smoother than my Micro DAC and I don't mean more colored.
 
It seems to be hard to believe but try the Modi on a treble happy headphone like the T90 or a DT-990.
 
On the T90 I liked the Modi more than my Micro DAC. Sounded much smoother. I don't really like the T90 though.
 
The Modi does seem a little forgiving but most people won't notice that.
 
Since the Bifrost has an AKM chipset I bet if I loved the Modi i'd like the Bifrost..or not.
 
Nov 6, 2013 at 8:16 PM Post #244 of 870
Just ordered my Modi should be here early next week.  Looking forward to making a permanent setup in my desk instead of constantly having to pull my Dragonfly all the time when I need it.  Not getting an amp yet as waiting to get the Asgard 2 because I usually listen with speakers on my pc and current setup has a volume control built into the speakers.  Only thing is the headphone out on the speakers sucks my B&W P7's sound better on my tablet than on the speaker headphone out...  Ah well still excited for it and will put up impressions once it arrives.
 
Nov 6, 2013 at 8:50 PM Post #245 of 870
Just ordered my Modi should be here early next week.  Looking forward to making a permanent setup in my desk instead of constantly having to pull my Dragonfly all the time when I need it.  Not getting an amp yet as waiting to get the Asgard 2 because I usually listen with speakers on my pc and current setup has a volume control built into the speakers.  Only thing is the headphone out on the speakers sucks my B&W P7's sound better on my tablet than on the speaker headphone out...  Ah well still excited for it and will put up impressions once it arrives.


If you listen to your modi without an amp, you're gonna have a bad time... (Unless you have powered speakers, i guess)
 
Nov 6, 2013 at 9:14 PM Post #246 of 870
Yep powered speakers.  That is why I am waiting on the amp as I am slowly changing the system out.  Only thing that sucks is the headphone amp on speakers sucks makes even 24bit flac sound horrible on my P7's.
 
Nov 6, 2013 at 9:22 PM Post #247 of 870
Yep powered speakers.  That is why I am waiting on the amp as I am slowly changing the system out.  Only thing that sucks is the headphone amp on speakers sucks makes even 24bit flac sound horrible on my P7's.


Ahh. Similar to my home situation. I'm driving a pair of A5+ from my gungnir. Going back and forth between waiting for a Vali (and take advantage of the gungnir's 2 pairs of se outputs) or getting an asgard2 and using the asgard2 as a preamp.

If i choose to do the latter, how loud should i set the volume on the active speakers?
 
Nov 6, 2013 at 10:19 PM Post #248 of 870
I would set it to around half to 3/4 of the way up. The volume on the speakers becomes like the gain switch on the back of large professional speakers. Another option is to plug the speakers into the dac turn them up as loud as you ever want the system to go then power it down and put the Asgard2 imbetween the dac and the speakers. Then no matter how loud you turn the Asgard2 up to it will never get louder than the max you want as full volume is the same as line out.

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk 4
 
Nov 10, 2013 at 8:01 PM Post #249 of 870
Well my Modi arrived yesterday and thus far is running phenomenally.  Going from the Dragonfly to the Modi isn't much of a change but there is one.  I am noticing more detail in the highs than on the Dragonfly but that doesn't mean the bass is lacking as there is plenty of it as well.  Mine does exhibit the cut out when you touch it due to static but really shouldn't be touching it all the time anyway as it just needs to sit there. No interference issues at all even though it sits under my monitors and next to the box that contains my wireless router and having my cellphone on the table as well.  At this point I think my limiting factor is going to be the speakers which are M-Audio AV40s and sound great for what they are. Will do a full review and impressions after owning it for a while.  Also, omg this thing is small and yes the led is bright.
 

 
Nov 12, 2013 at 2:56 AM Post #251 of 870
I haven't heard both, so me making a recommendation based on hearsay is probably bad, but I've read the entire thread for both dacs on multiple web sites and it seems like it's more like a sidegrade than an upgrade.  To really notice a difference a difference you have to make a bigger jump in price or possibly build a diy dac like the pupdac
 
Nov 12, 2013 at 10:26 AM Post #252 of 870
  To anyone who has heard both, is the Modi a significant upgrade from the Hifimediy Sabre?  Also, is it feasible to use the Modi with the SRH840 without an amp?
 
Also, to the poster above me, your cat looks very similar to mine 
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To the second question, it is technically possible with the right cable since the Modi outputs an analog signal, but it is a bad idea and won't sound good at all (due to electrical properties that I don't claim to understand).
 

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