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Schiit Modius discussion - $199 balanced AK4493 DAC
Jun 2, 2020 at 9:04 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 941
Mightygrey

Mightygrey

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Interesting news from Schiit Audio with the announcement of the $199 'Modius' - a balanced DAC to fill the sizable price gap between the Modi 3 and the Bifrost 2.

It seems like a lot of DAC for the price, and ought to make a fine 'stack' with the Asgard/Valhalla/Lyr/Jotunheim-sized amps.

Personally, I think a phono-card equipped Jotunheim and the Modius could just about make for the perfect budget-minded, balanced desktop stack.

What say you?

modius rr silver 1920.jpg
modius front silver 1920.jpg
 
Jun 2, 2020 at 9:16 PM Post #2 of 941
Looks promising. Definitely thinking about buying this and a Jotunheim.
 
Jun 3, 2020 at 9:08 PM Post #6 of 941
Dayum, at $200 this DAC checks all the right boxes. Balanced out? Check. A decent USB solution? Check. A low-power chip that's finally not AK4490? Check. Even better, the form factor puts it firmly in the desktop DAC category, even though power draw and PCB size says otherwise.

I can see this thing becoming a sellout just by virtue of all chinese manufacturers, eg SMSL, Topping using AK4493 single-ended. Makes you wonder if topping has an answer to this.
 
Jun 4, 2020 at 12:56 AM Post #7 of 941
lambdastorm said:
Dayum, at $200 this DAC checks all the right boxes. Balanced out? Check. A decent USB solution? Check. A low-power chip that's finally not AK4490? Check. Even better, the form factor puts it firmly in the desktop DAC category, even though power draw and PCB size says otherwise.

I can see this thing becoming a sellout just by virtue of all chinese manufacturers, eg SMSL, Topping using AK4493 single-ended. Makes you wonder if topping has an answer to this.
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I don't know if Topping will, I think they're saving their balanced out units for the upper end product lines lately. SMSL seams to be the biggest competition for this bad boy with the old reliable SU-8 and new M200. I just had an SU-8 and I honestly just returned it, I felt no difference between it and the Modi (non-MB) I'd had. I was just going to wait for a Bifrost but I noticed this and jumped on it instead. I didn't use any of the extra features of the M200 and liked balanced options, plus US made doesn't hurt as a bonus for me. I'm looking forward to a head to head shoot out of the Modi, Modi MB, Modius and Bifrost personally.
 
Jun 4, 2020 at 8:25 AM Post #11 of 941
I got my Jot a month ago. This looked to good to pass up. Mine will be here Monday.
 
Jun 4, 2020 at 8:35 AM Post #13 of 941
ksb643 said:
I got my Jot a month ago. This looked to good to pass up. Mine will be here Monday.
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What do you think about the Jotunheim? Aside from the power increase and the sound getting just a little bit (and I mean liiiiiiiittle) tidied up I wasn't a big fan of the 789 like everyone else, it just felt colorless and my Magni seemed to have more life to it.
 
Jun 4, 2020 at 9:24 AM Post #14 of 941
I've got a Jotunheim with the balanced DAC card slotted in...trying to figure out if there's any reason to pick this up. The addition of an optical input would be very much welcome. I've been in this hobby a long time and have never bought just a straight up DAC...lol
 
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