Slapdaddy
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2011
- Posts
- 8
- Likes
- 1
Sorry if this is the wrong location to post this as I'm not sure whether I should put it here or in the recommendations/help forum as I don't know if that's for product recommendation help or troubleshooting. Mods please move this if it is in the wrong section.
I have a Schiit Modius-E - it is my second one. The first had problems the very first time I powered it on and this was sent as a replacement a few weeks ago and now this is exhibiting the same problem the first one had, starting tonight.
First let's just get my setup for this unit out of the way. I was replacing an older X-Fi Titanium HD in a PC (finally) with the Midgard. I had a Magni amp hooked up to the X-Fi - before that a Magni 2. For years this worked just fine until driver issues forced me to replace the sound card. In comes the Modius-E. So PC >usb> Modius-E >(rca)> Magni 3 > headphones. I use the USB plugged directly into the data port on the Modius. Windows recognizes it and I set all of the software outputs correctly.
There is no sound. I crank up the volume all the way on the PC and on my Magni, and I can hear the dimmest faintest sibilant screech of the music I am playing. I test R/L in Windows Sound Playback tab on the Schiit Unison Modius-E device and it's the same faint sibilant screech, but this time from the R/L test sound. Again, everything is cranked up to maximum. There's also a scratchy hiss with every turn of the amp volume knob. I spend hours restarting the PC, unplugging and replugging every cable from the Magni and Modius in every order imaginable. Using the wallwart plug in every combination. Nothing fixes it...until...
I use an RCA > 1/4" adapter (yes it's the proper adapter) to hook up the Modius directly to my headphones through the RCA out. There's a nice "pop" sound and then it begins working...I immediately turn down the volume etc. I hook up the Magni to the Modius and it works - amplified sound. Sounds amazing. There's even no more scratchy hiss from turning the amp volume knob. I figure it's a one off so I turn everything off and go to sleep. The next night it does the same thing and the only way to fix it is to use the RCA > 1/4" adapter to "fix" it. Longer story short, I break out my multimeter and measure 0.7-0.9V DC flucuating on both L/R channels of the RCA cable out from the Modius. I'm not sure if there's supposed to be DC voltage on those lines. I isolated the Modius as the issue by swapping sources, on the fly, from my reinstalled sound card and Modius into the Magni. Sound card worked, Modius did not.
RMA replacement unit shipped and it worked great for a few weeks. I ordered a Midgard to get even better sound quality and wasn't disappointed - until now. I am now experiencing the same exact problem with the same exact solution being the only solution, but now I am using a Midgard, not the Magni. I don't even want to turn the amp on in case it is damaged by errant voltage from the Modius via the RCA outs. Are these DACs having quality control issues? Should there be DC voltage on the RCA cables? Can anybody explain what's actually wrong with the unit given my description of the problem? Anybody have similar issues?
I have a Schiit Modius-E - it is my second one. The first had problems the very first time I powered it on and this was sent as a replacement a few weeks ago and now this is exhibiting the same problem the first one had, starting tonight.
First let's just get my setup for this unit out of the way. I was replacing an older X-Fi Titanium HD in a PC (finally) with the Midgard. I had a Magni amp hooked up to the X-Fi - before that a Magni 2. For years this worked just fine until driver issues forced me to replace the sound card. In comes the Modius-E. So PC >usb> Modius-E >(rca)> Magni 3 > headphones. I use the USB plugged directly into the data port on the Modius. Windows recognizes it and I set all of the software outputs correctly.
There is no sound. I crank up the volume all the way on the PC and on my Magni, and I can hear the dimmest faintest sibilant screech of the music I am playing. I test R/L in Windows Sound Playback tab on the Schiit Unison Modius-E device and it's the same faint sibilant screech, but this time from the R/L test sound. Again, everything is cranked up to maximum. There's also a scratchy hiss with every turn of the amp volume knob. I spend hours restarting the PC, unplugging and replugging every cable from the Magni and Modius in every order imaginable. Using the wallwart plug in every combination. Nothing fixes it...until...
I use an RCA > 1/4" adapter (yes it's the proper adapter) to hook up the Modius directly to my headphones through the RCA out. There's a nice "pop" sound and then it begins working...I immediately turn down the volume etc. I hook up the Magni to the Modius and it works - amplified sound. Sounds amazing. There's even no more scratchy hiss from turning the amp volume knob. I figure it's a one off so I turn everything off and go to sleep. The next night it does the same thing and the only way to fix it is to use the RCA > 1/4" adapter to "fix" it. Longer story short, I break out my multimeter and measure 0.7-0.9V DC flucuating on both L/R channels of the RCA cable out from the Modius. I'm not sure if there's supposed to be DC voltage on those lines. I isolated the Modius as the issue by swapping sources, on the fly, from my reinstalled sound card and Modius into the Magni. Sound card worked, Modius did not.
RMA replacement unit shipped and it worked great for a few weeks. I ordered a Midgard to get even better sound quality and wasn't disappointed - until now. I am now experiencing the same exact problem with the same exact solution being the only solution, but now I am using a Midgard, not the Magni. I don't even want to turn the amp on in case it is damaged by errant voltage from the Modius via the RCA outs. Are these DACs having quality control issues? Should there be DC voltage on the RCA cables? Can anybody explain what's actually wrong with the unit given my description of the problem? Anybody have similar issues?