Not happy with your other thread?
Hi of course not
i was thinking to some DIY and then i saw this Magni 2 and its splendid pcb. So i am thinking to keep the pcb intact and change what is around, probably also the case if space will be a constraint (maybe some ps caps replacement with better parts)
Moreover i read of this
channels unbalance that for me honestly is not acceptable in a quality product.
I have already mounted a stepped attenuator in another preamp with great success.
However
i hope the problem is only with the pot, as i suppose it is.
I have to look inside and see. For instace there is a Spectrol part similarly sized that could work.
And then
the power supply ... the humble wall adapter is not acceptable either.
In general any commerical unit, especially cheap ones, can be improved, or damaged, dependly on the actual actions carried out.
Instead of starting from the scratch with a diy kit i have here the opportunity to have here a very nice board already populated and working. The final cost will be similar to a decent kit. But i like much more the Magni design. It is very nicely done.
The Schiit Magni appears to use the Alps RK097 pot. Yes, there is some channel imbalance in that pot. However, you would have to hack the PCB to death to get another pot in there and then throw away the case. That's possible, for sure, but do you really want to put in a $16 pot (Alps Blue Velvet) or a stepped attennuator that could cost $hundreds?
I am quite sure that i will have to replace the case ... no problem at all.
I could use the Magni case for a dac board i have already that should fit in perfectly. So the nice case will not wasted at all.
If the reason of the unbalance is the pot i would put the Blue Velvet without hesitation even if this will mean to buy another/bigger case and run some pure silver wires (joke ... i have used some good quality cat 5 copper wires for internal hook-ups and they were spectacular and cost nothing).
IMHE pots are very important. I did a silly test. I bought a stepped attenuator 10K with Holco resistors.
Then i place it in front of a Bryston solid state preamp. I set the preamp at maximum and use the attenuatore to set the volume.
The increase in detail and transparency was mindbowling litteraly ... i could see through the front wall.
This experience above everything else proved me ahow impacting is the pot on the overall sound.
I am sure that a nicer attenuator in front of the Magni circuit will improve its transparency in an unimaginable way.
With a better PS (that must not be that expensive at all) and this pot mod i think that the Magni could become competitive with a 5-600 USD unit.
I say this because i read in a review some words that hint to an excellently clean sound (very low distortion and noise already in the stock form).
Another nice thing is that the Magni should be able to drive also a wide range of impedance.
With just few mods this little thing could even reach the Asgard amp level ... without the heat.
On this class A need i am doubtful. I heard very nice sounding class AB amps. In the end distortion is distortion.
It could be lower in a very good class AB design than in a bland class A design. And the heat is always putting stress on parts. Always.
Especially caps lifetime collapses.
I suggest you post your questions in this thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/640774/this-schiit-is-bananas-99-schiit-magni-amp-and-99-modi-dac
Just a thought, but maybe Schiit can give you some advice.
Yes i am reading very carefully the thread you mention and i have thought about what you suggest.
But i think that asking for mods there is out of place completely and could even trigger unwanted debate.
I know that Schiit Audio products have become objects of cult. And the rules of the forum do not allow religious discussions.
I sincerely hope that
mods on a commercial unit can be more tolerated
here in the DIY section.
But i see no big interest about this project. Maybe this channels unbalance thing has been overrated ?
Maybe i will post some pics in case i will proceed with any mods.
I have still to listen to it first ...
Thanks for you support
Kind regards, gino
Just an addendum ...
i see that
the Magni 2 Uber version uses indeed a different pot.
http://schiit.com/public/upload/general/imagecache_thumbnail_product_gallery_large/magni%202%20uber%20board%201000.jpg
as i suppose the Uber does not suffer of the channels unbalance the suspect is the pot of the basic version.
Pots are very important in overall performance.
However i do not know which other improvements the Uber treatment gives.
Thanks again, gino
