[moviedave]

Well, KStuart guessed that the Magni would be roughly comparable to the C421 (which he had not heard).  As I am making my initial impressions (using my HD650, HD660 and dacport lx), having heard the C421, I can say that isn't true.  The C421 has a noticeable bigger sound-stage than the Magni.  The first time I switched from the cMoy to the C421, it was a huge difference.  When switching from the cMoy to the Magni, the sound-stages are roughly comparable.  It feels a little more detailed than the cMoy, but that could be from the fact it is brighter than the cMoy and pushes the treble forward a bit more.  It feels a bit less congested than the cMoy, but I don't feel it is a night and day difference.  At this point, the Magni only has about 19 hours on it, so I will keep it going to see if any changes occur.  I plan on listening to the Magni solely for the next week, and really get used to it.  Then I will switch back to the cMoy to see if any new differences have presented themselves.  Early verdict: A nice $99 amp.

 

[takato14]

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When would you expect to see reviews. I have Audioengine A5+ speakers that I love. Mostly I just stream MOG and Pandora. Not sure if I'm gonna go for the Audioengine D1 (because it was designed for the A5+es), or the Modi (because it's probably higher quality and definitely less expensive). Since I don't use headphones, I've no need for the amp.

Meaningful reviews? That is, ones that involve allowing the DAC to burn in and then doing copious critical listening beyond the initial 'honeymoon' period?

2 to 3 weeks. Perhaps a bit longer since most people buying the Modi and also buying the Magni meaning it will be a while before they get around to just critiquing the Modi alone with an amp they already know.

If you want to know sooner, buy one for $99 and try it. Don't like it? Return it and get $85 back or sell it to a friend or in the sales forum for the same.

What. A DAC is SOLID STATE. it doesn't 'burn-in', there are no moving parts. 

 

[gelocks]

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So... how do you like the tiny "thing"

so far?
EDIT: You can't use your "thing" until the mailwoman comes, right? xD

 
Yup... I think that the cables arrived already. I'll check after work, so tomorrow I will probably play with my tiny Schiit!!!
 

 

[gelocks]

Quote:

Well, KStuart guessed that the Magni would be roughly comparable to the C421 (which he had not heard).  As I am making my initial impressions (using my HD650, HD660 and dacport lx), having heard the C421, I can say that isn't true.  The C421 has a noticeable bigger sound-stage than the Magni.  The first time I switched from the cMoy to the C421, it was a huge difference.  When switching from the cMoy to the Magni, the sound-stages are roughly comparable.  It feels a little more detailed than the cMoy, but that could be from the fact it is brighter than the cMoy and pushes the treble forward a bit more.  It feels a bit less congested than the cMoy, but I don't feel it is a night and day difference.  At this point, the Magni only has about 19 hours on it, so I will keep it going to see if any changes occur.  I plan on listening to the Magni solely for the next week, and really get used to it.  Then I will switch back to the cMoy to see if any new differences have presented themselves.  Early verdict: A nice $99 amp.

 
Hmmm Interesting.
 
Thanks for your initial impressions!

 

[spaark]

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What. A DAC is SOLID STATE. it doesn't 'burn-in', there are no moving parts. 

Even if it's solid state, I believe burn-in is still possible. I don't know the exact science behind it, but I think it's mainly due to the capacitors. They sound better when they're warmed up. Again, I don't know much it about it at all, so correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[thinh4u2]

This is a really dumb question but...i am quite a noob so:
 
If I can only buy 1 right now between the Magni and Modi, which should I buy?
I am running it through my PC mainly, and using foobar or Google Music. I currently have a Fiio e10, but people have stated that it is not enough to drive my HD 650 that will be arriving later today. As far as full cans go, my D2000 and HD 650 will be my main concern (as the others are cheaper and easy to drive I believe - well, the D2000 seems pretty easy to drive also).
 
I believe the answer would be the Magni amp, I believe there would be a significant difference (whereas the DAC would only contribute slightly), am I correct in this assumption?

 

[gopanthersgo1]

This is a really dumb question but...i am quite a noob so:

If I can only buy 1 right now between the Magni and Modi, which should I buy?
I am running it through my PC mainly, and using foobar or Google Music. I currently have a Fiio e10, but people have stated that it is not enough to drive my HD 650 that will be arriving later today. As far as full cans go, my D2000 and HD 650 will be my main concern (as the others are cheaper and easy to drive I believe - well, the D2000 seems pretty easy to drive also).

I believe the answer would be the Magni amp, I believe there would be a significant difference (whereas the DAC would only contribute slightly), am I correct in this assumption?

Get the Modi first, then you're not amping the signal twice with your laptop and e10, then later, get a real nice amp. ($300)

 

[gopanthersgo1]

Wait, the e10 is a DAC/amp... save up for a nice amp.

EDIT: If you do get the Magni, you're going to need a 3.5mm to RCA cable. :/

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The E10 is a DAC/amp with a line out, so you can use the Magni, with the E10's DAC. You can't use the Modi without an amp, and the E10 can't be used as an amp only...

Just make sure you have a 3.5mm male to RCA male cable.

 

[Defiant00]

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This is a really dumb question but...i am quite a noob so:
...
I believe the answer would be the Magni amp, I believe there would be a significant difference (whereas the DAC would only contribute slightly), am I correct in this assumption?

 
While I wouldn't issue a blanket statement that an amp always makes a bigger difference, in my case yes that was my experience. I got the Asgard first and then Bifrost later, and for me that was the right order since I could use the Asgard hooked up directly to my laptop while I waited to get the Bifrost.

 

[thinh4u2]

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The E10 is a DAC/amp with a line out, so you can use the Magni, with the E10's DAC. You can't use the Modi without an amp, and the E10 can't be used as an amp only...
Just make sure you have a 3.5mm male to RCA male cable.

Ah okay, ty so much for the clarification! I feel so noob, so that helped tremendously 

 
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Wait, the e10 is a DAC/amp... save up for a nice amp.

EDIT: If you do get the Magni, you're going to need a 3.5mm to RCA cable. :/

I can't afford a $300 amp and a $300 dac lol. That's why the Magni and Modi seem so appealing to me, $100 x 2.  I was saving up for the e17 which is around $120, so $200 is much better of a reach for me than $600 lol.

 

[leesure]

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What. A DAC is SOLID STATE. it doesn't 'burn-in', there are no moving parts. 

Solid State electronics definitely 'burn in' in my experience. 

 

[Barry S]

Some early thoughts on the Magni & Modi.  As always, the match between the headphone and the rest of the system is important--I've spent some time listening with the following three headphones.
 
Philips Citiscape Uptown - The powerful and somewhat bright combination of the M&M do a surprisingly nice job of powering the Citiscape (compared to a pc or mobile device), increasing the overall dynamics, improving the bass resolution, and ridding the Citiscape of some of it's general murkiness.  Overall, this is a nice combination with no element seriously limiting any other part.
 
Sennheiser HD-650 - The M&M do a respectable job with HD-650, but the headphones start to reveal some of the limitations of the signal chain.  There's lots of power, the HD-650 brightens up, but without a lot of detail or finesse.  This is a serviceable, if not exciting match for the HD-650.  As the first step in a path to scale up the HD-650, I could see living with this combination.
 
Audeze LCD-2 - The M&M has no issues fully powering the LCD-2, but this combination is seriously limiting.  The M&M pull down the LCD-2 to the point, I no longer find listening enjoyable.  Knowing the heights the LCD-2 can reach with a good signal chain, I'd prefer to just take off the headphones and hum to myself.

 

[FraGGleR]

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Some early thoughts on the Magni & Modi.  As always, the match between the headphone and the rest of the system is important--I've spent some time listening with the following three headphones.
 
Philips Citiscape Uptown - The powerful and somewhat bright combination of the M&M do a surprisingly nice job of powering the Citiscape (compared to a pc or mobile device), increasing the overall dynamics, improving the bass resolution, and ridding the Citiscape of some of it's general murkiness.  Overall, this is a nice combination with no element seriously limiting any other part.
 
Sennheiser HD-650 - The M&M do a respectable job with HD-650, but the headphones start to reveal some of the limitations of the signal chain.  There's lots of power, the HD-650 brightens up, but without a lot of detail or finesse.  This is a serviceable, if not exciting match for the HD-650.  As the first step in a path to scale up the HD-650, I could see living with this combination.
 
Audeze LCD-2 - The M&M has no issues fully powering the LCD-2, but this combination is seriously limiting.  The M&M pull down the LCD-2 to the point, I no longer find listening enjoyable.  Knowing the heights the LCD-2 can reach with a good signal chain, I'd prefer to just take off the headphones and hum to myself.

Have you done any mixing and matching of different amps and DACs to see how individual performance does?  Is either one a better value than the other?  For instance, I think the ODAC is a better source than the O2 is an amp if that makes any sense.  Other way to ask the question is if the Modi with a better amp sounds better or if the Magni can sound better with a better DAC.  Thanks!

 

[kstuart]

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When would you expect to see reviews. I have Audioengine A5+ speakers that I love. Mostly I just stream MOG and Pandora. Not sure if I'm gonna go for the Audioengine D1 (because it was designed for the A5+es), or the Modi (because it's probably higher quality and definitely less expensive). Since I don't use headphones, I've no need for the amp.

Meaningful reviews? That is, ones that involve allowing the DAC to burn in and then doing copious critical listening beyond the initial 'honeymoon' period?

2 to 3 weeks. Perhaps a bit longer since most people buying the Modi and also buying the Magni meaning it will be a while before they get around to just critiquing the Modi alone with an amp they already know.

If you want to know sooner, buy one for $99 and try it. Don't like it? Return it and get $85 back or sell it to a friend or in the sales forum for the same.

What. A DAC is SOLID STATE. it doesn't 'burn-in', there are no moving parts. 

The manufacturer said to allow "50-100 hours" for burn-in.