NOT: Theory on the new Schiit

My feelings are similar to these posts by jowls & Pyruvate.

If I enjoy the sound of an audio component, I find that my enjoyment does not diminish by the thought of a new revision/product coming along that (hopefully) improves on what I have been enjoying.

I can decide whether I want to purchase that new version or stay with what I have.

I welcome progress (whether I own a previous version or not).

 

Same here. My questions and comments dont really change that. I love Schiit stuff. But I also love asking questions! Skepticism is not the enemy of enthusiasm.

 

Well, this is awkward... *looks at 4490 M2U on top of PC.* I'm starting to understand why Marv was telling that guy asking about if he should upgrade his OG M2U in the 4490 M2U thread to wait just a little while. Bastard knew all along...

Still awesome news. Looking forward to comparing the two, for sure! I've always been curious about Schiit's MB game... ...just not $800 curious - I kind of wanted to pursue other things before upgrading my DAC. But for anything less than $300, perhaps I may have to re-evaluate that approach. Dunno if I'll keep it, but I gotta try it. Modibit! This is the stuff of lore! Did anybody think this was gonna be an actual thing back when we found 4490's in our M2U's?

Personally, I wouldn't mind if they did away with D/S completely, as much as I do enjoy the 4490 M2U. Looking at their other options, there was no question that it had to be MB. Seems like the most logical conclusion for them to push for. If the goal is to get the best of the best all the way down to their value propositions, then entry-level MB would be the last piece of ground for them to gain in DAC-land. Seems like something Schiit would be keen on.

I'm sure this is what Mike's wanted all along. Such an interesting company... ...making history every year, it seems.

 

Oh has modi multivitamin been confirmed? My new guess was a USB to coax, optical, as and fixed USB device

 

Perhaps we will see a 4490 chip in the regular modi 2 , that would be great value for money.

 

Hey everyone, let's not spoil the surprise

 

I wish as that's the only Schiit amp I'm a huge fan of but not gonna happen and we're probably just gonna see some class AB two channel stuff that is the MAgni scaled up. Nothing actually "3" is happening. Jason said Asgard 2 is their lowest margin-product even with the Modi/Magni.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/701900/sch...s-most-improbable-start-up/8625#post_12069233
and pretty hard to improve for a 250 USD purchase price. It actually sounds pretty much insanely good
http://www.head-fi.org/t/701900/sch...s-most-improbable-start-up/7365#post_11849982
http://www.head-fi.org/t/701900/sch...-most-improbable-start-up/10560#post_12555875

We need Schiit class a monoblocks eventually...

 

That was me, I heard the Modi 2U with the AK4490 and guess what? I didn't like it as much as the AK4396 version due to the AK4490's inner bloom in the lower mids, which AKM calls "Velvet Sound" in Japanese audiophile Engrish. Yeah it was better technicaly but still much worse than the Bifrost 4490 technicality wise so why bother upgrading to that if you like how the chip sounds? In the end, I couldn't really care less about the improvements in technicalities as the entire 4490 AKM tonality was worse than the previous generation of chips.

I'm just hoping the Modibit is not as soft as the Bifrost Multibit which was less warm than the Bifrost 4490 but the Bifrost Multibit had pillowy, three-ply softness while the Bifrost hit like a beast / John Bonham despite the warmth.

 

Nothing has been announced or confirmed yet.

 

Haha, go figure. But yeah, makes sense to me. Kind of a "grass is greener" situation. Myself, I'm pretty neutral to 4490's bloom and prefer it to the 4396 for the technicalities. I think it's a significant upgrade in many areas. I'm running it into lean/bright BX5 D2's and peaky DT990 pro's, so the low-mid hump/slop is complimentary. Before the 4490, there was a noticeable gap in that region. The BX5's especially sounded dead and dried-up. Seems to be more resolving in the highs too. Grain becomes detail... ...perhaps that's because I don't turn the volume up as much due to perceptual loudening, though.

The 4396 sounds kinda lean to me, but still more towards neutral, for sure. I can understand why people might prefer/disregard that, depending on their cans/amp/genres, though. I could easily see myself preferring it for other speakers/cans.

You raise a good point about tonality and technical performance. I do believe there is a "bear minimum" for technical abilities, but barring that tonality comes first. If you don't like the signature, then it doesn't matter how wide the dynamic range is, how resolving it is, or whatever. Sometimes a more neutral or pleasant piece of kit with less going on technicality-wise is not a downgrade from one that has excellent technicalities, but unappealing tone. Sometimes, "better" is not better! I'm sure we've all been there. Tonal synergy can't be ignored.

That said, I don't think I'd miss the bloom. I hardly notice it as-is. If the modibit can improve on or retain the technical competency of the 4490 version with a more even tonality, all the better. But...

...yeah, that might be a deal-breaker for me. I'd just keep the DAC I know I like

Whatever the case is, a cheap way to determine whether MB is to one's tastes is most welcome! But I feel you. Let's not get carried away with it. All of the modi's to date have been perfectly competent DACs! I think if you never compare any one of them to another, you'll probably like whichever one you do have a good bit.

The pics allegedly came from Schiit's site... ...they slipped them into the Modi 2's gallery. They also don't seem to be shopped, looking at pics of the M2U. If you look at the full resolution images, they don't look shopped.

If this all was someone's idea of a joke, that would be very cruel :/

 

Without any actual facts It just seems to me to be looking like a Head-Fi "hype train". Toot! Toot!

 

Hmm I thought the announcement was about a product that "hasn't been done before"

 

Multibit DAC at budget prices certainly fits that description.

 

Yeah. Can't really argue there.

I understand the excitement though. People really want this! I think we all just want to believe it exists.

I personally won't be losing sleep over it. I think it's probably for real - it's not hard to imagine it being real. Pics are convincing and it's something Schiit would do. Modibit would be a bit of a game-changer, but it's still a budget DAC, even if it is a potentially very good one.

I don't think entry-level multibit has been done before... ...at least not by a company who can probably pull it off. But maybe the modibit isn't what's going to be announced... ...or it's not the main feature. I thought they had a few new items rolling out.

 

I thought about it and I assumed someone was going to say this

Yeah I hope so too (that there are more than just one new item being announced)

 

Can't wait for the day when Schiit creates a USB powered multi-bit DAC with closed form filter. Aka Schiit Multibit-Fulla

 

The actual fact is that Modi Multibit pictures were on the Schiit site, on the Modi page. I saw them. The formal announcement (and all the details, including pricing and what-not) comes Monday, but there's no question it's real.

 

http://schiit.com/public/upload/general/Modi-Multibit-rr.jpg yeah it's legit.

 

While I have a great deal of faith in Shiit's engineering capabilities and love their business model as much as the next guy, isn't all this heavy breathing just a bit premature?

 

Sweet. Pair that with a Vali 2, and the combo's liable to be the best bang-for-the-buck headphone rig on the market. Man, I wish that kind of performance was available when I dipped my toes into this hobby.

Yes, that's a hype-tastic statement. But odds are the Modibit is going to sound pretty great at its price, so I feel no shame!

Edit: f**k, I might just buy that pair as a second, transportable desktop system. Must resist...