Modi Multibit: Multibit for the masses.

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by MrTie, Jul 25, 2016.

  1. MrTie

    MrTie Friend

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    http://schiit.com/news/news/introducing-modi-multibit


    INTRODUCING MODI MULTIBIT
    07/21/2016
    The Most Affordable Advanced Multibit DAC—From Anyone, Anywhere

    July 25, 2016, Valencia, CA.Today, Schiit Audio introduced Modi Multibit, the most affordable DAC in the Schiit Multibit lineup. Modi Multibit, which retails for $249, joins Bifrost Multibit, Gungnir Multibit, and Yggdrasil in the Schiit Multibit DAC line.

    “Modi Multibit smashes the price barrier in advanced multibit DACs,” said Mike Moffat, Schiit’s Co-Founder and head of digital development. “It is the most affordable multibit DAC built on a modern architecture—from any manufacturer, in any country in the world.”

    Modi Multibit is built on Schiit’s proprietary multibit DAC architecture, featuring Schiit’s unique closed-form digital filter on an Analog Devices SHARC DSP processor. For D/A conversion, it uses a medical/military grade, true multibit converter specified down to 1/2LSB linearity, the Analog Devices AD5547CRUZ.

    “It may seem incredible that, just a little over a year year after we introduced our first multibit DAC, Yggdrasil, we’re introducing a multibit DAC that includes a version of the same digital filter and a real multibit D/A converter for 89% lower cost,” said Mike. “But we don’t believe that you should have to spend a boatload for great sound, so it makes complete sense.”

    Modi Multibit is Schiit Audio’s fourth multibit DAC, and is built on Schiit’s second major multibit platform that was developed from the ground up. It fits into the line as follows:

    Yggdrasil: Schiit Multibit 1 Platform, Modular/Upgradable, 8X Closed-Form Filter, AD5791BRUZ x 4, Choke-Input, Shunt Supplies, Discrete JFET Buffer Output, Gen 3 USB, $2299
    Gungnir Multibit: Schiit Multibit 1 Platform, Modular/Upgradable, 8X Closed-Form Filter, AD5781BRUZ x 4, Discrete JFET Buffer Output, $1249
    Bifrost Multibit: Schiit Multibit 2 Platform, Modular/Upgradable, 4X Closed-Form Filter, AD5547CRUZ, $599
    Modi Multibit: Schiit Multibit 2 Platform, 4X Closed-Form Filter, AD5547CRUZ, $249

    Multibit DACs differ from the vast majority of DACs in that they use true 16-20 bit D/A converters that can reproduce the exact level of every digital audio sample. Most DACs use inexpensive delta-sigma technology with a bit depth of only 1-5 bits to approximate the level of every digital audio sample, based on the values of the samples that precede and follow it.

    Modi Multibit is available for immediate purchase at schiit.com.

    About Schiit Audio
    Founded in June 2010 by Jason Stoddard and Mike Moffat, Schiit has grown into a leader in the personal and desktop audio markets, with a wide range of products spanning DACs, headphone amplifiers, and preamplifiers, from $49 to $2299. Schiit is also a leader in the direct sale of audio products.

    Jason Stoddard was the former engineering lead at Sumo, designing power amps that included Polaris II, Polaris III, Andromeda III, Ulysses, Ulysses II, The Ten, The Five, as well as preamplifiers including Athena II, Diana, and Artemis, and Sumo’s first digital line: Axiom and Theorem.

    Mike Moffat was the founder of Theta, Theta Digital, and Angstrom, and his audio history covers an impressive list of firsts, including the first standalone DAC, the Theta DSPre, the first use of digital signal processing and bit-perfect digital filter algorithms, the first DTS surround processor, and more.


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    Multibit Dac for $250, what a world I figured this needs it's own long term thread. So who is getting one?
     
  2. Azteca

    Azteca Friend

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    [​IMG]
     
  3. Azteca

    Azteca Friend

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    Jason's posts about it (there is a Schiit Happened chapter!)

     
  4. Madaboutaudio

    Madaboutaudio Friend

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    f**k you Texas Instruments! f**k your USD$70 NRND PCM1704UK.

    Schiit has proven R2R multibit dacs are affordable and newly design as well.
     
  5. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I am allowed to talk about this now? :eek:
     
  6. AustinValentine

    AustinValentine Friend

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    What an awesome achievement. Pulled the trigger right after it came up.

    Going to put it up against my Gamma2 in a DAC off - and my V2+ if it shows up in the next couple of weeks.
     
  7. MrTie

    MrTie Friend

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    It looks to be all up and official, so talk away.
     
  8. Scott Kramer

    Scott Kramer Friend

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    Boom, Ordered. :D

    Bummer, no internal pictures.

    Interesting the Modi/Bifrost is Multibit 2 Platform
    Gun/Yggdrasil is Multibit 1 Platform

    PS, moved from other thread.
     
  9. Lingering Sentiment

    Lingering Sentiment Acquaintance

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    Between this and the Vali 2, looks like Schiit has pretty much cornered the market for budget HD6x0 rigs. Nice.
     
  10. Rotijon

    Rotijon Friend

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    Can't see the circuits, not sure if it'll be neat enough for me sorry. ;)
     
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2016
  11. bazelio

    bazelio Friend

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    Yes. I noticed the same. Is there a platform definition somewhere?
     
  12. Rotijon

    Rotijon Friend

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    If Modis are so great, why would I step up to Bifrost or Gungnir?

    Because you want something big enough to hold down the curling veneer on the fake-bark stereo rack you got on sale at K-Mart in 1979. Or because you want even higher performance. Or upgradability. Modis aren’t upgradable.

    As usual, funny as hell FAQ
     
  13. Madaboutaudio

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    Sounds like you’re pretty proud of the Modi Multibit.
    Not that that’s a question, but yes, we are. Only a little more than a year after the introduction of the Yggdrasil, you can now get a DAC that includes derivatives of its unique technology for only about 1/10 of the price. Has anyone else done that? Would anyone else do that? Are we insane? Only you can tell.
     
  14. Azteca

    Azteca Friend

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    Read the Schiit Happened chapter. Different versions of the filters.
     
  15. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    Phew, no headphone calibration hardware! We're safe for now!
     
  16. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Reminds me of a more resolving Sonic Frontiers TransDAC. Less analytical than the others in the lineup. In one major way, I prefer over the Bifrost Multibit, that is overall coherence. The Bifrost Multibit sounds a bit disjointed between the upper and lower registers, very much so when cold and not left on for at least a few hours. The Modi Multibit, at least a pre-production unit, did not have this issue. I guess you could say the Modi Multibit isn't quite as overtly warm at the bottom and analytical up top as the Bifrost Multibit, yet retains an organic smooth and resolving sound. The megacomboburrito filter is very much there, you can hear the familiar staging and imaging precison (going back to the Theta Gen V circa 1990), but as to the differences between the x4 and x8 of the bigger units, I wouldn't be able to say without a proper comparison on speakers.

    Yup, this is what I've been telling people to wait for when they asked me about DACs around $500 or less. I can't believe it's $250. This is definitely another Golden Schlong award for Schiit. I've jokingly told Jason EC was going to buy these, hook up a tube stage to them, and sell them as EC DACs.
     
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2016
  17. Hands

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    Modi2 and Modi 2 Uber: <0.002%, 20Hz-20KHz, at max output

    Modi Multibit: <0.006%, 20Hz-20KHz, at max output



    Right, let's spend $100 more on an inferior DAC with worse distortion! :rolleyes:

    (BTW, this is a joke, because someone once told me they saw no possible way the Gungnir Multibit or Yggdrasil could sound better than their Benchmark DAC because the former had higher distortion values.)
     
  18. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    What about bass extensions, slam, dynamics, etc.? I would assume MM isn't as good as Bifrost Multibit here, but that was the real area I found the Bifrost Multibit faltered. Getting into crazy asshat territory here, I found some of your comments were mitigated with the right source feeding Bifrost Multibit (and Gungnir Multibit as well, primarily the aspect of warmth and any sense of non-organic nature in the treble).
     
  19. Madaboutaudio

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    So many things to buy at $249!
    Xbox One
    Nvidia GTX1060
    Schiit Modi MB
     
  20. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I'm sure such things can be mitigated with the right source and USB gizmos, but you already know that I have no patience for USB gizmos because I'd rather spend the money on another phono cart which makes more of a difference to sound than USB gizmos. Therefore the comparisons are with stock USB using regular ol' sources: laptops, etc.

    The MM bass is more on par with the Bifrost Multibit. That is, not competitive with the Gungnir Multibit and especially the Yggdrasil. I've lamented that the Bifrost Multibit lost any trace of the "Moffat bass" effect, which Moffat has clarified as really Decca (phono cartridge) bass, and by this we mean articulation, transient response, and bass pitch definition (but also with amazing dynamics and slam). Based on my limited time with the MM, it's hard for me to definitively say that the MM bass is technically better than Bifrost Multibit bass, but I do feel comfortable that in saying that it does not seem to be as overtly warm or indistinct. I guess you could say that Bifrost Multibit is Gungnir Multibit-like up top, and BifrostDS-like down below - and this has always weirded me out somewhat. So take a notch off of the Gungnir Multibit-like high end of the Bifrost Multibit, and combine with less syrupy low end (think like an organic version of Modi 2 DS bass), and what we get just makes much more sense overall.

    Just my opinion on what I like. I'm sure many other people will feel differently and prefer the Bifrost Multibit as the Bifrost Multibit does do some things better. But Schiit has never shown any desire to gimp new products, even when they came out better than existing products; and we have to love them for that. Companies that fear cannibalizing existing products tend to slowly die. (Note that same seems true for Chord too, as the Mojo is way better than Hugo and maybe even better than Hugo TT, at one fourth / one eighth of the price*). The upside for Bifrost Multibit is that it is upgrade-able.

    *Besides, no one will believe me. Most audiophiles still seem to believe that performance is based on price.
     
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2016

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