Modi Multibit: Multibit for the masses.

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

  1. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    When I was building my Soekris R2R dac, my initial plan was to do a thermo regulated/stabilised enclosure. After some chatting with the designer, he assured me that resistor values shouldn't shift too much from temperature changes during operation.
     
  2. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    I'm just going on what Mike Moffat said about his own DACs, when asked if they needed to be on all the time. Sadly, I have forgotten how to brain, so no link right now :)
     
  3. landroni

    landroni Friend

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  4. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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  5. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    LOL, I'll have to dig it up, but I write some code to simulate what an INL and DNL would look like for an R2R type DAC given tolerances for discrete resistors.

    Let's say the INL plots were all over the place, with some plots having wide swathes of upward or downward tendencies (well there goes monotonicity). I assumed a bell curve like distribution for actual resistor values for these calculations.

    The AD high end chips look like they've undergone some sort of calibration. I bet some of this might be on chip. Or maybe it's because of the hybrid string / ladder. Resistor strings guarantee monotonicity - think about it.
     
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2016
  6. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    @Marvey I'm a total noob and not an engineer by any stretch of the imagination. I hear buzzwords thrown around about some discrete DACs applying linear compensation, having dual R2R networks (one for compesation/trimming), or segmented R2R being less problematic, or hand picked resistors, blah blah blah. Sometimes roping these all together.

    Does any of that make sense or really help? Is this some made up gobbledigook to get people to buy DACs?

    And another question, do basic linearity measurements (like this or this for example) and/or good "static" measurements (THD, -90dB sine resolution, etc.) correlate at all with good INL/DNL results?

    Thanks for explaining like I'm five, and I do apologize if these are mind numbingly dumb, obvious, or frustrating question. :)
     
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2016
  7. Case

    Case Anxious Head (Formerly Wilson)

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    Just saw that my Modi Multibit gifted by @Torq has been delivered. Looking forward to getting it going!
     
  8. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    It makes sense, but hard to verify. I mean, I wonder at the kind of instrumentation that AD uses to even plot their INL graphs. Segmented R2R seems to make sense because measurements can be taken a rougher level, and segments glued together,

    Totally different. People get confused between sine wave linearity and INL/DNL. INL/DNL should best be thought of as jitter in the Y-axis / amplitude.
     
  9. Dino

    Dino Friend

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    I couldn't help observing your system evolve since you joined. It has worked out very nicely.
     
  10. Case

    Case Anxious Head (Formerly Wilson)

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    Initial impressions: Surprised at the change. Soundstage has opened up, instruments and voices gained better distinction from each other. The Valhalla 2 holograpy is coming through. I can hear how the GO450 was a choke point.

    Also, I was struggling the drivers, emailed @schiit, Nick replied fast but I had figured it out. Folks, unencrypt those downloads. I'm using Lenovo Thinkpad with Windows 7 Professional and used driver version 1.03

    And another huge thanks to @Torq for this gift!
     
  11. landroni

    landroni Friend

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    I'm still figuring out what I'm hearing, but compared to FiiO X3ii and Cozoy Astrapi (from memory), I sense pretty much the same. I can now clearly hear the "vibrato" of voices or of instruments, the subtle intonations/inflections/WhateverTF you call it. I think I get the "hearing real instruments and real voices" effect that people report with Yggdrasil, as if I had a personal mirror through to the recording studio. I can also definitely detect the "Moffat bass", whereas bass is more clearly present and better defined. On some recordings I'm surprised to hear very subtle nuances of, say, hands gently tapping, whereas previously it was an (incoherent?) mish-mash of basically a single sound.

    Still checking the thing out, and definitely still in need of upgrading the rest of the chain (cables, transducers, amp), but even in such a hopelessly choked system it seems to me Modi Multibit is the real deal... Quite happy thus far: Makes me wanna discover music and listen more.
     
  12. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    Thank you for the response. :)
     
  13. imackler

    imackler Key Lime Pie Infected Aberdeen Wings Spy

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    So I might sound insane, but listening to the Modi Multibit>Vali 2>HD600 reminds me of the first time I got an Etymotic ER6i, my first "good" iem in 2008. I am hearing details and layering in a way I never have before. I've got to spend more time, but color me impressed. I didn't think the Modi Multibit would be this noticeable of a difference.

    Seriously. This thing is magical... The positioning of details is uncanny.
     
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2016
  14. vtrinidad87

    vtrinidad87 New

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    I remember having that experience with the ER6i, too, which was my first dip into the "better" audio pool as well. Man, times were much simpler then. Luckily with gear like the Modi Multibit with pairings and tweaks/mods suggested here, things aren't always exponentially more expensive as leaps are made in quality.

    Sadly though I can't say that I'm more savvy enough to notice as many differences in upgrades anymore :(
     
  15. Warrior

    Warrior RIP 2021

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    @Wilson you upgraded from the go450? Did you have another day or just that?
     
  16. mrflibble

    mrflibble Friend

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    The Modi Multibit has been reviewed in the UK magazines Hi-Fi World December 2016 and Hi-Fi Choice December 2016 (If I remember correctly). I bought Hi-Fi World but not HI-Fi Choice from the newsagents. Hi-Fi Choice gave it 5/5 . Hi-Fi World 4/5 . Hi-Fi World have an additional article about multibit technology and the Modi Multibit in particular which is somewhat luke-warm.

    Hi-Fi World Review summary:

    "VERDICT: A multibit DAC at a good price that offers something a little different."
    "FOR: good detail, instrument separation, compact, build"
    "AGAINST: slightly bright, no DSD"

    In the "Measured Performance", boxout:

    "Measurement shows the Schiit Modi Multibit produces digital distortion in large quantities. Dynamics range measures 6dB worse than CD and 16dB worse than hi-res through a budget DAC. Obviously, this is poor but the product is aimed at those who want early CD sound warts'n'all"

    Frequency response (-1dB): 4Hz-28kHz
    Distortion (-60dB): 1.4%
    Separation (1kHz): 89dB
    Noise (IEC A): -94dB
    Dynamic range: 96dB
    Output: 2v

    There was one sentence in particular of the review that I found surprising:

    "Compared to the organic, almost analogue-flow of something like Audiolab's £799 M-DAC+ with its ESS Sabre converter the Modi is brighter and more clinical-sounding."

    I own a Modi Multibit and I am finding it a bit grainy and course with some recordings. I can't compare it with my original M-DAC at the moment as this is currently returning from repair.

    Thought I'd throw this out there and see what people think.

    My current chain:

    Elfidelity AXF-8 Soundcard->Fisual Holywood Glass Toslink->Modi Multibit->Jotunheim->Balanced Sennheiser HD650
     
  17. k4rstar

    k4rstar Britney fan club president

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    I reckon that's more of the Jotunheim's effect on the upper mids of HD650 than any distortion rating of the Modi Multibit.
     
  18. Robert777

    Robert777 Acquaintance

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    Given that the biggest selling headphones are Beats, is there really that much of a market for DSD?

    I mean, actually listing it as a con seems a little harsh. These reviews always seem crushed as if something without DSD is a paper weight.

    I guess everyone has different priorities in audio gear.
     
  19. landroni

    landroni Friend

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    Or perhaps as a result of grainy and coarse recordings/masterings? Admittedly I don't have much experience within the world of high-end, but what I'm hearing through the Modi Multibit seems... coherent. And I for one would expect a DAC to be capable of revealing poor recordings...
     
  20. mrflibble

    mrflibble Friend

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    I am finding my current setup to be quite brittle sounding, with a sharpness or edgy-ness to it. Female vocals in particular can be rough and grainy. The positives of the setup is that it is extremely detailed and resolving.
     

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