RME ADI-2 DAC

I'll answer this. Some history is required.

1. The Modi MB is the odd hand-me-down bargain product with specific traits quite different from the Bifrost, Gungnir, and Yggdrasil. The Modi MB actually reminds me more of the vintage R2R DACs than what I would call the "Schiit multibit" sound. To me, there are "Schiit Multibit DACs" and then there is the "Schiit Modi Multibit".
2. During the time as R2R DACs were being phased out in favor of S-D DACs, it was obvious that S-D DACs were much more resolving than the R2R DACs. Holdouts such as AG-D used a million PCM1704 chips in parallel to wring out as much resolution as possible, but even then, the efforts fell slightly short.
3. The Schiit Multibit DACs (again, this excluding Modi MB) have their own sound. They do not totally sound like the R2R DACs of decades ago. And whether you believe in INL / DNL (think of this as amplitude jitter) over strict linearity measurements, the milspec tolerances of the chips used by Schiit in their DACs did contribute to their DACs edging out the S-D designs in terms of resolution.
4. During the time when Yggdrasil first came out, and this was years ago, almost every D-S DAC had fricking or odd nasty timbre to varying extents. It's too easy to forget this.
5. Bottom line: Schiit Multibit DACs are extremely resolving of low-level information, more than even the latest S-D DACs (unless they stack chips), but they do this with a hint of that vintage R2R sound.

Result:

1. Some people will want more of the classic R2R sound, that dense timbre, thicker bass, rolled highs, which the Schiit Multibit DACs (again, Modi Multibit excluded) do not have. They will go elsewhere.
2. Some people dislike the close placement of the soundstage of Schiit DACs. They will go elsewhere.
3. Some people will complain that the Schiit Multibit DACs are too incisive and not relaxed enough. They will go elsewhere.
4. Some people will feel the Schiit Multibit DACs are not incisive enough. They will go elsewhere.
5. Some people will bitch that the Schiit Multibit DACs don't have a sufficiently "black" background. They will go elsewhere.
6. Some people will disregard the Schiit Multibit DACs because don't cost enough. They will go elsewhere.
7. Some people will dislike the irreverent "I don't give a f**k about what you think" attitude of Schiit. They will go elsewhere.
8. Some people will hate Schiit because they are popular. They will hate on them and bork measurements of their products.
9. Some people will move on because it's human nature to get bored.

I can tell that you have not heard the Schiit Multibit DACs proper. You owe it to yourself to audition one, preferably a recent manufactured one, if possible. Only you can answer your question.

 

Both Dangerous Music DACs are either default or can be set to +18dBU via jumpers or buttons. Using the DAC volume control notably decreases sound quality - best to avoid this. +18dBU is > 6Vrms, which is about 17V peak-to-peak. This will explode an Objective 2 amp regardless of its volume position. For other amps, the amp's driver section will have to be running highish voltage rails, and likely the full use of the volume knob won't be usable until clipping. The good thing is that because of the high gain, you won't need to turn the volume knob up too much. The bad news is also that you are likely to be using a very restricted range of the volume knob. The outputs can be padded down with XLR adapters, but these only attenuate properly with studio gear with a 600ohm input impedance. Ask around, there are a few people running the Convert-2s. A good use case would be Convert-2 / Source -> Pro Power Amp (many have input attenuation dials) -> headphone.

PSA DirectStream I heard a while back. It's my understanding that various firmware has addressed the somewhat leanish bass. Convert-2 is an entirely different animal, a beast that attacks hard and slams like a sledgehammer. PSA DirectStream has that mega-oversampled DSD'ish presentation that kind of smooths things over. Think a more refined AKM Velvet deal with less grain. I felt the PSA DSD was a step back from the PSA PWD2 (again, with specific firmware, and upgraded from PWD1, other conditions) because it lost the latter's stronger attacks and sharper transients and also because the PSA DSD was voiced way too lean - possibly because of PSA Paul's Infinity V IRS speakers, which need like a concert hall and be placed 10 feet back from the walls, otherwise wayyy too bassy.

Solaris amp gels with Solaris DAC section. It cannot be used independently. The Solaris DAC will be voiced too bright and presents itself as too macro-detailed for most systems unless you are accustomed to Benchmark sound. The Solaris headamp takes into account the sound of the DAC to make the whole sound more normal. Technically and power-wise (or in terms of ease), it's on par with a Magni 3, maybe better microdynamics, and it retains the excellent deep stage of the Solaris DAC.

Source DAC can use a better headamp, but the included one is competent that finding a better headamp, adapters, transformers, or whatever... just better off moving to a better setup. You get Source for simplicity, two DACs independently routable, a headphone amp and lineout to monitors at the same time - with normal tone and good dynamics. As far as Jotunheim, the Jot is a technically better performer with more ease than the Source's headphone out. But new Jotunheim is a bit too warm. OG Jot can be zippy and glarey. I baked my OG Jot by accident inside a car in the hot California sun. Sounded better with less glare after that.

 

Let's just say your hearing was correct in this case. Making a comparison would be...difficult at best. I wouldn't bother clouding your thought process trying to tackle and triangulate MHDT vs Schiit Multibit.

Non-oversampling is tricky to get right and not for most listeners. Metrum is really the only brand I'd consider these days, and even then, the Pavane/Adagio with DAC TWO modules deliver solid performance at too-high prices. Lower tier models have compromises in one way or another relative to TOTL gear, Metrum or otherwise, but may still be to one's preferences enough to be a worthy trade off.

If you can find a used Audial Model S at a low price, that's a good NOS competitor. But generally I'm still inclined to recommend Metrum with their newer products.

Still, moral of the story is that NOS is not for most. Worth trying, but only on someone else's dime, usually. Schiit does multibit well and in such a way that appeals to a broad variety of tastes. Low risk to try.

 

I was looking forward to MHDT, but came away disappointed. Didn't care for the Paradisea. @Luckbad has more experience and modded the hell out of everything. I tried one of their higher line DACs, didn't like that either. Everything is like a variation of muddy. Harder clay mud, mushier dirt mud, etc. The resolution was maybe better with the higher end Atlantis, Artemis, Hippolyta? I don't remember the model names. But we are talking about resolution on par with $99 Sony DVD / SACD players from Best Buy in 1991. Adding "organic" mud to that doesn't make it any better.

 

The Freya should be able to handle the outputs from those DACs because if I know Schiit, they are not going to do dumbass stuff like run the 6SN7 plates from 33V rails. The problem is the Freya gain which is significant. Hot outputs with massive preamp gain into yet another amp with some gain is going to be a bad idea unless you have 58db sensitivity speakers. However, running Freya in passive mode will work.

 

Crown, Crest, QSC class AB stuff? Avoid D at all costs. Go for the lowest wattage they offer so there isn't the class H bullshit, which is only needed for concerts in an arena. See insides and look for big toroid power transformers - a sign of good quality. The current pro stuff is getting weird. I can't tell what from Crown is class D or AB now. It's like they try to hide it.

QSC RMX850a and Crest CA2 are still being made. They have been using the same tried and true Class AB amplifier designs for decades now.

 

That NOS stuff talked about on HF 12 years was garbage. The first generation Metrum stuff was also garbage with their TOTL DAC, the Dōdeka, Hepta, or whatever it was called, the exception, and even then, it was only OK.

1. People have different preferences.
2. How many other people shared the same views as this person? The same two very vocal people over and over in the same thread?
3. And of those people, how much experience with other DACs did they have? Which specific models?
4. Did they try to understand your preferences and ask about your current setup?
5. Finally, it's Head-Fi: 10,000 reviews from 10,000 randos, and great pickings for Jude to ask sponsorships from. This was less obvious back then, but more obvious now: just check out the Head-Fi homepage. It's brazen, it's ghoulish, it's a mind-numbing eyesore but it works.

 

Native USB with the following exceptions:

McIntosh MCD550 - CDs for obvious reasons - but didn't test USB DAC capability
Crane Song - Sounded much better from CD transport Theta Data III / Marantz CD5005 (modded)
DM Convert-2 - Sounded slightly better from CD transport Theta Data III / Marantz CD5005 (modded)

 

Who knows, it's a AKM4490 which I don't have as much as a problem with compared to @Psalmanazar. It's possible the headphone out was the real turd in this case.

 

Crown Xli series is class AB. Old school topology that they’re still milking years later.