Schiit Modi 3

Thanks a lot for the clarification!

I guess too loud is too strong a word. It is just most times I want to listen quietly. Also, I left some safe margin from the channel balance region (<7:30-8 o'clock), so currently running at 8:30. It is already a pretty solid level for me, especially on the 58X.

 

To get 2V RMS in a cheap DAC you need a switcher. Switching supplies are assier than good linears. Cap coupled analog circuits are assier than DC ones. The secret is that good switchers are less assy than cap coupled analog circuits. Voila! A better Modi emerges. Quite a bit of experience helps with the AKM sound. Oh, and by the way - measurements below 90-100 db only matter from those who suffer from targeted bad measurement Amir PTSD. 50 years later, I no longer drop to the ground when cars backfire. PTSD and Amir are irrelevant distractions.

 

Excellent analysis. Out of curiosity, what does a proper listening test entail? Any details on your listening test methodology you could share with us?

 

https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...old-a-tale-of-eight-bifrosts.2643/#post-71410

 

Thanks for the link!

 

My "proper listening test" comment there was more meant to suggest that anyone that spent a few minutes actually listening via the D50 - rather than a throw-away "I plugged it into a random amp and headphones and it played loud enough" attempt - should have been able to hear it.

This issue is not in evidence with losslessly-encoded music. If the cause with lossy-sources is what I conjectured it was, then the test files I am going to create to verify it will make that quite plain.

Rather than further derail this thread, I'll do a comparison thread between the Modi 3, Grace SDAC, Topping D30, the D50 I have right now and a second one I ordered late yesterday to compare with see if it was a one-off issue. And in that thread I'll cover the details of how I am comparing and evaluating.

For now, I'll just say that I use a precisely level-matched, assisted-blind (per the post @landroni referenced), approach with a standard playlist and multiple iterations. Then I do some focused, sighted, listening. Then I repeat the assisted-blind cycles to see if my accuracy has improved (in some cases it doesn't simply because it couldn't ... i.e. differences were obvious enough that they were reliably discernible and identifiable first-item through). Sometimes it takes more cycles to get to reliably hearing differences, and assigning them to the right units, than others; sometimes it only takes one. And of course, everything is allowed several days to "warm up" or "burn in" before I do any of that.

 

Note to certain lame bastards ...

Do NOT repost my posts made here (or anywhere else), in their entirety, on other sites.

You want to post your own summary and a link, or a short quote, that's one thing. Reposting the entire thing is lame. And I don't give a f**k if you do credit it (frankly I would prefer it you didn't) ... if I wanted to post on those sites, I would already be doing so.

(This is not directed at those that have asked permission to reproduce posts/impressions).

 

PM’d

 

Are the differences in the new Modi Multibit worth upgrading from a previous generation Modi Multibit?

 

Regarding differences, see here:

https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/new-schiit-modi-multibit.6591/

Regarding “is it worth it?”, here’s a decision guide:

If your bank account has in it:

• $300 = No
• $30,000 = Yes
• Between $300 and $30k = we’re not you, so only you can make this call

Best bet - read the thread above.

 

Sorry if I missed it but I was wondering if the output voltage stays at 2v even without it being plugged into the wall and just going straight from usb? Also, has anyone noticed differences in sound quality comparing direct USB power vs plugged in with external power?

 

Based on reading the website, the output is likely going to stay at 2V unless your USB port is severely underpowered. There is a switching power supply internally that creates the appropriate voltage for the DAC chip, so as long as that receives a fairly steady 5V things should be good for a 2V output.

I don't have the DAC, but the second question could depend on your USB power. Different USB ports share power with a different amount of things within the computer, so depending on what your computer is doing you could be getting a less than ideal 5V, 2A output. The amperage required by the Modi is definitely much less than 2A, but overhead is good in power, and generally the more overhead there is, the less each component has to work, which means it's going to sound better. There's also the matter of noise your computer is contributing to the power it's sending to the DAC.

In summary: I have no idea and it depends on everything.

 

Another reason why I ask these questions is that there is still no europlug model and if the US plug it comes with is 3 prong I may get some grounding issues if I have to use the US plug out of a step down transformer here in the Philippines.

 

They address that in the FAQ. I recommend manufacturers' websites.

 

I just read it and it talks about being multivoltage but doesn't talk about possible ground loops if the country doesn't have a ground plug. It should be fine I guess.

 

Apologies for the assumption. The AC ground isn't part of the circuit so whether there are two or three prongs it won't matter, just use an adapter and it will be fine.

 

There was a firmware upgrade to the Modi Multibit. I was reviewing the old version, and returned it, to purchase a new version. It was markedly different sounding, and it a 'silent upgrade' made without much fanfare. My stack includes a Wyrd, which does a wonderful job of cleaning up the USB from a RasPi end-point on my network. I had never owned a dedicated headphone amp, so the Magni 3 was a new revelation to me. I was tempted to upgrade to an Asgard, but with the rumor mill of Asgard 3 brewing hot and heavy--I think now is the time to just enjoy the lovely "Schiit Sound"

 

Roughly speaking, what percentage of what is considered a "really good" dac is the Modi3?

By really good, I mean the dacs mentioned in the dac off threads.

Happy Halloween!!!

 

Side note- Use the Wyrd to power the Pi and turn off the WiFi and BT if you can. Using Ethernet and turning off WiFi was the best upgrade.

My Regen powers my Pi now, but I suspect a Wyrd will do good things too.