Schiit Modius DAC announced

I think we can loosely apply Moore's Law to digital audio as well. Every generation the products get better and less expensive. Schiit is living evidence of this.

 

In the lower end products, the limiting factor for Unison is cost not size.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sch...most-improbable-start-up.701900/post-14793707

 

Modius makes its balanced signal the same way BF2 does: single-ended DAC output into a differential opamp (and the same one too: the LM49724), so for what it's worth, it's as true or cheap-ass balanced as the BF2.

Gungnir has better expansion capabilities and power supplies too.

 

You're right about Bifrost, but the story is a bit different with Modius. The AK4493 in the Modius is inherently balanced.

https://datasheetspdf.com/pdf-file/1298571/AKM/AK4493/1 (see page 100, for example)

From Jason's Schiit Happened thread:

"As far as I know, Modius is the only DAC that has two separate output stages, one for balanced and one for SE. The balanced output stage is built specifically to the strengths of balanced—it uses the very good-sounding LME47924 balanced, differential op-amp, plus film caps and 0.5% precision thin-film resistors, and is DC-coupled. The AK4493 is inherently balanced output, so it’s balanced from start to finish.

Now, most of the time, you’d take the output of this balanced stage and sum it to create the single-ended output. Makes total sense. That’s what everyone does. Hell, it’s what we did, in some early versions of Modius.

But…Dave had a really interesting idea: There’s no reason the AK4493 can’t drive BOTH a balanced and single-ended output stage. So that’s what he did—he added a completely separate, parallel single-ended stage, based on the OPA1662, so that single-ended is as fully well-served as balanced."

 

@purr1n Is there going to be a loaner for the Modius? I have the AK4493 variant both the ADI-2 DAC and ADI-2 Pro in house right now, and it would be a really good point of comparison. If not, I'll just have to convince my wife that I should buy one.

For what it's worth, I used to like either the Sharp or Slow filter for the ADI-2 DAC. With the Low Dispersion Short Delay filter available, I think I like it the most (and it can be changed instantly with the remote, which is good stuff). I'm pretty confident that is what the Modius is using.

 

My bad, I didn't know that and I even read Jason's post on it. Thanks for the correction!

 

I am listening right now to SW51+ that came today. I started out listening Modi 3 USB and then changed after an hour to Modius Unison with HD6XX KISS.
I can confirm (not that it needed to be) that Marv's magic 8 ball is absolutely correct, this combo is a masterpiece of budget audio. Shhhh, it gets pretty close to this same setup on Af (that's why I jokingly mentioned to @YMO in a PM that his Starlett should be scurred). Additionally I don't know if it is Unison, synergy or combination, but this sounds much better than I heard SE out with Modius being fed by Pi2AES #shrug
All I know is this setup is wildly enjoyable and no scotch was harmed in coming to this conclusion.

 

Don't worry @Gaspasser, I already shared a PM of ours before you made your post. Also, my SW51+ just left Chicago.

 

Que? I had them back to back as well and fed level matched into a SMSL SP200 so I could hot swap between the two inputs into a single headphone output, D90 had apparent enough digital highs and more "impact", but overall I felt it wasn't quite as resolving as RME ADI 2... I dunno maybe my system is noisy and D90 didn't enjoy that. But while I felt D90 was certainly worthwhile at the price it... didn't have Modius to compete against when I heard it

An just glancing over the measured performance and reading about the topology, I have to say Modius is something I'll simply purchased outright as I'd like to hear it for my self, especially given it has the Unison USB too right [AND LME 47XXX Series opamps on output too?! Heck looks like Schiit might have set a new Digital Standard and raised the bar!

 

With Jesus?

 

At my house. I can see why the Modius can be a good fit with the SW51+.

 

Excellent reference. Possibly the best ZZ Top song IMHO.

(Re: "Jesus Just Left Chicago" - ZZ Top, Tres Hombres album)

 

There's no longer a Modi Multibit option under the version selector on the Schiit website. Is that a glitch or is a Mimbius incoming???

 

Looks like a glitch to me, I'll see what's up.

 

It is there under Modi and then then select the Version in the dropdown. It just does not have a separate item in the menu. Same goes for Gungnir Multibit.

 

This is crazy because the site looks fine to me...unless there is a totally new Gungnir and Mjolnir that was announced that I missed.

 

On my windows computer with a Chrome browser if Schiit is opened in small window, then there are 3-bars upper left which when selected opens a menu. If the Chrome window is further expanded the full menu opens automatically on the left of the screen. I've never seen a menu system like this, however I imagine that it was designed to open in a variety of devices, smartphones. iphones, iMacs, Pc moitors, etc. Clever design. they do give a Schiit.

 

It is a responsive design site like many others today, meaning it will change depending on the final output size. There is a certain threshold it will switch over for smaller screens. And you are correct, it is for a variety of devices, mostly smaller mobile devices.

 

Update: it was a glitch. It looks like we're going into backorder on Modi Multibit, and someone turned it off, rather than noting the backorder.

Edit: there are no new Mjolnir or Gungnir models. Nor are there any planned.