Schiit Modi Multibit

Giving serious thought to replacing my Pangea HP201 headphone amp with a Modi2 Multi + Valhalla 2.
Budget is around 500 clams.
Any suggestions?
 
Anyone have a listen with this yet (or experience with other Schiit multibits, for that matter)? I've been looking for a DAC for my two channel setup in this price range. In another thread someone said they thought the Gungnir Multibit sounded veiled in comparison with a dragonfly 1. This seemed strange to me. Also was a usb connection. Anyone heard a difference between inputs on a Schiit? I'm really looking for best sound quality for the money. So, if say the dragonfly red had clearer imaging, then I'd probably choose it despite its lack of functionality for higher bit rates or features.
I don’t think the MB is veiled. I am wondering if they were comparing it to the non-MB version.
I think a lot of that has to do with system matching. Taste as well.
If your speakers are highly revealing, slightly, or very foward, sometimes the MB’s can be a little too much of a good thing.
“High definition” can sometimes lead to listening fatigue over a period of time.
Their really isn’t any magic bullet DAC.
That’s marketing hype sorry to say.
Its about balance.
For example, just a slight re-positioning of your speakers can give you all the definition you seek..
I just say this, because of late a lot of my audiophile friends are going down the high definition route.
And it comes at a price.
IMHO, their systems list their musicality in the pursuit of hearing something on a particular track they thought wasn’t there, or they hadn’t heard before.
 
Just noticed some retailers are having a special on HD800. May just keep the setup I have and upgrade my cans.
 
Well, thought I'd go ahead and order my MultiBit this afternoon but had a few questions. Tried calling Shiit and I guess the only way to have a conversation is thru Email.......kinda ticked me off. Anyway, with Windows 10 do I have to download drivers for this thing? I want one that's plug and play. Al
 
IMG_20171031_180002.jpg IMG_20171031_175954.jpg I'm currently useing Win7 with it because old PC would not run Win10. I did initially use another PC in Win10. Its been a while but I don't remember any major issues. It works pretty well with either PC, by USB cable to PC and wifi feed to PC. I did make some router setting changes to reduce wifi dropouts. Don't think that had anything to do with the MB. This was my first stand alone dac.
Attached manual pages if of interest.
 
Well, thought I'd go ahead and order my MultiBit this afternoon but had a few questions. Tried calling Shiit and I guess the only way to have a conversation is thru Email.......kinda ticked me off. Anyway, with Windows 10 do I have to download drivers for this thing? I want one that's plug and play. Al

I downloaded drivers for it (I do not think I tried without using the drivers). I found the install straightforward, and I have not needed to adjust anything since then.

Edit: Just to clarify, I am using Windows 10.
 
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I spent my first full day with my Modi2 Mutlibit and am honestly left feeling extremely unimpressed. It lacks quite a bit on the bottom end while the rest sounds extremely digital. I'll give it a couple more days and will return it if it doesn't warm/open up a bit more. Is it advised to keep it turned on to help break it in?
 
I spent my first full day with my Modi2 Mutlibit and am honestly left feeling extremely unimpressed. It lacks quite a bit on the bottom end while the rest sounds extremely digital. I'll give it a couple more days and will return it if it doesn't warm/open up a bit more. Is it advised to keep it turned on to help break it in?
Yes, leave it on continuously. It won't hurt it, but it does seem to make them sound better.
 
I spent my first full day with my Modi2 Mutlibit and am honestly left feeling extremely unimpressed. It lacks quite a bit on the bottom end while the rest sounds extremely digital. I'll give it a couple more days and will return it if it doesn't warm/open up a bit more. Is it advised to keep it turned on to help break it in?
They sound really compressed the first few days. Just leave it on all the time.
 
Thanks guys, I'll continue to leave it on and hope it starts to improve. Shall I expect more bottom end to appear as it breaks in? That's what is lacking the most currently.
 
Thanks guys, I'll continue to leave it on and hope it starts to improve. Shall I expect more bottom end to appear as it breaks in? That's what is lacking the most currently.
My Yggdrasil has no trouble with the low end, I’d be surprised if the Modi does. Well, I mean, it could I guess... there’s a pretty big gulf between them price-wise.
 
Ha, given the price gap between the Modi and the Yggdrasil I would certainly hope yours would sound a good deal better. :)
 
I agree, leave it plugged in, it does make a difference. It gets fairly warm. You should have decent bass, especially compared to the older Modi.
I enjoyed mine, but moved on to a Project Box S FL. NOS multibit, filter less design and direct coupled. Has huge full, but not sloppy bass, beautiful flowing mids and highs, and also benefits from being warmed up. It's a keeper, smooth non fatiguing sound that has the musical flow the Schiit MB's lack.
The real surprise was the Maverick D1. Old school design, flexible, and awesome sounding. I swapped out the opamp for a Sparko discrete, and picked up a 1960's Tesla tube from a friend. Each was a small improvement, not earth shattering. Which IMHO says a lot about the out of the box design. I did order the Maverick upgraded version GE tubes, and better op amps. Frankly I think most would be happy with this configuration.
Comparing the Project S to the D1, they sound very much alike. A/Bing it's really hard to tell a difference. The Project may be slightly, and I mean slightly more refined. The D1 is much more flexible, and has USB, the Project only optical and coax inputs. The D1 USB Tenor chip is old school, sounds pretty good surprisingly so, but I would recommend a Schiit Wyrd, REGEN, of IFI USB. As the Tenor chip is not asynchronous. I use a Schiit Wyrd, along with a AQ jitter bug. Both bring the USB to the coax/optical performance.
The Project is simple, and solid if that's all you need, and will give you that organic, smooth sounding analog sound, with out the digititus.
My AMT3's and the Great Heils were made to extract detail, and the Schiit MB's forward midrange production, were not a good match. I may have been hearing things I was missing, but many times they were over emphasized. Interesting, but strange and fatiguing after awhile.
The musical flow was lacking, and frankly the timing seemed off on both the Bifrost MB and Modi MB, like it was speeded up, and just off the mark. Weird I know, but I found myself avoiding my set up except for a few minutes a day. Not good!! The Project and Mav D1 solved this with flying colors!!
I still like the Schiit MB's. Like most components, they are system and taste dependent. If matched right, I'm sure they can really shine.
 
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Or one that's based more accurately on a true multibit design. It's the same way as the Modi MB, leave it on. They are to different animals for sure, the FL won't ever sound harsh, or digital. I guess I would not call it tube sound per se, or even analog per se, but highly musical for sure.
Your going to enjoy the flow of your music, instead of being wowed by certain tones/instruments that come to the surface as the Schiit portrays. It's addictive at first, but for myself wasn't a long haul solution. I found myself being wowed, but listening less to my music. Maybe it's a case of me hearing what I was "missing" was just too much, and a bit unnatural. A forward presentation, with lack of depth and air. Solid image for sure, but the flow seemed a bit forced, if that makes sense?
The Great Heils are very reveling, and just not a good match. Each has his own personal taste, but the Schiit MB's are not analog sounding, if that's what your looking for.
 

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Modi MB owner for a week and was impressed in some ways (clarity, smoothness) and disappointed in others (dynamic range, bass, and muted highs). Cracked the case to take a look and it seems like capacitors are pretty good quality (Nichicon, Panasonic FC) with the exception of the three filter capacitors right off the rectifiers. These are no name with a label only of "HD". These are very small for 1000uf/25v so it took me a while to find something close. Decided to try Rubycon YXA. It's a tight fit but once I fired the Modi up the sound was transformed. Great dynamics, clarity, and the highs returned. And oh, what an improvement in the bass!. Well worth the effort!!! I'm not a fan of FC's and will try those next.
 
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