Well, it has analog out, being a DAC, so... huh?
REVIEW: Schiit Modi DAC $99
- Thread starter oscar09
- Start date
Mystery
constantly upgrading...
The soundblaster also has analog out, 7.1 out and digital out.
I was wondering the sound quality, not physical design. :headscrat
oscar09
DUCK!
Im sure it sounds better... I have not heard one single of them soundblaster cards that i have liked. They just dont cut it for music... i feel they are more for movie set ups and gaming set ups... music wise, theres a whole lot better products out there. To be honest, i have not heard any soundcard to sound good for music playback.
Ill take an external DAC anyday over ANY soundcard...:thmbsp:
oscar09
DUCK!
Nice! let us know how you like it! :yes:
PAGS
Super Member
Please report back, especially if your iTunes tracks are formatted in 128Kbps.
I picked up one of these, came yesterday. Has anyone noticed a loss in volume after using this? My setup is modi dac to Pioneer SX-1250. Previously I had a mini jack out of the sound card to Pioneer, at 9-10 o'clock it was plenty loud. Now 11-12 to get the same volume.
oscar09
DUCK!
Make sure you have your volume set to its highest on your computer or music player. The mini jack also amplifies to headphones, so this is why you are having to turn it up more.
oldgringo
Canadian / Brit - I Support Ukraine.
Back to the OP
Per you request:
I like your review, thank you!
Please conduct revues on 'upcoming' products that you buy.
I picked up on this from a post by Urizen, in another thread.
No Schiit - yet!
Cheers, og
So this is a review based on the new DAC released from Schiit. Yes, its pronounced just like you think it is. For example, "check out my schiit". Anyways, this is an in depth review and a comparison to my other DAC i own, an HRT Music Streamer ii.
Product: DAC (Digital to Analog converter)
Brand: Schiit
Input/Output: Asynchronous USB IN/ RCA OUT
Price: $99 plus shipping
Material: Seems like brushed metal, very sturdy with decent weight
Build Quality: 8 out of 10
Made in: USA
Rate Support: 16bit/44.1kHz to 24bit/96kHz
Pictures:
Review/Thoughts: This little DAC is amazing. Right when i pulled it out of the box it feels heavy for its size. You would never expect it to be this heavy for its small size. I received it on Tuesday and i hooked it up right away and have been feeding it music since then, but i finally turned the amplifier it today to have a listen. I wanted for it to open up a little. As soon as i started playing some music, i was blown away. The Soundstage is so unbelievable, the detail in every single instrument is there, it is so well balanced, the highs and mids and lows are all working together beautifully. The Lows are clean and accurate. The thing that amazes me the most, is that even at very low volumes the rich detail is there, you can still hear every single detail you hear at high volumes but in low volumes.
Gear used for testing: I used my iMac with iTunes feeding the music to Audirvana + music player. From there its sent to the Schiit Modi DAC using an Audioquest Forest USB cable. Then it is amplified by my Yamaha A-S500 Integrated Amplifier feeding Audioengine's P4s that sit on Auralex isolation MoPads that are on speaker stands. All three songs are at CD quality ripped at 16bit/44.1kHz AIFF files.
Tracks used for testing:
Roger Waters, "Its a Miracle"
Right away in the intro you can hear the detail in every piano key played, you can clearly hear the background music and the voices that are also in the background. Once you hear Rogers voice, it sounds very realistic, almost as if he was to be there singing in front of you. The drums sound just like you would expect to hear drums to sound, no loss in detail. It impressed me a lot how the drums sounded. The Modi does a great job at bringing out every single instrument used in this song, you will be able to pin point it out.
Dire Straits, "Iron Hand"
The acoustic guitar on the intro sounds amazing. You can literally hear the depth in the guitar with detail. Mark's voice sounds great, you can ever hear his lips as he start singing from a pause. the bass through out the song is clean and the background music is very evident. I felt like i was listening to this song for the first time ever, it sounded so new and just perfect.
Mile Davis, "So What"
This song literally made me realize how good this DAC is, I literally got goosebumps trough out this song. The soundstage just blew me away! The upright bass sounded so good, i could hear the air in every note played. The drums sounded clean and very realistic. The trumpet was full of air and sounded so realistic, just so rich and full of detail. The piano was very present and evident, just over all perfect. Even tough i had heard this song many times, i literally felt like it was a whole new experience.
Comparison:
So i put this Schiit DAC up againts my HRT Music Streamer ii. As much as i love my HRT, the winner here is the Schiit MODI. The HRT is lacking soundstage and detail compared to the Modi. The Modi has excellent soundstage and it is very enjoyable at low volumes. I always felt that i needed to turn it up more than usual with the HRT to hear that detail the modi has at even low volumes. To my eyes, the modi is a lot more attractive and to my ears is a whole new better experience. But the main reason that makes the modi such a winner here its is value for its price. It is only $99. The HRT is $140. You may be thinking, "its only a $40 dollar difference". Want to know what those other $40 can get you? An Audioquest Forest USB cable for only $30. If you want to hook up a cheap printer cable to any USB DAC, be ready to hear nasty USB noise. You can argue all you want about speaker wire, but a USB cable is very critical and the better one you get the better your music will sound. So for $140 you can get a Schiit DAC and an Audioquest Forest USB cable!! I paid $190 for my HRT music Streamer ii DAC and Audioquest Forest USB cable, so i hope you see the difference here. The Schiit Modi just sounds a whole lot better without a doubt. By no means is the HRT a bad DAC, its great. But the Modi out preforms it at an even cheaper price.
Conclusion:
This is the best DAC you can get an entry level price, its only $99. The guys at Schiit have such a good reputation and all of their products are highly rated. Its an American company and their products are made here in America, its nice to see a "made in usa" badge in such an affordable product. If you are looking to get into the computer audio, this the DAC you need to buy to start. For $99, i dont think there is another DAC out there that can beat it in this price range, NONE! I can only imagine how Schiit's Bifrost and Gungnir sound. So dont think twice about it, just order it and be impressed. Im sure anyone who buys it will like it. Just keep in mind that the USB cable does make a difference, so make sure you get an audio based USB cable, dont use a printer cable. Overall, the guys at Schiit have done it again, great product at a great price. Very cool Schiit!:thmbsp:
Note:
I am not affiliated with Schiit and this review is based upon my own testing and how i feel about this product. i was not paid to praise it, my ears praised it and so do i. I will continue to make reviews like these on upcoming products i buy so if you like it, let me know so i can continue to make them like this. Thanks guys!
Per you request:
I like your review, thank you!
Please conduct revues on 'upcoming' products that you buy.
I picked up on this from a post by Urizen, in another thread.
No Schiit - yet!
Cheers, og
oscar09
DUCK!
Per you request:
I like your review, thank you!
Please conduct revues on 'upcoming' products that you buy.
I picked up on this from a post by Urizen, in another thread.
No Schiit - yet!
Cheers, og
Try it out, its good Schiit:yes:
haffy111
Active Member
just re read the thread and decided my crappy USB cable in the back of the closet that came off an old printer might not be the best match.
Amazon says the new Audioquest Forest USB cable will be here in a few days. I have a gigantic Itunes library that I can't wait to listen to. Right now it just doesn't sound like my vinyl setup so I rarely listen to digital.
Amazon says the new Audioquest Forest USB cable will be here in a few days. I have a gigantic Itunes library that I can't wait to listen to. Right now it just doesn't sound like my vinyl setup so I rarely listen to digital.
OK so I hooked this up in place of my Peachtree iDac, both using the same non-descript USB cable. Compared to the iDac it's congested with far less sparkling detail and life. It actually sounds a bit compressed in comparison. Now I bought this so I can use my iDac in my main system, so for the price of $100 it's perfect for what I need, but I wouldn't call it a giant-killer by any means. It 's great for a desktop with small-scale speakers, which is exactly where I have it. For a high-quality system where the smallest detail can be heard however there are better, if much pricier options. I'm glad I bought it...but let's not get carried away with crazy accolades.
It does reinforce my thoughts on the Peachtree however. I always thought it was a great sounding piece but only with a side-by-side comparison in the dealer's rooms. Granted it is 10Xs the price and does a lot more, but the difference is night and day. It was overkill in my computer room though..so for $100 I can move it into my main rig and still enjoy nice (but not spectacular) listening at my desk.
oscar09
DUCK!
ive always thought that its the best DAC in the $100 to $150 range. It competes in that range and i dont think it stands a chance against more expensive and better DACs. It is a great introductory DAC. Im shooting for a Benchmark DAC or a M2tech Young or even a Shiit Gungnir for this summer, that should be a real upgrade. Buy hey, thanks for your initial thoughts! :yes:
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haffy111
Active Member
I do have some in 128kbps, most are 256kbps, and quite a few albums are in 320kbps. All of the highest quality digital files I have like the 320 kbps ones are digital downloads that accompanied the vinyl album I bought, such as My Morning Jacket's "Circuital" or Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs" I am a firm believer in buying physical copies of albums, and if they include a code for the album's digital download that's great. I think that is a fair way for fans to support their favorite bands. Without getting into a rant, illegal downloading is not only bad karma, it is just wholly unfair to artists who spend their time and lives making music. They need to eat and pay rent too...........OK end of rant, sorry!!
Going from my old Sony Vaio (circa 2006) w/3.5 mm RCA analog connection to a Schiit Modi with Audioquest Forest USB cable ought to make me want to listen to my Itunes library. If so, that is what I'll use when entertaining or for times like when I'm doing a lot of cooking and don't want to flip LP's every 10-15 minutes.
P.S. With my Sony Vaio laptop hooked up via RCA cables to a line level input on my Harman Kardon receiver, was the receiver's internal DAC helping the music or was it not even involved??? Yah, I know, I'm still learning. I've learned so much on this website I still can't believe it. Thanks to everyone.
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oscar09
DUCK!
The only way your HK will use its internal DAC it's when you plug a coaxial or toslink cable straight to it. Other than that the DAC is not in use. Try ripping a CD, if you have any, at higher quality rates than 320kbps... Try some FLAC or WAV or AIFF. Those really shine. :yes:
haffy111
Active Member
how would one do this?
Also, I have a question that is bugging me.
I have an optical cable (digital). Should I use it? The reason I ask is that my Sony Blu-Ray player is hooked into my TV via HDMI. I am guessing I shouldn't have a need for optical there. My Sony Bravia LCD TV is hooked up via HDMI to my Scientific Atlanta cable box (time Warner Cable).
So what would the optical connection be good for? A stand-alone CD player or something? Am I missing something? FWIW, I am under the impression that HDMI connections include high quality digital video AND audio, which would make a digital optical connection unnecessary..........
Thanks for the insight, and I am seriously NOT trying to derail this thread. After all, if it wasn't for the excellent review by the OP and his many informational posts, I wouldn't have a Schiit Modi and Audioquest cable coming in the mail tomorrow..............
uh yeah, I'm a little excited
oscar09
DUCK!
a bunch of folks over at head-fi preferred it over the ODAC, and it sure as hell looks a lot nicer. :yes:
