Schiit Modi 3+ - Is this the best $99 DAC out there?

What's so special about Schiit Audio's new $99 Modi DAC and what does that mean for you? I take a look inside.
Errata: The Modi 3+ will power off a computer through the USB data port only, if necessary.
Don't forget to see these videos also:
Schiit Audio Magni 3+ and Heresy Headphone Amplifiers - • Schiit Audio Magni 3+ ...
Schiit Modi Mulbit/Magni 3+ vs. Asgard 3/Bifrost 2. - • Schiit Modi Mulbit/Mag...
Inside Schiit Audio's Modi Multibit DAC - • Inside Schiit Audio's ...
If not directly from Schiit Audio, buy the Modi 3+ from Amazon, and support my videos at the same time: amzn.to/2XpZWhl
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[@stevebarlow7908]

The first reviewer I've seen that actually knows what goes on inside the box, and has common sense advice too! That's a subscribe from me :)

[@xUnikronx]

Omg this whole time ive been powering my Modi 3+ via the computer and been having issues. Now that I powered it separately it works fine. Thank you!

[@JustTryGambling]

just got into audiophile gear and now that I've upgraded, all I can hear is mouth noises from every single youtuber lol

[@SmartFool24]

If you just got into audio gear let me recommend you just turn back now before it’s too late. Also, use audio forums sparingly. Lots of good help and advise but equal parts nonsense and toxic bs. Just find something you enjoy and be happy.

[@Assimilator702]

Don’t use your better gear on KZbin. I watch 90% of YT on a tablet. Perfectly fine. Save the good gear for listening to music.

[@maxjasmine]

I can't hear anything because my wife has me turn it all down. That's why I bought a cottage in the woods for her and I stay home and listen to music.

[@-ANJ.]

Lol. This is the best comment I’ve ever seen.

[@myquietreviewsfeaturingc.t9354]

@@maxjasmine DAMN 😱😱😱😂😂😂

[@smaganas]

First person I've seen talk about the USB situation. Great job!

[@thehawk05]

Great low cost DAC that’s a nice upgrade over the vast majority of built in DACs in so many products. I picked up a Modi 3+ when I passed along my Magni 3 to my teenage son so he can listen to music from his PC on his HiFiMan headphones. That rig has been rock solid reliable and has 100’s of hours of listening time on it. It’s nice we have brands such as Schiit offering good sounding, reliable audio gear that fits all budgets so people like my son can can enjoy and appreciate what better than average audio sounds like.

[@spamcan9208]

What headphones is he using?

[@michelaser]

Very professional, detailed, and well explained video. No background music or noise etc.

[@errorsofmodernism9715]

Excellent explanation, pacing and thank you for no annoying music

[@onairmastering]

I have a Metric Halo AD/DA and now I got a summing mixer, so all my analog outs are used. Cue also the analog loudspeaker controller, and now I don't have a DAC to hear what's coming into my 2882s. I just got this DAC after days and days of research and it does everything I want, superb.

[@unit335]

I've been considering headphones, DACs and amps lately and I've found your reviews very helpful, Currawong. Thank you for your technical and comprehensive reviews!

[@Currawong]

Thank you very much! I'm glad that they are helpful.

[@middle_pickup]

Great overview. Thank you!

[@Dominicwylai]

Great video. Also it started snowing around @10:00

[@motorradmike]

Excellent review!

[@CurleyRadio]

Nicely done !

[@pjo1964]

Just hooked my new modi 3 to my Rotel rdv 1400 dvd/cd player. The sound is close to the same level but with a different presentation slightly. Im going to move the modi3 to the living room system eventually.

[@batuksri]

So good they named the Indian prime minister after it.

[@SrikanthPRABHA7]

Yeah… after all it’s an amp!

[@foxkenji]

#1 audio equipment in India. True story.

[@shanmd]

@@foxkenji lol real story.

[@thomasward00]

I have 2 Modi 3+'s in my office and living room systems and they are good enough for me.

[@chrishanby87]

I have one ,got it playing through my main system out of a audiolab 6000cdt sounds fantastic very articulate expansive with a very large sound stage and deep tight bass ..but that maybe might be my March Audio poweramp coming to play ,so that might be the synergy thang happening ...hmm I wonder how it would size up to a Doge 7,now that would be a thing eh.

[@schraedera]

Another reason to look for gear with a separate power supply instead of using USB power in a DAC: I was using a USB-powered Focusrite interface for D/A and A/D but the USB power also carried audible high-frequency noise when other devices in the computer (namely the video card) were drawing significant power. I solved this problem with overkill and put Bifrost 2/Asgard 3 in my stack but Magni/Modi would have done fine.

[@jacksonville4932]

I also did suffer from feedback noise when plugged into My motherboard for power

[@mickhurley7305]

Great review , you got a sub. I like the style. Im a gaming PC builder, although not really a gamer. Im recently gotten into the audio aspects of the builds I do for people. Could you recommend a budget DAC, budget AMP, and budget speaker combo setup... Schitt for entry level DAC and AMP, or maybe G6 DAC price ranges ???. Im trying to encourage use of speakers rather than headsets for younger gamers. EDIT: scratch that, its a bit cheeky to ask for free advice, your already providing that. .

[@Currawong]

It has been a while since I've bought a pair of active speakers, but years ago I got a pair of Emotivas. Seems there are some quite decent options under $500 available now from reports I've read. Since the basic Schiit headphone amps double as pre-amps, they can act as a volume control for the speakers.

[@larryh9525]

That was a brilliant tip on using an Apple charger as I had an extra from an older iPad.

[@louskimming4371]

Even better, use one of the hefty USB batteries, it's completely pure DC, zero noise.

[@powerhitter033]

@@louskimming4371 Can you elaborate more? I'm not sure what that is.

[@CatOnVenus183]

Thats some good schitt man!

[@stvaldr]

Thanks!

[@Currawong]

Thank you too!

[@robg8963]

Nice tip on the Apple power supply

[@ghty56222]

ikr i thought about it before but didnt want to blow my DAC lol

[@flankdaslaer2929]

Do you know which apple power supply? Is it the 12watt? Please help.

[@aco2518]

How would this compare to using the jack in my computer or phone? I suppose as a beginner that would be the most important question to me.

[@darylsummer1424]

nice video

[@flankdaslaer2929]

Awesome video. Need help, which apple power supply? Is it the 12w? I don’t see anything 5 volt 2.5 amp. Can you please guide me on the wart. Thanks 😊

[@david-jq2gb]

Mate, well done.just getting into headphones seriously (always thought i was serious) now that I’ve downsized the mancave to a room. You taught me heaps to look out for when deciding on the right dac/amp for headphones. And everyone has different preferences in sound when it gets down to the last 20% of quality. Not just this Schiit dac but the other stuff you reviewed. Based on your advice and others I’ve just invested in: + Schitt Magni and Modi + Snake oil cables to connect them + Dan Clark Audio Aeon RT open back headphones Do you think this combo will give me the live concert/gig feel?

[@Currawong]

Let us know when it arrives what your impressions are!

[@seanc5827]

Schiit’s site says the Gungnir uses the older AKM4399 chip, not the AKM4499 as is mentioned in the video

[@Currawong]

Thanks for correcting me. My mistake.

[@artmaltman]

Is there a Schiit family sound? Lean and detailed? Warm and sweet?

[@richardlynneweisgerber2552]

USB 3.2 gen 2 motherboards have utilities adding Super-Charging features for ages.

[@vidabogotana]

This review is fantastic; hands down, one of the best I've seen in general; highly technical but also understandable. You've really inspired me to think seriously about getting a Modi+Magni stack, but was wondering if the Modius+Magnius combination was a better option for the long term in order to avoid putting more money down the road for a more robust setup. Does the law of diminishing returns apply in this case? Always looking for the best value, but willing to put down more if it's worth it. Would love to hear comments!

[@munmunyee]

The hi-fi hobby is one where sunk costs are a core part of the experience. The average layperson (much less non-musicians) cannot appreciate a $6000-8000 system (disregarding MSRP and looking at "true performative value") unless you've spent considerable time with a system that's $1200/1500/2000-ish. So this applies to portable audio as well, but in a much more compressed scale. Sure, to the uninitiated, planar headphones sound good, perhaps even "better", even, when compared to your sub $100 earphones. It's not until you spend a solid 6+ hours with a well matched $500 setup that you can start to begin to hear the details that planar headphones offer over cheap in-ears. On the other hand, hi-fi is (or rather, has been) a hobby where the cost window to properly dip one's toes in is fairly small. Spend too little, and you wonder why you spent it in the first place (you don't hear a difference, or worse, it sounds worse). Spend too much, and you feel like you blew your money on overpriced snake oil. The trick is to build a system that the uninitiated music enthusiast can appreciate the differences over audio solutions aimed at the lowest common denominator consumer for the lowest price possible. Thanks in part to the advent/boom of the chi-fi industry in the past decade, this price point has gotten lower and lower. For beginner portable audiophiles, getting a KZ ZS10 for $50 on Amazon will definitely, immediately show a positive-leaning change in the sound signature. Then switch to Tidal or use a local-music playing app and play files at or better than 320kbps MP3. Then spend an extra $100 on a dongle dac by Fiio or Hidizs. At this point, you're $150 in, and you have a setup that goes beyond delivering audio data decently and actually makes an attempt at making music sound better than the basic $20 Apple wired earbuds. This is an excellent point for the beginner audiophile to get off and reflect on the experience. The KZs are great for introducing them to the idea that a $30 difference can net such an improvement in sound signature. And as an aside, the $20 Apple earphones do an adequate job of delivering music in a musical manner, especially for the price. But for $30, for a beginner audiophile to be introduced to concepts such as soundstage, low-distortion bass not ruining the rest of the acoustic signature (probably have to fiddle with EQ), and to grasp at the idea that it's possible to find minute audio details with greater clarity/resolution is a steal. The $100 dongle dac is also great for introducing them to the idea of diminishing returns in audio. Sure, it sounds better, but the benefit from the sunk cost of $100 is not proportionate to the $30 spent going from Apple to KZ. Are the KZs a good audiophile earphone in the grand scheme of things? Absolutely not. However, for the merely curious, $30 is almost an unbeatable price. You can't say you wasted your money, and we're way behind thinking that you got sold overpriced snake oil. This is also a great point for said music enthusiast to get off. Maybe, to them, they don't need to spend any more money to enjoy their music. And this is a perfect spot for them to get off and enjoy the $30-150 they spent. However, they may find themselves now capable of being more discerning to the audio quality they listen to. And this is where the meat and bones of my comment and reply to you begin. The Magni-Modi stack is great for middle-of-beginner-phase audiophiles to dip their toes into desktop audio. Just my two cents, but if you're an early adolescent, you can spend plenty of time in portable, IEM land and not feel the need to upgrade. However, if you're a young adult, you might find yourself wanting more immediately, and want to get out of IEM land. At which point, desktop audio is great. Magni-Modi + Sony 7506 or Shure SRH440 would be my reccomendation for only $300. In my opinion, while many find themselves going down the IEM rabbit hole because of the skintight intimacy in presentation while still presenting great clarity and low distortion, a desktop setup+headphones offer a much more mature presentation. It's more nuanced, more balanced, etc. I believe that most young adults can take the Magni-Modi stack and run a long way with it. For fresh beginner audiophiles, this would last them a long, long time. Once again, the audiophile that finds themselves here can take a rest here and reflect on their experience. Do they need to spend more than $300 to enjoy their music? I personally believe that the combination listed above is particularly special, because it goes beyond dipping one's toes in the water. It's a jump into an ankle level pool at the local clubhouse. The water is very comfortable, and you can have a lot of fun splashing around in the water. For a few, this is enough money invested for the amount of enjoyment/fun. For another few, they know they can spend more to get even better sound and even greater enjoyment. But for most, they're currently splashing in the water having a grand old time. However, for the more discerning, Magnius-Modius is a solid choice for beginning-of-intermediate phase audiophiles who specifically want to try a desktop setup with discrete dac and amp components. Pair with Sennheiser HD6XX or Beyerdynamic DT990 ($200) plus appropriate 3rd party XLR cable (~$50-100) for a grand total of $700. This is knee level water. Beginner audiophiles cannot fully appreciate this system until they've had significant outside experience with a loudspeaker system of approximately the same value. To make it thigh, or even crotch level water, consider the HD600 or DT1990 ($400/$550, so total approx. $1k). For a significant amount of people, this can be endgame. Now, to answer your questions: Is Modius+Magnius a better option for long term (than Magni-Modi)? Does the law of diminishing returns apply? The answer is that they both depend on your own audiophile journey. If you've had signifcant experience listening to midrange loudspeaker hifi ($1000-3000), then I'd say the Magni-Modi would be perfectly fine. If you're already at the intermediate level of desktop audio, it would be fine as well. But if you're already deep into the intermediate-level desktop hifi, I would suggest perhaps using Bifrost 2 as the DAC, to really nail in the Schiit sound. The Modius isn't a bad dac by any means, and it's priced very competitively, but its function-to-price bracket ratio leaves it in a bit of a no-mans-land. The Modi offers a much better value for the money for beginners, and the Bifrost offers a much more distinct sound for intermediates. Therefore, for intermediates, the saving grace of the Modius is that it pairs well in a stack with the Magnius. But at the intermediate level, I'd also suggest the Topping D90+A90 stack ($1400) or the integrated DX7 Pro ($552 refurbished on Apos). But I'm going to assume you're either a fresh audiophile or currently in that first stage where you've begun to experience concepts such as soundstage, imaging, sound quality, distortion, resolution, speed, and the like. In which case, there are several things to consider. The first is the time you're willing to put in, then closely followed by the money you're willing to spend. If hifi is something you think you're going to be into for the next 5 years and you can afford it, then I think Magnius+Modius is a solid investment. The sunk cost will probably be the different headphones or IEMs you'll try and pair with it. The benefit is that over time, you'll likely hear past what the Magni+Modi would have offered in the first place. However, you won't know what you missed out on. On the other hand, spending $300 for the Magni-Modi stack isn't just cheaper, in the long run you'll be more appreciative of future upgrades (as a beginning audiophile). And obviously, if you're jumping in the ankle-height pool and it turns out you don't like it, the lower cost means that it's much easier to move forward from this experience emotionally.

[@brianlambie9350]

@@munmunyee Wow! Amazing comment. I'm saving this for future reference. Thank you for taking the time to write this. So helpful!

[@liquidrl5263]

@@munmunyee great comment man, thank you

[@vidabogotana]

​@@munmunyee Wow! (a VERY BIG WOW!) I was going through a few old emails and (idiot me) I didn't realize I had missed on the friendliest, most exhaustive, empathic, smart, and generous comment I've EVER seen to any question of mine, during my lifetime. In the end I got an Asgard - Modius stack, with a pair Meze 99 Classics. I moved that to my larger set and got a Vali 2 with a Modi; and finally I just couldn't resist getting a Bifrost 2/64 when it came out. The devil told me I had to get my hands on a R2R dac to compare with a chip dac I honestly can't hear a difference between the DACs they all sound the same to me. The problem is most likely ME and my listening capabilities. However, I'm sure that if I switched to more resolving headphones I'd probable hear the difference. Now, when it comes to listening on my speakers; I can hear the difference with the Bifrost 2/64 (streaming via WiiM pro and managed via Roon). I hear the air, the openness and I feel it's "organic". I see it as a journey. Nothing is making me think I'll be spending more money on DACs in the near future. You deserve a longer response, but for now, all I can say is THANK YOU!

[@jochikondur]

I have a practical question on how you keep dust off all your equipment and cables (including the back of shelves and racks, and flooring below them), what's your cleaning frequency and routine? Thanks.

[@Currawong]

I have an air filter in the room, but primarily by having a duster within reach, along with wet wipes for my desk pad and a battery-powered vacuum cleaner. It's almost a daily effort.

[@CinemaDemocratica]

Good review but next time you should put a couple of pieces of stereo equipment behind you so the backdrop isn't so sparse and boring.

[@howr_d2682]

Schiit just recently released the magni unity with an internal dac which is the same as the current modi I believe for about 189 dollars. I was wondering if that would be a good buy over the conventional magni/modi stack if you had any experience with the new magni unity.

[@animaze8043]

Would it be a worthwhile upgrade to consider anything other than the Yggy to replace an almost 10 year old Calyx dac with linear power supply?

[@Currawong]

Depends on your tastes and system. I tend to recommend Chord, Schiit and Audio-gd in order of preference towards accurate soundstage versus most options and degree of euphonic tuning.

[@madtitan7547]

How does the 3E sound?

[@shalokin]

Hi, I wonder if you can help, I have just ordered a modi 3+ from the States and accidentally ordered the US power supply instead of the UK version, do you know if I can simply plug it into an adapter without any issues? thanks

[@shalokin]

Paused video to ask question, then saw your ipad suggestion, still need a pointer

[@Currawong]

You'll blow things up if you plug a 120V adaptor into a 240V socket. The PSU is just a generic USB power supply. Grab an old iPhone charger or similar and use that.

[@shalokin]

@@Currawong excellent, thank you

[@paulyllow]

Just curious. Is there a Modi3 Multibit with unison USB coming? Any review of the MODI3 Multibit? Any issues with the Old USB port in that?

[@Currawong]

A new model is highly unlikely. The multibit version was due to stop production AFAIK.

[@OctaviusGeorge]

Can I use it with my iphone X? and is it a good match with the magni 3+

[@samhice600]

yes. just grab a cable micro usb to lighting (or micro usb to 3.5mm with the apple dongle adapter) and in regards to pairing it with the magni 3+ it is a perfect pair. the infamous "schiit stack" as people call it. really good bang for buck.

[@MegaCazzam]

Had to buy one from the US to the UK anyone know a good charger replacement? Just any ipad charger with usb A?

[@Currawong]

Check what it says on the included charger, as it should be 100-240V compatible.

[@grantking4681]

I have an old Rotel amp/tuner, probably around 30 years old, maybe more. Is it possible to plug a USB stick with music into the DAC, then in turn connect that into amp and listen to my songs or is it a little more complicated than that?

[@Currawong]

You need a streaming DAC for that, which has a USB port for that purpose.

[@kevinz8953]

I already have a modi3, is it necessary to upgrade to modi3+? How will the sound quality improve?

[@Currawong]

No need to upgrade. If you are going to upgrade, save up for a whole greater system.

[@kevinz8953]

THX

[@facedance7587]

hey how do i use this Dac with the audio technica ath-r70x.

[@Currawong]

With a Magni amp or similar.

[@happychaosbikelab]

How does the Magni3+ pair with Pro-ject Debut Carbon Evo?

[@Currawong]

You'll need a Mani phono pre-amp as well if you're using the Magni with a turntable.

[@axlsavage]

Can the output of the Modi go directly to a input of a AV receiver?

[@Currawong]

Yes.

[@arkasingha6111]

Awesome video. I am thinking to use this with my Raspberry Pi for Spotify connect. Will it be good?

[@Currawong]

Should be good. I use a Raspberry Pi to stream to DACs as well.

[@jedwakefield3236]

Is it possible to record music on a USB directly from the Schiit DAc

[@Currawong]

No. You need an ADC (Analog to Digital Converter). A DAC only goes the other way.

[@larrys1911]

I own one for a bedroom system. It is good sounding for what it is. It is no where near as good as the Yggdrasil or my Luxman DA-06 and Chord Qutest DAC's. Plus it uses crappy micro usb connections which tends to break after time from my experience with other gear using micro usb. I would rather pay the extra money for something that is going to last. At least put a usb B port.

[@ikemi1]

My windows 10 desktop computer stopped recognising my Schiit Modi 3

[@mobilepsycho]

micro usb? for cost reasons

[@jimmyblues59m76]

Pound for pound the YGG wins easily!

[@dwberg09]

so i cant power the dac just through my computer and use the optical cable for audio? is there even a difference plugging in the wall vs computer to power the dac?

[@Currawong]

It has to be powered regardless. Whether you use your computer's USB port for power or an external power supply doesn't matter.

[@dwberg09]

@@Currawong thank you!

[@DJHastingsFeverPitch]

This is something I don't understand. If a dac is just reconstructing a voltage signal using the Nyquist theorem, why would one sound harsher? Shouldn't they just sound identical?

[@Currawong]

The Nyquist Theorem is just that. It's actually impossible to implement perfectly. You'd need infinite computing power. The harshness usually comes from electrical noise, usually from power supplies, passing through the circuits. Likewise, you'll often see people say "Digital is just 1's and 0's" but that is completely misleading.

[@DJHastingsFeverPitch]

@@Currawong oh hey thanks for responding! So would you say that the difference in DAC quality is more due to electrical isolation than anything else?

[@stressballer]

Is this a missed opportunity when they don't use USB type C or at least USB type B? Why the micro connectors? They are so flimsy.

[@Currawong]

I don't recall the reason for using micro connectors (though I'd guess it makes it easier to connect to a phone) but the reason USB-C didn't make it on to the 3+ was that, at the time it being designed, USB-C connectors were too expensive. Now that the price has come down, they are putting them on newer products. I believe that the ESS-based version of the Modi 3+ will use USB-C.

[@alanrogs3990]

Would something like this be good for an old CD player with digital outputs to upgrade its sound?

[@Currawong]

Could be! You just need a 75 Ohm cable to use with it, assuming it has an S/PDIF output.

[@RobertSmith-bh5cv]

You've probably tried it by now, but I just hooked up a Modi3+ to my ancient AMC CD8b, (like the simple design and rugged Sony transport, sound though was just OK). I was pleasantly surprised at what an improvement it made. Much bigger soundstage and stronger bass and highs and just much more fun to listen to. As Currawong points out, it's not the most refined sound but it's pretty darn good. Eventually I'll upgrade and relegate the Modi to streaming playlists when we have guests over but for now I'm really enjoying it. (Little) money well spent.

[@david-jq2gb]

Oh yeah, Currawong - you’re strayin yeah?

[@Currawong]

Yup.

[@ArthurBugorski]

But even there $200 Modius or even the Yggdrasil still don't use USB-C... but their gamer amp/dacs both do USB-C. I am by no means an expert, but I am a computer engineer so this is a little eyebrow raising. It'd be nice to have additonal USB for passthrough for video. Also it would be neat to see them go from a PIC32 to an ASIC (after the shortage) for the USB controller and see if there is an audible difference.

[@Currawong]

The gamer gear was designed and released more recently. Regardless, there's absolutely no benefit to using USB-C on a DAC. If anything, it'd be more headaches for Schiit and their customers, as USB-A to B cables are consistent in what they do, but there are a variety of types of USB-C cables, some of which would be no good.

[@mick2d2]

The problem with micro usb is theyre much more prone to failure.

[@rrchannel2464]

I believe it is pronounced Skiit

[@cloudcultdev]

wait, you're saying that buying a USB-C vs mini-USB was that big of a deal? i might be missing something, but USB-C components are roughly $1.50 USD, vs $1.10 Mini/Micro-USB (each). Bill me for that USB-C please...I'll gladly pay.

[@Currawong]

They are now, but at the time Schiit was gathering a BOM for the Modi 3+, they were considerably more expensive. For the Hel, they now have USB-C, because the price dropped. This is all written up in the Schiit Happened chapters on Head-Fi. :)

[@cloudcultdev]

@@Currawong that's a fair point; makes sense. do you think they'll have an update at some point? to be honest (and if you know these folks well), this is what gives me pause on pulling the trigger. i know it's a small detail, as an Apple audio/video user/maker, I'm avoiding any new purchases that aren't USBC.

[@FURDOG1961]

1:55 7:18... 3+ AKM chip 9:35 11:20...Apple chargers.

[@alternatereality7713]

I purchased Modi 3+ and you don't need the power supply if you connect over USB. Power supply is for SPIDIF and toslink connectors.

[@dmitrys410]

that's what i wanted to ask. I use usb as well. manual sais you dont need additional power but if i connect it anyways will it be better?

[@MyouKyuubi]

@@dmitrys410 no, it just adds another audio-source.

[@johnyannelli2480]

Yeah, maybe. But MAC desktop simply doesn't recognize it.

[@theonlyegg]

The last 3 Macs I've owned all worked fine with it. Sounds like a you problem.

[@larryh9525]

Based on your review and a few others, I ordered a Modi 3+. Currently, I'm using a Micca Origen G2, which on paper should have been easily exceeded by the Modi 3+. Even though it appears that the Modi was working properly, it didn't seem as musical or lively as the Micca. Interestingly, the Micca isn't just a DAC, it's a headphone amp and has preamp-outs to drive self-powered speakers. The unit cost $109 on Amazon (here in the US). Not sure if you can get one in your corner of the world, but if you can, I'd be interested in your opinion. BTW, the music source is Qobuz on a Samsung S8, running USB Audio Player Pro (in bit-perfect mode) to the Micca. Doing this bypasses the 24bit/48K Android upsampling. As for the Apple charger idea... it works great!

[@wesleyleigh4063]

Does no one else wonder why so little people are willing to A: actually discuss the circuitry involved in these devices, or B: blind test via a standardised method to assess sonic quality of variability? Like what is the point of this review, really? A stand out, affectionate and articulate young fellow, sure but can he really even say he is veritably hearing a difference, and that difference is indeed lesser to the conveniently more expensive products?

[@Currawong]

If you do distortion tests with actual headphones, rather than resistors as the load, it's easy to see the difference between the performance of different amps. As for blind tests, it depends how you set them up as to how successful they will be. With these amps, it'd be easy to succeed using high quality, complex music with heavy bass at high volumes through a pair of demanding headphones. In my case, I don't need to do a blind test to tell me what I already know -- that music quality and how loud you listen affect what experience you'll get from cheaper or more expensive amps. That's just a simple way of explaining what otherwise would require knowledge of maths and electronics to understand. Cheers. :)

[@kampf-wuffi]

Micro-USB, come on.

[@Currawong]

The current model has USB-C.

[@test46243]

I bought the Modi 3+ and the Magni 3+ and they produce emotionless soulless music. The onboard audio on my motherboard does a much better job of presenting music. I'm befuddled as to how Schiit gets so many rave reviews.

[@ringbadingbingrading1181]

Might be showing you the recordings how they are mate. The truth can sound pretty boring sometimes! More accurate is certainly not always better, but that's how it is treated.

[@blakebrockhaus347]

It could also be that the motherboard on your PC is boosting the bass and treble. Which will be more fun sounding.

[@evalee4718]

used this DAC and destroyed my setup -- lost two amps [Schitt's Magni Heresy and Alex Cavalli Tube Hybrid Amp (CTH)] and two headphones (Philips X2HR and Denon AHD-5200). don't get this schitt

[@Currawong]

How did that happen? Something would have had to catastrophically fail to destroy that much gear.

[@evalee4718]

​@@Currawong so I had the CTH and it started to have this high pitch, so I swapped back to the schitt magni amp thinking the CTH was faulty. I got the Denon for christmas and was swapping between that and the Philips, which both had right ear issues. So then we plugged in two more headphones to test, Meze 99 and another, both had the high pitch. That's when I realized it was the DAC. I swapped both to JDS Labs and haven't had an issue for months now. I sent in email to Schitt Audio explaining what I did, the equipment I swapped and wanted to know what could've gone wrong. I'm no expert just wondering about the setup. No answer, so the 2nd inquiry (a bit miffed) was sent and that's when they offered a full refund if I sent both back. I'm sad that $200 Schitt equipment did not work out for me. I know time to time someone gets a crappy equipment, but a timely response would have been nice, instead of a "I'm very sorry to hear what happened. I'm sorry we never received the first email. I'm not sure what happened with that. I'm very sorry for the delay." Will see, they're offering to look at the equipment and possibly "fix" the headphones.

[@powerhitter033]

@@evalee4718 Any update on your story?

[@navion06]

Thanks!

[@Currawong]

Welcome!

[@robinhannasch8600]

Great video! Would the 5W iPhone charger have the same effect? I have a lot of those but no iPad ones.

[@Currawong]

Try it and see if you hear any difference. I haven't seen noise measurements of the 5W charger to know for sure.

[@EnigmaPhi23]

Thanks!

[@Currawong]

Welcome!