Schiit Modi Multibit 2 DAC Review - The Mid-Fi Single Ended DAC We've Been Waiting For?

The MMB2 was a private loan. Schiit has no knowledge of this review prior to its posting.
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Timestamps...
00:00 Intro, Pricing, Disclaimers
01:05 Shameless Self Promotion
01:32 It's Single Ended! That's Exciting!
03:30 Specs & Build
07:56 Power Brick & Ergonomics Commentary
10:49 Test Gear
13:06 Sound
18:35 Comparison to OG Modius
23:36 Comparison to Geshelli J2 ESS
26:33 Comparison to Musician Draco
28:49 Comparison to Bifrost 2/64
30:49 MMB2 NOS vs OS
32:31 Unison USB
33:48 Is It The SE DAC We've Been Waiting For?

[@wavetheorysound]

~8 minutes I goof: the wall wart supplies AC not DC. Be careful if you're going to upgrade power supplies. Match the output type that's printed on the stock wall wart.

[@willie9537]

My man, WT, thanks, brother.

[@itsthesun412]

Really great video! Thank you for making it longer and going into more details and I really appreciate your direct style. It's refreshing to hear someone who has definitive opinions

[@sydneybird116]

Thanks for the review. I agree with everything that you say about the Multibit 2 sound characteristics. Mine is being driven by a WIIM Pro via optical (using a DSD Tech SH-AC01A SPDIF splitter) and listened using Monolith M1060C planar magnetic headphones. I A/B'ed (using a Solupeak ST42 line level audio switcher) with the AKM4493SEQ chip that is in the WIIM Pro+ and the AKM4493EQ chip that is in the Monolith Liquid Spark DAC. I find the sound from each of the AKM's to be indistinguishable. The holographic sound of the Multibit makes the AKM's sound like a flat sheet, zero depth, with vocals hitting the inside of the forehead. I really like the timbre, the air, the expanded height and depth of the Multibit. Symphonies now have properly placed instruments front to back. Jennifer Lopez on On the Floor moves from 6 ft away when belting it out to 3 inches away from my mouth when she whispers. I have been trying to open up the soundstage of the Liquid Spark with add-ons like the BBE282ir Sonic Maximizer (a fun device well worth adding to the chain especially if your ears are older than 60 to fine tune the tone and add back in the lost treble) and the Fosi Audio Tube-P1 pre-amp (stock tubes make zero difference; didn't add to the timbre or harmonics and nothing to the depth to my ears).

[@papapatriot]

Just a great review of the sound! I own one and you described it perfectly!

[@PopPop017]

I just received this DAC today; This is my first DAC SYSTEM ; ADCOM 5500 ADCOM 500II JBL L-7 Apple Lossless Amazon unlimited One way I can explain this compared to my Sony cd player is ; This DAC extracts all the micro details, nuances, that are missed with older cd players, I have heard moving about in the studio, guitar changes, and other things not brought out by cd player, but not only that, this unit seems to give every vocal instrument its full timbre/attack and decay which is mind boggling beautiful! I understand there are a ton of Chinese companies making these, but I like the attitude of this company and design, if my system were tens of thousands more, their higher offerings might be appropriate, but this is a gorgeous sounding unit! Right out the box to iPhone 15 promax with no hiccups! I highly recommend and thank you Schiit- happy listening 🙏

[@carbon_wavelight]

Very in depth, much appreciated. Looking forward to the Draco review

[@drhonk]

A very nice review. This is the comparison I’ve been looking for.

[@danielgrubb9496]

You did a really great job explaining your experience with this piece. Good content, thanks!!!

[@Scrufboy]

Great Review! - Important to note... That is not a DC wall-wart. it is AC...This is important to know if you do intend on replacing the wall-wart with the type of power supply the author mentions.

[@TimpTim]

I like the comparisons, thanks.

[@saint_odonnell]

I’m new to your channel but I thoroughly enjoy your reviews and appreciate your more grounded scientific approach. I would be so grateful if you would investigate the Fiio K9 Pro AKM & ESS versions, as it seems like a sound purchase (no pun intended) for my use case. Any chance you have this in your sights?

[@xfoscho]

Hey, new viewer here! I really appreciate the way you explain sound with such clarity. Thank you for this video

[@mikesatteson1534]

Nice review. A word of caution on the wall wart, it supplies 16 VAC.

[@NeilBlanchard]

This is something that I missed on several of Schiit's products. It is just a transformer, and you can't necessarily use a DC power supply.

[@ishmaelk]

Great and thorough review. Do you have any thoughts on how this fares against the EF400 as a dac only? Thanks.

[@reticulatedralphie7176]

Thanks for the review, I almost bought this DAC the other day without even doing any research. Now I know I want to keep saving for the Bifrost. You're like an audio investment advisor that hunts trolls in the comment section. I laughed, I cried, I learned something.

[@frederf69]

Absolutely agree about "the Schiithouse sound" (thanks, I needed a laugh) timbre is excellent, but I wonder what the issue is with their RCA SE outputs... Good review ✌😎👍

[@beaverish]

I have BF2 OG, Modi Multibit v1/v2, Modius and now Modi Multibit 2. Modi Multibit 2 sounds really good for the price, but I still prefer the old Schiit's house sound with that organic warm sound. With regards to the Modius, I have never liked the XLR out of the Modius even though many people have claimed that it sounds better than SE. From what I remember, XLR had bit more dynamics with tighter bass but sounded a bit leaner while SE had fatter bass but with a more airy but recessed treble.

[@anthrobug]

Since you have both, and I also enjoy that warm organic sound, would you recommend getting a Modi Multibit 1 used vs a new one? I've heard the new Multibit lost some of the that traditional Schiit 'multibit' sound signature.

[@beaverish]

@@anthrobug I would say yes. However, the old modi multibit has inferior USB implementation and does run hotter than the new one, so those are some things to keep in mind if you want to buy the old one. I only use mine with spdif so can't comment on how it sounds with USB.

[@anthrobug]

@@beaverish I'm also only using spdif, so that sounds perfect for me - Thank you!

[@tonymosley6951]

Does the Modi Multibit 2 have the same sound stage width as the Modi Multibit OG?

[@beaverish]

@@tonymosley6951 they're about the same, just different sound signatures.

[@kevintj604]

Great thorough review as always. I’m currently using an iFi Gryphon as the DAC to my Magni Piety. By all accounts the Modi Multibit seems to be a better choice. I’m torn between the J2 and the Modi. Not sure if this review answers my questions.

[@peytonsnead3114]

Struggling with the same choice.

[@mosey4650]

tried one of these, it sounded almost identical to my ~13 year old asus Xonar Essence STX Soundcard. It and the HP amp from schiit went back - not that they were bad, they just weren't worth the cost to 'upgrade', not even close. There was a very, very, very subtle difference in sound, to be fair when doing A/B tests. Decided to try Geshelli Labs J2(akm version)/E2 combo - significant improvement in sound, IMHO

[@error4159]

You mentioned the issues you having in comparing the Multibit to the balanced Magnius. Couldn't you connect the Multibit to the different balanced amps with a pair of RCA to XLR cables? That would eliminate any sound (but not volume) difference's between the amp's balance and single ended connects.

[@samuellord8576]

Excellent work as usual! Two quibbles from me, as usual: Schiit gets pretty purist with their cheapest designs. The power switch on back has an obvious reason: noise. _No_ actual power switch belongs in the front of a unit with an affordable chassis. You are an EE and should explain that easily. More expensive gear either has a metal-isolated-and-shielded wire for it, or has a large PS on an entire side of the unit, or has the front power button run a breaker at the rear, or is much noisier! Oops, you said it wasn't such a big deal on the MM. Never mind!🙂 Line lumps vs. wall warts add cost, significantly for a $275 unit, about $6 to the consumer (generating a new $281 price) considering a ~$2 increase in parts and packaging cost. But yes they are better, so scratch one quibble. Again, great work!

[@wavetheorysound]

Thanks for the comment. Yeah, on most Schiit gear it's not an issue to have the power switch on the back. I know some people hate that but for dacs and solid state amps it's whatevs for me. The ones that get me are their tube based products that do the same, Saga, Lyr, etc. With those Schiit explicitly recommends turning them off when not in use to preserve tube life, yet still put the switch on the back. That leaves end users to plan on positioning the gear not only to provide proper ventilation, but also to provide room to reach around the unit to toggle the power without brushing hand/wrist/arm against a hot tube. Now, the tubes don't get so hot on those devices to be a major safety concern unless someone insists on holding their flesh against the tube for some masochistic reason, but it's hot enough to jolt you to attention. And why do we want to increase the amount of traffic around a glass tube anyway? And then Schiit's attitude when asked about this is to snicker and shame those who ask through sarcasticly delivered engineering speak. Now, I still think Schiit makes some of the best bang-for-buck gear out there right now, and I realize that buying into a company that made their brand name a crude and juvenile scatological pun is a tip off to what kind of attitude you're dealing with. At the same time, I think the evidence is quite clear that Schiit is a company that is comfortable NOT going that last little bit further to create a top notch user experience. That's their right and literally their business. It's my business to make sure potential buyers are aware of that. Also, I'm a physicist, not an EE. Take your insults elsewhere 😜🤣

[@samuellord8576]

@@wavetheorysound Thank you so much for the detailed and very reasoned reply! I had forgotten about the tube units; crazy because I have a Saga+ that isn't installed yet. You make a convincing argument. FWIW I've been critical of their lack of proper cages around the tubes. They should at _least_ encourage aftermarketers to offer some. The plate voltages worry me most if a kid busts an active tube. Thanks again for your comment, and sorry about the insult, I'm a recovering physics student (short of my BS) and retired audio designer who thereby lacked important skills. P.S. I really liked your (initial?) 4-way discussion podcast with Goldensound, Currawong, and Lachlan.

[@uterpia]

Thank you

[@wurlitsyzer9810]

what would you say about the Focusrite Clarett+ ? would be interesting to hear a hifi opinion to it :)

[@Bushviking]

Great review, thanks. Would have liked a comparison to the Cayin RU6, the mini one. Similar in price too.

[@spamcan9208]

Same here, looking at the RU6 as an option. I've heard others using it as their main DAC even though it's USB only.

[@sopasadena1499]

Do you prefer the MB2 to the Geshelli J2 AKM or ESS?

[@hansmurris6716]

@wavetheory hi, do you think of reviewing the RME ADI-2 FS DAC’s any time soon? I might buy one, thinking of the ADI-2/4 Pro SE or the ADI-2 Pro FS R BE. You have any experience with them or suggestions? Thanks a lot!

[@wavetheorysound]

I have no leads on any RME products currently. I'm not opposed if the opportunity presents itself.

[@SIZLL]

you should review the Violectric HPA V222

[@pullrich001]

Do you think this would be a noticeable upgrade to the DAC in my Musical Fidelity M3si integrated amp?

[@barryreinschreiber]

You say that you have revised your opinion on BF2/64 XLR vs SE. Would you elaborate on this?

[@jerryj.7905]

Sorry, I do not regard the position of the on/off switch as very crucial. I think it underlines the visual simplicity of the unit. It enhances the design / optics. Furthermore, this unit consumes so little power that you could almost neglect the on/off feature. But on the whole, nice review!

[@1800Swagg]

This or EF400 as just a DAC? I've owned the EF400 before but I wasn't using it's single ended line out at the time. I thought it (the EF400) sounded so phenomenal though for jazz and older music. Thanks!

[@blue6point62]

Is this a worth while upgrade from E50 with LPS or save my money for a bigger upgrade? Goal is a more analog and warmer sound.

[@hodun8]

If you're going for analog sound this is your dac. I've had it 6 months paired with Yamaha and KLH and it's glorious

[@lextr3110]

What is your first pic dac under 1500$

[@getstew]

Hi. Opinion please? What's going to give me better sound: the DAC that's in my Emotiva PT1 or a Schitt Modi Multi-bit going into that same PT1's RCA in? My source is a Mac Mini M1 using USB out. Thanks!

[@peytonsnead3114]

Almost certainly will improve your sound, depending on your system. MMB2 has a long burn in. It sounds really harsh out of the box, but run it for a week and it mellows out. It is more revealing of bad recordings.

[@getstew]

@@peytonsnead3114 Thanks! I replaced all that with Audiolab 7000A, so I have that to consider. Also been looking at the Geshelli stuff. :-)

[@peytonsnead3114]

@@getstew I have too. I would like to get another DAC for my main system and use the MMB2 for my headphone stack. The J2 with the right op amps should sound better than MMB2, but it would cost about the same as a used Bifrost or a Mojo2.

[@zzezzobike]

what a waste of time and words, the moment I plugged this dac into my DarkVoice I forgot about any DAC previously used and they were all between 200-400€.No comparison needed,this gives more real music than all other delta sigma dacs or Mojo. Thanks

[@sydneybird116]

I agree with you but not the waste of time or words. It was nice to here WaveTheory confirm everything that I was hearing.

[@Zepp-]

Can we call this a upgrade? Creative g6 to Schiit Modi Multibit + Schiit Magni 3

[@kenokeno00]

Is this MM2 DAC similar to the True Multibit DAC USB card../ In Sound & Performance Aside Of The Extra Inputs...Thanks..!!

[@error4159]

Are there 500 SACD's worth owning?

[@metalman0708]

The J2 is a $600 dac. Not a very fair comparison.

[@Truthtalks86]

Is it an op-amp output?

[@PartyMusic775]

Yggdrasil vs Berkeley Alpha, please !

[@Reeeepicheep]

This just seems like a rushed disappointment. Should have been sonically identical to the original but USB-powered with unison. Instead, it has unison but still requires wall wort and has a completely different flavor of sound that deviates from the warm, thick, smooth, analog magic Schiit’s multibit was known for. I’ve lost faith in Schiit’s DACs since the 2/64 onwards. Just loving my OG Schiit gear.

[@Truthtalks86]

Maybe a good linear supply would really help it out?

[@Truthtalks86]

I was also wondering if it uses an op amp for its output maybe a burson or a sparcos ?

[@CompetentSalesUSA]

You don't need any warm up.😮

[@NeilBlanchard]

I am glad you reviewed this DAC; but I'm not sure how having the option for balanced means that the single ended outputs worse? The Modius has an AKM, chip, I believe? Mine does, at least. You should *definitely* listen to the Geshelli J2 AKM - with a decent linear power supply, it is significantly better than the Ares II, and Bifrost 2/64 in my opinion.

[@spamcan9208]

I believe the reason why it's worse is because manufactures put more effort/better parts into the balanced option. That in turn reinforces the balanced is better belief. I read something from JDS Labs that explains why balanced isn't necessary.

[@NeilBlanchard]

@@spamcan9208 Understood - balanced requires 2X as many parts (broadly speaking), so having both in there is 3X as many as just single ended. But, my point is that comparing the single ended outputs of a DAC with only singled ended vs one with both - doesn't put the former at an advantage. They are both single ended, and they should be judged on how they sound. All else being equal, balanced does have higher voltage signal, so it can have theoretical advantage. And the price of anything, is not any guaranty that it will sound better or worse. Edit: some builders use one of the balanced channels for single ended. So it isn't ideal but it reuses half the components.

[@peytonsnead3114]

So, J2 with AKM and a linear power supply is really better?

[@NeilBlanchard]

@@peytonsnead3114 Yes, in my opinion, it has better overall tonal balance, details, and soundstage layering. Textures and instrument separation, is better as well.

[@peytonsnead3114]

@@NeilBlanchard do you recommend a particular LPS?

[@peterpans4548]

The newest piece of WHAAAAT?!😅

[@arthurhaywood2184]

What I’m looking for is a single ended DAC that can serve as an upgrade to a cd player’s internal DAC. Does this fit the bill?

[@wavetheorysound]

That's going to depend on the CD player and also what kind of sound you're looking for. What model CD player?

[@arthurhaywood2184]

@@wavetheorysound Emotiva ERC-3

[@wavetheorysound]

@@arthurhaywood2184 with the caveats I haven't heard the ERC-3 I will say that the odds are very much in favor of the MMB2 being superior to it at converting digital to analog. My reasons are 1) it looks like the ERC-3 is a nearly decade old model. DAC tech has made HUGE strides since. 2) Even in 2014 the ERC-3 was a $400 unit that included CD playing ability AND a dac, where the MMB2 is a dedicated dac for $300. So, not a guarantee but I put the odds strongly in favor of the MMB2 being a noticeable dac upgrade. The only issue might be that you've grown accustomed to the ERC-3 sound, which could mean you need some adjustment time to a new sound before you make a final decision, or just that the MMB2's sound, while better, is just not your bag. Only you can figure out those last 2 questions. Good luck.

[@arthurhaywood2184]

@@wavetheorysound Thank you sir! One correction on my part. I actually own the current iteration which is the ERC-4. The ERC-4 is a $600 player that’s built like a $2000 player. It’s sound is neutral and it’s only real shortcoming is that it isn’t gapless.

[@larryeckerdt9750]

I use MM2 as my dac from a Sony BluRay player by coax, and I was quite pleased with the sound. Definitely better than relying on the onboard dac.

[@kato2395]

This DAC is so much better than the topping E50, it doesn't sound forced and boosted on the treble and lower frequency region unlike the E50. I am so far liking the Modi Multibit 2 and is satisfied with my purchase. Sounds so terrible out of the box though, almost thought I made a big mistake buying it. The bass is so overwhelming and sounds muddy at first. I let it on for a night and suddenly the problem fixes itself. I don't know what happened but I don't really care as long as it works now.

[@xcvbxcvb2179]

Most all electronics needs break-in. Some amps needs hundreds of hours play time before sounding optimal.

[@kato2395]

@P T E70 sounds like an overall better dac than the E50!

[@asplmn]

R2R ladder DACs (multibit) are more temperature dependent. For example, the OG Yggdrasil sounds like garbage within the first hour of powering on.

[@asplmn]

@pt265 an hour after powering on*. Once it's been on for a bit, you're good to go -- unless you always turn your DAC off after you're done listening?

[@scottlowell493]

Ironic your headline says "mid-fi" when the MM2 equals or flat out blows away almost any costly hi fi dac from a decade ago.

[@tigerbalm666]

How dare you call it a POS!

[@RoccoXYZ1]

Verbose to insomnia inducing. Too many digression. Get to the point.

[@albeklik8055]

Man you ramble too much😢

[@dangerzone007]

Bits are bits so that should all sound the same the same.

[@dangerzone007]

@P T the nyquist theorem predicts what analogue output will be produced which is the same for all DACs

[@zzezzobike]

Let's say that you don't understand this, ok?

[@asplmn]

​@@dangerzone007you misunderstand. It's true that the Nyquist theorem plays a role in the fundamental nature of signal reconstruction, but that's only a small piece. Did you forget that you have to amplify this small signal to line level? There's also numerous different approaches to take, mathematically, for filtering in the digital domain, all of which subtly effect the waveform. I have a M.S. in electrical engineering. I get the objectivist approach. But, I've been able to reliably tell the difference between different source gear. It's subtle, but there nonetheless.

[@dangerzone007]

@@asplmn So how do you know which one is correct?

[@asplmn]

@@dangerzone007 part of the journey in this hobby is to realize that it'll _never_ be 100% correct. Because, no matter what, you'll never know what the mastering engineer had in mind unless you use their specific setup, and even then, a lot of the time they master the song with horrible gear to ensure it still sounds fine for the masses. Therefore, I gave up on that idea a while ago. :) Instead, it's more about finding what works for you and your use case. For some people, they know vacuum tubes color the sound, but they find it overall more enjoyable that way. Objective measurements are great for ensuring that things aren't broken, and help us understand why we hear what we hear, but it shouldn't be the sole reason to buy something. Try some things out and see what you prefer. 👍

[@BenDover-xq8gj]

An add every 3 minutes. Will never come back to your channel.

[@charlesurias]

I used to think it was absurd to pay for KZbin, but KZbin Premium has made a noticeable improvement in my life, but that depends on how my you watch/listen.

[@xcvbxcvb2179]

I think this video could be shorter if you don't repeat yourself over and over again. Also sort out some useless information. Cheers

[@ChadGerstmeyer-vr1sg]

Agree! I had to watch on 1.5 speed and still had to jump ahead.