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Schiit Modius Balanced DAC Review

solderdude

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I was trying to say that it is arrogant to think that we have reached the pinnacle of audio recording and reproduction and that we cannot improve on it, ever.

I agree with that... sort of.
We need holographic sound recording and holographic sound reproduction that also removes the room effects of the listening room. That way sound waves can not only be captured in amplitude but also in direction.
That step is going to take a while and requires far greater bandwidths and storage.

That said, for now I have heard some truly great recordings which sound fantastic even on decent gear. This indicates that SQ limits are not due to technical issues.
Poor sound quality, in general, is not limited by recording and reproduction equipment but determined by the individuals operating it.
Amazing sound quality can already be reached with current techniques. We just have to convince sound engineers and mastering engineers to use it better. At least the ones that 'f things up.
 

Theriverlethe

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I agree with that... sort of.
We need holographic sound recording and holographic sound reproduction that also removes the room effects of the listening room. That way sound waves can not only be captured in amplitude but also in direction.
That step is going to take a while and requires far greater bandwidths and storage.

That said, for now I have heard some truly great recordings which sound fantastic even on decent gear. This indicates that SQ limits are not due to technical issues.
Poor sound quality, in general, is not limited by recording and reproduction equipment but determined by the individuals operating it.
Amazing sound quality can already be reached with current techniques. We just have to convince sound engineers and mastering engineers to use it better. At least the ones that 'f things up.

It’s just amplitude, frequency and time (phase), right? This is what really confuses me about Schiit’s claim for their multibit DAC’s. They say their digital filter is optimized for the time domain, which sounds like the definition of a standard linear phase filter.
 

Matias

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We are very lucky to live in a period where one can get this kind of performance for under $500. Only a few years ago, this would have been absolutely impossible.

Indeed the Schiit entry level DACs have improved their SINAD significantly over the years.
Modi 1 - 69
Modi 2 - 74
Modi Multibit - 82

Modi 3 - 107
Modius - 114

I wish their mid level and flagship DACs followed this evolution as well as their headphone amplifiers.
 

Sonny1

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Great review, Amir. I was not aware of this item and will probably pick it up. Very good to see Schiit offering excellent objective performance and high quality for a very good price. It’s also refreshing to see an electronics company make things in the US. After I clear out a few things, this one is on my list. Thanks!
 

solderdude

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It’s just amplitude, frequency and time (phase), right? This is what really confuses me about Schiit’s claim for their multibit DAC’s. They say their digital filter is optimized for the time domain, which sounds like the definition of a standard linear phase filter.

Frequency is amplitude change over time, phase is time difference between channels or between frequencies.
So it really is merely time and amplitude.
The claims is just salestalk which is desired by most customers. People want to buy a dream and to read/hear buzzwords.
 

T.M.Noble

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Indeed the Schiit entry level DACs have improved their SINAD significantly over the years.
Modi 1 - 69
Modi 2 - 74
Modi Multibit - 82

Modi 3 - 107
Modius - 114

I wish their mid level and flagship DACs followed this evolution as well as their headphone amplifiers.
Well, to be forthright, the owners of this company are not simply interested in creating products with the highest SINAD. If certain customers create a demand we will fill it. There are people who claim there are audible differences and they are less inclined to believe that the lowest possible distortion is as important. So we make things for them as well.

What we are trying to do now is create products for everyone. Schiit will be producing many more items that satiate your palate. Count on it.
 

Thomas savage

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Well, to be forthright, the owners of this company are not simply interested in creating products with the highest SINAD. If certain customers create a demand we will fill it. There are people who claim there are audible differences and they are less inclined to believe that the lowest possible distortion is as important. So we make things for them as well.

What we are trying to do now is create products for everyone. Schiit will be producing many more items that satiate your palate. Count on it.
Sell arms to both sides , double your market ha ha
 

Matias

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@T.M.Noble would you consider adding the same Magni Heresy circuit in the Modius board for a killer all-in-one?

DAC SINAD 114 + 1/4" 2W@32 ohms + XLR outs + around 300 usd price = huge win! o_O
 
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Matias

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Let me see what I can do for you...
0f25ee2d869ef533343ffaed0b830712.jpg

:D
 

Hemi-Demon

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Well, to be forthright, the owners of this company are not simply interested in creating products with the highest SINAD. If certain customers create a demand we will fill it. There are people who claim there are audible differences and they are less inclined to believe that the lowest possible distortion is as important. So we make things for them as well.

What we are trying to do now is create products for everyone. Schiit will be producing many more items that satiate your palate. Count on it.

I really appreciate the way you have responded with this post, and the also the way Schiit has taken the opportunity to create for all customers and have kept the discussion friendly!!

Now please, I will repeat, take my preorder money (if need be) for a Yggy 2 with a dual AK499, remote, with a preamp, dual balanced out in Black pretty please, so I can be done with all this multi-channel DAC shopping :)
 

T.M.Noble

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I really appreciate the way you have responded with this post, and the also the way Schiit has taken the opportunity to create for all customers and have kept the discussion friendly!!

Now please, I will repeat, take my preorder money (if need be) for a Yggy 2 with a dual AK499, remote, with a preamp, dual balanced out in Black pretty please, so I can be done with all this multi-channel DAC shopping :)
Doing my best. Glad to be here.
 

Pluto

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The danger sign to watch for is when the Schitt faithful start remarking that they “don't like the sound” of this unit

:eek:
 

T.M.Noble

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The danger sign to watch for is when the Schitt faithful start remarking that they “don't like the sound” of this unit

:eek:
Just for sake of argument, if you have two things that measure the same with the same feature set, do you not have to make aesthetic judgments based off of subjective experience? If one doesn't like the sound of Modius, I would emphatically tell them to not buy it. I am less interested in trying to be right than I am giving someone an experience they enjoy.
 

dinglehoser

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The danger sign to watch for is when the Schitt faithful start remarking that they “don't like the sound” of this unit

:eek:

I, for one, think that's a *good* thing. I still have my hearing and don't need a bunch of distortion to compensate for it. Plus, as @T.M.Noble said above, Schiit is still going to cater to the hard-of-hearing anyway. We get well-engineered, transparent components that let us hear, full spectrum, the recording engineer quietly pass gas ... and they get effects boxes that make them think they can smell said gas. :D
 

T.M.Noble

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I, for one, think that's a *good* thing. I still have my hearing and don't need a bunch of distortion to compensate for it. Plus, as @T.M.Noble said above, Schiit is still going to cater to the hard-of-hearing anyway. We get well-engineered, transparent components that let us hear, full spectrum, the recording engineer quietly pass gas ... and they get effects boxes that make them think they can smell said gas. :D
I could not have said it more eloquently.
 
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