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Help about a Schitty Decision

priamXus

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Well guys I bought some HD6XX and got a nice deal on a superb Valhalla 2 which I’m gonna buy since even anti-Schiit people likes the conbo or at least the amp.

Now, regarding the DAC, I’m having trouble about ithat. I was asking in SBAF and i stated that I want a Loki and a Modi 3 since I read from everyone that (Except one reviewer) that it’s super clean and nothing in the middle would be necessary to optimize the sound signal (Wyrd or Eitr). Another option would be a second hand Bifrost Multibit with USB Gen5 since I consider if goin this way I can get one at a little higher price of a Mimby and Eitr.

Well the thing is that unless I put an Eitr on the way everyone there is calling the DACs as trash, even the Modi 3, even one guy recommend me the Modi 3 and after que modified the answer, replaced it with a Mimby+Eitr and called it trash.

So, what’s the story? It’s like I feel that people there wants to “sell me” the necessity of having the Eitr.

I don’t know. I read several subjective and objective reviews praising the Modi 3, and a lot of subjective ones about the Bimby saying it’s a good DAC.

Now Insimoky don’t know what to do. I have a mess in my head hahaha. I don’t want to add an Eitr because it’s not my fault if someone makes a product with a bad USB implementation. I thought this was kinda solved in the Modi 3 when they removed the capacitors from the DAC and went DC to remove unwanted noise. I can’t recall about hitter but I think I read the measures here and we’re good.

What option would you choose or what would you do in my place? I want something in design that matches the Valhalla 2 (Unless you can recommend me a good looking amp with good soundstage and I’ll avoid the Valhalla 2 and bye bye Schiit)
 

Dismayed

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Easy headphones to drive - a tube OTL design will work (that seems to be what you're looking for). You'll get much better build quality from Woo Audio than from Schiit. Solid state will be more accurate, of course.

https://wooaudio.com/amplifiers/wa3

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priamXus

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Easy headphones to drive - a tube OTL design will work (that seems to be what you're looking for). You'll get much better build quality from Woo Audio than from Schiit. Solid state will be more accurate, of course.

https://wooaudio.com/amplifiers/wa3

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Of course but I was asking about the DAC.

The Woo its 2.5x the price. I don’t have that budget. I think the Valhalla 2 for CAD$350, with extra tubes, it’s unbeatable.

I know a lot of people here don’t like Schitt, I’m asking or I want to know about the DAC and if going schiit ehasta the better option and in that case what’s the truth or myth about the Eitr. Is everyone being subjective about it or is it because or schitty USB implementation?
 

Dismayed

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Of course but I was asking about the DAC.

The Woo its 2.5x the price. I don’t have that budget. I think the Valhalla 2 for CAD$350, with extra tubes, it’s unbeatable.

I know a lot of people here don’t like Schitt, I’m asking or I want to know about the DAC and if going schiit ehasta the better option and in that case what’s the truth or myth about the Eitr. Is everyone being subjective about it or is it because or schitty USB implementation?

You should reread what you wrote:

"I want something in design that matches the Valhalla 2 (Unless you can recommend me a good looking amp with good soundstage and I’ll avoid the Valhalla 2 and bye bye Schiit)"

There are a lot of DAC reviews on this site, but very little on tube amps. I'll stay out of your thread - no need to deal with Schiit from newbies.
 
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priamXus

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You should reread what you wrote:

"I want something in design that matches the Valhalla 2 (Unless you can recommend me a good looking amp with good soundstage and I’ll avoid the Valhalla 2 and bye bye Schiit)"

There are a lot of DAC reviews on this site, but very little on tube amps. I'll stay out of your thread - no need to deal with Schiit from newbies.

Totally. I know I wrote that. But clearly if I’m talking about a Modi 3 it’s because I’m in a budget. If you are looking for a Mazda 3 car I’d not say, hey you know? A Mustang is a better option (of course it is it’s implied).

So maybe you will suggest DarkVoice or LittleDot then and I’d say I found them too warm.

Like I said and I repeat, I’m asking strictly about a Schiit(y) DAC. I want to know which option is the best from an objective and subjective point of view. SQ and capabilities.

Here I read a lot of reviews and I loved them, but nothing about SQ. In SBAF I found everything too subjective and the only solution for them is to put more money in more stuff to “fix” a crimpled implementation that should be fine since the first place.
 

KR8NUX

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The newer Modi3 measures well, Amir did measure it.
If you like your tubes, Valhalla 2 is fine. No IEMs though, just headphones with higher impedance.
If you would want solid state, we have the JDS Labs atom and even the Magni 3 is good now. Arguably even the O2 as a solid state is good enough for human audibility thresholds.
 
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priamXus

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The newer Modi3 measures well, Amir did measure it.
If you like your tubes, Valhalla 2 is fine. No IEMs though, just headphones with higher impedance.
If you would want solid state, we have the JDS Labs atom and even the Magni 3 is good now. Arguably even the O2 as a solid state is good enough for human audibility thresholds.

Thanks a lot ! Regarding the Eitr (USB to SPDIF) is it really worth it or is it just snake oil to sell more stuff?
 
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priamXus

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Amir has a post on USB vs SPDIF. That is fairly self explanatory.

Damn! Just read it!
What the hell, is what i though. What is schiit exactly selling then with the Eitr?
I understand the company with their amps, I don’t at all with their DAC’s except with the Modi 3.
 
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priamXus

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Thankfully one civil forum without hate.

Honestly I don’t know what happened. He raged at me so bad. Wasn’t expecting it.
I really appreciate Amir attitude. Loving this place.
 

ShiZo

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Dont fuck with schiit is my advice, even though you weren't looking for this type of advice.

Topping d50 and thx 789 massdrop amp and you have a system people would have paid thousands of dollars for a year ago.
 
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priamXus

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Dont fuck with schiit is my advice, even though you weren't look for this type of advice.

Topping d50 and thx 789 massdrop amp and you have a system people would have paid thousands of dollars for a year ago.
Well, since its not available it makes me think about the Monoprice THX Amplifier
 

Roen

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Dont fuck with schiit is my advice, even though you weren't looking for this type of advice.

Topping d50 and thx 789 massdrop amp and you have a system people would have paid thousands of dollars for a year ago.
I have this but I want to go SU-8 V2.
 

Roen

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Tone Board if you wanna DIY or don't care about naked board
Topping D10 for $64.99 if you do. Modi 3 works as well.
 

Dana reed

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previous Schiit DACs USB definitely had audible noise compared to other DACs or to SPDIF, and there are measurements here to show that as well. The Gen5 USB that I have has taken care of any audible issues for me. Also, looking at the review of the modi 3 here, the USB input seems really clean, so you could go with that w/o having the EITR. The only place I noticed it helped me was with the modi multibit, which still has the older USB implementation. But since I got a Gugnir with Gen5 USB, I haven't had an issue and I gave the modi 2 multibit to my son to get audio out of a blu ray player's coax so he could watch blu ray and dvd movies he couldn't stream on his chromebook.
 

ShiZo

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I say wait for what you really want. I wasted so much money getting things that I eventually upgraded from and then just sold on craigslist. That's just my philosophy on it.

I went from soundblaster zxr to jotunheim, jot to rme adi 2 dac, then to the hpa4.

I bought a bunch of accessories trying to make my schiit sound better when I should have just got the rme that had good usb implementation.
 

KR8NUX

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I say wait for what you really want. I wasted so much money getting things that I eventually upgraded from and then just sold on craigslist. That's just my philosophy on it.

I went from soundblaster zxr to jotunheim, jot to rme adi 2 dac, then to the hpa4.

I bought a bunch of accessories trying to make my schiit sound better when I should have just got the rme that had good usb implementation.

But diminishing returns start hitting really hard post that SMSL SU8/Topping D30/D50 + THX Amp option.
I personally just use separate poweramp for speakers. SMSL SU8V2 + THX 789 has maxed out endgame DAC+Amp for Headphones for me. Beyond this I would just get - better room treatment, different speakers, different headphones - in that order.
 
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