• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Schiit Magni Heretic Headphone Amp Review

Rate this headphone amplifier:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 2 0.7%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 49 18.4%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 216 80.9%

  • Total voters
    267

threni

Major Contributor
Joined
Oct 18, 2019
Messages
1,277
Likes
1,519
Location
/dev/null
I read somewhere that the USB-C connectors are very finicky. Keep in mind that USB-C is just the form factor and there are a bunch of different standards jammed into that unified port connector. It's probably possible to implement with some time, but I don't think it's worth the effort for most smaller/mid-sized companies to spend that time on it when they could be improving more substantial aspects of their products.
You just plug them in and that's it - no problem. It's a well defined standard and you can put a lot of power through it - that's what the PD standard is which the OP was talking about (although it won't work on this amp as it requires AC). You can connect a 4k monitor to a laptop and power the laptop from the monitor via USB-C. It's great. A lot of connectors support different standards - you can plug two devices into a monitor via HDMI, for example, and discover one of them only updates at 30hz in 4k mode - nice. Standardizing on USB-C at least allows for consolidation of all these other sockets into just USB-C allowing cable reuse and ideally one standard to bind them, although I'm sure cheapskate manufacturers will screw that up as usual by cutting corners to save costs, be first to market etc.
 

BadAudioAdvice

Active Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2021
Messages
110
Likes
167
Location
CAN / USA
@amirm Would it be possible to also test the the pass-through RCA connection to ensure that it doesn't degrade the signal?

Or is it also possible that having an amplifier connected to the output RCA would affect the performance in some way?
 

charleski

Major Contributor
Joined
Dec 15, 2019
Messages
1,098
Likes
2,239
Location
Manchester UK
is anyone interested in seeing the NITSCH x Schiit Magni Piety measured here?
For amusement value maybe ...
The blurb on the product page certainly doesn't inspire confidence: "Solid state practicality, tube-like sound", "Measurements aren’t the whole story". We all know this is just code for 'this is a product for those who like to pretend they enjoy distortion'.
 

Veri

Master Contributor
Joined
Feb 6, 2018
Messages
9,596
Likes
12,036
For amusement value maybe ...
The blurb on the product page certainly doesn't inspire confidence: "Solid state practicality, tube-like sound", "Measurements aren’t the whole story". We all know this is just code for 'this is a product for those who like to pretend they enjoy distortion'.
Atomicbob on SBAF did a measurement suite and it did seem to have good linearity etc. I mean besides the scatchy small-part volume pot on all these magnis I'm sure they're all fine in use as long as you're not driving a HE-6 or Susvara..
 
Last edited:

DonR

Major Contributor
Joined
Jan 25, 2022
Messages
2,971
Likes
5,615
Location
Vancouver(ish)
Seems to be DC-coupled so users need to keep an eye on DC offset (or risk damaging their headphones as was the case with some older Schiit amplifiers iirc).

@amirm Something to consider adding to your measurement suite.
I see a relay on the headphone output. Would be nice if they had a DC detection circuit to cut the output as power amplifiers have. More than likely the headphones connected to this will be more expensive than the amp itself.
 

Badunn

Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2022
Messages
25
Likes
46
Better job of socket alignment on the back compared to the modi+

These designs, with no bells and whistles, just the simplest audio path, are now realising the straight wire with gain objective. When are the ‘hi end’ manufacturers going to realise they are no longer, or ever have been, hi end? Or do we put it down to ignorance? Feel like I’ve been robbed all those years. Been fun though :D
 

T.M.Noble

Active Member
Audio Company
Joined
Dec 3, 2019
Messages
277
Likes
1,704
I see a relay on the headphone output. Would be nice if they had a DC detection circuit to cut the output as power amplifiers have. More than likely the headphones connected to this will be more expensive than the amp itself
There is overcurrent and DC protection on both Magni+ and Heretic. Your headphones will be plenty safe.
 

Billy Budapest

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Oct 11, 2019
Messages
1,812
Likes
2,686
JDS Atom+ (same SINAD and price)
Advantage: Atom has two inputs: RCA and 3.5.
Disadvantage 1: The case is plastic and the contents so flimsy that there are fill-weights in the case. The adhesive on one weights gave way for me so I had to open it up and remove it. Now it is even more lightweight. The form of the Heretic is surely better.
Disadvatage 2: The Heritic has more power.
You can ask JDS to build it with heavier weights (or more weights) if necessary.
 

solderdude

Grand Contributor
Joined
Jul 21, 2018
Messages
15,891
Likes
35,912
Location
The Neitherlands
The Heretic indeed has DC output protection .... YEAH no more blown (expensive) low impedance headphones when it happens to fail.
And also important... the headphone output connector on the left and not close to the volume control
Gain options also very practical -8dB, 0dB and +14dB ! Progress.. the little amp that could !


Magni%20Heretic%20Internal-1920.jpg
 
Last edited:

Doodski

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Dec 9, 2019
Messages
20,753
Likes
20,780
Location
Canada
Well done Schiit! I will be recommending this model. Very nice. :D Any chance Schiit can offer a ~6" RCA cable with memory for bending for connecting a DAC to the headphone amp. Then we don't need to suggest going to JDS Labs to buy one. One stop shopping is where it's @.
 

beren777

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2020
Messages
339
Likes
589
I think Audioquest has a cable for the 3pm hour...

Not to go too far off topic but this would be an amazing marketing gimmick.

"Your body's circadian rhythms change throughout the day, why doesn't your audio system change with it? Thanks to advances in chronobiology and precision blending of octagonal (like a fine Piguet watchface) metallic crystals, our new Circadagold cables come with an adjustable circular band you can rotate to match your current biological time for peak performance! Just keep rotating until everything from the crystal highs to the thunderous lows ring true!"

I'll be right over here filing a trademark...
 

pseudoid

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 23, 2021
Messages
5,125
Likes
3,439
Location
33.58 -117.88
Thank you Amirm,
Have there been m/any other hardware that have polled zero votes for "1.Poor (headless panther)" ?

 
Top Bottom