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Schiit Magnius Balanced Headphone Amp Review

T.M.Noble

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...arrogance meter 3.6...now I see where the staff gets it...LoL...

...you still have evaded simple questions...I assume I can assume the answers...???...

...Buckeye would never leave us hanging like that...
A question was never presented. I responded to a criticism I found unwarranted.
 

Hapo

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...addressing this would go further towards getting my $$$ than more add copy...

...I want to employ the Magnius as a preamp and use the RCA out to run a pair of SVS SB 200 subwoofers...maybe the decline won't matter...or would it matter more...???...

...if the RCA was any diffentnt (better) than the 1/4 out I would be OK with that...I don't care aboot the 1/4 out...but why would it be....???...is it not the same circurt...???...

6097392_300.jpg

...I guess you missed this...next you will tell me to just hook my power amp up to a DAC...(grin)
 
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T.M.Noble

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"We only use one phase of the balanced output so there is no cancellation of distortion between phases". This leads to the difference in performance between the balanced and singled ended output. For the exact topology and design, you would have to ask the guy who designed it. As stated before, I think the criticism is valid, even sound. Is that not what you are looking for?
 

Hapo

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R.3cb496f2b4757629bda8ab486c4776bb


...methinks that is exactly what I was looking for...you are saying the single ended output is the same @ RCA and 1/4 out...(???)...

...will the increased noise matter more or less in running subwoofers...???...it this irrelevant...???...

...my plan is to run a Magnius as a preamp for a balanced Purifie 1ET4070SA based amplifier and run singled ended powered SVS subwoofers off the RCA out...

...I seek your biased opinion...is this a viable use of your product...???...
 
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T.M.Noble

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...maybe I'll try to get information from you as T.M. Knoble seems too defensive and arrogant to communicate effectively with...

A : ...would increased noise in the output matter less or more for running subwoofers...???...

B: ...is the RCA out the same as the 1/4 out...???...
Your misplaced attribution of arrogance aside, do you usually find it helpful to insult the people you ask questions?

A. I doubt you would hear a difference. Human ears aren't as sensitive at low frequencies.
B. Yes, its the same.
 

Scrivs

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Your misplaced attribution of arrogance aside, do you usually find it helpful to insult the people you ask questions?

A. I doubt you would hear a difference. Human ears aren't as sensitive at low frequencies.
B. Yes, its the same.

100% my current use case, works great for what I need. Admittedly not a fan of the 15VAC wall wart, but for the pittance they sell ‘em for, glad I kept my $ in ‘murica!
 

MRC01

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100% my current use case, works great for what I need. Admittedly not a fan of the 15VAC wall wart, but for the pittance they sell ‘em for, glad I kept my $ in ‘murica!
If you want an internal power supply, consider the Jotunheim. It does everything the Magnius does, and it has an optional module that can be a DAC or phono amp.
 

thecity2

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Can one use the RCA and XLR preamp outputs simultaneously, for example, to drive a pair of powered monitors with XLR inputs and a powered subwoofer with RCA inputs?
 

JeffGB

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Can one use the RCA and XLR preamp outputs simultaneously, for example, to drive a pair of powered monitors with XLR inputs and a powered subwoofer with RCA inputs?
Yes. The RCA and XLR inputs are separate and chosen by the selector button. The RCA and XLR outputs are both active when either input is selected.
 

thecity2

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Can one use the RCA and XLR preamp outputs simultaneously, for example, to drive a pair of powered monitors with XLR inputs and a powered subwoofer with RCA inputs?
Unfortunately for my case you can't switch between headphone and preamp outputs, they both seem to be active all the time.
 

raif71

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100% my current use case, works great for what I need. Admittedly not a fan of the 15VAC wall wart, but for the pittance they sell ‘em for, glad I kept my $ in ‘murica!
Agreed, the 15VAC block of chunk looks like a wart on the wall :)
 

Whoareyou

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Review mentions that measurements were taken at unity gain. How was the setting for unity determined?
 

bobross

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Apologies if this has been addressed previously on the Magnius. I searched but couldn't find anything.

I noticed a hum when the volume pot was touched and set in high-gain at around 11 o'clock and higher. It went away when my hand was in contact with both the pot and the black case lid. Assuming a grounding issue with the pot, I decided to open the amp and scrape off the black powder coat (?) in front of the stem to the left of the knob. The hum now nearly inaudible on the balanced input. The unbalanced input still has a hum at the same pot position. It goes away if I connect the case lid to the RCA shield with an alligator clip.

Is this normal? Also, any safety concerns with my fix? I own a multimeter if there are measurements that would be helpful.

I should also add this is my second Magnius. The first had the exact same issue, and I sent it back for a replacement.
 

bobross

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I tested the resistance in a few places on the Magnius. All top case screws to RCA shield measure 0-1 ohms. That seems right. There's a solid path to ground using the screws connecting the top/bottom of the case.

However, I get a resistance reading of OL for both the top of the case and the volume pot screw against an RCA shield. I'm guessing that's causing the hum.

Surprisingly I'm not finding much on this issue online. Schiit has been slow to reply via email. Either I've received two amps from a bad batch or my expectations are out of alignment for the product.
 

slider2828

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I tested the resistance in a few places on the Magnius. All top case screws to RCA shield measure 0-1 ohms. That seems right. There's a solid path to ground using the screws connecting the top/bottom of the case.

However, I get a resistance reading of OL for both the top of the case and the volume pot screw against an RCA shield. I'm guessing that's causing the hum.

Surprisingly I'm not finding much on this issue online. Schiit has been slow to reply via email. Either I've received two amps from a bad batch or my expectations are out of alignment for the product.
Are you using single ended? I don't get such issue on my 120ohm or 80ohm headphones but they are XLR..... I tried on high and low gain.... Nothing....
Maybe a dude.....
 

dzerig

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Magnius is on it's way out as Schiit abandons op amps and goes all discrete.

A new amp will be available at it's price point/size but not balanced.

The new amp is some kind of unusual tech from a decades old paper that changes the response of the transducer. I didn't really grab what is with this idea, but if you want a Magnius, now is the time.
 

solderdude

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changes the response of the transducer

That could be unfortunate with headphone A and could 'improve' things for headphone B or make no real audible change at all (but still could be an imagined difference by the power of suggestion). After all one would buy such an amp that comes with a 'promise'.
It may be a variant of a current drive design, like the Bakoon, just to do something 'different' for the sake of being different.
It could also just be marketing schiit.

Chances are the opamp based designs aren't selling as well as the non-opamp based models because Schiit customers are looking for 'real Schiit' rather than the devices that are just made for 'the measurement believers'.
 
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