Schiit Mani 2 Review (Phono Stage)

[Spotlight Audio]

Nice review, thanks. I bought a Mani 2 for a family member to bypass the built in phono pre in their Audiolab 6000A integrated which is just so so (the only thing so so about it). I just plugged it in at home to test it in my system.

First off, the Mani 2 power supply is dead silent. Connected to the pre with power on, or with the pre power off. Nothing. No hum coming out of the power supply. With the turntable idle but the preamp on, I start to hear a little noise through the speakers at 3/4 volume. Unremarkable, in a good way. Playing music at normal listing levels there is no noticeable noise at all. I have the Mani 2 power supply plugged into a power strip with a Shunyata Venom Defender power conditioner which has zapped any noise associated with some notoriously buzzy cartridges, fwiw. If I plug the Mani 2 PS directly into a wall socket in the same circuit with a dimmer light switch, there is a VERY SMALL amount of hum audible, but only if I put my ear right on it. Again, unremarkable, and why my rig is on a dedicated circuit.

How does the Mani 2 sound? Right out of the box stone cold, it sounds good. Paired with a AudioTechnica AT 150Sa MM cartridge, the Mani 2 sounds fast, detailed, decent sound stage between the speakers, and capable of very deep and accurate bass, startlingly good bass (with no filters in). It doesn’t quite have the intoxicating midrange of the Project Tube Box DS with Genalex Gold Lion tubes and an aftermarket linear power supply that I am used to, but in other ways it is better. The Mani 2 is just providing the facts, and a lot of good facts at that. For $149, what’s not to like? Well played Schiit Audio.

Happy to second your description of the sound in the last para.

The sound jumps at you and comes alive. it feels real and palpable. The clarity yet punchiness of massive bass movements is particularly pleasing. No muddiness at all.

The result is quite ethereal vs the in built phono stage of my turntable. Vinyl really comes to life.

I have added a very good cart and upgraded the two sets of cables plus running a PB3000 in closed port mode is handy. So i guess in the end the outcome is the sum of all parts. But the M2 is a big winner for the price point imv.

Hats off to Schiit for listening to some of the critiques and improving on the M1

 

[Spotlight Audio]

I use BJC but I think that you may be answering to someone else. As I said I personally don't have that issue.

Apologies... think i got your and techno's posts mixed up ✌

 

[knownothing]

Power Supply: “wall wart” style 16VAC transformer, dual-filtered, regulated +/- 16V rails

Yep, I stand corrected. The iFi iPowerX supply with DC out should not be used in this application. Thanks.

 

[knownothing]

Look at the photo of the back of the unit. Says AC in. You typically would think all barrel connectors are DC in but you have to be careful. Usually it is marked like it is with the Mani.

Yep, you’re right. In disbelief I contacted Schiit, and they confirmed AC in on the Mani. I find it puzzling because I thought one of the main purposes of a power supply in domestic gear was to convert AC to DC. I am not aware of having seen an “AC” wall wart before until this one, but perhaps they are more common than I thought. The Schiit Modi’s run off USB bus power or your phone charger.

 

[Oristo]

I read both this review and that for ART DJ-PRE II and wonder whether SINAD measuring conditions evolved:

• DJ-PRE 83.4dB SINAD rating is beneath an A-weighted plot with -10dBV 1kHz peak
• Schiit Mani 2 82dB SINAD rating is beneath unweighted plot with 0dBrA 1kHz peak

Also, Schiit's 60Hz peak is about -82dB, while the DJ-PRE 60Hz peak on unweighted graph is about -79dB...

 

[Oristo]

AC in on the Mani

Unless Schiit does something quite weird, that AC input very likely immediately feeds a bridge rectifier.
Consequently, a nicely filtered external DC supply could be substituted for the transformer, mitigating Mani's AC-related noise.

 

[Angsty]

Unless Schiit does something quite weird, that AC input very likely immediately feeds a bridge rectifier.
Consequently, a nicely filtered external DC supply could be substituted for the transformer, mitigating Mani's AC-related noise.

Perhaps with a different design, but you cannot swap a DC supply for the current model’s AC supply. I would not want anyone reading to be confused on this point.

 

[guenthi_r]

passive RIAA paired with OPA1612, well done, Schiit!
it's a shame it's so expensive in europe.

 

[LTig]

Passive RIAA makes no sense.

 

[lightreel]

First post from a long time lurker!

I finally got one of these tiny preamps. It's interesting: it presents differently to my Moon 110LP (v1), even with the same settings, on the same turntable (Clearaudio Performance SE, Maestro MM cartridge). Subjectively, I like the sound better, it's more balanced tonally overall and the noise floor is lower. BUT, both have substantial low frequency hum at higher volumes – waaaaay more than my Tom Evans Micro Groove+ had (with an Ortofon Quintet Black). And the pops and crackles are *significantly* louder on the Mani than either the Moon or the Tom Evans... so I'm a bit torn. Honestly, I think I'll keep looking for something closer to the Micro Groove's performance (but for MM). Any suggestions welcome!