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Schiit Modius Balanced DAC Review

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idiomatically

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A LPS can have zero effect on SQ coming out of Roon, Roon has zero impact on SQ. Anyone that claims some distribution of Linux is better than another in terms of SQ they are sadly mis informed. They all use the exact same Linux ALSA audio subsystem, and again it‘s a digital data stream until it hits the DAC. I started my working life as a Unix software engineer, I have literally grown up working on Linux/Unix operating systems. I may not know a lot about audio, but I do know Unix style operating systems and network protocols extremely well.

Small transformers make bugger all noise to begin with any half decent electrical device thats approved for sale in western markets will have shielding that more than deals with the low levels of noise.

If you have a DAC that is being effected by EMI / RFI its has to be soo sensitive to noise as to have been designed extremely poorly Imo.
 
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A LPS can have zero effect on SQ coming out of Roon, Roon has zero impact on SQ. Anyone that claims some distribution of Linux is better than another in terms of SQ they are sadly mis informed. They all use the exact same Linux ALSA audio subsystem, and again it‘s a digital data stream until it hits the DAC. I started my working life as a Unix software engineer, I have literally grown up working on Linux/Unix operating systems. I may not know a lot about audio, but I do know Unix style operating systems and network protocols extremely well.

Small transformers make bugger all noise to begin with any half decent electrical device thats approved for sale in western markets will have shielding that more than deals with the low levels of noise.

If you have a DAC that is being effected by EMI / RFI its has to be soo sensitive to noise as to have been designed extremely poorly Imo.

Hi,
I initially had a Win10 Roon Server. When I switched to Audiolinux, the sound improved a lot. Look, I don't use Roon Server directly on the DAC. I use a networked Streamer, the Allo USB Sig (with an Lps).
The improvement was so great that I started to improve the Server. I installed an HDplex Atx adapter with a Dell 330 Brick, then replace the Dell with a 300w Lps Hdplex, in all cases there was an improvement in Sound. The next improvements will be the replacement of the i3 for a more powerful processor and then I will start to improve the Network side of the equation, changing the Switchers and the Network Card on the Roon Server.

But we are deviating from the subject, I was wondering if I replace my SMSL Su8 DAC for Modius will have a substantial improvement in Sound or not.
Any Help is welcome!

Thanks
 
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Veri

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Hi,
I initially had a Win10 Roon Server. When I switched to Audiolinux, the sound improved a lot. Look, I don't use Roon Server directly on the DAC. I use a networked Streamer, the Allo USB Sig (with an Lps).
The improvement was so great that I started to improve the Server. I installed an HDplex Atx adapter with a Dell 330 Brick, then replace the Dell with a 300w Lps Hdplex, in all cases there was an improvement in Sound. The next improvements will be the replacement of the i3 for a more powerful processor and then I will start to improve the Network side of the equation, changing the Switchers and the Network Card on the Roon Server.

This is not the kind of forum for any of the unsubstantiated tweaky stuff. You are spending a LOT of money on placebos unless you have any tests that prove the.. "improvements". But hey, as long as it makes you happy..
 

EchoChamber

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Hi,
I initially had a Win10 Roon Server. When I switched to Audiolinux, the sound improved a lot. Look, I don't use Roon Server directly on the DAC. I use a networked Streamer, the Allo USB Sig (with an Lps).
The improvement was so great that I started to improve the Server. I installed an HDplex Atx adapter with a Dell 330 Brick, then replace the Dell with a 300w Lps Hdplex, in all cases there was an improvement in Sound. The next improvements will be the replacement of the i3 for a more powerful processor and then I will start to improve the Network side of the equation, changing the Switchers and the Network Card on the Roon Server.

But we are deviating from the subject, I was wondering if I replace my SMSL Su8 DAC for Modius will have a substantial improvement in Sound or not.
Any Help is welcome!

Thanks
Computers and well designed audio gear have circuits to clean up noise from the power before feeding it to sensitive circuits. They wouldn’t be able to perform otherwise. Linear power supply are also very inefficient. Save your money.
 

BDWoody

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But we are deviating from the subject, I was wondering if I replace my SMSL Su8 DAC for Modius will have a substantial improvement in Sound or not.
Any Help is welcome!

As has been answered...it will not.
 

EchoChamber

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I was wondering if I replace my SMSL Su8 DAC for Modius will have a substantial improvement in Sound or not.
Any Help is welcome!

Thanks
Unlikely to be substantial, but in my experience there will be differences and those might not be well perceived depending on system. If you really want to know buy a Modius and try it. I never heard the SMSL, I can’t comment on it.
 
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Unlikely to be substantial, but in my experience there will be differences and those might not be well perceived depending on system. If you really want to know buy a Modius and try it. I never heard the SMSL, I can’t comment on it.
Thank you
 

idiomatically

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Hi,
I initially had a Win10 Roon Server. When I switched to Audiolinux, the sound improved a lot. Look, I don't use Roon Server directly on the DAC. I use a networked Streamer, the Allo USB Sig (with an Lps).
The improvement was so great that I started to improve the Server. I installed an HDplex Atx adapter with a Dell 330 Brick, then replace the Dell with a 300w Lps Hdplex, in all cases there was an improvement in Sound. The next improvements will be the replacement of the i3 for a more powerful processor and then I will start to improve the Network side of the equation, changing the Switchers and the Network Card on the Roon Server.

But we are deviating from the subject, I was wondering if I replace my SMSL Su8 DAC for Modius will have a substantial improvement in Sound or not.
Any Help is welcome!

Thanks

If you have the SMSL Su8 v2 I would stick with it, the Modius measures better but I doubt you will find a tangible gain. While we are saving you money unless you have a lot of devices or want to move to 10be+ networking save your money for better speakers / cans if you are chasing a better SQ experience. Unless you have bargain basement switches that don’t actually meet the RFC Network standards you will get no gains from upgrading them in a consumer setting. “Audiophile” switches you see are pure drivel they take a cheap switch with bad characteristics add some clocks and claim they are now great, which is total BS. If you want to eliminate EMI/RFI completely use Fibre as its immune.

Switching power supplies used today use techniques that utilise much lower switching frequencies, which greatly alleviate EMI, crosstalk, and noise concerns. Which is why in a head to head you will see no difference in oucomes from a linear or switched power supply in small applications.

I’d point out they use switching PSU’s in satellites and other very sensitive applications. Walk into any top tier $300 million data centre facility and you will find it packed with switching power supplies. My $50,000 Mellanox Spectrum 100Gbe enterprise switch i use here at home also has 2 redundant switching power supplies.
 

Guetta

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1594847186194.png

Can anyone tell me why Khadas Tone Board was used for THD+N vs Frequency test in most ASR tests. Can anyone explain me this test. Thanks
 

Aperiodic

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Can anyone seriously hear the difference between the top 10-20 DACs on ASR? Sure the M400 is measurably a bit superior and a hell lot more expensive but can anyone seriously hear the difference in a blind test?

Anyway, I think this is priced very reasonably. Any comments or pictures of the guts would be welcome.
Schiit has 'under the hood' pics of almost all their products on their website
 

EchoChamber

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Can anyone seriously hear the difference between the top 10-20 DACs on ASR? Sure the M400 is measurably a bit superior and a hell lot more expensive but can anyone seriously hear the difference in a blind test?

I do, but some say it’s all placebo or that my volume levels are not matched. I don’t do instant A/B tests. I rather spend a day or two with a DAC in one system and switch with another for a few more days and back and forth a few times. Differences are subtle but can be perceived. So far the best I’ve had is the Topping D90 MQA, I get the most amount of detail retrieval with it. I also like my Modius a lot (possibly the best DAC Schiit offers today), and had the ADI-2 for about 2 weeks.
 

Veri

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View attachment 73497
Can anyone tell me why Khadas Tone Board was used for THD+N vs Frequency test in most ASR tests. Can anyone explain me this test. Thanks
Amir has a couple of "benchmark" devices that are included for comparison, for example Topping DX3 in the IMD distortion test. The Khadas is shown here since it has a THD+N ratio response typical of "budget" ESS Sabre devices, with an upwards slope in the higher frequencies. The Modius here is totally different with some weakness only in the lower frequencies. Ideally, the curve here would be flat which plenty of (more expensive) DACs manage to pull off. It's all about the output circuit, really.
 

Guetta

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Amir has a couple of "benchmark" devices that are included for comparison, for example Topping DX3 in the IMD distortion test. The Khadas is shown here since it has a THD+N ratio response typical of "budget" ESS Sabre devices, with an upwards slope in the higher frequencies. The Modius here is totally different with some weakness only in the lower frequencies. Ideally, the curve here would be flat which plenty of (more expensive) DACs manage to pull off. It's all about the output circuit, really.
Thank you. What these weaknesses mean while listening?
 

dfuller

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Thank you. What these weaknesses mean while listening?
If they were high enough, they'd have a pretty heavy effect on the sound of the gear - but 90 dB or so down, it would be subtle if audible at all.
 

Guetta

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If they were high enough, they'd have a pretty heavy effect on the sound of the gear - but 90 dB or so down, it would be subtle if audible at all.
Looking at this graph, can we say there is no problem with the Schiit and Tone Board either? Thanks for explanation :)
 

dfuller

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Looking at this graph, can we say there is no problem with the Schiit and Tone Board either? Thanks for explanation :)
The tone board is actually worse than the Schiit - we're more sensitive to distortion at higher frequencies and generally low frequency distortion is pretty inaudible.
 

Gyroscopics

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Totally agree. Having speakers less than an inch from yours ears removes so many variables. I'm kind of annoyed my 2-channel system can't resolve the differences though. I've got a couple Hypex NCore 400 based amps incoming. Maybe the weak link in my system is the Parasound A23.

I also have an A23, and recently acquired Hypex NCore NC500MP dual mono. I could tell the A23 is mids-focused while the NCores are more transparent and hit deeper, harder, and tighter on the bass. The difference is apparent on good speakers, but not so much on my low to mid-fi speakers which are obviously the weak link with either amps.
 

EchoChamber

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Totally agree. Having speakers less than an inch from yours ears removes so many variables. I'm kind of annoyed my 2-channel system can't resolve the differences though. I've got a couple Hypex NCore 400 based amps incoming. Maybe the weak link in my system is the Parasound A23.
The NCore amps are excellent IMO and IME, you will get a TON of detail from them. They are super transparent.
 
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