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Schiit Modius Balanced DAC Review

3125b

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The more input flexibility the better,
True. And Bluetooth can be a very nice feature.
However that only makes sense in conjunction with volume control and a remote. Like the way the DX3 Pro is set up - I do however understand, why Schiit can't offer that at the 199$ price point.
Just volume control would have been really nice though, I have to use that on my E30 + Atom combo for sensitive headphones.
 

Giulio

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Yes, just to clarify, can I listen to chosen songs multiple times knowing which one is playing and then go for the blind test after familiarizing myself with the sound and songs?

Because I'll tell you right now if I just go into it with a random song and no critical listening beforehand I'll fail 100%, no doubts about that, waste of time.

Yes you can
 

celroid

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No volume control makes this a dealbreaker for me. The smsl m500 remains undefeated for balanced DACs with volume control for it's price?
 

A Surfer

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True. And Bluetooth can be a very nice feature.
However that only makes sense in conjunction with volume control and a remote. Like the way the DX3 Pro is set up - I do however understand, why Schiit can't offer that at the 199$ price point.
Just volume control would have been really nice though, I have to use that on my E30 + Atom combo for sensitive headphones.
I love Bluetooth personally and despite years of audio experience with wired connections I do not find Bluetooth when done well to be a compromise. I don't typically use volume controls on a DAC just needing the full line out voltage. I owned the NAD M51 but never used the pre-amp aspect and currently I am using a simple SMSL SU V8 v2 DAC so I am used to basic features. I am seriously considering the M400 down the road due to the Bluetooth option. Cheers.
 

3125b

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The smsl m500 remains undefeated for balanced DACs with volume control for it's price?
I actually think the M300 MKII is the better option considering the price. For 240$/250€ it´s a really strong offering.
 

odyo

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I actually think the M300 MKII is the better option considering the price. For 240$/250€ it´s a really strong offering.
Yeah it has 4497 too
 

3125b

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Honestly, it seems like most DACs are using AKM Chips (4490, 4493, 4497 or 4499) chips by now, they are getting to be really common ... probably because it makes financial sense in one way or the other.
 

Ratatoskr

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I really appreciate the way you have responded with this post, and the also the way Schiit has taken the opportunity to create for all customers and have kept the discussion friendly!!

Now please, I will repeat, take my preorder money (if need be) for a Yggy 2 with a dual AK499, remote, with a preamp, dual balanced out in Black pretty please, so I can be done with all this multi-channel DAC shopping :)

I think you would see purple unicorns fly out of Mike Moffat's backside before he changed the architecture of Yggdrasil from multibit to AKM Velvet Sound.
 

Zerviscos

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Would the SP200 pair with this nicely? Considering Schiit doesn't have a balanced amp within that price range and the next step up is the Jot.
 
OP
amirm

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Would the SP200 pair with this nicely? Considering Schiit doesn't have a balanced amp within that price range and the next step up is the Jot.
Sure.
 

odyo

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Which akm filter this dac uses ?
 

3125b

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Which akm filter this dac uses ?
#1 "sharp" or probably #3 "short delay sharp" (they are pretty much identical, #3 is standard I think).
 

ta240

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No volume control makes this a dealbreaker for me. The smsl m500 remains undefeated for balanced DACs with volume control for it's price?

It is always funny with any product that there is always some 'feature' missing for some of the buyers but another product will have too many features for other buyers. I've looked at DACs before and thought "that looks great but why am I paying for a volume control when I don't need it" or "leave out the headphone amp and make the rest better"

It is very smart of them to offer a wide range of products rather then trying to make every product please everyone.
Otherwise you end up like Scion where people bought them because they were quirky, reasonably priced, little cars and then said "I only wish they had more room and more power". So Toyota made the Scions bigger and more powerful and the same customers went "Um, that isn't a Scion anymore, no thank you"
 

Angsty

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Would love to buy this even for say $400 if Schiit implemented solid Bluetooth. Don't scoff, Bluetooth when done well sounds transparent when compared with USB.

I agree. I enjoy using Bluetooth for casual background listening. I’ve used a BluDento BLT-HD to provide a coax input into my primary system DAC and have been very satisfied with the result. However, when I replace my DAC, I’d prefer for Bluetooth to be built-in to save space.

I found it interesting that when I used the BluDento RCA output on my second system, I found no notable improvement when sending TOSLINK from the BluDento to my Modi 3. The BluDento uses a Burr Brown PCM 5102A DAC. For that source and system, I surmise that the threshold of audibility had been reached.
 

Dana reed

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Would love to buy this even for say $400 if Schiit implemented solid Bluetooth. Don't scoff, Bluetooth when done well sounds transparent when compared with USB. People who claim to hear the difference are almost certainly doing sighted listening tests and or using less well implemented Bluetooth. I am not saying forget the other inputs, that would be stupid of me, but Bluetooth is extremely convenient and can sound fantastic. I don't expect Schiit to do this anytime soon which is why while I would rather buy made in the USA goods I still have to look at SMSL offerings to get Bluetooth. The more input flexibility the better, IMO>
Can get a BT receiver pretty cheap with spdif out, and just feed it to an unused dac input.
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p...DMkwwcuZnXPnXoOrYa1B47Twje5wHd74aAkLPEALw_wcB
 
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