Description
Used, like new. Both were bought together, directly from Schitt. I am including a custom Sapele wood stand. It was made to fit the units perfectly and allow a headphone stand or other item to sit on top. I did not make this stand for resell, rather for personal use, so note that one of the stainless steel rods are slightly bent and there is a small crack in one of the pieces of wood. This will all ship together in one large, well padded box. All original packaging, manuals, stickers, etc are included. Includes a set of PYST 6 Snake Oil, black RCA cables. Schiit Modius E Balanced DAC Digital to Analog Converter D/A Converter (Black)BrandSchiitInterface TypeUSB, CoaxialProduct Dimensions9L x 6WMaterialMetalAbout this itemModius E features Schiit’s exclusive Unison USB interface, which provides plug-and-play compatibility with virtually any modern device.Dedicated balanced and single-ended output stages with DC-coupled output. Modius is designed and built in Texas, USA.Use the included wall power supply when connecting AES, optical, or coaxial digital sources, or for phones & tablets that need low power draw.Select different inputs by using the button conveniently located on the front. On the back, youll find Coaxial SPDIF, Optical SPDIF, AES, and USB inputs, and balanced XLR and single-ended RCA output.Product is supplied with a 110 – 120V US power supply suitable for use in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This power supply will not work in 220 – 240V countriesHEAD-FI.ORG review: Today I am looking at a new Schiit Modius E (aka Modius Maximus). Recently I was testing a Schiit Midgard headphone amplifier and thought that the Modius E with its similar form factor would match wonderfully. And it did.This is a story of my recent experience I had with the Schiit Modius E dac with a Schiit Midgard “Halo” headphone amplifier. I have been a fan of Schiits True Multibit ™ dacs since the beginning. Gone thru several Schiit MB dacs but never had the real desire to try their low cost DS dac like the Modi + with the ESS 9018 chip. After years with a Bifrost OG and then lastest updates I never thought of looking a DS dac again. Well things change. Covid. Chip shortages, AKM fires and lots of crap. Curiosity.For months now my favorite dac has been the Schiit Multibit 2 with the genuine Analog Devices AD 5547 D/A chip. Comparing to other dacs costing tons more I seem to come back to the sound signature of the MB2. Never even thought I would look at another D/S dac. Most of them I have tried are too bright, emphasize the high end too much for me. ESS chipped dacs were known for their bright presentation. Some refer this to the ESS glare.Jasons comments alluded to things that one can do with the newer ESS 9028 dac chip...some secret sauce ? So the timing was right and we have both the Midgard and Magnius E in house. My Midgard impressions are on the site as well for you to read. This part is more focused on the Modius E and how it sounds and a comparison to some other of my dacs, like the Schiit Multibit 2, Soekris 2541, ifi Pro DSD. How well would a $229 D/S dac stand up to its Schiit MB2? Many have asked this.Well its physically bigger, called the Modius Maximus in house. 9 x 6 x 1.5 to be exact and weighs in at 2 lbs. But wait there is more! Like Black or Silver.So whats the Modius E all about? Low Cost, entry level dac for $229. 2 year warranty. Specs that are really decent. Heck a THD+N of 0.0003%. S/N >118 db. IMD of 0.0004%. Duh....pretty decent and do these measurements really mean anything at this level to to actual listening experience? Hmmm. Its DC coupled and a OPA 1656 op amp for the SE output and a LME 49724 fully differential op amp for the balanced output. Totally seperate. Good Stuff.Inputs: USB, Toslink SPDIF, Coaxial and AES. The USB is of course Schiits own Unison USB (tm). 4 Inputs all the bases covered.Outputs: XLR balanced and RCA single ended. The usual 2.0 volts RMS for SE and 4.0 RMS volts for balanced. The Balanced and single ended output are completely independent. You can use them at the same time. Think of the testing comparisons you can do. Nice. There is no external power needed unless your using a 0 ma power draw device like a phone or tablet. For this Schiit has provided an small auxiliary power adapter. Neat thing is its a USB-C cable as well, If your just using it with a PC USB out you use this cable and not the power adapter. Schiit has you covered here. I only used the connection from the PC to the dac with the cable.The front panel is very austere, simple. One large silver button to press and select one of the 4 inputs. NO power switch on the back! Smile. No special USB drivers needed with the later versions of Windows the Modius is fully UAC2 compliant. One thing to check especially if you have multiple dacs is make sure the sound panels in Windows has the dac enabled...also there are a few settings in there that you want to make sure that are correct. Well for the extra bucks you get a ESS 9028 dac vs the ESS 9018 dac chip. The Modi Es analog stage is based on a OP1656 chip while the Modius E has two totally separate output stages. Just a tad more advanced IMO, and again both outputs are active at the same time. Balanced vs only SE outputs. And Schiit added AES as well. Well worth the upgrade here. Schiit Magnius Balanced Headphone Amp and Preamp BrandSchiitColorBlackMaterialMetalOutput Wattage5 WattsProduct Dimensions6D x 9W x 1.5HAbout this itemMagnius delivers high power, superb measurements, and best volume control in its price class. It is also designed and built in California, USA.If you’re looking for measurements, Magnius is our best-measuring amp.Magnius delivers 5000mW from its balanced headphone output at 32 ohms.Includes both balanced and single-ended inputs, and two gain levels. Balanced and single-ended preamp outputs allow you to connect to powered monitors for a complete system.Product is supplied with a 110 – 120V US power supply suitable for use in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This power supply will not work in 220 – 240V countries. Product DescriptionMagnius blows up the value equation in balanced headamps: high power, superb measurements, best volume control, made in the USA.No-Compromise Power, Precision, and ControlHave hard-to-handle headphones? No problem. Super-sensitive IEMs that demand a vanishingly low noise floor? Yep, you’re good. Want a volume control that delivers great matching all the way down? You got it. Magnius delivers 5000mW from its balanced headphone output at 32 ohms, with THD+N approaching -120dB, and it’s huge Alps 4-gang balanced pot gives you fine control and excellent tracking small potentiometers simply can’t match.The Most Magnificent PotMany amps at and above this price use small 9mm potentiometers. But an Alps RK27114 27mm “Blue Velvet” potentiometer is a completely different experience. Get ready for excellent channel matching at all potentiometer positions, as well as a smooth, gradual action that lets you find exactly the right volume. We chose the RK27114 because it’s one of the most important components of the amp, the one you interact with all the time.Composite Integrated TechnologyMagnius uses a handful of very high-end integrated circuits, including buffers with feedforward, exotic fully differential op-amps, and powerful current-feedback outputs in a composite configuration to reduce THD and noise to vanishingly low levels. Magnius is our best-measuring amp. And it out-measures a whole lot of other gear out there, at much higher prices.Flexibility for Your Entire DesktopMagnius isn’t just a headphone amp. It also has balanced and single-ended preamp outputs, so you can connect to powered monitors for a complete system. It also has both balanced and single-ended inputs, and two gain levels. And all these connections use best-in-class Neutrik connectors, together with Alps signal switches, for ultimate integrity and reliability. Headphonics.com review: Traditionally, Schiit amplifiers are designed and assembled exclusively with discrete components. Last year, Schiit launched their latest Schiit Magni 3+ together with their Schiit Magni Heresy.It was called Heresy because it goes against the principles with which Schiit has been building their amplifiers. The Magni Heresy was created to measure very well, and Schiit was able to achieve by using op-amps, instead of discrete components.With a similar design concept as the Magni Heresy, Schiit launched a fully balanced version of the amplifier. It’s capable of 6W @ 16? on balanced, and they called it the Magnius, a shortened form of Magnius Maximus.he Magnius was designed to stack perfectly with their recently released Modius dual AK4493 based DAC, , it makes me curious if it sounds as good as advertised. The circuitry inside is made with high-quality components from their feedforward buffers, differential voltage gain, and current-feedback output stages, they were all sourced Texas Instruments a reputable source of transistors, and op-amps.Schiit has also decided to use a 27mm Alps potentiometer on the Magnius, instead of the more common 9mm potentiometers that are found in most headphone amplifiers at this price point or higher. This larger potentiometer gives the Magnius better tracking between the left and right channel, and better precision control of the volume.Aside from the internal components, Schiit also decided to make sure that the connections to and from the Magnius will be secure, as they decided to use Neutrik connectors on all the connection points of the Magnius.With the op-amp based topologies of the Magnius, I’m inclined to think that this would be directly competing with the currently popular THX AAA amplifiers from Monoprice, Drop, and SMSL, as well as Topping’s NFCA based headphone amplifiers. With a noticeably lower price point than its competition, I’m interested to hear how it competes with the current industry frontrunners for under $500. he Magnius came with a 15V AC power supply, and I’m glad that Schiit continues to utilize AC transformers instead of Switch Mode Power Supplies. This gives me assurance that the circuit inside the amplifier is receiving clean power, reducing noise both from the power system and generated from the switch mode transistors.Unlike most of Schiit’s offering, the Magnius only comes in black, not that I’m complaining. It’s a tasteful kind of black though, and I love how the top of the chassis is powder coated with a matte black finish for a durable and even finish.I’m sure it would pair well with the Modius as it can come in black as well. I’m guessing that the Magnius comes exclusively in black since the Magni Heresy comes in black only? Maybe.In front of the Magnius, there are 2 buttons, the input selector as well as the gain switch. The switches are very tactile and indicate their current state well. Next to the toggle switches is the volume potentiometer, which I mentioned to be a special 27mm potentiometer not normally found in units at this price point. There’s also a nice white dot that would indicate the volume level. It turns quite smoothly, while there is a reasonable amount of resistance that would prevent any accidental volume adjustments, and it also gives me more precise control of the volume.On the far left of the front are the 2 headphone outs, a ¼” single-ended output that’s rated for 2.0W at 32?, and a 4-pin balanced XLR output on the far left rated for 5.0W at 32?. These power ratings will be enough for a wide variety of headphones.Strikingly absent was a power light indicator. When I 1st turned the Magnius on, I had my SP200 stacked on top of it, and I couldn’t really find where the power indicator was.There was a sound coming out of the headphones that I plugged in, but there wasn’t a visual indication of the unit being on. It was only when I removed the SP200 when I found a glowing red light inside the chassis that serves as the power indicator. I would have wanted something in front as the power LED though, as I mostly listen in a properly lit room.The power switch of the Magnius is located at the back of the unit, and I’ve met quite a few people who complain about this, as it would have been more convenient if the power switch was mounted in front.At the back of the Magnius are 2 pairs of inputs, a single-ended RCA input, and a balanced pair of 3-pin XLR inputs, which can be selected by the input selector in front. The Magnius also features 2 pairs of pre-amp outputs, a single-ended RCA, as well as a balanced pair of 3-pin XLR outputs, both always active regardless of a pair of headphones being plugged in or not. When talking about raw power, the Magnius really has heaps of it. Using the single-ended output, I’m not able to go beyond 11 o’clock on my Hifiman Anandas. On balanced, the most that I was able to bear with my Sennheiser HD600’s was just at 12 o’clock.With this amount of headroom, I’m sure that the Magnius will be able to power more demanding headphones, especially with the power that it can push out through its balanced outputs.TONALITYIt’s flat! I believe that the Magnius was designed to directly compete with the likes of the THX AAA amps, and I can hear that the Magnius sounds similarly neutral.The frequency response of the Magnius is an overall neutral sound signature. While remaining neutral though, the Magnius has proven to me that being neutral doesn’t automatically equate to being sterile.DETAILS AND TEXTURIZATIONTonality is one thing, and I’ve seen many cheaper amplifiers achieve the same level of neutrality. However, one of the things that brings an amplifier to the next level is how the details are presented by the amplifier.With the Magnius, I found that the details are very well presented, and the Magnius is able to take full control of the drivers. With faster-paced music, the Magnius was able to present each detail as crisp, and distinct. I’m satisfied with how each drum beat and cymbal hit is presented as distinct from each other even in faster songs.STAGINGInstrument separation is also a strong point with the Magnius, as it’s able to present the timbre of each instrument. Even when 2 instruments are playing the same note on certain passages, the Magnius will be able to present a distinction between the 2 instruments through a detailed pair of headphones.One thing that I would have wanted more of with the Magnius though is the way it presents soundstage. I would have hoped that it could have presented a slightly wider sound stage. Soundstage felt slightly narrow on the sides of my head while extending a bit farther forward towards the center.Despite the slightly narrower soundstage that the Magnius tends to project, it is able to create a very tangible image. When I play songs from Amber Rubarth’s Songs from the 17th ward, I can almost feel the guitars right in front of me.I had to double-check if my laptop wasn’t playing any of the music because it felt like the music was coming from my laptop instead of my headphone, that’s the kind of tangible image that the Magnius is able to project.SYNERGYFor the most part, I ran the Magnius off the original Cayin iDAC-6 hybrid tube DAC, running dual AK4490 DAC chips. With this DAC, the Magnius is transparent enough to be able to show me the dynamic characteristics of the DAC.I can hear the warmth on tube mode, and the more resolving character of transistor mode when I choose it on the DAC. The Magnius was transparent enough, that it could let me discern what the DAC upstream sounds like.UR VERDICTSchiit is known for providing quality products at reasonable prices, and they have not failed in doing so with the Magnius. They have managed to create an op-amp-based balanced amplifier that has lots of power, with a fast and detailed presentation, while remaining fairly neutral.Despite being neutral, the Magnius manages to have a dynamic low end, texturized midrange, and a smooth and detailed treble. I wish they just moved the power switch to the front though, but that might be asking for too much from Schiit.SCHIIT AUDIO MAGNIUS SPECIFICATIONSBALANCED HEADPHONE OUTPUTMaximum Power, 16 ohms: 6.0W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 5.0W RMS per channelMaximum Power, 50 ohms: 3.2W RMS per channelMaximum Power, 300 ohms: 1000mW RMS per channelMaximum Power, 600 ohms: 500mW RMS per channelSINGLE-ENDED HEADPHONE OUTPUTMaximum Power, 16 ohms: 2.2W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 2.0W RMS per channelMaximum Power, 50 ohms: 1.3W RMS per channelMaximum Power, 300 ohms: 300mW RMS per channelMaximum Power, 600 ohms: 150mW RMS per channelNote: Maximum power rated at 1% THD, high gainTHD+NLow Gain, Balanced Output: Less than 0.0001% (-119dB) at 4V RMS into 32 ohmsHigh Gain, Balanced Output: Less than 0.0003% (-110dB) at 4V RMS into 32 ohmsLow Gain, SE Output: Less than 0.003% (-90dB) at 1V RMS into 32 ohmsHigh Gain, SE Output: Less than 0.004% (-87db) at 2V RMS into 32 ohmsIMDLow Gain, Balanced Output: Less than -112dB at 4V RMS into 32 ohms, CCIFHigh Gain, Balanced Output: Less than -110dB at 4V RMS into 32 ohms, CCIFLow Gain, SE Output: Less than -73dB at 1V RMS into 32 ohms, CCIFHigh Gain, SE Output: Less than -72dB at 2V RMS into 32 ohms, CCIFSNRLow Gain, Balanced Output: Greater than 125dB, unweighted, referenced to 4V RMSHigh Gain, Balanced Output: Greater than 115dB, unweighted, referenced to 4V RMSLow Gain, SE Output: Greater than 105dB, unweighted, referenced to 1V RMSHigh Gain, SE Output: Greater than 110dB, unweighted, referenced to 2V RMSCROSSTALKLess than -90dB, 20 Hz-20 kHz, either gain, 300-ohm loadLess than -70dB, 20 Hz-20 kHz, either gain, 32-ohm loadOutput Impedance: Less than 0.1 ohms at either gainInput Impedance: 50k ohmsGAINBalanced Output: 1 (0db) or 5 (14db)Single-ended Output: 0.5 (-6dB) or 2.5 (8db)Topology: Composite amplifier with OPA1688 input buffers, LME49724 differential amplifier, TPA6120A2 current feedback output stage, DC coupled.Protection: Standard failsafe DC power input and muting relayPower Supply: “Wall wart” style 24VA 15VAC transformer, linear regulated +/- 13.5V rails with over 6,000uF filter capacitancePower Consumption: 6W idle, 21W maxSize: 9 x 6 x 1.5”
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