Headphones

I've been reading so much good info on the Schiit stuff for years now. I've looked at those units here and there. I can't pass up the opportunity to give it a shot. :)
 
They're doing a combo deal right now, $99 each for the Magni and Modi. The Modi is usually $129 iirc.
 
Nunz said:
They're doing a combo deal right now, $99 each for the Magni and Modi. The Modi is usually $129 iirc.
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I just added them to the cart before you sent that, and it's still charging me $129 for the Modi. I'll look into it a bit more, thanks
 
Check the Schiit frontpage, that's where I thought I saw the combo deal. I could be mistaken
 
Schitt makes good... ****. lol. It's a good stack, the other amp is better, and you can mix with the Schiit DAC fine. But I understand wanting the cohesion, and either will serve your purpose.

Conclusions
While there are a few oddities here, this is the first Alex Cavalli design that I have tested with competent performance and at hugely bargain price of just $99 including shipping. It joins two other good products, the JDS Labs O2 and Schiit Magni 3. The O2 has more of a textbook performance but slightly less power. The other two have more of a boutique performance with their distortion rise at low load impedances.

Listening tests show the three in dead heat with essentially nothing differentiating them.

So I say base your purchase decision on company reputation, form factor, looks, availability, etc.

For now, the Monoprice Liquid Spark gets my recommendation.
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https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...of-monoprice-liquid-spark-headphone-amp.5224/

Another good thread to dive into.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/get-amped-wavetheorys-roundup-of-many-200-head-amps.957806/
 
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Your own link says they're equal amps with nothing really differentiating them, but you're saying the Monoprice is better..?? I'm confused.

The Magni 3 also performs better at normal listening levels in terms of distortion and signal clarity with high ohm load. They seem to be equivalent. I'd purchase a Schiit based off brand alone and their impeccable return/customer support.. and also a US based company that tries to produce their products in the US.
 
A lot of reviews of the various headphones are stating that they don't do various things well, or as well as other headsets. The DT770 and DT990, for example, always have great reviews with the exception that they are very "bright". Overly so for a lot of people.

I've been reading about the Schiit audio stack components tonight, and came across several articles regarding their Loki Mini+ 4 Band Equalizer. If I'm understanding it right, couldn't I use that equalizer to adjust (for example) a slight negative gain to the Treble on the DT770/DT990 headphones to bring the brightness down a bit if I prefer it?

Schiit Loki+ 4 Band Equalizer
 
You can adjust the treble through software, since you'll be connected to your PC. Products like the Loki are geared towards those of us connecting our setup to something that isn't a PC or a device without software EQ capability. To be honest with you, since you haven't really used high-end cans, I don't think you'll know what "bright" really is; at least not until you've staged other headphones. You might find that you actually prefer "bright" for your ears - there is no wrong answer when it comes to audio. Some chase the absolute reference, while others want to tune the sound for what their ears prefer.

I would avoid going with EQ components and just grab the headphones + stack, and then go from there. If you find it's bright, or are unsatisfied with the software controls, you can grab the Loki later.

Just be careful of going down the rabbit hole. Looking at EQ equipment already means you're getting a little too far ahead of yourself LOL. This **** can cost way, way, way too much money very quickly.. it's a never-ending vicious cycle.
 
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I figured I'd grab the headphones first, then get the Schiit stack.

Just nervous about getting headphones, because if I don't like it...I return it back to Amazon and try something else. That **** starts to get old after a while. I did that with soundbars until I decided to splurge on the Samsung Q950A, which is just freakin phenomenal.
 
Soundbars.. eek. I think you'll be satisfied with the Beyer's. You're starting off with good quality rather than starting at the bottom of the barrel.
 
Yeah I agree with Nunz. If PC is your source you don't really need an external EQ. I think that's more for when connecting to a turntable to listen to vinyl or something. Personally I use either the software EQ of my audio driver, or my media player. I have my software dialed in perfectly to how I like it.

Also just wanted to give another quick mention about using Schiit's products. They sound great, but I did have an issue with my Magni headphone amp that I could never get resolved. Not sure if you remember my story from the other thread, but for months I kept getting audio crackling/dropouts. I did tons of troubleshooting on my system, and sent both the Modi and Magni back to Schiit for service. Both of which they sent back saying they are in perfect working order.

This is simply bullshit. I have since confirmed there is absolutely an issue with the Magni. When connected, I can now finally reproduce the problem simply by touching the back of the Magni unit and moving it a little. I think there's a loose solder point inside, probably where the RCA cable plugs in. I told Schiit this before I sent it in but they claim they could not find a problem. So I have simply stopped using the Magni, and I just use the Modi now. Just an F.Y.I.
 
Nunz said:
Soundbars.. eek. I think you'll be satisfied with the Beyer's. You're starting off with good quality rather than starting at the bottom of the barrel.
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Yeah, wasn't a fan of soundbars either! Wanted something for my living room, but didn't want large speakers in there all over the place. Sort of a minimalistic look. Unfortunately, not very friendly room dimensions. It would make sense if you saw it. It was hard to commit to doing that after getting use to the Elac setup in my sig that I have in a different room. :lol:


Thanks for the reminder, Meteor. I did forget about your issues. Hopefully, it's a smooth experience.
 
Does it matter what kind of cables you use with the Schiit hardware? My PC is in the other room on the other side of the wall, so I'd need to use longer cords to connect them. Looks like it's USB though, so I don't think it will matter. I saw a review recommending 6" cords between the devices in the stack, but the PC connection appears to be USB.

Currently thinking about trying out the BeyerDynamic DT 990 Pro
 
OverclockN' said:
Does it matter what kind of cables you use with the Schiit hardware? My PC is in the other room on the other side of the wall, so I'd need to use longer cords to connect them. Looks like it's USB though, so I don't think it will matter. I saw a review recommending 6" cords between the devices in the stack, but the PC connection appears to be USB.

Currently thinking about trying out the BeyerDynamic DT 990 Pro
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Length of the cord (even USB) supposedly can matter. This is what Schiit recommends on their DAC troubleshooting page:

USB cables can be problematic as well. Try another one that's 2M or less in length, and at least USB 2.0 rated.
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https://www.schiit.com/guides/dac-problems
 
OverclockN' said:
Headset reviews are a freakin mess. Every review is different. Some say headphones are too bright, some say they are perfect. Some say they have too much bass, others not enough. The sound field is very open and spatious, others can't tell. :lol:

The only way to know is just to buy them all and try them, and return them. :nuts:
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Audio is subjective. What one perceived as too "bright" could be perfect to the next person. If you can't tell the difference between soundstage though, you probably shouldn't be reviewing audio equipment :lol:

As for the cable length . Just make sure you buy good cables. The longer the cable, the higher quality it needs to be in order to maintain signal integrity and clarity.
 
Nunz said:
As for the cable length . Just make sure you buy good cables. The longer the cable, the higher quality it needs to be in order to maintain signal integrity and clarity.
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I think that only applies to analog cables though like RCA right? USB and TOSlink is digital so you shouldn't get quality degradation. It either works or it doesn't. But other problems could crop up with digital cables that are too long, like glitching and drop outs.
 
Ordered the BeyerDynamic DT 990 Pro off Amazon, and it's going to be here tomorrow. Going to order the Schiit stack duo in a bit here.

Torn between closed and open back. I want bass with a wide/open sound field. We'll see how it sounds and if background noise bleeds through.

Just need to figure out cables for the stack. There's a possibility I may not even like using headphones at all.
 
Meteor_of_War said:
I think that only applies to analog cables though like RCA right? USB and TOSlink is digital so you shouldn't get quality degradation. It either works or it doesn't. But other problems could crop up with digital cables that are too long, like glitching and drop outs.
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I was referring to RCA. I haven't tried using USB at all; I use RCA. I'd imagine it applies in the sense that a cheap USB cable will not be able to carry the data fast enough, causing as you said, dropouts and potentially distortion. I feel like it's possible a poor USB cable could cause quality loss if it was not up-to-par as it would lose/drop data on the way.

Either way, cables are a worthwhile investment. They last forever and they do make a difference as you get up there in equipment as well as music bitrate.
 
You could get an active USB cable [powered] for that sort of distance. I have one here that is 8m long.
 
Keep in mind longer USB cables add latency. For example, Focusrite does not recommend using cables longer than a couple of feet, because they start to impact real time audio.


As a side note, I suspect you'd be better with a pro or prosumer interface than most amp/DAC things.
 
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