Schiit Modi 2 multibit + sys VS Audio GD NFB 11

[vegpwrd]

New to the game so bear with me. . .I'm budgeted at $300-400 and looking for a DAC. Researching my options I've come up with the Schiit Modi 2 (multibit) and their SYS preamp AND the Audio GD NFB 11. Are they comparable? Are there other DAC's that fit my budget and are better?

 

System:

 

dynaco ST-70

R. Gray power conditioner

CD's ripped AIFF

Mac Itunes

[firedog]

I think TEAC has a pretty good DAC in that price range:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Teac-UD-301-BK-Monaural-Digital-Converter/dp/B00L9HZ5QW

 

Used market might also be worth it for you.

[vegpwrd]

Thanks for the recommendation. I guess it suggests that the teac is better than both of those?

[bogi]

TEAC's strength is in DAC part, Audio-gd's in preamp part.

Multibit si good for Redbook, but not so optimal for high resolution audio.

I would vote for TEAC.

[BobSherman]

New to the game so bear with me. . .I'm budgeted at $300-400 and looking for a DAC. Researching my options I've come up with the Schiit Modi 2 (multibit) and their SYS preamp AND the Audio GD NFB 11. Are they comparable? Are there other DAC's that fit my budget and are better?

 

System:

 

dynaco ST-70

R. Gray power conditioner

CD's ripped AIFF

Mac Itunes

Your first choice IMO is by far the best. The Modi Multi bit will sound better than anything near, or above its price range. Listening to one right now and would never listen to a Saber DAC again regardless of price.

 

What speakers are you using?

[vegpwrd]

Thanks for the insight Bogi

 

BobSherman. . .aw man, throwing a wrench in the works

 

Speakers: Angstrom Image

[BobSherman]

Thanks for the insight Bogi

 

BobSherman. . .aw man, throwing a wrench in the works

 

Speakers: Angstrom Image

Just trying to be realistic, hi-res DSD etc is just something you are not looking for or really need at the moment. If you are looking for really good sound then the Schiit DAC is a great choice IMO. Check Chris's review of the Yggi, the Modi is of course not to the same level but reaches pretty high and does have the same qualities.

 

What are you currently using as a preamp? Is your ST 70 original, stock, 7199 drivers etc? I have owned and built many ST70s over the years with many different front ends. They are a classic.

 

Computer Audiophile - Schiit Audio Yggdrasil Multibit DAC Review

[clipper]

Your first choice IMO is by far the best. The Modi Multi bit will sound better than anything near, or above its price range. Listening to one right now and would never listen to a Saber DAC again regardless of price.

 

What speakers are you using?

 

Big thumbs up on the Schiit Modi Multibit too.

 

I like its S/PDIF input better than its USB input.

 

Doing USB out to a Singxer F-1, then coax S/PDIF (RCA connector) into an iFi SPDIF iPurifier connected to the Modi Multibit's S/PDIF input.

 

Sounds great, especially for the size and price.

[BobSherman]

Big thumbs up on the Schiit Modi Multibit too.

 

I like its S/PDIF input better than its USB input.

 

Doing USB out to a Singxer F-1, then coax S/PDIF (RCA connector) into an iFi SPDIF iPurifier connected to the Modi Multibit's S/PDIF input.

 

Sounds great, especially for the size and price.

I am also using the S/PDIF with a Hifi Digi + pro, yes it is better than the USB but I tried the USB and it was very listenable also. The F-1 does make a difference, it is a great convertor, from what everyone says.

 

O.T. What is the atmosphere in the city like with the Cubs in the World Series? Looks pretty amazing from afar.

[vegpwrd]

ST-70 is totally stock

 

I do not have a preamp. Is the Schiit SYS appropriate or is there something better out there for volume control?

 

Alright, y'all are leaving me in the dust now. . ."Doing USB out to a Singxer F-1, then coax S/PDIF (RCA connector) into an iFi SPDIF iPurifier connected to the Modi Multibit's S/PDIF input." All these things are totally foreign. Mind showing pic of what this setup looks like ?

singer f-1? I looked it up. Guessing get it w the housing?

 

thanks

[firedog]

ST-70 is totally stock

 

I do not have a preamp. Is the Schiit SYS appropriate or is there something better out there for volume control?

 

Alright, y'all are leaving me in the dust now. . ."Doing USB out to a Singxer F-1, then coax S/PDIF (RCA connector) into an iFi SPDIF iPurifier connected to the Modi Multibit's S/PDIF input." All these things are totally foreign. Mind showing pic of what this setup looks like ?

singer f-1? I looked it up. Guessing get it w the housing?

 

thanks

 

The Schiit Sys is a very good pre. You do realize it is a passive?. I have one and find it quite transparent. Amazing sound for the price.

My criticism of it is not the sound, but the ergonomics. It's quite small, so the volume knob is also small. A little too small. Not a deal breaker, but slightly annoying. Obviously no remote.

[vegpwrd]

The Schiit Sys is a very good pre. You do realize it is a passive?. I have one and find it quite transparent. Amazing sound for the price.

My criticism of it is not the sound, but the ergonomics. It's quite small, so the volume knob is also small. A little too small. Not a deal breaker, but slightly annoying. Obviously no remote.

 

Didn't know it was passive. Admittedly, i don't really know what that means. . .guessing it's not adding wattage?

[firedog]

Didn't know it was passive. Admittedly, i don't really know what that means. . .guessing it's not adding wattage?

 

It means it just passes the signal along without "amplifying" it. The volume control is technically an attenuator - it either reduces the incoming signal from max or opens the signal back up to max. You just run analog cables between your source (DAC), the SyS, and the amplifier. No electricity needed.

 

Is generally not an issue unless you have a very long cable run between your boxes, or a very low output source. In that case, you need an active preamp to amplify the incoming signal. Neither of those appear to be an issue in your case. There are a couple of other users here who have tried the SyS and like it a lot.

[BobSherman]

Didn't know it was passive. Admittedly, i don't really know what that means. . .guessing it's not adding wattage?

It is just a volume control in a case. Should work, the St70 get to full output with less that 1.5V input. The impedance matching might not be ideal, but I think you will be ok. I would give it a go.

[firedog]

It is just a volume control in a case. Should work, the St70 get to full output with less that 1.5V input. The impedance matching might not be ideal, but I think you will be ok. I would give it a go.

 

Sys:

 

Input impedance: 10k ohms

Output Impedance: 5k ohms maximum

 

Should work well with most modern amps.

[Abtr]

Didn't know it was passive. Admittedly, i don't really know what that means. . .guessing it's not adding wattage?

The Schiit sys is simply a pot/resistor based analog volume control without a buffer stage to lower output impedance. In practice (depending on the volume setting of the sys) you end up with an output impedance of (max) five thousand Ohms instead of several hundred Ohms of a regular active preamp. Whether the sys will work may then largely depend on the input impedance of your power amp which is pretty high for the ST70 (330kOhm). Ideally the preamp output impedance should be at least 10 times lower than the amp's input impedance so you may be good there.

 

I tried the Schiit sys with a modi multibit DAC and a solid state Carver power amp (input impedance 30k) and it sounded disastrous, flat and lifeless, sucking the dynamics out of the sound, most notably the bass..

[4est]

I find this quite interesting. I have a Modi MB here, and do not really care for it over my hopped up Buffalo DAC (Sabre based) or my Signalyst DSC1. I relegated it to TV duties, but may have to try the SPDIF in upon reading this.

 

Big thumbs up on the Schiit Modi Multibit too.

 

I like its S/PDIF input better than its USB input.

 

Doing USB out to a Singxer F-1, then coax S/PDIF (RCA connector) into an iFi SPDIF iPurifier connected to the Modi Multibit's S/PDIF input.

 

Sounds great, especially for the size and price.

[mourip]

Your first choice IMO is by far the best. The Modi Multi bit will sound better than anything near, or above its price range. Listening to one right now and would never listen to a Saber DAC again regardless of price.

 

+1. After using Schitt's multibit DACs I could never go back to a Saber based one and I had several (TP Buffalo, Wyred4Sound, TEAC, Auralic).

 

If you can live with up to 24/192 the multibits are great.

[vegpwrd]

OK. . .i gotta a framework on how to approach this project. Sure got expensive fast:Schiit Modi Multi=$250, Schiit SYS=$50, Singxer = $205, IFI SPDIF=$150, Misc. cables and S/H=$50

 

. . .Grand Total of $700. Is this still the best route to go for playing my digital files or is there a cheaper approach that will achieve similar results with my current system? Or maybe someone has a line on where to find the individual components i listed for cheaper than what i've found?

 

Thanks again for ALL the insight

[Rezseeker]

An emphatic +1 on the Schiit modi mb. Full disclosure: I use it with curious cable + amber regen, both of which I already had so maybe spdif is a better and cheaper route to great sound.

You should budget for a player other than itunes to get the purest signal from your files. My vote there would be Audirvana for simplicity, sound quality, and even price.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile

[firedog]

OK. . .i gotta a framework on how to approach this project. Sure got expensive fast:Schiit Modi Multi=$250, Schiit SYS=$50, Singxer = $205, IFI SPDIF=$150, Misc. cables and S/H=$50

 

. . .Grand Total of $700. Is this still the best route to go for playing my digital files or is there a cheaper approach that will achieve similar results with my current system? Or maybe someone has a line on where to find the individual components i listed for cheaper than what i've found?

 

Thanks again for ALL the insight

 

One possible savings: try it without the iFi at first. You can always add it in afterwards if you think you need to tweak the sound.

[clipper]

ST-70 is totally stock

 

I do not have a preamp. Is the Schiit SYS appropriate or is there something better out there for volume control?

 

Alright, y'all are leaving me in the dust now. . ."Doing USB out to a Singxer F-1, then coax S/PDIF (RCA connector) into an iFi SPDIF iPurifier connected to the Modi Multibit's S/PDIF input." All these things are totally foreign. Mind showing pic of what this setup looks like ?

singer f-1? I looked it up. Guessing get it w the housing?

 

thanks

 

Here's the pic you asked for.

 

This equipment sits on a corner of my desk and is part of a small headphone system. The photo makes everything look messier than it really is (although I know it's never going to win any neatness awards!).

 

 

USB out of microRendu (powered by Uptone LPS-1) to Singxer F-1. Coax S/PDIF from F-1 to iFi SPDIF iPurifier, which is plugged into Schiit Modi Multibit's S/PDIF input. Output to Schiit Jotunheim headphone amp, driving Sennheiser HD-800 headphones (balanced).

 

Regarding your question about the SYS: I have one. I originally bought it to switch between two computers sharing the same computer desktop speakers, but hooked it up to my main system a few times to see what it could do. My feelings are that it will hurt your SQ (sound quality), based on the quality of components you're thinking about adding.

 

In my opinion, a GREAT alternative (if you can spend a little more $$) would be a passive preamp made by Goldpoint Level Controls. I have one in my main system and absolutely love it. See Goldpoint Level Controls. The least expensive model is the SA1 ($344), which would work for you if you only have one source.

[clipper]

I am also using the S/PDIF with a Hifi Digi + pro, yes it is better than the USB but I tried the USB and it was very listenable also. The F-1 does make a difference, it is a great convertor, from what everyone says.

 

O.T. What is the atmosphere in the city like with the Cubs in the World Series? Looks pretty amazing from afar.

 

The city was crazy with excitement but as you could imagine, people are pretty bummed now that they're down 3-1.

 

I'm a huge White Sox fan. I honestly tried to force myself to root for the Cubs during this playoff push, but just couldn't do it. I'm a big baseball fan, so of course I've been watching all of it.

 

I'd be really surprised if they didn't win tonight and force game 6 in Cleveland.

[photonman]

I have my Modi MB wired straight to the amplifier and use the Audirvana software volume controls. I could not believe the difference in volume when taking out the preamp from the signal path. Whether this is good or bad technically, not sure, but i subscribe to the less-boxes-and-less-cables equals overall better.

[Jay-dub]

I have my Modi MB wired straight to the amplifier and use the Audirvana software volume controls. I could not believe the difference in volume when taking out the preamp from the signal path. Whether this is good or bad technically, not sure, but i subscribe to the less-boxes-and-less-cables equals overall better.

 

That means that if you need to attenuate a particular recording by, say, 18dB, you're listening at 13 bit resolution! Analog volume control is definitely recommended with the Modi MB. I have no idea whether a inexpensive passive control (SYS) or active (Magni 2 Uber) would give the OP better sound at that price range for those speakers, but in either case the main limitation would be the 16-bit nature of the DAC. Personally, I think it's silly to talk about getting workarounds for the USB input that cost more than the DAC. The USB on Schiit DACs is a little temperamental, but it generally works and it doesn't affect the sound that much. If that bothers you, get something with a well-regarded USB input, maybe a TEAC or an iDSD Micro.

 

Personal experience: I've switched from using the USB input on my Modi MB to the optical, but for the sake of convenience not sound quality. To my mind, its strength is for situations when software upsampling is not practical. Once I get a satisfactory DS DAC for my headphone setup downstairs I'm going to move my MOMB permanently to the family room, with the optical input on the TV and the coax to a CD player.