New Schiit Modius DAC

[The Computer Audiophile]

Press release follows. Seriously, it's $199. These guys are crazy. 

 

 

 

Hey all,
 

It’s really under-selling it to say that our new Modius “may not be the DAC you want, but it’s the DAC you need.” 

 

So I won’t say that again.

 

Here’s the deal: we have a new DAC. It’s called Modius. As in “Modius Maximus.” As in “a bigger, better, badder-ass Modi.” It has 4 inputs, including our own Unison USB™ and AES. It has balanced and single-ended outputs. It’s based on the excellent AK4493 D/A converter and a whole pile of precision parts, including a 200MHz, 32-bit Microchip microprocessor, the TI LME49724 balanced amp and the OPA1662, and thin-film capacitors and resistors. It runs off USB power. It’s designed and built in California. And it’s $199.

 

Yes. $199.

 

Yes, designed and built right here in California (and maybe Utah in the future.)

 

Aaaand yes, as always, we are completely and utterly insane.

 

Modius product page: https://www.schiit.com/products/modius

Modius press release: https://www.schiit.com/about/news/introducing-modius

Modius chapter: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiit-happened-the-story-of-the-worlds-most-improbable-start-up.701900/page-3991#post-15651815

 

Modius stacks perfectly under any past or current Asgard, Valhalla, Jotunheim, or Lyr. But it’s also a great DAC for pretty much any system, even if you don’t have one of our amps.

 

Modius is available today at schiit.com in both black and silver finish.

 

 

[AudioDoctor]

Oh sure, I just bought a Modi Multi-bit as my travel DAC...

 

But, from what I'm seeing, this isn't a multi-bit DAC architecture, so I think I'll stick with the Multi-bit.

[Blake]

25 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

Oh sure, I just bought a Modi Multi-bit as my travel DAC...

 

But, from what I'm seeing, this isn't a multi-bit DAC architecture, so I think I'll stick with the Multi-bit.

 

Yeah, me too!  Just bought my Modi, except my Modi is not the fancy schmancy multi-bit one.

 

Oh, and Schiit is opening operations in my home State of Utah, so I can just drive over and demand a free upgrade.

[AudioDoctor]

5 minutes ago, Blake said:

 

Yeah, me too!  Just bought my Modi, except my Modi is not the fancy schmancy multi-bit one.

 

Oh, and Schiit is opening operations in my home State of Utah, so I can just drive over and demand a free upgrade.

 

Do you like the plain Modi?

[Blake]

Just now, AudioDoctor said:

 

Do you like the plain Modi?

 

I sure do!

 

Oh, and now I see the new Schiit Utah location is literally 2 blocks from my office.  So I will just walk over to demand my free upgrade.

[AudioDoctor]

Just now, Blake said:

 

I sure do!

 

Oh, and now I see the new Schiit Utah location is literally 2 blocks from my office.  So I will just walk over to demand my free upgrade.

 

let me know how that goes, I want a Mobius Multibit with Unison USB and the Linear power supply like the Multi-bit!

[photonman]

Just add volume control and that's the full package!  A really good price point and option for a second system.  Cannot wait to hear some reviews here on AS.

[firedog]

Got reviewed at ASR and measured superbly. Especially the USB input, so confirmation that Schiits new USB interface is very good. 

With the inputs it has, it looks like a great deal. Pretty amazing for $200. Get this in a Schiit "stack" and you could put together a very good system for relatively little. 

And it even comes in black....

[lmitche]

With so many DACs using the XMOS USB chip, this DAC really has the potential to show the limitations of the current standard. I often wonder if the XMOS chip isn't the root cause of all the effort we go through to make USB listenable.

 

[left channel]

I love those guys. They really are batschiit crazy. Too bad I already have three of the Modi 3 and one Modi 2 Uber.

[Superdad]

1 hour ago, lmitche said:

I often wonder if the XMOS chip isn't the root cause of all the effort we go through to make USB listenable.

 

Electrically I don't think so. Most differentiation of USB input stages are about all the little details immediately surrounding the processor. Quality of power networks, tiny low-inductance bypass caps next to ever power pin, isolation, clocking, layout. etc.

Not that I am going to defend the XMOS dev environment or bloated stock code they come with.  

 

Schiit made the (wise) choice to move away from Cmedia and to something more open and flexible. Obviously there would be no point to just go from Cmedia to XMOS. And now that Windows (finally!) natively supports UAC2, the whole writing or licensing (and updating) drivers nightmare goes away.

 

The Microchip PIC32MZ EF microcontroller was a cool choice for their "Unison" input, giving them independence and flexibility for the future. Those chips have already have lots of built-in I/O (including Ethernet, USB, ADC, and even some graphics) and a good deal of memory. Microchip provides its own development environment (MPLAB), but I read about someone loading Linux into a PIC32.

[feelingears]

10 minutes ago, Superdad said:

The Microchip PIC32MZ EF microcontroller was a cool choice for their "Unison" input, giving them independence and flexibility for the future. Those chips have already have lots of built-in I/O (including Ethernet, USB, ADC, and even some graphics) and a good deal of memory.

 

So does comment this imply they could choose to someday employ the base ingredients of their secret USB sauce with direct Ethernet input? (I'd Kickstarter that assuming they can isolate the noise!)

[Superdad]

33 minutes ago, feelingears said:

So does comment this imply they could choose to someday employ the base ingredients of their secret USB sauce with direct Ethernet input?

 

Sure, though there is not really any "secret sauce" to the PIC32 processor itself.  Schiit wrote/tweaked USB code for it and combined it with some of the same external post-processor isolation (brought over from their Gen5 boards).

But yes, the processor they use supports 10/100Mbps Ethernet (as do many of the much smaller and slower PIC32 versions). Here is even a $100 PIC32 Ethernet starter kit:

https://www.microchip.com/Developmenttools/ProductDetails/DM320004-2#additional-summary

 

But remember:

Adding Ethernet as digital audio input is about much more than just the Ethernet MAC processing stack.  It's about supporting some higher-level audio player endpoint protocol, be it Roon RAAT, HQ Player NAA, UPnP/DLNA, Squeeze, or AES67/Ravenna, etc.

Or they could do something proprietary--as long as they offer some player on the host end.

[feelingears]

29 minutes ago, Superdad said:

 

Sure, though there is not really any "secret sauce" to the PIC32 processor itself.  Schiit wrote/tweaked USB code for it and combined it with some of the same external post-processor isolation (brought over from their Gen5 boards).

 

Shucks, Alex, this isn't as much fun as reading Jason's chapter after chapter of Herculean code-sauce brewin' feats! 😉

 

You and John actually might have a similar book to write about hunting PHY noises beneath/between/behind the 1s and 0s, escaping out of USB and into our speakers...

 

[beerandmusic]

8 hours ago, left channel said:

I love those guys. They really are batschiit crazy. Too bad I already have three of the Modi 3 and one Modi 2 Uber.

ebay before the word gets out (smile)

[manisandher]

The Modius has redeemed Schiit in my eyes. (Not that they'd care particularly, I'm sure.)

 

Mani.

[left channel]

13 hours ago, beerandmusic said:

ebay before the word gets out (smile)

 

Yeah but then I'd also have to upgrade from my Magni amps.... oh, wait... [Rubs hands together with evil glee.]

[happypappy]

Sounds very interesting, though I do wonder about the fact that it's powered by USB instead of a quality separate power supply.  In general, that's seen as an economic design compromise.  Besides, I own a terrific iFi 5 volt power supply that I use with my current SMSL Sanscrit DAC.  The iFi made a big sound improvement over the stock wall wart.  It seems a step backwards to rely on whatever potentially noisy USB power my computer may be spitting out.

 

But hey, if the Modius sounds great with USB power, then so be it.  I just wonder....hmmmm.  

[lmitche]

4 minutes ago, happypappy said:

Sounds very interesting, though I do wonder about the fact that it's powered by USB instead of a quality separate power supply.  In general, that's seen as an economic design compromise.  Besides, I own a terrific iFi 5 volt power supply that I use with my current SMSL Sanscrit DAC.  The iFi made a big sound improvement over the stock wall wart.  It seems a step backwards to rely on whatever potentially noisy USB power my computer may be spitting out.

 

But hey, if the Modius sounds great with USB power, then so be it.  I just wonder....hmmmm.  

Hi Happypappy,

 

The Modius can be powered two ways, from the USB input port, or from the micro-USB power port on the back of the case. In this second mode there is small power draw from the USB input port.

 

The Modius is an unbelievable DAC for $200. I enjoyed hearing it.

 

Larry

 

[Superdad]

5 minutes ago, happypappy said:

Sounds very interesting, though I do wonder about the fact that it's powered by USB instead of a quality separate power supply. 

 

Modius has a separate (microUSB) power input jack for those who wish to power it from an external +5VDC power supply instead of using USB 5VBUS power. So you just need a $0.50 DC-barrel>microUSB adapter to use with your present DC supply.

[happypappy]

21 minutes ago, Superdad said:

 

Modius has a separate (microUSB) power input jack for those who wish to power it from an external +5VDC power supply instead of using USB 5VBUS power. So you just need a $0.50 DC-barrel>microUSB adapter to use with your present DC supply.

Outstanding.  Thank you.

[left channel]

 

@happypappy I would probably use an UpTone power supply myself. But just to be clear, the Modius includes "Unison USB" which is a $200 add-on for other Schiitt DACs, and which they claim provides "complete electromagnetic and electrostatic isolation" as well as "low-noise re-clocking".

[happypappy]

30 minutes ago, left channel said:

 

@happypappy ...the Modius includes "Unison USB"...

That is the feature that really drew my attention.  I'm always looking for ways to eliminate noise.  Sometimes you don't realize how much noise there is....until it's gone.  

 

[Blake]

On 6/2/2020 at 9:02 AM, Blake said:

 

I sure do!

 

Oh, and now I see the new Schiit Utah location is literally 2 blocks from my office.  So I will just walk over to demand my free upgrade.

 

Schiit declined my demand for a free upgrade from my freshly ordered Modi 3*.  Unbelievable!  So I went ahead and bought a new Modius.  It is back ordered at the moment.

 

*It is also possible I just made this bit up and I did not walk over on my lunch break and make this demand, but I like the imagery.