Get your own Flexispot E7 desk or C7 chair using the links below! US:bit.ly/48KP5B7 CA:bit.ly/3RTw9sY Hifiman Sundara Closed Back amzn.to/3Hi7N7t Schiit Magni Unity bit.ly/3RUQJt2 check out my other channel www.youtube.com/@cheapwatchman_official Intro graphics by johnvilardi.com Support the Channel! Shop on Amazon amzn.to/3W8vsgK Crutchfield shop-links.co/cguPK8XEGmt Join the best hifi community out there! patreon.com/cheapaudioman TRY ROON www.rofjdjk3ns.com/33G977/2CTPL/ Tidal Deal bit.ly/3siuqSF Amazon Unlimited Music Trial amzn.to/3DRAVj9 Crutchfield shop-links.co/cguPK8XEGmt Best Buy Deals shop-links.co/cf9yDZeYtUH amzn.to/3GkNaop CAM Store (New Products!) bit.ly/30Lgu4K apos.audio?sca_ref=552340.TY98BPcZ6P massdrop.7eer.net/qnOye5
I finally took my first real step into hi-fi and bought the Magni Unity (with DAC) for my PC to use as a headphone amp and pre-amp for my old Athena B-1 Speakers and some Monoprice Towers that I've been running off an ebay unpowered pre-amp. (little Bear MC2) I have a Rotel RMB 1048 for juice, and I honestly didn't believe the hype, but there is an instantly audible difference watching shows and listening to even low-quality sources. I am a believer. It was also incredibly easy to install and use. I used your referral link too.
@@gamehopper111 USB cable from computer to magni, then it's ready to go for headphones. Attach rca cables from magni to amp and your speakers are ready.
@@eryxis827 so from pc to magni(with internal dac) all i need is just a usb C cable and they will both run(amp and dac) because before i have a magni 2 and modi 2 separate in order to run them both you need to connect a rca cable.
I doubt they could if its all they sold. The Magni and Modi probably make hardly any money but they get people into the brand. Happens with a lot of brands KEF's Q150 to the LS50 for example.
Awesome. I was one of the lucky ones to grab an IEMagni before the stopped production of those. Glad to see the negative gain feature is back in a Schiit product.
I have the Magni Piety and Modi+ with an old pair of Yamaha orthodynamic headphones. Not feeling any reason to upgrade, but I like how Schiit upgraded the toggles. The old style toggles on the back of my Piety for power and gain do feel a little fragile. These new style with the axis point buried in the chassis looks way more durable. Little thing, but I like how Schiit continues to tweak their industrial design for the better (not to cut cost).
Thanks Cheapaudioman. Picked up the unity with DAC for Christmas. Sounds great with my HD569s. I really like this Amp/DAC especially the price and small formfactor! It's a good upgrade from my Fulla E. I got this so I can up my headphone game later this year. Looking at the Edition XS.
Great overview of the Magni Unity! I think mine is being delivered tomorrow. It will be my second Schiit box. I like the model designations, philosophy, and the story behind the company. I would rather contribute to their success than foreign or mega company that wants mass sales and profit margin. Pretty sure I will be upgrading all my stereo components to their products as I can manage it.
@@Andy-xn9zn I really like it! I don't have the greatest headphones, Audio Technica m50x, but it is a lot clearer sounding than my ugreen dongle, which is a ton better than the headphone jack on my laptop. I got a Modi+ for my stereo system and I can barely tell a difference between the Unity dac and the Modi. If there is one at all, it's irrelevant, as the video indicates. The Magni gets super super loud, I use it on the middle setting, turned up no higher than about 12:00 and it's plenty for me. I might pick up another set of more demanding headphones sometime to take better advantage of all the extra power. I dont have a ton of experience here, but so far so good, Would recommend!
Just hooked up my new Magni with the built-in DAC option. This is my first foray into headphone amps, and also my first DAC upgrade(?) experience. I loved that my MacBook immediately saw the Magni in the sound options. Started off with some Pink Floyd Meddle, Followed by Rush Farwell to Kings, and now I've got some ACDC For Those About to Rock. The only thing that surprised me was the size. I knew it was not big, but was thinking mass market paperback rather than SONY Walkman. Luving it so far, thanks Randy for all the great reviews.
Great, just-in-time, review. I have been considering the Sundara closed-back because of the price, but now in a dilemma. Do I get the Sundara or Edition XS? Thank you as always for your time and efforts to share your experiences with us all.
At around 7:40 you referenced the Hifiman Sundara's, and said that the unity would be a 10/10 with those headphones. Were you talking about the open-backed or close-back Sundaras? I own the open back version and my USB DAC/amp broke recently, was wondering if I should pick this up.
I've had the Magni+ for about 2 years for my PC (and have absolutely loved it), and I was thinking of just grabbing the Modi when I could afford it. But I think I'll actually pick up a Unity for my PC and move the Magni+ over to my stereo set-up that I use for my turntable and CD player, since my current speaker amp doesn't have a headphone output.
I know it will sound as false comment, but I bought the flexispot 7pro with my hard earned money for the black friday and there is no turning back. Having a standing desk offers so much flexibility if you stay a lot of time at your desk. It is stable but expect to have a bit of movement when fully extended and it's mostly normal, if you shake your desk, it will not probably stay still after all. Back to the magni unity, sadly in their EU store, the price is heavily impacted and goes up from 119$ to 175€ for the amp only and the combo from 189$ to 279€ wich is hard to swallow. :/ Nice video as always.
I just bought the Sundara Closed Back last month, I couldn't believe the price when I saw it, and needed to replace my AT m50x. 150 US is just dirt cheap (I believe they were 399 when they first came out) and have to say, classic metal just sounds amazing with them. I was surprised no one mentioned the closed backs dropping in price sooner. They need a decent headphone amp though, but I suffer from "Canadian Tax" and the magni may be too expensive. how do they compare to say the SMSL M300SE? The price difference with usb would be quite a bit more for the Magni, close to 100 extra up here.
My magni3 sits unused. First easily beat out by the headphones jack in my TEAC W-1200...then that was absolutely dusted by a 90's am-150 audio-technica stereo mixer for DJs...it's an amazing headphones amp..stupid amounts of power . And can cross fed. Used $45..
I use it only as a pre-amp for the power tube amp. Very detailed sound but still giving a nice smooth treble. Details are not as high as Topping L30 II but you can focus more on the midrange because the treble is not super sharp. It also reminds me more of live and speaker sound. I bet you enjoy this more than many other headphone amps. Also it can handle full volume at high gain without going protection mode like some Topping products.
Got this to power my Edition XS (in its aluminum glory). I had one scare with a small static shock and the unit wouldn't output. Solved with turning it off and on. Except for that, I friggin love it. Upgraded from my Fiio E10k and am not looking back
Thanks for what you do, Randy! Am not sure how to submit a general question to you, so am doing it here. Neither my class AB integrated amp nor my Wiim mini streamer have a subwoofer output. How do I get bass management (i.e. low-pass filter's output to a powered subwoofer, and high-pass filter's output to the primary amplifier) and still keep my integrated amp? Would love to replace the Wiim mini with a Wiim Pro Plus (which has a preamp output, but no subwoofer output) or Wiim Amp (which has no preamp output, but has a subwoofer output), but these limitations won't solve the problem. Your input is greatly appreciated. Maybe you'd be willing to make a video on this as I'm far from the only one stuck in this boat? Thanks, and take care!
I have the open-back Sundara, which I bought in Sep 2023. I listen to a lot of Baroque organ music on them. Now, it's not the thumping, ear-destroying, extreme bass that rock listeners seem to prefer. But for me, the bass is deep and satisfying.
Fellow Schiit-head here. Just bought a Magni+ about a month ago and love it. I probably should've just splurged for the Unity, because now I'm looking at getting a Modi, But I only use ATH-m40x's. Any thoughts on this, save my money I won't really notice a difference? I listen via PC and maybe only a quarter of my music is FLAC, a quarter is 320k CBR mp3, and half is VBR mp3. You have a video on the Loki Mini+? Really wish it was a parametric EQ. It wouldn't be hard to do with today's tech. I had an AudioControl 4.1 Parametric EQ in my car back in the late 90's, half DIN size. So I know it would be possible.
You want the add-in USB DAC for the $60, so just do the $189 version even if you don't need it . All Schiit products sound best on USB so you are not missing anything without Toslink and Coax. Also, there are no 16 Ohm headphones, so ignore that BS number. It is a 2.5W Amp with a USB DAC, which is fantastic for the price. I bought 2!
How does the internal dac on the magni compare to the smsl su1? Love your channel and reviews btw. Bought a fosi bt20a pro and it works perfectly for my use case.
He said the separate Dac may be a tiny bit better on the edges, but it would not be enough to notice in a blind A/B. I suspect this is due to the space constraints on the dac card for the magni.
Just stumbled upon your channel and it made me pull back out my Oppo HA-2 for my IEMs. Curious if you have any experience with it and how it would compare to the Magni Unity as a desk DAC/AMP? I know they are very different form factors, but I also have a 3 year old and an other coming in July so IEM while they sleep is ideal.
How would I use this to listen to vinyl records? I have an RT85 into a Schitt Mani (doesn’t have a headphone jack) and then it’s connected to some powered speakers. Would I go turntable > phono amp > headphone amp > powered speakers? And just plug headphones into the headphone amp?
Hey @cheapaudioman, i bought the Magni Unity and i found the usb c cable to be too short for my setup, where can i buy a longer one, Does any usb c cable work? Also how do i pair this with IEM’s?
Oooh, don't like the gray knob on the black finish, but that's just me though. I'm a big fan of Schiit. I have a Modi, Magni Heresy, and a Valhalla 2++. It's all good... stuff 😂
The closed back Sundaras sound great - very clear and dynamic. I've used them with a powerful headphone amp as well as various dongle dac/amps. There's no difference. The Sundaras play easy and very loud.
am i suppose to turn this thing off when im not using it? Seems like it gets pretty warm when left on. I am woried there is something wrong with mine because now when i press the power switch down the light inside the unit is not turning off. It still work properly with the power switch on but when the power switch is in the off position there is no audio but the light stays on.
Would love to get your take on the mani2 phono stage Randy. Seems like a big improvement from the original and, naturally, priced ridiculously low. Cheaper than the ifi zen phono. I have the fosi phono tube amp and would be interested to hear your take on if the mani2 would be a significant step up.
Loving my Mani 2, I've only compared it to the built in preamp, but it's miles better than that. The thing sounds like it's echoing far away in a tunnel, but the Mani makes it sooo much better. Enough that I decided to jump in and order more Schiit.
Question , is there a way to turn my mobile phone Motorola to stream high res 24 bit music , I have decent powered speakers Bluetooth capable on a way small budget , I have quobuz , Spotify
Have you ever reviewed or used the TEAC A1-101DA DAC/Amp. I was curious as to what you thought if you have? I use one on my desktop setup. What would be a good upgrade from it if you have as well?
I’m looking for something exactly like this product, also comparing to the SMSL M300SE that you just said was the best budget option of 2023. Is the DAC model of the Magni more bang-for-buck vs the M300SE?
I'm looking for a headphone amp with preamp outputs so I can pass on the signal to a 2.1 speaker system I'm building. Considering swapping my current SMSL SP200 for the Schiit Magni Unity. Any thoughts...? Would there be a simpler way of doing this (given that I already have a DAC that I love)?
Well, you could get a Magni without the dac for 109,(or a last generation for 89 or 79) and use your current dac. But at the price of 179, I'd just get the Unity card, even if you don't plan to use it right now. Schiit's Unison usb works flawlessly with all devices and sounds great.
Videos ideas - I need someone to explain why a dedicated amp is superior to a avr with like wattage numbers...I use my zone 2 from an Onkyo avr for two channel...use a wiim pro as a preamp through a schitt modi+....will I get a benefit finding a decent quality amp?
@@marketsamuraijunkie - Yes, it would be great for those headphones. You’d have to spend a lot more to occasionally get small improvements. About needing the DAC: what is your source? If it’s USB, then you need a DAC. If it’s a 3.5mm or pair of RCAs, then you don’t need a DAC.
Is it a safe conclusion that this has enough juice to drive planar magnetic headphones without pegging the volume control, or is the Sundara less thirsty than the others?
Hey. Sorry...I have been burnt before so I have a question: When you plug headphones in, will Magni cut off the speakers automatically? Or will it play from both?
This or the SMSL DL200 as a headphone dac/amp? From where I am the DL200 is almost 100€ cheaper, sound quality from one that have heard both? QA is another issue when looking at smsl..
Yes! It has an RCA input for the Modi, if you're using optical or Coax, or just like to have stuff stacked. The onboard Unity dac is great, but is USB only. I compared it to my separate Modi, and the difference is very small. Love the Magni Unity, been using it constantly since it arrived!
@@frankplissken143 glad to see someone compare it to the Modi. I’m completely new to this the audio world. I’m looking to get the Magni (w/ Dac) and the Sennheiser HD 6XX. I’m only going to be using this with a computer so I don’t need coax. But I wasn’t sure if I should still get the separate Modi because perhaps the quality was noticeably different. The price difference comes out to ~$100 and I don’t think that it’s worth it to me.
I have a second gen Magni that has about 14 or 15 hours on it over a long time and it bought the farm. I thought it may have been the amp board, but it turned out to be the input jack. I decided recently for the moment to fix it myself and it is ok now. I'd like to know how the new Magni stands against the Geshelli Labs Archel 2.5XL as a headphone amp head to head. Who cares about how a DAC sounds sonically it is just a computer processor chip. From what I gathered in this video, the SMSL unit is slightly better sonically than the Magni and the Geshelli Labs Archel Pro is notably better (for $400+ it better be). That is why I wonder about the Magni against the Archel 2.5XL (normal everyday type headphone amp around $220 stock version). ALL "listening" headphones require EQ, there is no way around it. (Studio Monitor headphones do not require EQ and one would not want to EQ them, for most folks they are not for "listening". I personally would not mind using them for listening as well as more job oriented tasks, but I don't listen with headphones hardly at all. I don't like having my ears and eyes squeezed together sonically). The price on those HiFi cans is great, but not if they sound like my old Sennheiser HD518s, which are all bass and heavily veiled everything else, no high frequencies at all and very difficult to EQ to boot. I no longer have them. I have AKG 7KXX, Sennheiser HD650. (I also have Status Audio CB-1s, but those are studio monitors and not comfortable for wearing long term either). It is interesting that the ad on Amazon says "for studio recording as well". From the description of the sound you gave I would not even think of using them for that. On a side note and not particularly aimed at you, but only because you brought it up: I can't stand "audiophile" math or whatever it is called! It is so absurd! It bothers me that people know nothing about economics spew out made up figures or act like experts. $119 is NOT less expensive than $85 and this product was never $85 anyway! That said, considering real economics and all that goes with it (as bad as it is in the US and other places) a $20 increase is not bad by most accounts. That is about $1.43 per year if you broke it down that way. Why not just say something plain like that instead of trying to sound like some politician or hedge fund salesperson? For goodness sake. We have to hear this same crap (not from you so much) about other audio products including even vinyl records that is just made up BS. It is said by those realizing they paid way too much for something and want to justify it by trying to convince others to make the same mistake and risk bankruptcy or something in a stupid pursuit of "perfect audio" or unicorns or other such fantasy creatures. I don't begrudge those who are wealthy and want to spend their money the way they want, but that is different from trying to convince others to make financial mistakes over a hobby. I'm not talking about anything here in that of course. For example: $120 is not going to kill anyone (unless that is all they have left or something, but that is just stating the obvious).
The Magni 2 has compression and mid-range glare issues. It was overpriced at the time, and some pro audio headphone amps offered better performance for 50-75% the price. These days, there are so many options that your head spins. Depending on your taste and source, it can be anything. If you want technical perfection, get a Topping L30II. If you want color/crossfeed get a something like a Zen Can.
I have the Piety Magni and it is impressive for price/ performance. There is a gain switch on the back-- but would not recommend iems on this. It punches.
I would like schiit audio were so kind to tell us in the (product documents - AKA datasheet) the recommended minimum impedance magni can handle and not just write use negative gain for your low impedance IEMS.... I have a 9 ohms impedance iems and i don't know magni is wealthy handling them.
Kinda strange how Schiit is able to make their products in the U.S. and still have a successful company, yet so many others claim they have to use cheap labor in China. Yeah, I'm lookin' at you Apple.
For all the comments here not a single answer from Randy. Why bother asking questions then? The RUclipsr PassionForSound answers almost all the questions.
I bought both of them to compare these 2 products, and I’m a bit confused. Both are really good, comparing just the sound, the Magni is a tiny bit more precise but also a bit less surrounding than the Ifi. Magni is more neutral, and Ifi more colouring, like it has some reverb around, but a bit less precise with middles. And surprisingly, the Ifi can drive quite a lot of headphones. About the design and build quality, I prefer the Magni Unity. But where I’m confused, is that here in Europe, I was able to buy the Ifi 149€, and the Magni with dac is 279€, so the difference of sound quality don’t really justify the price difference. The sound difference is really thin to my ears. I’m not talking about mqa, dsd and stuff, I have a more simple use of these dacs/amps. I have to return one of them, but I will continue listening a bit to compare them, because I really don’t know for the moment :) (sorry if my english is not perfect).
@@QuentinRicci thank you for the in-depth response man. I might go with the Unity with the internal DAC since its $190, while the zen 2 $200. I have heard really good things about the zen 2 though!
I’ll also gonna go with the Magni Unity finally, I prefer to have a very clean, precise and neutral sound, instead of a ‘colouring’ dac like the Ifi. Like that, I will let the headphones propose their own sound signature. And the Magni has 3 years warranty, very good and nice build, so just having this object is satisfying :) And it matters!
@cheapaudioman I have a question that may be worthy of a video, (because nobody on RUclips that I can find has addressed it ), It's in rgds to MP3's and components. I have a library of MP3's that I've curated for decades. Some of these songs can't even be found on streaming, I'm attached to it because of personal ripping and downloading over dial-up internet. Are there components that do a great job of getting the best from MP3's? Any secret tactics? Anyone have album art display? Is there a budget system that I can build, (fosi audio? Wiim? Upgraded power supply? Open amps?). I hate paying for streaming and hate buying overpriced songs and hate skipping limitations. Is there hopebfor folks like me? Am I unique in this? Extinct?
It's difficult to find your content trail. It would help people, like myself, to find specific content if you spent more time categorizing or chaptering your content. Surely, lots of random uploads create more clicks. Man-up on organization.
Get your own Flexispot E7 desk or C7 chair using the links below!
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You may want to tell your viewers that the Sundara Closed Back's are at their lowest price ever on amazon at $149 (for now).
@@eryxis827 wow!
I finally took my first real step into hi-fi and bought the Magni Unity (with DAC) for my PC to use as a headphone amp and pre-amp for my old Athena B-1 Speakers and some Monoprice Towers that I've been running off an ebay unpowered pre-amp. (little Bear MC2) I have a Rotel RMB 1048 for juice, and I honestly didn't believe the hype, but there is an instantly audible difference watching shows and listening to even low-quality sources. I am a believer. It was also incredibly easy to install and use. I used your referral link too.
Hi sir i bought magni with internal dac too anyway do i need a rca cable to make it dac work? Or all i need is just a usb C cable only?
@@gamehopper111 USB cable from computer to magni, then it's ready to go for headphones. Attach rca cables from magni to amp and your speakers are ready.
@@eryxis827 so from pc to magni(with internal dac) all i need is just a usb C cable and they will both run(amp and dac) because before i have a magni 2 and modi 2 separate in order to run them both you need to connect a rca cable.
Magni is the entry drug into Schiit equipment.
Then they threw a DAC in there as an option, stay back kids, this Schiit is real.
I have a Magni+ Heretic and it is a beautiful thing. I run my HIFIMAN Sundara (open back) and Focal Elegias with no problem.
Always impressed with Schiit and love that they are in TX. Good American Schiit Hell Yeah!
😂
The pun never gets old. Love it!
How can Schiit do all this at these prices ? Just glad they can. Great take Randy.
I doubt they could if its all they sold. The Magni and Modi probably make hardly any money but they get people into the brand. Happens with a lot of brands KEF's Q150 to the LS50 for example.
Thanks for all your insight and enthusiasm sharing...your passion for this hobby gets me excited about new "cheaper" audio stuff...😊
Doing a purge of gear is fine, but you really should keep the best items at various price points to compare new gear to.
Do you want fries with that?
"$119 magni in 2024 is equivalent to $85 in 2010."
Thank you central banking.
Awesome. I was one of the lucky ones to grab an IEMagni before the stopped production of those.
Glad to see the negative gain feature is back in a Schiit product.
Looking forward to this review since I just ordered mine yesterday.
I have the Magni Piety and Modi+ with an old pair of Yamaha orthodynamic headphones. Not feeling any reason to upgrade, but I like how Schiit upgraded the toggles. The old style toggles on the back of my Piety for power and gain do feel a little fragile. These new style with the axis point buried in the chassis looks way more durable. Little thing, but I like how Schiit continues to tweak their industrial design for the better (not to cut cost).
Thanks Cheapaudioman. Picked up the unity with DAC for Christmas. Sounds great with my HD569s. I really like this Amp/DAC especially the price and small formfactor! It's a good upgrade from my Fulla E. I got this so I can up my headphone game later this year. Looking at the Edition XS.
Great overview of the Magni Unity! I think mine is being delivered tomorrow. It will be my second Schiit box. I like the model designations, philosophy, and the story behind the company. I would rather contribute to their success than foreign or mega company that wants mass sales and profit margin.
Pretty sure I will be upgrading all my stereo components to their products as I can manage it.
How is it?
@@Andy-xn9zn I really like it! I don't have the greatest headphones, Audio Technica m50x, but it is a lot clearer sounding than my ugreen dongle, which is a ton better than the headphone jack on my laptop. I got a Modi+ for my stereo system and I can barely tell a difference between the Unity dac and the Modi. If there is one at all, it's irrelevant, as the video indicates.
The Magni gets super super loud, I use it on the middle setting, turned up no higher than about 12:00 and it's plenty for me. I might pick up another set of more demanding headphones sometime to take better advantage of all the extra power.
I dont have a ton of experience here, but so far so good, Would recommend!
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay, new Schiit products ! Dont have any yet but its only a matter of time 🙂 Thanks for the video, Randy
Just hooked up my new Magni with the built-in DAC option. This is my first foray into headphone amps, and also my first DAC upgrade(?) experience. I loved that my MacBook immediately saw the Magni in the sound options. Started off with some Pink Floyd Meddle, Followed by Rush Farwell to Kings, and now I've got some ACDC For Those About to Rock. The only thing that surprised me was the size. I knew it was not big, but was thinking mass market paperback rather than SONY Walkman. Luving it so far, thanks Randy for all the great reviews.
Great double header. Ordering a Magni now to drive my Drop HD6XX, Thank you my friend.
considering the drop hd6xx. appreciate your take on the combo
Yes please share your experience
HD6xx is great but be ready to buy replacement cables regularly im on my third cable @@osirismarbles5177
Great, just-in-time, review. I have been considering the Sundara closed-back because of the price, but now in a dilemma. Do I get the Sundara or Edition XS? Thank you as always for your time and efforts to share your experiences with us all.
I bought a magni amp with internal dac. Anyway my question is do i need a snake oil rca cable to make the dac work? Or just a usb C only?
Made-in-Ameria Magni beats both China's SMSL and Topping products in the pricing game. I love it.
How
At around 7:40 you referenced the Hifiman Sundara's, and said that the unity would be a 10/10 with those headphones. Were you talking about the open-backed or close-back Sundaras? I own the open back version and my USB DAC/amp broke recently, was wondering if I should pick this up.
I've had the Magni+ for about 2 years for my PC (and have absolutely loved it), and I was thinking of just grabbing the Modi when I could afford it. But I think I'll actually pick up a Unity for my PC and move the Magni+ over to my stereo set-up that I use for my turntable and CD player, since my current speaker amp doesn't have a headphone output.
I know it will sound as false comment, but I bought the flexispot 7pro with my hard earned money for the black friday and there is no turning back. Having a standing desk offers so much flexibility if you stay a lot of time at your desk. It is stable but expect to have a bit of movement when fully extended and it's mostly normal, if you shake your desk, it will not probably stay still after all.
Back to the magni unity, sadly in their EU store, the price is heavily impacted and goes up from 119$ to 175€ for the amp only and the combo from 189$ to 279€ wich is hard to swallow. :/
Nice video as always.
Yeah the price in EU is not that cheap
I just bought the Sundara Closed Back last month, I couldn't believe the price when I saw it, and needed to replace my AT m50x. 150 US is just dirt cheap (I believe they were 399 when they first came out) and have to say, classic metal just sounds amazing with them. I was surprised no one mentioned the closed backs dropping in price sooner. They need a decent headphone amp though, but I suffer from "Canadian Tax" and the magni may be too expensive. how do they compare to say the SMSL M300SE? The price difference with usb would be quite a bit more for the Magni, close to 100 extra up here.
My magni3 sits unused. First easily beat out by the headphones jack in my TEAC W-1200...then that was absolutely dusted by a 90's am-150 audio-technica stereo mixer for DJs...it's an amazing headphones amp..stupid amounts of power . And can cross fed. Used $45..
I'm a Schiithead with a Heretic amp. I love it and it sounds great.
I use it only as a pre-amp for the power tube amp. Very detailed sound but still giving a nice smooth treble. Details are not as high as Topping L30 II but you can focus more on the midrange because the treble is not super sharp. It also reminds me more of live and speaker sound. I bet you enjoy this more than many other headphone amps. Also it can handle full volume at high gain without going protection mode like some Topping products.
Got this to power my Edition XS (in its aluminum glory). I had one scare with a small static shock and the unit wouldn't output. Solved with turning it off and on.
Except for that, I friggin love it. Upgraded from my Fiio E10k and am not looking back
Just ordered the Edition XS to go with the Magni Unity, can't wait.
They also have a store in CA that you can go to to test their gear and hangout as well as buy things
i wonder how it stacks up to its competitors like the Topping DX3pro+ or the SMSL DL200. Great video
I was going to ask this same question.
Me too confused
Anyway I can't buy this due to us plug😅
@@ahambhramasmii Schiit has different plug configs, Euro, UK, and Aussie plugs
@@Pizza____God I'm right now in UAE
Can't find uk plug
Only us plug type available
Thanks for what you do, Randy! Am not sure how to submit a general question to you, so am doing it here. Neither my class AB integrated amp nor my Wiim mini streamer have a subwoofer output. How do I get bass management (i.e. low-pass filter's output to a powered subwoofer, and high-pass filter's output to the primary amplifier) and still keep my integrated amp? Would love to replace the Wiim mini with a Wiim Pro Plus (which has a preamp output, but no subwoofer output) or Wiim Amp (which has no preamp output, but has a subwoofer output), but these limitations won't solve the problem. Your input is greatly appreciated. Maybe you'd be willing to make a video on this as I'm far from the only one stuck in this boat? Thanks, and take care!
If saying "Schkiiit" wasn't cringey enough - now were bleeping. Schiit, there I said it. I like to say it - Schiit, great sounding gear. Schiit Audio
Can't wait for your thoughts on your new desk!
I have the open-back Sundara, which I bought in Sep 2023. I listen to a lot of Baroque organ music on them. Now, it's not the thumping, ear-destroying, extreme bass that rock listeners seem to prefer. But for me, the bass is deep and satisfying.
We actuallly prefer quality, detail, fast transients and a good amount of punch, not “ear destroying” bass in our headphones
Something that didn't come across in translation is that the gain and negative gain functions impact the RCA outs as well as the headphone jack.
All hail the jalepeno joke!
Fellow Schiit-head here. Just bought a Magni+ about a month ago and love it. I probably should've just splurged for the Unity, because now I'm looking at getting a Modi, But I only use ATH-m40x's. Any thoughts on this, save my money I won't really notice a difference? I listen via PC and maybe only a quarter of my music is FLAC, a quarter is 320k CBR mp3, and half is VBR mp3.
You have a video on the Loki Mini+? Really wish it was a parametric EQ. It wouldn't be hard to do with today's tech. I had an AudioControl 4.1 Parametric EQ in my car back in the late 90's, half DIN size. So I know it would be possible.
You want the add-in USB DAC for the $60, so just do the $189 version even if you don't need it . All Schiit products sound best on USB so you are not missing anything without Toslink and Coax. Also, there are no 16 Ohm headphones, so ignore that BS number. It is a 2.5W Amp with a USB DAC, which is fantastic for the price. I bought 2!
Is the add-in DAC just as good as their dedicated DAC such as the Modi?
Perhaps we should refer to their products as "Schii-fi"?
constant buzzing through your microphone. Cheap audio man indeed LOL
i think that's a you problem
How does the internal dac on the magni compare to the smsl su1? Love your channel and reviews btw. Bought a fosi bt20a pro and it works perfectly for my use case.
did you see the video?
He said the separate Dac may be a tiny bit better on the edges, but it would not be enough to notice in a blind A/B.
I suspect this is due to the space constraints on the dac card for the magni.
Just stumbled upon your channel and it made me pull back out my Oppo HA-2 for my IEMs. Curious if you have any experience with it and how it would compare to the Magni Unity as a desk DAC/AMP? I know they are very different form factors, but I also have a 3 year old and an other coming in July so IEM while they sleep is ideal.
How would I use this to listen to vinyl records? I have an RT85 into a Schitt Mani (doesn’t have a headphone jack) and then it’s connected to some powered speakers.
Would I go turntable > phono amp > headphone amp > powered speakers?
And just plug headphones into the headphone amp?
How would this compare to a "hi end" portable DAC like the IBasso DC Elite ?
Hey @cheapaudioman, i bought the Magni Unity and i found the usb c cable to be too short for my setup, where can i buy a longer one, Does any usb c cable work?
Also how do i pair this with IEM’s?
Oooh, don't like the gray knob on the black finish, but that's just me though. I'm a big fan of Schiit. I have a Modi, Magni Heresy, and a Valhalla 2++. It's all good... stuff 😂
Good DAC to stack on the Magni? Thinking of building a stack with one.
The closed back Sundaras sound great - very clear and dynamic. I've used them with a powerful headphone amp as well as various dongle dac/amps. There's no difference. The Sundaras play easy and very loud.
This is way more expensive in Europe. How is it compared to a Topping DX3 Pro +?
Did you listen with the HiFiman Edition XS as I am looking for an inexpensive headphone amp Dac combo
am i suppose to turn this thing off when im not using it? Seems like it gets pretty warm when left on. I am woried there is something wrong with mine because now when i press the power switch down the light inside the unit is not turning off. It still work properly with the power switch on but when the power switch is in the off position there is no audio but the light stays on.
what dac would you pair with it?
Congrats on the sponsor!
Curious if you will be reviewing the Schiit Skoll?
Would love to get your take on the mani2 phono stage Randy. Seems like a big improvement from the original and, naturally, priced ridiculously low. Cheaper than the ifi zen phono. I have the fosi phono tube amp and would be interested to hear your take on if the mani2 would be a significant step up.
Loving my Mani 2, I've only compared it to the built in preamp, but it's miles better than that. The thing sounds like it's echoing far away in a tunnel, but the Mani makes it sooo much better.
Enough that I decided to jump in and order more Schiit.
They should’ve offer the 3 options. Coax, Tos & USB.
One word: cost.
Maybe they'll offer a "plus" version that has those options.
I usually only use USB interfaces. May I ask why you need fiber optic and coaxial interfaces? What device is connected?
Buy the Sennheiser HP adapter really solid
Can it be used as solid state pre amp for the Fosi Audio V3 Mono Power Amplifiers ?
Question , is there a way to turn my mobile phone Motorola to stream high res 24 bit music , I have decent powered speakers Bluetooth capable on a way small budget , I have quobuz , Spotify
Have you ever reviewed or used the TEAC A1-101DA DAC/Amp. I was curious as to what you thought if you have? I use one on my desktop setup. What would be a good upgrade from it if you have as well?
If anyone knows, is it USB-C to USB-C or to USB-A?
I’m looking for something exactly like this product, also comparing to the SMSL M300SE that you just said was the best budget option of 2023. Is the DAC model of the Magni more bang-for-buck vs the M300SE?
I'm looking for a headphone amp with preamp outputs so I can pass on the signal to a 2.1 speaker system I'm building. Considering swapping my current SMSL SP200 for the Schiit Magni Unity. Any thoughts...? Would there be a simpler way of doing this (given that I already have a DAC that I love)?
Well, you could get a Magni without the dac for 109,(or a last generation for 89 or 79) and use your current dac.
But at the price of 179, I'd just get the Unity card, even if you don't plan to use it right now. Schiit's Unison usb works flawlessly with all devices and sounds great.
Videos ideas - I need someone to explain why a dedicated amp is superior to a avr with like wattage numbers...I use my zone 2 from an Onkyo avr for two channel...use a wiim pro as a preamp through a schitt modi+....will I get a benefit finding a decent quality amp?
Would the magni unity be good for Sennheiser 650's? And would i just need the amp, or should i get the DAC included?
@@marketsamuraijunkie - Yes, it would be great for those headphones. You’d have to spend a lot more to occasionally get small improvements.
About needing the DAC: what is your source? If it’s USB, then you need a DAC. If it’s a 3.5mm or pair of RCAs, then you don’t need a DAC.
@@charlesurias it was USB, so I went with the DAC! I picked up both the unity and the 650’s 2 months ago, and I’m loving it!
I have been looking at the closed back Sundara.... 😮 Are you Psychic???
schiit is cray cray my friend🤪
Is it a safe conclusion that this has enough juice to drive planar magnetic headphones without pegging the volume control, or is the Sundara less thirsty than the others?
Hey. Sorry...I have been burnt before so I have a question:
When you plug headphones in, will Magni cut off the speakers automatically? Or will it play from both?
The manual indicates that it will mute the RCA output when you plug headphones in.
How does this compare to the SMSL DL200? The price is virtually identical.
Will you do any reviews on JDS Labs products?
This or the SMSL DL200 as a headphone dac/amp? From where I am the DL200 is almost 100€ cheaper, sound quality from one that have heard both? QA is another issue when looking at smsl..
if you buy the magni unity with the DAC can you still use a Modi as a DAC?
Yes! It has an RCA input for the Modi, if you're using optical or Coax, or just like to have stuff stacked. The onboard Unity dac is great, but is USB only. I compared it to my separate Modi, and the difference is very small.
Love the Magni Unity, been using it constantly since it arrived!
@@frankplissken143 glad to see someone compare it to the Modi. I’m completely new to this the audio world. I’m looking to get the Magni (w/ Dac) and the Sennheiser HD 6XX. I’m only going to be using this with a computer so I don’t need coax. But I wasn’t sure if I should still get the separate Modi because perhaps the quality was noticeably different. The price difference comes out to ~$100 and I don’t think that it’s worth it to me.
I have a second gen Magni that has about 14 or 15 hours on it over a long time and it bought the farm. I thought it may have been the amp board, but it turned out to be the input jack. I decided recently for the moment to fix it myself and it is ok now.
I'd like to know how the new Magni stands against the Geshelli Labs Archel 2.5XL as a headphone amp head to head. Who cares about how a DAC sounds sonically it is just a computer processor chip. From what I gathered in this video, the SMSL unit is slightly better sonically than the Magni and the Geshelli Labs Archel Pro is notably better (for $400+ it better be). That is why I wonder about the Magni against the Archel 2.5XL (normal everyday type headphone amp around $220 stock version).
ALL "listening" headphones require EQ, there is no way around it. (Studio Monitor headphones do not require EQ and one would not want to EQ them, for most folks they are not for "listening". I personally would not mind using them for listening as well as more job oriented tasks, but I don't listen with headphones hardly at all. I don't like having my ears and eyes squeezed together sonically). The price on those HiFi cans is great, but not if they sound like my old Sennheiser HD518s, which are all bass and heavily veiled everything else, no high frequencies at all and very difficult to EQ to boot. I no longer have them. I have AKG 7KXX, Sennheiser HD650. (I also have Status Audio CB-1s, but those are studio monitors and not comfortable for wearing long term either).
It is interesting that the ad on Amazon says "for studio recording as well". From the description of the sound you gave I would not even think of using them for that.
On a side note and not particularly aimed at you, but only because you brought it up: I can't stand "audiophile" math or whatever it is called! It is so absurd! It bothers me that people know nothing about economics spew out made up figures or act like experts. $119 is NOT less expensive than $85 and this product was never $85 anyway! That said, considering real economics and all that goes with it (as bad as it is in the US and other places) a $20 increase is not bad by most accounts. That is about $1.43 per year if you broke it down that way. Why not just say something plain like that instead of trying to sound like some politician or hedge fund salesperson? For goodness sake. We have to hear this same crap (not from you so much) about other audio products including even vinyl records that is just made up BS. It is said by those realizing they paid way too much for something and want to justify it by trying to convince others to make the same mistake and risk bankruptcy or something in a stupid pursuit of "perfect audio" or unicorns or other such fantasy creatures. I don't begrudge those who are wealthy and want to spend their money the way they want, but that is different from trying to convince others to make financial mistakes over a hobby. I'm not talking about anything here in that of course. For example: $120 is not going to kill anyone (unless that is all they have left or something, but that is just stating the obvious).
The Magni 2 has compression and mid-range glare issues. It was overpriced at the time, and some pro audio headphone amps offered better performance for 50-75% the price. These days, there are so many options that your head spins. Depending on your taste and source, it can be anything. If you want technical perfection, get a Topping L30II. If you want color/crossfeed get a something like a Zen Can.
You seem fun…
I have the Piety Magni and it is impressive for price/ performance. There is a gain switch on the back-- but would not recommend iems on this. It punches.
Are these better then the fiio k11 or gc7?
How did this video turn into an IKEA furniture assembly guide!??
Compared to JDS Atom?
I have the same question!
what EQ is best to use with the unity?
wonder how this would pair with the emotiva gr-1 or the HD6XX
I would like schiit audio were so kind to tell us in the (product documents - AKA datasheet) the recommended minimum impedance magni can handle and not just write use negative gain for your low impedance IEMS.... I have a 9 ohms impedance iems and i don't know magni is wealthy handling them.
I emailed Schiit about the minimum impedance and they stated that the Magni's and Vali's can handle 8 ohm loads.
@@1mctous thank you so much for this reply, It is very helpfull
Try the Vali3 with a good tube and it wiil beat the Unity handily. I know because it kills my Jotenheim 2 with the WE396A tube.
Can I use this dac/amp for my inzone Sony gaming headphones?
Waste of money for some shitty gaming headset
@@LegeFles thanks
I’m noticed your watches my dude. I would like to see an episode on your watch collection or maybe a collaboration with Teddy Baldassarre.
Ha! I’m sure Teddy has much better things to be doing
CAM, can I ask why 2 of my comments in response to this video were removed please?
I got a pair of kilpsch r-50m’s for 180 at Best Buy open box is the best deal u can get try not to settle for msrp
jds labs atom 2 about the same price but no modular dac option and only 2 gain options. looks sleeker imo
Sound wise how those it compares to the magni modi stack.
Kinda strange how Schiit is able to make their products in the U.S. and still have a successful company, yet so many others claim they have to use cheap labor in China. Yeah, I'm lookin' at you Apple.
For all the comments here not a single answer from Randy. Why bother asking questions then? The RUclipsr PassionForSound answers almost all the questions.
How's it comapre to your Topping DX3 Pro+? Nearly identical price for a similar amp-DAC combo
wish it worked with the loki mini
wow, could this be a fiio killer, especially as a combo?
Not even close
a FiiO "Killer"? perhaps not, but, it does certainly compete with FiiO's options.
Schiit is not in EU per. ex. they are pretty small company
Unity vs zen dac v2?
I bought both of them to compare these 2 products, and I’m a bit confused. Both are really good, comparing just the sound, the Magni is a tiny bit more precise but also a bit less surrounding than the Ifi. Magni is more neutral, and Ifi more colouring, like it has some reverb around, but a bit less precise with middles. And surprisingly, the Ifi can drive quite a lot of headphones. About the design and build quality, I prefer the Magni Unity. But where I’m confused, is that here in Europe, I was able to buy the Ifi 149€, and the Magni with dac is 279€, so the difference of sound quality don’t really justify the price difference. The sound difference is really thin to my ears. I’m not talking about mqa, dsd and stuff, I have a more simple use of these dacs/amps. I have to return one of them, but I will continue listening a bit to compare them, because I really don’t know for the moment :) (sorry if my english is not perfect).
@@QuentinRicci thank you for the in-depth response man. I might go with the Unity with the internal DAC since its $190, while the zen 2 $200. I have heard really good things about the zen 2 though!
@@MorTphyrI’m also debating between these two. I think I’m going to get the Sennheiser HD 6XX and the Unity.
I’ll also gonna go with the Magni Unity finally, I prefer to have a very clean, precise and neutral sound, instead of a ‘colouring’ dac like the Ifi. Like that, I will let the headphones propose their own sound signature. And the Magni has 3 years warranty, very good and nice build, so just having this object is satisfying :) And it matters!
Cost about $224 w/ DAC after tax + shipping.
I'm dealing with their support at the moment... it's not great.
Can't say that it's cheaper because you also have to take into account that our income sadly did not scale with inflation.
@cheapaudioman I have a question that may be worthy of a video, (because nobody on RUclips that I can find has addressed it ), It's in rgds to MP3's and components. I have a library of MP3's that I've curated for decades. Some of these songs can't even be found on streaming, I'm attached to it because of personal ripping and downloading over dial-up internet. Are there components that do a great job of getting the best from MP3's? Any secret tactics? Anyone have album art display? Is there a budget system that I can build, (fosi audio? Wiim? Upgraded power supply? Open amps?). I hate paying for streaming and hate buying overpriced songs and hate skipping limitations. Is there hopebfor folks like me? Am I unique in this? Extinct?
It's difficult to find your content trail.
It would help people, like myself, to find specific content if you spent more time categorizing or chaptering your content.
Surely, lots of random uploads create more clicks.
Man-up on organization.
The new magni is not actually cheaper the parts to build it are cheaper and easier to make.