Love that he said you stop enjoying the music if you're always chasing. One time a friend and I visited his sister at her new house and her husband started showing us his high-end turntable setup. I open the cabinet under it and he's got shelves full of brand new records, some of them still unopened. He belonged to some sort of subscription service. So I open one for the first time and play it while I go through his collection and tell him what cool stuff he has and recommend he use better inner and outer sleeves. At the end he says, "you're more about the music. I can tell. I'm more about the toys." I hadn't realized we were in different camps, but he was right. I like my camp.
Great idea to have Ross as your “guest” audiophile. Truly impressed with some of his DIY equipment that became part of his audio set up. He must have been enjoying his music collection for around 40 years now. Wow! Happy listening @Ross @Dave and wishing you both more years to enjoy your music! 😊👍🎼🎺
I smiled when Ross said that he caught the bug via Stereo Review magazine. My grandma bought me a subscription for my 18th birthday. I still own some equipment and LOTS of records that I bought based on reviews in that magazine.
Hey Man, thoroughly enjoyed the video. I saw Ross, even had diy helix interconnects, the double helix is my next project. Fun conversation, and you even touched on what not the reveal to a spouse...Good Job!
If You are going to add the Shit Mani to Your system, then You need to add the Nagaoka MP-110 or If you can go higher, the MP-150, Set the bottom settings to Load top both 47k then the next The Gain 1 are set Low or L, and the Gain 2 set to Low or L again, This set up will play Your Records back with a huge and Satisfying sound stage. Thanks for Sharing.
I just bought the Node. I'm doing some work for a friend of mine, and I had him buy it for me, and I'll take it out of the price for the job. I had a guy tell me he owned a plane his wife didn't know about....that's EPIC level right there.
I have been using the Mani for about 2-3 years now on my second turntable. It's nicely versatile and performs well. The only thing I don't like so much is the fairly low signal to noise ratio, having a more elevated background hiss. It's usually drowned during playback so not too bad after all. Btw. you can easily open the case and gently bend the white LED upwards away from the light conductor. That helps a lot a to dim it properly without any real invasive changes such as changing the SMD resistor on the board. Awesome DIY equipment, btw!
Thank you for saying this. Whenever anyone asks me for phono stage suggestions I ask them if they can spend over $1k. If the answer is no I recommend the Cambridge Audio Duo. My only problem with the Mani is its noise level.
Great video! What a wonderful neighbor to have. I tried the Mani about a year or so ago when the built-in preamp on my Sansui G-7700 went out. The Mani had great punchy bass and great treble but I thought it sucked the midrange out of the music. Since that’s where most of the music resides I couldn’t handle it so I sent it back and got a U-turn Pluto preamp. I liked it better than the Mani but it was a little bass shy. I used it for about six months before deciding to use it on a secondary system. I ended up getting a MoFi StudioPhono for my main system. Although it’s twice the price of a Mani, its worth the extra money IMO. Thanks again for the video, David!
Great video! I really enjoyed the interview with your neighbor and it was cool that you brought over the Mani, being a budget piece of equipment from a price standpoint, and getting Ross to share his opinion of how it compared to his $2k custom phono preamp. Keep up the great work.
Very enjoyable interview with Ross!!! Great to hear him talk about his standards for audio fidelity as well as his need to reveal as little as possible to the wife!!! I guess we are all a little guilty of hiding some Schiit!
This was so far over my head but I thoroughly enjoyed it!!!!! I picked up one of these Mani's used from a friend last week for $70 so hearing Ross' endorsement really makes me feel good about it!
That was really fun getting to share Ross's system and experience. I'm in a similar place that he is with his Hi-Fi. I could really identify with him. I even have the same Dynavector phono cartridge and am modding my Rega RP6.
I like when he said to never let the wife know how much you spend on your equipment. Great interview. Thoughtful questions by you and answers from Ross.
Wise old man indeed, he knows his Schitt 😁 and very funny and accurate when asked about the wife's opinion... typical engineer in his thinking towards equipment and more!
Yeah I'm in a world of schit tonite to water heater decided to act up and I forgot wifes birthday while doing my repairs and checking revues on the schit mani 2nd time I spaced off in 34 yrs last time she was po,d for 2 wks plus 30 wks of semi pissed that I kinda understood except we were on vacation with the kids. Oh well schits gonna happen and I'm not telling her about it. Like Ross.
Great Video, great idea DIYing your own bespoke system. Ross is a smashing fella and must be an ideal neighbour to have. Thanks for the Mani review, but I'm sticking with my Own bespoke DIYed Marantz 7c phono pre clone and DIY Passlabs monoblock amplifiers. Much love. 💜
I love the appearance by the cat! I have been looking for a preamp but I wasn't sure you really broke this down and explained to me how it sets up. I've asked people before and like you just plug it into it I didn't realize you plugged your record player end of the preamp and the preamp into the receiver thank you
Great idea to get Ross involved, you should do more with him I think, knows what he’s talking about and it’s nice to get a different point of view on things that you’ve listened to and reviewed. I’m really getting into your channel, keep up the good work. All the best from the UK
Very nice video and how so kind of Ross to let you film his setup and himself. I hope there are plans for you to show him your setup, that could be fun and enlightening (of course, you don't have to film it, it's between you guys, have him bring some of his favorite records) I think I mentioned it before, I'm really impressed with my little Fosi phono tube pre-amp that I got for half the price of the Mani. I ought to get my hands on a Mani some time to compare them but it's really surprisingly good for the money. It's MM only but I don't have any MC cartridge (I think any decent MC cart would cost more than my whole system lol)
Great video!.. Loved hearing from Ross and especially loved his comments about not telling his wife about how much he spent as it would be bad for the marriage! 🤣Great stuff, thanks for sharing this!
Your channel is a delight but this one was my favorite so far! What a gem Ross is! I’d love to hang out with you guys and listen to anything you wanted to present! The endorsement from Ross might have put me over the edge to a “Good Shiit” upgrade to one of my three vinyl systems which is just being run by the phono inputs of an Onkyo home theater receiver. It sounds much flatter than my Parasound and Pioneer systems. It was such a delight listening to Ross describing his hobby!
Great interview and discussion. I have just got a secondhand copy of Joe Jacksons Body and Soul LP and wholeheartedly agree about the quality of its recording and musical prowess.
Nice video, great guest! Maybe Ross can teach you some things about electronics? It's very useful in this hobby know the basics of electric principles.
Nice gear and good advice from Ross. It seems like the teeters are too high sitting on those subwoofers, but if he’s getting 95% enjoyment then it makes no difference.
My dad is gone now. he designed his on hifi speaker it was in speaker builder magazine. It was an amazing system. The man from speaker builder came out to test the speakers and write up the article. He was blown away as well. They tried to buy the design but dad did not sale.
Love your channel and thank you for this review. I recently purchased a Schitt Mani 2 as I was using the built in on my Musical Fidelity M5si previously. The M5si built in phono stage is a bit raw sounding, very transparent, but not refined compared to the Mani 2. I have never owned a phono pre amp before and so I am learning about its properties album by album for the last month. The Mani 2 is also transparent, but it is a tad on the warmer side, everything is stable sounding and balanced as going direct to the M5si built in was less clinical. Advice ?: I was taught to ground from a turn table to the very end of a chain (in my case, the integrated, not the Mani 2)...but that got me thinking why does the Mani have a grounding post then? Would it be to ground the Mani as well to the end of the chain or ground the turntable to the Mani (only)?
@@alexandervaneijken7741 I know what you're getting at. I refer to those guys as "elitists" the know it all. Because they have Jeff Rowland amplifiers and Wilson watt puppies. Until they see a actual room response measuring the equivalent, of a system costing a mere fraction. Those guys screwed it up, audiophile is nothing more than someone who's love is audio. We should not, let a small population screw that up for us. But from a emotional stand point, I do understand and share your sentiment
The subwoofers name is not in fact Polish. The word syzygy actually means "a roughly straight-line configuration of three or more celestial bodies in a gravitational system".
I have one of these and I have been impressed. As for the LED light. If you get on Amazon, you can order a card of different shaped dark film to put over bright LED's I put two little round dots on that LED. Problem solved. It's perfect now.
I'm very impressed with thd Mani, so much so that I'm going to spring for a Mani 2 next month for my birthday. I already gave my daughter the link to it on Amazon.
I have a question for you. How long have you owned this unit and how often do you use it? I own a PS Audio preamp that was very expensive, loveit, but am considering this as a possible replacement and a gift for a friends. The less expensive phono preamps tend to be unreliable with a short usage life. Can you comment in this for me please? The video was great!
I’ve owned the Mani for about a year and a half. It’s a great gift, but Schiit can’t keep up with demand. It’s like a 6 week wait for one. I’ve heard good things about the iFi Zen Phono for around $200.
I've been using a Mani along with a Loki (tone control) for about two years now with no issues. The Mani is dead quiet and the Loki is a straight pass through when turned off, which is most of the time. The tt is an ATLP7 with an Ortofon Bronze. I'm itching to try an iFI Zen but I'm not sure it it would be worth the investment. The sound as it is right now is great. I'm very satisfied.
Any chance that you could briefly describe the device and details of the stuff you cover? I have no idea why the preamp in either my record player or in the phono stage would need a separate pre amp…except the old saying that separates are always better. Erm, why in this case does Ross need/use a pre-amp and a volume control with buffers?
Is that your Linn LP12 in the extro? And is that an at vm540ml cartridge? Do you like it? Thinking about getting one to replace my k9 which is still great but know I can do better!
My Own Devices - It is on my wish list right now. I have the 440mla on my Rega P3 which I like but find too bright now. I also have an older Linn which I much prefer. It really is very musical. Looking forward to your views on the parasound phono preamp and how it might compare to the Schiit Mani. Just took all my gear out of storage in April, after 20+ years and really enjoying it all again.
I'm sure Ross enjoys that "punchy" Schitt sound when listening to Helloween on vinyl. Very cool neighbor to have for sure. It would've been interesting to know what his record collection is like and listening preferences. The owner of a boutique audiophile shop I would buy records at pre-pandemic told me he sold a system in the $80k range to a customer that wanted to listen to Helloween on vinyl. In fact, that was his auditioning reference record. 😆 What does Alvin & The Chipmunks sound like through the Schitt?
I decided to resurrect a 40 year old Rega at my ski condo. The preamp there had no phono input, and not wanting to put a lot of money into it, I was encouraged after reading a review of the Mani with the same Denon DL-103 that I had. I can only describe the sound a weird. I didn't think the cartridge had been damaged so I decided to try something else, an Emotiva XPS-1. This sounded rather good. Did I get a flawed Mani? Who knows.
I'm kind of in the fence between the Mani, Rega Fono MM Mk3 and Musical Fidelity lx2-lps. I've only heard from 1 North Korean guy putting the Rega below the Mani, the rest of the internet says the opposite, as expected. Also the Musical Fidelity seems to be regarded even better against the Rega in the mid-range, although hi-fi magazines say the Rega is the more versatile, hence slightly better overall, but you can't go wrong with either of the 2. So I guess my question is, can the Mani really stay on par with the Rega and musical fidelity and should I consider it ? Or is it just the hype ? Also, just an fyi, I'm more into the harder music, like hard rock, metal and progressive rock/metal, but sometimes would put in there some classical music from time to time.
Have tried the IFI ZEN Phono preamp yet? I’m wondering how the Schiit Mani compares to the IFI ZEN Phono. I think it would be a popular video if you decide to do it. Thanks
I tested the Schiit Mani 2 to see what the hype was all about but I got very disappointed. Is the Schiit Mani 2 good enough for someone to quit Digital music and go to Analog? In my opinion the answer is NO! When listening to music through the Schiit Mani 2 I found myself yearning to my digital setup (Denafrips AresII using TIDAL). On the other hand, in general I prefer listening to Analog through my Pro-ject Tube Box S preamp than to my digital setup! This means that the problem is with the Schiit Mani 2! When compared with the Pro-ject Tube box S ($500) I noticed the following differences: 1) Loss of resolution and detail 2) Loss of air 3) Loss of the natural texture of instruments and vocals 4) Significant reduction in imaging 5) Less punchiness So the question is who is the Mani 2 for? In my opinion I don't know. In an age where digital music is widely available and almost free, the Mani 2 is for people who just want to play with records and don't so much care about sound. The Schiit Mani 2 isn't enough reason for someone to switch to Analog. There are many phono preamps out there which make the switch reasonable but are more expensive. What you get is what you pay for !
Love that he said you stop enjoying the music if you're always chasing. One time a friend and I visited his sister at her new house and her husband started showing us his high-end turntable setup. I open the cabinet under it and he's got shelves full of brand new records, some of them still unopened. He belonged to some sort of subscription service. So I open one for the first time and play it while I go through his collection and tell him what cool stuff he has and recommend he use better inner and outer sleeves. At the end he says, "you're more about the music. I can tell. I'm more about the toys."
I hadn't realized we were in different camps, but he was right. I like my camp.
What a nice chap your neighbour is, and he's a real HiFi enthusiast, great video.
Great idea to have Ross as your “guest” audiophile. Truly impressed with some of his DIY equipment that became part of his audio set up. He must have been enjoying his music collection for around 40 years now. Wow! Happy listening @Ross @Dave and wishing you both more years to enjoy your music! 😊👍🎼🎺
What a great neighbor you have 🙂
This guy, is gold. Thanks for intro to Ross.
I smiled when Ross said that he caught the bug via Stereo Review magazine. My grandma bought me a subscription for my 18th birthday. I still own some equipment and LOTS of records that I bought based on reviews in that magazine.
Really enjoyed hearing about your neighbor's DIY system!
Ross needs to be on your channel more often. What a true audiophile he is.
Hey Man, thoroughly enjoyed the video. I saw Ross, even had diy helix interconnects, the double helix is my next project. Fun conversation, and you even touched on what not the reveal to a spouse...Good Job!
What a great guest! Honestly, even though the mani was a budget offering, was unexpected and appreciated!
This guy is a legend. A cracking video, pal.
Loved it mate, what a champion that Ross is
Yes, a nice gentleman
If You are going to add the Shit Mani to Your system, then You need to add the Nagaoka MP-110 or If you can go higher, the MP-150, Set the bottom settings to Load top both 47k then the next The Gain 1 are set Low or L, and the Gain 2 set to Low or L again, This set up will play Your Records back with a huge and Satisfying sound stage. Thanks for Sharing.
Swell "laid back" video. Made a lotta good points concerning hifi systems. Enjoyable and I didn't skip thru it. Watched the whole dang thing, thanks.
I have the MANI and I would highly recommend it to anyone. For the money it is tough to beat
It is a transformative piece of work!
Best audiophile advice EVER: "You can't let the wife know what you spend on your stuff... that would be bad for the marriage!" 13:35
Best audiophile advice EVER: Never get married
@@PhuckHue2 🙉lol..I’m out🏃🏽
I just bought the Node. I'm doing some work for a friend of mine, and I had him buy it for me, and I'll take it out of the price for the job. I had a guy tell me he owned a plane his wife didn't know about....that's EPIC level right there.
@@ClausenLT wow! Epic 4 real🙀
words of wisdom indeed.
Excellent conversation about audio gear! Two guys after my own heart.
A lovely gentleman that it was a pleasure to hear from.
Dude just owns a bunch of schiit.
I have been using the Mani for about 2-3 years now on my second turntable. It's nicely versatile and performs well. The only thing I don't like so much is the fairly low signal to noise ratio, having a more elevated background hiss. It's usually drowned during playback so not too bad after all. Btw. you can easily open the case and gently bend the white LED upwards away from the light conductor. That helps a lot a to dim it properly without any real invasive changes such as changing the SMD resistor on the board. Awesome DIY equipment, btw!
Thank you for saying this. Whenever anyone asks me for phono stage suggestions I ask them if they can spend over $1k. If the answer is no I recommend the Cambridge Audio Duo. My only problem with the Mani is its noise level.
@@bojackhorseman3787 And quite too late, not taking another chance on a costly import.
I'd really like to compliment you on your "interviewing" skills. You asked great questions that were always conversational. Well done my friend.
Great video! What a wonderful neighbor to have. I tried the Mani about a year or so ago when the built-in preamp on my Sansui G-7700 went out. The Mani had great punchy bass and great treble but I thought it sucked the midrange out of the music. Since that’s where most of the music resides I couldn’t handle it so I sent it back and got a U-turn Pluto preamp. I liked it better than the Mani but it was a little bass shy. I used it for about six months before deciding to use it on a secondary system. I ended up getting a MoFi StudioPhono for my main system. Although it’s twice the price of a Mani, its worth the extra money IMO. Thanks again for the video, David!
I have bought two of them.
They are as good as all of my earlier pre-amps costing $500-1000.
Great video! I really enjoyed the interview with your neighbor and it was cool that you brought over the Mani, being a budget piece of equipment from a price standpoint, and getting Ross to share his opinion of how it compared to his $2k custom phono preamp. Keep up the great work.
Very enjoyable interview with Ross!!! Great to hear him talk about his standards for audio fidelity as well as his need to reveal as little as possible to the wife!!! I guess we are all a little guilty of hiding some Schiit!
He Has an amazing collection
I stacked my towers on top of my subs, too. I'm glad to finally see someone else doing the same thing!
This was so far over my head but I thoroughly enjoyed it!!!!! I picked up one of these Mani's used from a friend last week for $70 so hearing Ross' endorsement really makes me feel good about it!
Oh wow!
What a legand Ross is,he needs to be on your channel more fantastic video!
What a great video. You need to get Ross on more often. Brilliant!
That was really fun getting to share Ross's system and experience. I'm in a similar place that he is with his Hi-Fi. I could really identify with him. I even have the same Dynavector phono cartridge and am modding my Rega RP6.
Very clear even for an audiodork like me. Thank you for the multiple opinions. Sold on the Schiits Mani
It’s a great value. Thanks.
This was a great interview! Love seeing and hearing others passion for music!
I like when he said to never let the wife know how much you spend on your equipment. Great interview. Thoughtful questions by you and answers from Ross.
Wise old man indeed, he knows his Schitt 😁 and very funny and accurate when asked about the wife's opinion... typical engineer in his thinking towards equipment and more!
Yeah I'm in a world of schit tonite to water heater decided to act up and I forgot wifes birthday while doing my repairs and checking revues on the schit mani 2nd time I spaced off in 34 yrs last time she was po,d for 2 wks plus 30 wks of semi pissed that I kinda understood except we were on vacation with the kids. Oh well schits gonna happen and I'm not telling her about it. Like Ross.
Great Video, great idea DIYing your own bespoke system. Ross is a smashing fella and must be an ideal neighbour to have. Thanks for the Mani review, but I'm sticking with my Own bespoke DIYed Marantz 7c phono pre clone and DIY Passlabs monoblock amplifiers. Much love. 💜
I love the appearance by the cat! I have been looking for a preamp but I wasn't sure you really broke this down and explained to me how it sets up. I've asked people before and like you just plug it into it I didn't realize you plugged your record player end of the preamp and the preamp into the receiver thank you
Glad I can help.
Great idea to get Ross involved, you should do more with him I think, knows what he’s talking about and it’s nice to get a different point of view on things that you’ve listened to and reviewed. I’m really getting into your channel, keep up the good work. All the best from the UK
Very nice video and how so kind of Ross to let you film his setup and himself.
I hope there are plans for you to show him your setup, that could be fun and enlightening (of course, you don't have to film it, it's between you guys, have him bring some of his favorite records)
I think I mentioned it before, I'm really impressed with my little Fosi phono tube pre-amp that I got for half the price of the Mani. I ought to get my hands on a Mani some time to compare them but it's really surprisingly good for the money. It's MM only but I don't have any MC cartridge (I think any decent MC cart would cost more than my whole system lol)
Ross needs to have his own channel
Great video!.. Loved hearing from Ross and especially loved his comments about not telling his wife about how much he spent as it would be bad for the marriage! 🤣Great stuff, thanks for sharing this!
Nice video … loved it ! Good to have neighbors who share the same passion 👍
Your channel is a delight but this one was my favorite so far! What a gem Ross is! I’d love to hang out with you guys and listen to anything you wanted to present! The endorsement from Ross might have put me over the edge to a “Good Shiit” upgrade to one of my three vinyl systems which is just being run by the phono inputs of an Onkyo home theater receiver. It sounds much flatter than my Parasound and Pioneer systems. It was such a delight listening to Ross describing his hobby!
He is an original for sure! Thx.
I really liked this video. Love this guy, Ross.
I've had a Schitt Mani for about a year or so. I think it's an amazing piece of gear. Especially for the price. I love it.
Great interview and discussion. I have just got a secondhand copy of Joe Jacksons Body and Soul LP and wholeheartedly agree about the quality of its recording and musical prowess.
Great video, great people, great Mani.
(Ross) "You can't let the wife know what you spend on your stuff". Great wisdom! 13:31
Ross is a genius. Wow. Nice video!
Nice video, great guest!
Maybe Ross can teach you some things about electronics?
It's very useful in this hobby know the basics of electric principles.
Nice gear and good advice from Ross. It seems like the teeters are too high sitting on those subwoofers, but if he’s getting 95% enjoyment then it makes no difference.
Love the pet! Great job, thank you for posting!
Wow .. love what I see. here and both you guys.. God bless, that's awesome!
My dad is gone now. he designed his on hifi speaker it was in speaker builder magazine. It was an amazing system. The man from speaker builder came out to test the speakers and write up the article. He was blown away as well. They tried to buy the design but dad did not sale.
This episode made me a subscriber. Thank you.
Love your channel and thank you for this review. I recently purchased a Schitt Mani 2 as I was using the built in on my Musical Fidelity M5si previously. The M5si built in phono stage is a bit raw sounding, very transparent, but not refined compared to the Mani 2. I have never owned a phono pre amp before and so I am learning about its properties album by album for the last month. The Mani 2 is also transparent, but it is a tad on the warmer side, everything is stable sounding and balanced as going direct to the M5si built in was less clinical.
Advice ?: I was taught to ground from a turn table to the very end of a chain (in my case, the integrated, not the Mani 2)...but that got me thinking why does the Mani have a grounding post then? Would it be to ground the Mani as well to the end of the chain or ground the turntable to the Mani (only)?
Tubes For Hifi also make some pretty nice amp and preamp kits as well.
Thank you guys.
awesome interview!
I love that Schiit!
What DAC kit is Ross using? Any links or pointers would be much appreciated!
All I know that it’s a DIY DAC that he built.
That was very nice. Thank you.
Bravo.
Thanks guys…
Really appreciate your sharing 👍
Home audio enthusiast sounds so much better as audiophile.
Audiophile is someone who loves audio that seperation is nonesense.
Still, Home audio enthusiast SOUNDS a lot nicer than audiophile Words ending in ,,phile,,are a bit suspect.
@@alexandervaneijken7741 I know what you're getting at. I refer to those guys as "elitists" the know it all. Because they have Jeff Rowland amplifiers and Wilson watt puppies.
Until they see a actual room response measuring the equivalent, of a system costing a mere fraction.
Those guys screwed it up, audiophile is nothing more than someone who's love is audio. We should not, let a small population screw that up for us. But from a emotional stand point, I do understand and share your sentiment
@@MichelLinschoten "sounds so much better " - a very important consideration for any audio enthusiast!
Wish I had schitt neighbours
Great video! Would be nice if you could review the Lounge Audio LCR.
"In my opinion, shit components overall present tremendous value"
Love it
Can a $129 Schiit Mani Phono Preamp Impress a Real Audiophile? YES!! Why? Because it's the Schitt, Man!
The subwoofers name is not in fact Polish. The word syzygy actually means "a roughly straight-line configuration of three or more celestial bodies in a gravitational system".
Ross is a great guy.
My cats also perform quality tests on my wires
I LOVE THIS VIDEO
Very nice set up well said enjoy the music to meny people into their hi fi to busy listening for falts 👍
I have one of these and I have been impressed. As for the LED light. If you get on Amazon, you can order a card of different shaped dark film to put over bright LED's I put two little round dots on that LED. Problem solved. It's perfect now.
I'm very impressed with thd Mani, so much so that I'm going to spring for a Mani 2 next month for my birthday. I already gave my daughter the link to it on Amazon.
Ross needs his own channel
Yes don't tell the wife i agree,and good sound proofing is a good idea,my wife and my neighbors complain about the bass,
How will this compare to Pro-Ject Phono Box for the same $129 ???
No idea. Haven’t tried the Pro-ject.
Oh yes super fantastic system has a very good fella,,,,,,,,,nice show 😉
Dave, what were your impressions of the Zu Soul Supreme's?
Very impressed with them during my brief listening session.
Nice video, as I’m trying to zero in on a phono pre-amp. Have you or anyone else reviewed the NAD brand phono pre-amps?
Thanks
I love this Shiit!
This was Really cool, Thank you.
Glad you liked it!
I have a question for you. How long have you owned this unit and how often do you use it? I own a PS Audio preamp that was very expensive, loveit, but am considering this as a possible replacement and a gift for a friends. The less expensive phono preamps tend to be unreliable with a short usage life. Can you comment in this for me please? The video was great!
I’ve owned the Mani for about a year and a half. It’s a great gift, but Schiit can’t keep up with demand. It’s like a 6 week wait for one. I’ve heard good things about the iFi Zen Phono for around $200.
@@MODAC Thanx for the reply, i have heard, or read that the iFi Zen has longevity issues and bad customer service, so...I'll order the Mani! thanx!
I've been using a Mani along with a Loki (tone control) for about two years now with no issues. The Mani is dead quiet and the Loki is a straight pass through when turned off, which is most of the time. The tt is an ATLP7 with an Ortofon Bronze. I'm itching to try an iFI Zen but I'm not sure it it would be worth the investment. The sound as it is right now is great. I'm very satisfied.
Enjoyed this video !
Any chance that you could briefly describe the device and details of the stuff you cover? I have no idea why the preamp in either my record player or in the phono stage would need a separate pre amp…except the old saying that separates are always better.
Erm, why in this case does Ross need/use a pre-amp and a volume control with buffers?
Is that your Linn LP12 in the extro? And is that an at vm540ml cartridge? Do you like it? Thinking about getting one to replace my k9 which is still great but know I can do better!
Yes, my Linn. It’s a VM740ML. I also own a 540. Excellent cartridges. Get the 540 without hesitation.
My Own Devices - It is on my wish list right now. I have the 440mla on my Rega P3 which I like but find too bright now. I also have an older Linn which I much prefer. It really is very musical. Looking forward to your views on the parasound phono preamp and how it might compare to the Schiit Mani. Just took all my gear out of storage in April, after 20+ years and really enjoying it all again.
I'm a tube lover but I find solid state is best for a phono stage
Would you share the tv information behind you in this video, or maybe more importantly the software used? thanks
Great amp from the past is the Harmon Kardon HK6600, super powerful and real audiophile quality on a budget if you can find a good one!
I'm sure Ross enjoys that "punchy" Schitt sound when listening to Helloween on vinyl. Very cool neighbor to have for sure. It would've been interesting to know what his record collection is like and listening preferences. The owner of a boutique audiophile shop I would buy records at pre-pandemic told me he sold a system in the $80k range to a customer that wanted to listen to Helloween on vinyl. In fact, that was his auditioning reference record. 😆 What does Alvin & The Chipmunks sound like through the Schitt?
I decided to resurrect a 40 year old Rega at my ski condo. The preamp there had no phono input, and not wanting to put a lot of money into it, I was encouraged after reading a review of the Mani with the same Denon DL-103 that I had. I can only describe the sound a weird. I didn't think the cartridge had been damaged so I decided to try something else, an Emotiva XPS-1. This sounded rather good. Did I get a flawed Mani? Who knows.
Ross is the man ! Very impressed by this guy , thank you !
I'm kind of in the fence between the Mani, Rega Fono MM Mk3 and Musical Fidelity lx2-lps. I've only heard from 1 North Korean guy putting the Rega below the Mani, the rest of the internet says the opposite, as expected. Also the Musical Fidelity seems to be regarded even better against the Rega in the mid-range, although hi-fi magazines say the Rega is the more versatile, hence slightly better overall, but you can't go wrong with either of the 2. So I guess my question is, can the Mani really stay on par with the Rega and musical fidelity and should I consider it ? Or is it just the hype ? Also, just an fyi, I'm more into the harder music, like hard rock, metal and progressive rock/metal, but sometimes would put in there some classical music from time to time.
Excelente vídeo n what a Cool guy Ross is. Thanks n Cheers
Love this❤❤❤❤
Have tried the IFI ZEN Phono preamp yet? I’m wondering how the Schiit Mani compares to the IFI ZEN Phono. I think it would be a popular video if you decide to do it. Thanks
Not yet...They did contact me a while back, but I didn't follow up with them.
I tested the Schiit Mani 2 to see what the hype was all about but I got very disappointed. Is the Schiit Mani 2 good enough for someone to quit Digital music and go to Analog? In my opinion the answer is NO! When listening to music through the Schiit Mani 2 I found myself yearning to my digital setup (Denafrips AresII using TIDAL). On the other hand, in general I prefer listening to Analog through my Pro-ject Tube Box S preamp than to my digital setup! This means that the problem is with the Schiit Mani 2! When compared with the Pro-ject Tube box S ($500) I noticed the following differences:
1) Loss of resolution and detail
2) Loss of air
3) Loss of the natural texture of instruments and vocals
4) Significant reduction in imaging
5) Less punchiness
So the question is who is the Mani 2 for? In my opinion I don't know. In an age where digital music is widely available and almost free, the Mani 2 is for people who just want to play with records and don't so much care about sound. The Schiit Mani 2 isn't enough reason for someone to switch to Analog. There are many phono preamps out there which make the switch reasonable but are more expensive. What you get is what you pay for !
Never let the wife know how much LOL
Awesome !!!
I have a NAD amp with no phono pre amp.
I use a Kenwood 3300 phono section to drive it.
So I'm looking for a cheap pre amp.