Modi Multibit: Multibit for the masses.

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by MrTie, Jul 25, 2016.

  1. Pogo

    Pogo Friend

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    Cool. Look forward to being one of the first to play with it.
     
  2. ohshitgorillas

    ohshitgorillas Friend

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    USB power seems like a downgrade from wall-wart power, though? I always avoid USB power if I can, this makes it inevitable.
     
  3. Ice-man

    Ice-man Friend

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    You make a decent point. I'd be interested to know more. Battery typically yields the best results.
     
  4. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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    The Modi and Modi 2 were only USB bus powered. So really there is no downgrade.

    Only the Modi 2 Uber and Modi Multibit had a wall wart.

    So the fact there is separate power and input on the bottom rung Modi is actually an upgrade. Plenty of clean USB 5V wall wart power supplies out there.

    The fact there is S/PDIF inputs is and upgrade that was also only available on the 2U and Mulibit.

    Note, there is no Modi 3U. Only Multibit. Still have Wyrd and Etir options.
     
  5. Torq

    Torq MOT: Headphone.com

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    I doubt anything stops you from using whatever 5v DC @ 500ma power supply you want, as long as it terminates in a micro USB socket and meets the above spec (actual power draw is probably less).

    Lots of those about - some simple, some less so, at prices ranging from sensible to more than the DAC itself costs.

    I would steer clear of USB battery-packs though ... they'll all equipped with noisy buck-boost converters (switching supplies) to get their internal battery packs up/down to the USB-required 5v.

    (Who's taking bets on a whole new round of combined USB and PSU, especially LPS, nervosa?)
     
  6. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    Doesn't seem like you can use the Wyrd with it either because it all gets fed to a switcher. Essentially the only Schiit product where it makes sense to use a Wyrd is the Modi MB, and even then it's probably better to consider the Eitr.

    Edit: forgot about the DAC cards on the Jotunheim/Lyr 3
     
  7. schiit

    schiit SchiitHead

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    Yep, and remember, with an external LPS, you're STILL running everything through a switcher in Modi 3. It regenerates all of the DC.

    From the Modi 3 FAQ:

    Well, I’m gonna get me a fancy-shmantzy linear power supply and plug it into the back your Modi 3, what do you think about that?
    We think you’re a little strange, because the output of that fancy power supply is going into a switcher, anyway. But if it makes you happy, we’re not going to stop you. Nor will we try to sell you such a power supply.


    Guys, it's a $99 DAC. Buy it. Plug it in. Enjoy it. It really is that simple.
     
  8. Elnrik

    Elnrik Super Friendly

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    If people want to take it that far, just get the Bifrost and call it good. Just my 2 cents.
     
  9. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

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    My bad, I missed the Beta part. Looking forward to what you guys can do with it once it is production ready.
     
  10. winders

    winders boomer

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    Yeah. I have a Modi MultiBit, Eitr, and a Lyr 3 on my desk. I am thinking about selling the Modi Multibit and the Eitr and buying a Bifrost MultiBit. It's not cost effective but it cleans up the stack nicely and it gets rid of coax cable and 2 power bricks.
     
  11. Ice-man

    Ice-man Friend

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    Except that EITR/Modi Multibit sounds better than Bifrost MB. :D Unless BF MB has gotten an upgrade since I had it last.
     
  12. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    You know what I want to see? Someone using a Magni3 being fed a DC signal to pump out the 5V "linear" supply for the Modi3.
     
  13. schiit

    schiit SchiitHead

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    They'd have to disable the servo.
     
  14. schiit

    schiit SchiitHead

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    There's been something like 873 Alpha versions, and 2-3 Beta versions. I had one of the Alpha versions. You wouldn't want that. When it worked, it worked stunningly well. The problem was it didn't work very often, or reliably. The Beta 1 has been dead reliable. But that's a case of 1.

    Mike has other betas out there, and I'm sure there will be more tweaks and a final beta or two (with larger distribution) before we ship anything with the new USB in it.
     
  15. famish99

    famish99 Friend

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    I think Magni 3 has a DC servo. At least it would've been a simpler experiment than the whole using a Vidar to provide the Modi Multibit the 16VAC.

    Edit: corrections after seeing @schiit's response
     
  16. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    edit: famish beat me to it
     
  17. schiit

    schiit SchiitHead

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    You'd still have to disable the servo.

    Ain't no way I'm selling a DC-in, DC-out product without a servo. Oh hell no.
     
  18. schiit

    schiit SchiitHead

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    And again, Vidar's microprocessor will sense the DC and compensate. So there you go. No DC-in, DC-out without a servo (or computerized equivalent) around here. Just buy a lab supply and do one of AtomicBob's big LC filters on it, that'll give you plenty of quiet DC.

    (Or, seriously, just plug it into your computer and forget about it, it's a $99 DAC.)

    Edit: DURR, just saw the 16VAC. Yep, you could use Vidar to do that. I think that might qualify you for an audiophile Darwin award or something like that.
     
  19. Senorx12562

    Senorx12562 Case of the mondays

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    With most new products, especially very software dependent ones, I'll wait for delta or even epsilon thank you very much.
     
  20. schiit

    schiit SchiitHead

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    I'm with you.

    I will say, though, that having our own USB, developed by our own in-house team, is very different than working with C-Media. When the glitch in Beta 1 came to light, Ivana and Dave had a solution in a couple of days...and it was a solution not based on blindly grabbing in the dark, nor on a dozen cryptic email exchanges and "test" firmware emailed back and forth over the course of a few months.

    This doesn't mean we won't have problems, but our understanding of USB has risen dramatically, as has our capability of working through its vagaries.
     

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