Hacking Schiit

Well then of course I am wrong. Who pissed in your cereal?

 

I think U20 is on the DS Modi.

 

This may be useful (from link):

From: johnc124 (General Manager - TI Linear Amplifiers Business Unit)
OPA1656 has about 6 dB more open loop gain at audio frequencies, so distortion is potentially lower. Some work was also done to reduce common-mode distortion in the OPA1656 when the impedances at the inputs are mismatched. And of course, the price on the OPA1656 is lower ​

 

When I use my Modi 2U with the Jot 2 there is quite an edginess with some headphones (HD540, HD250), but if I use my Chord Mojo it really smoothes out. Haven't tried my Modi Multibit with the Jot yet.

 

Don’t take me wrong, not everyone has the same experience with a piece of gear. I’m possibly part of the ‘sensitive flower’ clan in the sense that I experience a slight harshness to its sound signature with my usual repertoire.

 

Does this bypass an amplification stage?

 

I feel stupid for having to ask, but this requires two opamps and not 1? The OPA1656 is a 2 channel IC. Is this summing a differential output from the DAC chip? I apologize for my ignorance.

I ordered a spare so I have two coming, but my margin for error just went away…

 

Mod-i MB OPA-1656 transplant was successful. I now hav one stock unit and one turbo one. I’ll put together some comparisons ASAP.

 

Is this like a smaller scale version of Gungnir/Freya hack several members did a few years back?

 

I finally got time to build my A-B box. I decided to order decent neutrik RCA jacks and a good switch from Mouser.

I have been listening around an hour, and I feel like the Dacs and the ZDT Jr are really just now getting warmed up.

Right now, I would say that the difference between stock opamps and OPA1656 is subtle. I’m surprised that there is almost no volume difference.

I plan to edit this post as the night goes on.

Edit a)
96khz/32 bit Lateralus - Lateralus - OPA1656 sounds a bit less congested. Notes sound just a tad more real. Bass quality is a small step up. It’s still not a very large difference. Overall, stock sounds more flat, but again, only slightly.

Edit b)
I need to verify that my Modi MB DACS are running the same firmware. Regardless, both sound great. Schiit really did a fantastic job on this DAC, not even considering the price. It’s an iconic item in the hobby.

Edit c)
Switched headphones from Grado PS500 to Senn HD58x. Grado was in low impedance jack, the 58x in high. Now the difference is apparent. The OPA1656 unit is clearer and cleaner sounding. Still not huge, but easily audible. The Grados sound better across the board, but with them, the difference is less pronounced.

Edit d)
Back to Grado, but in high impedance jack. Tool - Aenima - Eulogy (96/32) - more airy on OPA1656 unit. Headstage is better. Better instrument separation and clarity.

Edit e)
Wetleg - Chaise Longue - prefer OPA1656 unit.

Edit f)
The Hives - Two Timing Touch and Broken Bones - no preference.

Edit g)
Kyuss - Phototropic - Prefer OPA1656 unit.

In conclusion (for tonight) I will mod the stock unit with OPA2156 chips soon. I don’t expect to be able to differentiate that from the OPA1656 unit.

 

So, you remove the output

would you need to remove the opamps from the modi mb to wire the output to the Magni 3+, or can you just connect the Magni 3+ to the input pins of the opamps and leave them in place?

 

Round 2 of the Modi Multibit dac-off jack-off starts tonight.

Some info:

RCA Cables - self-made using Rean RCA jacks and Mogami 2552 cable.
SPDIF - I have Belden cable, not not a SPDIF splitter made with Belden 75ohm. I'm using a Monster Cable splitter into 75Ohm RCA cables. That's all kind of wrong, but it's the best I can do right now.
Source: Raspberry Pi 3b or something like that. Hi-Fi berry i2s to SPDIF. Volumio => Apple Music => Airplay from MacBook Air => Volumio, so limited to 16bit, 44100KHz. 2 Modi MultiBit Dacs, one stock, one with OPA1656 Opamps replacing the Analog Device stock op amps.
Amp: ZDT Jr. with GE 5654 matched tubes from Riverstone audio.
Headphones: Grado PH500 OG, Sennheiser HD58x, Creative Aurvanna Live (biodyna lovin').

Warmup period begins now: 20:07:00 CDT. What better music to warm up to than the Hives?

Shall we begin? No, we shall warm up. I'll begin for real around 21:00 CDT.

Edit a). I forgot. The lubrication is Coca Cola Zero (approx 40%), Bacardi (60%). And I'm warming up with Cake because I like Cake, but it's not comparison worthy. Sorry.

Edit b). It's on now. Mick Gordon - Rip and Rear - Switch position Right. I don't know right now which way is the stock position and which is the new OpAmps. We'll find out together at the the end.

Edit c). Ministry - Psalm 69 - Just One Fix - Switch position Right. Seems more clear.

Edit d). NIN - Broken DE - Happiness in Slavery - No preference. Both sound equally angry and full of hate.

Edit e). Switching from Aurvanna live to Grado PS500 - James Brown - Live at Budakon - Sex Machine - Switch Position - Right - More real sounding, more what I'd expect if I was there in the audience. Right on right on. Get on up!

Edit f). Desert Sessions - If you Run - Switch position - right. Only when the the song get's more active and guitar heavy though.

Edit G) Bob Schneider - King Kong (Title Track) = Switch position left is left glarey. Otherwise, hard to say.

Edit H). Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique - Johnny Ryall - Switch Position right no doubt.

Edit I). Wild - Adam Jones & K.S. Rhoads - Right is clearer. More immediate, as if there is less between the musicians and me somehow.

Edit J). Adam Jones - The Witness - The most beautiful song I've ever heard is more beautiful at switch position Right.

Edit K) A great recording. AC/DC Back In Black - You Shook Me All Night Long - no pref

Edit L) Audioslave - Show Me How to Live - Bass is livelier on position RIGHT.

Edit M). break time - time for Grey Goose and lime soda water.

Edit N). Foo Fighters - In Your Honor - Still - Position Right.

Edit O) Nirvanna - Nevermind Super Deluxe - Lounge Act - No preference.

Edit P) Paul Gilbert - Fuzz Universe - Fuzz Universe - Bass is just better at position Right.

Edit Q) A Perfect Circle - Mer De Noms - Judith - no pref. Double edit - prefer right.

Edit R) The Police - Synchronicity - Syncronicity II - Ever so slightly more full sounding on Right.

Edit S) The Power Station - The Power Station - Bang a Gong (a personal favorite song since I was a child) - slightly more clear on right.

Edit T) QOTSA - Era Vulgaris - Make It Wit Chu - Right right right. Sometimes the same is different, but mostly, it's the same. LOL.

Final edit). I've found myself debating whether I can actually hear any difference or if I just want to. I'm not sure my opinion means anything anymore. I haven't heard a Bifrost, I haven't heard a Ginguir or a Yggdrasil. My opinion doesn't really mean shit. I can't be certain I can hear a difference in these Modi MB. I'm questioning everything right now. I feel like I've wasted a lot of time on this. The difference in the opamps is so small as to not really matter if I'm being honest, at least with my gear. I'm feeling let down and depressed and very frustrated if I'm being honest. I need to re-evaluate my position. I need to hear some better gear. An op-amp swap isn't the answer. It's just not.

Right: stock. Long live Modi MB!