Schiit Loki Mini+ EQ Review and Measurements

I wonder if the improved SQ is something that would be audible trough iems like the og Solaris or Anrdromeda 2020. That’s all I use the Loki for. But iems aren’t that revealing or resolving.

I do want 2 more bands though

 

hello,
Loki Mark 2 impressions:
when the OG Loki was released there was speculation that a six band in the Schitt mid-size would be next. we now have that in Lokius. (which is one more band than i had on my lost to divorce, MAC4100.) i posted that i would be all over that at the time. we have two of the OG Loki in the house.
as to the device at hand. MrsForBin is the user who is most into tone controls, however, during Loki Mark 2's stay here, she was quite ill (didn't even make the commute, two floors down.) thus we never had the opportunity to audition it.
i realize this a lame excuse, but stuff happens.
when the loaner Lokius gets to us, i will be the one playing with it.
cheers!

 

Gear

Pi2AES -> Gungnir A1 -> Loki Mini (both verions) -> Drop 789 with Sigma 11 LPS -> CA og Solaris

This is a hard review to write for multiple reasons

The ideal of this device is to be transparent, so comparing them isn’t a matter of which one sounds better but more which one has less coloration. It’s harder to listen for what isn’t there than to listen for what is there.

All my IC’s have WBT locking RCA connectors, so swapping out the two units is a huge pain in the ass and takes forever. I really couldn’t do a good job comparing them at all. There were only so many times I could unplug and re plug all those cables.

I’m using the Loki with iems which are not the most revealing of subtle differences like this. I’m not sure the og Solaris is resolving or revealing enough to pick up the coloration of the og Loki Mini or the improvement in the + version.

Brief Sound Impressions

I honestly thought they sounded pretty similar. Even the og Loki, when I flip the bypass switch on and off with my Solaris, I don’t hear a difference, the Loki doesn’t seem to color the sound (with knobs set to neutral).

That being said, I thought the og Loki was slightly warmer sounding and the + version a bit less warm and a bit cleaner sounding. That’s about all I got from my comparisons. I’m not sure I would upgrade to the + to be honest. Maybe if I was using very resolving full size headphones I would hear the difference.

I also bought a Lokius and the added knobs are a game changer and really have let me dial in the sound of the Solaris how I’ve always wanted it to sound. You can’t fix recessed mids with the Loki. The 3rd knob is too high up and the 2nd too low. With the Lokius I’ve got the middle two knobs turned up to 3 o’clock and it does a perfect job lifting the vocal range. Plus I have the 3rd knob turned a bit further to add warmth to the sound which the og Solaris lacks a bit IMO and which always bugged me. I highly recommend the Lokius over the Mini+ if you can afford it.

 

I wonder if you could see if you could drop say 3db @1500hz. Like could it make that move?

 

^Emu purpleheart and Brainwavz prostock hybrid pads. 8kHz knob at 8'oclock is perfect.

So much easier to get something to sound much better vs much modding. Mods and padrolling will be much simpler now.

I had the original Loki for a short time. I believe it added some gain to the chain which was a deal breaker. Not Loki+.

I'd now like a Lokius because more adjustment sounds like fun and prob helpful on more problematic headphones (ahem most headphones ahem). Loki+ can go to speaker system.

 

I have an original Loki, and there is no perceptible difference between flat and bypass.

 

Maybe I was imagining. I thought even in bypass it added gain to signal.

 

Playing a 1kHz tone there is no perceptible change between power off, flat and bypass. So unless it's adding gain when the power is off, I don't think there is any gain. Of course I just used my ears to measure.

 

Love the discussion in this thread, especially the measurements. Helps to get an idea of the frequency range affected by each knob.

I use the Loki mini+ in conjunction with Audeze LCD3F (daily driver) and HD800 through the Violectric V280. The source is Hugo 2. I find the bass and sub-bass from the Hugo 2 somewhat anemic in most recordings. This, along with it’s high level of detail make most music sound a bit artificial to my ears. Loki m+ fixes that very well. It taps into Hugo 2’s bass texture (but lack of quantity) and brings out the bass slam/thump that was much missed. The result is a more organic sound with better sense of space (due to the low frequency reverbs being more prominent) and weighty notes. Benefits most music in this way, but what I find specifically enjoyable is live rock.

 

This review was super useful to me. The graphs showing the effect of the knobs at 3 o'clock and maxed out allowed me to tailor the sound of my MA Silver 100 speakers near perfectly. Thanks.

BTW: Schiit is selling the Loki Mini + right now for $99.