Schiit Mani 2 Review

I haven't posted in awhile, but feel compelled to join in on the Mani 2 talk. I'm really impressed with this $150 little box.

I've been using it with my Mitsubishi DP-EC1 and Ortofon 2M Black and the result is dynamics and microdetail for days. I recently treated the Mitsubishi to a thorough recapping and clean bill of health from my local tech, and the results with the Mani were really the first time I felt compelled to play record after record. I've barely listened to digital in weeks (excluding room correction, if you count that).

I just picked up a JVC QL-Y5F this weekend from a seller a few hours away and also scored a new Denon DL-301 MkII for a steep discount. I figured the Mani 2 would start to show its ass with a low-output MC cartridge, but the combination is delightful. To be honest with how much I like the Mani I'd buy the Skoll in a heartbeat except for the fact that its impedance loading options for moving coil carts are mysteriously even more limited with nothing between 150 and 47k Ohms.