Schiit Modi Multibit 2 Discussion

Yeah l, the Modi Multibit was built on the same chassis platform as the Modi 2U (Uber) the Modi 2 was still USB powered. The 2U was wall wart powered and had USB, coax, and TOSLINK inputs. It too went through a silent revision from AK4396 to AK4490. It then became Modi 3 with USB power again, about the same time as Modius. Then there was Modi 3E, and now just +. But that is the Modi D/S history.

 

- Modi 1 (?)
- Modi 2 (?)
- Modi 2U (?)
- Modi 3 (September 2018)
- Modi 3+ (late 2020)
- Modi 3E (early 2022)
- Modi+ (late 2022)

- Modi Multibit 1 (?)
- Modi Multibit 1 (with updated firmware commonly known as Modi Multibit 1 V2.0) (?)
- Modi Multibit 2 (late 2022)
- Apart from that they're mods available, but naturally, these were never officially sold by Schiit.

- Modius AKM (mid 2020)
- Modius ESS (mid 2022)

- AKM Card (for Jot, Asgard, Lyr) (?)
- Multibit Card (for Jot, Asgard, Lyr) (?)
- ESS Card (for Jot, Asgard, Lyr) (late 2021)

I hope this helps at least a little bit with the confusion. Maybe somebody can fill in the blanks.

 

Well... I can give purchase dates... obviously they won't exactly match up with release dates
Modi (OG) 5/2014
Modi 3E 10/2022

Modi MB 5/2017 (note that my schiit order history refers to it as "Modi 2 Version: Modi Multibit"
Modi MB v2 firmware chip 5/2019

 

I posted how to upgrade to the v2 chip in April: https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...w-i-upgraded-the-modi-multibit-firmware.7754/

 

"Some people" meaning Schiit.

 

Ha! Seeing that, I do now (think I) remember - the Multibit used to appear on the order page as a version of the Modi (at December 2017, Modi 2), selectable via a drop-down box like the options for voltage & finish.

Them Schiits were confusing us!

 

Modi Multibit 1: the one that gets really hot and has a USB-B on the back, with a larger button.

Modi Multibit 2: the one that gets a lot less hot and has a USB-C on the back, with a smaller button.

(Sticking to objective measures, of course.)

 

The tone of the Modi Multibit 2 has been covered quite well and the chart comparing the Modi's and Modius should be stickied on page 1.

I just back home from vacation so the MM2 should be nice and toasty for a quick comparison to the Modius E, with Cinemag XLR-->SE, regarding soundstage from the HD600 (too late in the evening to try 2ch).

Modius E w/Cinemag XLR: Wide, shallow, back from stage at large venue

Modi Multibit 2: Narrow, deep, up close at smaller venue

Sexy time pic of the Snake oil RCA coupler


EDIT: Just did a quick 2ch listen and all the above holds true, with the MM2 having a more noticeable taller soundstage height on speakers. I should add I used Modius E RCA's on 2ch setup, too lazy to mess with dragging cables to get the XLR box over to that set up.

I think the Modius E is very very good for the price, more of a different tonal and soundstage flavor...

 

Does the Modi+ use the ES9018?

 

It's right on Schiit's website

 

Umm, how about Check the specs on their site: https://www.schiit.com/products/modi-plus

 

So it is! I sold my Modi 3E after a few weeks.

 

Thanks! I appreciate your input. I didn't see the spec button right there in front of my face. Be kind to senior citizens.

 

Where would the BF2 OG fit on this list?
Asking since it costs me about 500€ to get a MM2 in Germany and only around a 100 bucks more to get a used BF2 OG.

Edit: Around 450€ for a MM and 600-650 for a Bifrost 2 OG.

 

Get the BF2.

 

Yeah, that's a no brainer IMO.

MMB2 would be good, but I'd assert the delta of improvement you'd get with BF2 OG is proportional to if not outright exceeding a 100 buck value gap. Hard to get those kinds of returns in the hobby, but this is an area where that would (likely) be true. Gotta love sub-$1k land in 2023 for that, really - still not the same story, usually, over $1k (diminishing returns instead).

Keep system synergy in mind still, probably, but for $100, I'd do it - BF2 OG plays well with a lot of chains.

 

Here is a super nerdy question that maybe Jason can answer if he has the time, what is the latency of the Modi Multibit 2? The original multibit Jason measured at 11ms while the Bifrost 2 was 22ms. I wonder if because the Multibit 2 is using the x8 filter now has it also increased to 22ms?

 

Btw sorry, my bad. Modi Multi 2 is NOT, NOR WAS on schiit-europe, as of yet. I mistakenly have said in my early post that it is available. It is not. It is only LISTED on there.

I had got excited to see it there and was, like, "wow already available", however back then i had not tried adding it to cart. Soon after that, and also many times afterwards, I did try. ALOT of times. And each time, both color options were and are out of stock. So I am pretty sure they never were in, YET.

Sound questions.

Disclaimer, all of the following is minute differences that I am personally addicted to and chasing actively. People should not put importance into this.
Especially not before settling on great amplification. sbaf has already been a proponent of that (allocating your budget smart and prioritizing amps), AND I recently confirmed that for myself, WOW, HD600 out of pioneer a40ae (headphone jack, no fancy speaker tap hacks for me)... Is a different beast than from valhalla, almost opposite charrecter. And with valhalla as a preamp to that, btw... Wooow, long story short, not perfect at all - some negatives of each, persist in the chain... But it showed me some amazing experiences - other negatives,,, negate eachother. They synergise.

So again. The following will be extreme personal nervosa and hair splitting chasing of a particular effect for myself type of questions. Perhaps NOT at all important to other people as for reasons for buying this cheap-ish dac or not.

Ok, so.

Obviously it's not bang for buck IN MY CASE, since i already have multibit 1... Plus eitr. And also recently dug up my wyrd, so not a bad system at all... But, still, I want to throw out some curveballs, bare with me.

- Is MM2 unison usb jitter performance as good as top tier unison products??? Like, Yggdrasil has that fancy extra reclocking/clock regeneration thingy. And ultra fancy PSU. So I wonder if MM2 unison is at least nearly as good as that??? And Is it better than my pretty finely tuned eitr (+wyrd+software into modi multibit 1 spdif)?

Hard question, I know... Especially if the analog stage of MM2 itself is a limiting factor - what if that's (analog stage) what is making its highs inherently a biiit harsh, "digital".

And if that is the case, I'm guessing then it would be extra difficult to pick out jitter characteristics by ear?
But I am super curious about this. I do not mind analog badness like "fatiguing" or "piercing" highs, whilst I care A LOT about time domain harshness, such as brittle or diffuse, undefined highs from bad jitter. I wish to know which if those MM2 is.

- - Another thing. This one is really hard to word, but... So my theory is, since playing recently again with wyrd connected before eitr and software settings etc... Jitter things...

Is MM2 boring sounding IN A "GOOD" way?

Coz in some of my setups and experimenting... Sometimes everything strikes me as boring and lifeless INITIALLY... And some of those sometimes turn out to be the least fatiguing! most engaging! most clear and focused, deliniated, most precise and detailed, most peer-into-the-mix transparent, draws you in the more you listen to it! Sweeps the rug underneath u emotionally before you even noticed anything special was going on... So much boring and lifeless in fact (, not lifeless in a dirty way though, but lifeless in a divine way actually), that it lets the music breathe and have its own recorded life come out more and florish.
I want MORE, Im addicted to that, other technicalities are secondary to me. So with those in mind... Is MM2's... Dryness? And overfocused highs? PERHAPS... A result of less overall jitter??? Or are those really more of an analog stage thing. If anyone has an idea about this at all, I care.

- - - Btw extra idea, if it helps... Though the following is EVEN TINIER observed differences, miniscule. Like splitting hairs of split hairs - unlike my previous paragraph(s) that really matter to me. So:

I found some setups that I like more than others. Example:

When in HiBy android music player I set USB speed to:

(Btw stressing again, the following are miniscule things.)

Automatic... Everything gets softer and diffuse. Mushier, forgiving... Which comes across as bit relaxing. Im guessing more randomised jitter, more wide band effect... And at first that sounds "nice"...

But high speed is more impactful, visceral, more extended on both ends, transparent in a focused-not-diffuse way, less all over the place, easier pitch differentiation at both low and high freq, easier attention grabbing from textures and HF accents, more haunting trailing ends and freq sweeps, richer and clearer, CLEANER info everywhere in an effortless - as opposed to dirty, shouty or snappy, way... Sharp and fast without being atrificially gritty... ... ... Though on the negative side, high speed is also a bit "hard" in the bass, not ethereal, not like appearing from everywhere, just focused like a cannon, dry and not wobbly, more german (<<<actually this last one isnt even necessarily negative to me). Also blacker background and drier sounds at the expense of playfulness. And the highs in particular are so dry now, hyperfocused sharp dry - as opposed to a bit diffuse with a randomized sparkliness. Trading those negatives off for the positives is very worth it to me personally.
A wyrd before the eitr minimizes those (software setting) differences btw, but it's still there.

So I guess the question here is. Perhaps MM2 from unison USB is so jitter free. That THAT is what makes it bring extra dry/"less organic", plus sharpened highs??? Or am I being purely wishful thinking for a holy grail that magically delivers what I am addicted to. That dry sound that lets you make up your own mind on what the music holds instead of signaling to you what to feel.

;

Yes, I may seem insane, I even roll power cables sometimes and try different outlets. And it changes alot.
Even on the digital side! Wyrd and eitr being on the wrong outlet or power strip trashes the whole system and makes it lifeless in the broken, dirty, confusing way where it sounds like the same music, but it is not engaging anymore, falls flat, something is not right anymore.

So I am saying. Whatever this post seems like, I am in fact not schizophrenic and all of this is serious and I really care.

If some of you dont believe or cant hear cable/outlet/powerstrip differences, ignore me while I envy you. Ignore me and enjoy your gear, seriously. Me - I cannot unhear those things.

 

You'd get more help if you didn't write a dissertation...my eyes glossed over after 9th paragraph.