[Voxata]

I disagree. Massdrop has become a potent force in the headphone community with close ties to Head-Fi. If you look at the Massdrop branded products and exclusive offers, they have gone deeply into specialized areas of the headphone world. They have also done this in some other specialized hobbyist/collector areas such as flashlights and knives. The current drops in their "Audiophile" community are currently 100% headphone related: https://www.massdrop.com/audiophile/drops. The target audience for these products is not "blissfully ignorant morons".

The new development of measurements has absolutely shaken companies, Schiit included.. I mean, the Modi 3 even states "Our best measuring DAC for those who care about that". It feels like a blow has been landed and it hurts. Does Schiit's gear sound awesome? Sure does. Hell, I absolutely love the Schiit gear I've owned. I can also tell it was designed with perfect measurements not in mind. They went for what sounded best and what was the most musical. While my DX7s and 789 measures far better than anything Schiit has it also isn't as flat-out MUSICAL as Schiit's gear. So, everyone has their preference. What is yours? I just don't want Schiit to take a step backwards to please the measurebators and I'd like to see them keep pursuing what SOUNDS good.

 

[valiant66]

YES! THIS!!

Just recently encountered the marketing slur on Massdrop... it’s one of the things that’s made me a bit cynical of the Massdrop community lately :/

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-x-thx-aaa-789-linear-amplifier/talk/2269557

(I tried to defend schiit, as it pissed me off that people, especially a member of the trade, was making blind accusations of schiit. That’s just poor style. I’m pure5152 on Massdrop.)

This does not reflect my experience with Massdrop. Other than shipping time I’ve been happy with what they do. OTOH I spend very little time in the comments section, so I can’t speak to the opinion of random strangers.

 

[RCBinTN]

Personally I like variety and listening to different tubes in the same amp or pre-amp is something I enjoy, YMMV. Unfortunately for me, every time I think the sound cannot get any better I hear something new and the quest is on. I do have a few solid state headphone amps and power amps that I intend to keep and they serve my purpose but definitely offer fewer surprises as they sit.

I'm at the stage where I don't want surprises. I want consistently excellent music. Which, happily, I have found.
There are too many rabbit holes out there, and I'm too old to chase 'em.
FWIW.

 

[RCBinTN]

LOL, this is the chapter: we finally have enough stock to fill channels, so we're filling them (plus we have some Modi 2s to move out).

Want a longer chapter? Cool. Here it is: We've been trying all year to have enough stock to fill channels, with the plan of being back up everywhere by October. As usual, things didn't work as planned, so we're a little late opening the channels. Now we are. At least it's not December!

For those who like to purchase on Amazon, enjoy!

Well done, Jason. Keep it rolling, brother!

 

[ScubaMan2017]

A question of geography ... out there on the North Bruce Peninsula, jutting out into Lake Huron (google it, y'all), is the climate more temperate (due to the surrounding water), or just cold as Hell like the up-wind areas to the West of Lake Michigan (for example, Appleton, WI).
Thx in advance mate.

Lake Huron to the West. Georgian Bay to the East. And it’s perched on a limestone bluff. Temperate? Well, it’s not as bad as Minnesota. It’s an odd biome. My local federal marine park was formed to preserve the ships’ graveyard. For really insane weather, I’d trek over to Lake Superior... for the winds of November... and the (wreck of the) Edmunds Fitzgerald.

 

[Odin412]

I just don't want Schiit to take a step backwards to please the measurebators and I'd like to see them keep pursuing what SOUNDS good.

Amen, brother.

 

[earnmyturns]

Some people will troll as a backlash against the cult of Schiit. Let's face it, there is a cultish atmosphere among Schiit enthusiasts (us vs. them, attitude of superiority, etc) — not unlike Apple fanboys — that will rub some people the wrong way and provoke a backlash.

Shrug.

The new development of measurements has absolutely shaken companies, Schiit included

Measurements, shmeasurements. Anybody who believes that standard measurements say anything fine-grained about music reproduction quality, once we get away from gross distortion/bandwidth/noise issues, knows nothing about human sound perception. Number crunchers aping audio scientists. Those of us who have had the privilege of the company of real audio scientists know that reality is much more complex, and not reducible to the shallow time/frequency average measurements that dominate audiophile pissing matches. There, I got it off my chest once again.

 

[FLTWS]

Schiit didn't win us as owner/supporters with measurements.
I don't believe they can keep us on a measurements and glamor shots marketing platform.
Got to be more than just sizzle to go along with that steak.

 

[US Blues]

Shrug.

Measurements, shmeasurements. Anybody who believes that standard measurements say anything fine-grained about music reproduction quality, once we get away from gross distortion/bandwidth/noise issues, knows nothing about human sound perception. Number crunchers aping audio scientists. Those of us who have had the privilege of the company of real audio scientists know that reality is much more complex, and not reducible to the shallow time/frequency average measurements that dominate audiophile pissing matches. There, I got it off my chest once again.

BOOM!

Close the "sound science" thread.

 

[Roy G. Biv]

Nice write-up on Modi 3 from John Darko this morning.

https://darko.audio/2018/11/schiit-modi-3-dac-review/

 

[Voxata]

Shrug.

Measurements, shmeasurements. Anybody who believes that standard measurements say anything fine-grained about music reproduction quality, once we get away from gross distortion/bandwidth/noise issues, knows nothing about human sound perception. Number crunchers aping audio scientists. Those of us who have had the privilege of the company of real audio scientists know that reality is much more complex, and not reducible to the shallow time/frequency average measurements that dominate audiophile pissing matches. There, I got it off my chest once again.

As I completely agree with this, my statement was meant to be taken as a whole. I think measurements may be useful in pointing out flaws but I do not believe a piece of gear that measures out of this world will necessarily be enjoyable. In the words of von Recklinghausen "If it measures good and sounds bad, -- it is bad. If it sounds good and measures bad, -- you've measured the wrong thing."

 

[RCBinTN]

Lake Huron to the West. Georgian Bay to the East. And it’s perched on a limestone bluff. Temperate? Well, it’s not as bad as Minnesota. It’s an odd biome. My local federal marine park was formed to preserve the ships’ graveyard. For really insane weather, I’d trek over to Lake Superior... for the winds of November... and the (wreck of the) Edmunds Fitzgerald.

Well, I guess that's what I was really wondering, since you're nearly surrounded by water. An interesting spot.
I suppose Lake Huron water temperatures are lower than ocean temps so not "temperate" at all.
I'm originally from Hibbing, MN, and have relatives in Duluth, so have experienced that type of cold.
One of the reasons we live in Tennessee now

Cheers!
RCBinTN

 

[leeperry]

Wow, can you get any more ironic that this final chapter lol?

 

[teej]

THIS IS NOT A COMPLAINT.

My Modi 2, which I've been very happy with, has a different finish from all the other Schiit gear I own. Where every other piece is shiny and smooth, the Modi 2 is neither. It's a matte gray, like paint, with a slightly rough, bumpy texture. I like it - again, not a complaint - but I've been wondering why this one is different.

 

[Voxata]

THIS IS NOT A COMPLAINT.

My Modi 2, which I've been very happy with, has a different finish from all the other Schiit gear I own. Where every other piece is shiny and smooth, the Modi 2 is neither. It's a matte gray, like paint, with a slightly rough, bumpy texture. I like it - again, not a complaint - but I've been wondering why this one is different.

They've changed metal shops a couple times, have they not? They have had a couple different finishes. Aluminum tops, steel tops...