[Xerosnake90]

Awesome! I'm curious about that comparison. I nearly bought the Magni+/Modi+ instead of the Midgard/Modius E stack. Very happy with where I landed, but would love to hear a comparison none the less.

I'll shoot out some impressions with the Magni+/Modi+. I had originally used a different EQ setting and everything was pretty hot. I set up Oratory's DT990 settings and they are incredible

Quite frankly I don't even know why I bothered to order the Midgard and the Modius because the set up is so enjoyable. But who am I kidding, we all know why. I believe on Schiit's page they mention that the Magni/modi is good enough for majority of people and I'd agree. Sound quality is so far ahead of any popular consumer model it's not even funny.

Details and Timbre: Pretty incredible, I can hear the clacking of piano keys and the actual striking of the hammers. Guitar picks scrape against accoustic strings. Tiny vocal fluctuations it's all there. Each track feels separate and I can listen and clearly hear the notes of each instrument without it blending together. I was able to pick up the flanger effect on a synth during a particularly busy passage in one of my songs. I've heard the song hundreds of times but never have I been able to discern a flanger effect lol

Staging and Imaging: Really solid, the stage isn't super large but I feel like I have a nice little bubble around my head and the imaging is stellar along with the detail. Every instrument is unique, and doesn't mix into the other parts of the track. Sweeping sounds can be tracked accurately.

Sound and coloration: There's a reason I always buy Schiit and it's because I love their sound. The Jot 2 and Bifrost 2 were certainly warmish, not as thick as my tube amps of course but added some flavor. Magni and Modi don't really do that but they also don't feel dry. Bass is tasty and thick, Mids are full, and the treble is detailed without being too sibilant

I'm gonna leave it at that. When I first got into the headphone game I immediately jumped from a Hel 2 to the Jot 2 and Bifrost 2. Is the Magni/Modi set up competing with the Jot/Bifrost? Well no, not really. That combo was punchier, faster, and had a gooey warmth with a holographic soundstage. I drove my planars with those and the HD 800s with the tube amps.

I'm also curious to see how much of all this falls on the Beyerdynamic headphones. I never had a pair with my other set up and the detail and imaging as said is pretty out of this world for how little I've spent on that set up.

Kinda crazy but this might be my favorite headphones set up I've had. The combination is synergistic and if the Midgard and Modius sync together as well as the Magni and Modi then I should have something really special on my hands.

Anyway as said I'll be back to give impressions with Midgard and Modi next, Modius should be here this weekend as well

 

[Xerosnake90]

Well looks like I'm finishing my set up with a pair of 1990s! Buying a pair from classifieds. Am super excited to see everything come together

 

[tutetibiimperes]

If you guys are curious with one man's opinion of my Bifrost 2 OG and Midgard stack against TOTL portable DAPs (costing north of 3K and up!), you're getting ridiculous Bang for Buck performance with the addition of ability to drive non electrostatic headphones except for Modhouse Tungsten (SS and DS)

I’m not surprised. The value proposition of Uber-DAPs has always been a bit dubious to me. You’re always going to have some significant compromises when making an All-in-One portable device - from energy/battery management, to heat management, to packaging and weight, there are a lot of tradeoffs.

It’s much easier to make something that sounds amazing and has tons of power in the desktop form factor.

 

[theveterans]

I’m not surprised. The value proposition of Uber-DAPs has always been a bit dubious to me. You’re always going to have some significant compromises when making an All-in-One portable device - from energy/battery management, to heat management, to packaging and weight, there are a lot of tradeoffs.

It’s much easier to make something that sounds amazing and has tons of power in the desktop form factor.

One great thing about them is they do best at what they do: drive sensitive IEMs. However, the Achilles heel is still the DAC section. Once you get used to Schiit MB DACs and other exotic desktop DACs technicalities (Chord DAVE for example), IEMs do hit a wall on that regard since these multikilobuck IEMs are definitely transparent enough to reveal the shortcomings of the DAC implementations used in a DAP.

 

[tutetibiimperes]

One great thing about them is they do best at what they do: drive sensitive IEMs. However, the Achilles heel is still the DAC section. Once you get used to Schiit MB DACs and other exotic desktop DACs technicalities (Chord DAVE for example), IEMs do hit a wall on that regard since these multikilobuck IEMs are definitely transparent enough to reveal the shortcomings of the DAC implementations used in a DAP.

Ah, I hadn’t considered that as I’m not an IEM guy.

 

[theveterans]

Ah, I hadn’t considered that as I’m not an IEM guy.

I'm both in this regard which is why my wallet is bleeding profusely haha. It does suck that these incredibly transparent sounding IEMs are performance limited with the sources they're being used. Still waiting for that DAP that can give me the Schiit house sound. I truly hope Jason and Mike can get that Multibit sound be incredibly power efficient so we can finally eclipse the DAP technicality wall (when compared to desktop DACs)

 

[Xerosnake90]

The Schiit has arrived! I'm currently listening to the Midgard along with the Magni+ and it didn't take more than 30 seconds to hear exactly what I thought I would hear. Moving between the two confirmed my findings immediately.

My initial impression of the Magni+ and what I wanted from the Midgard was to open things up and that's exactly what it did. The stage has opened up, the entire bubble is wider now and instruments feel much better placed. The Magni+ left me with an impression of almost claustrophobia when it comes to everything as in sounds were seperated but they kind of overlapped each other at the edges. I am NOT experiencing that with the Midgard, every single sound now has its own space and quite frankly it's impressive. I don't know if people mention the DT 990 as something with an open soundstage but this thing easily rivals something like the Ananda which cost me almost 3 times as much back when I bought it.

Listening to several of my own songs I've come to hear them many times of course. My track Don't lose hope is a melancholic piano piece using a hall reverb and wow, while the effect was good before it now really sounds like the sound is reverberating through an elongated hallway with tons of space. There is ample space between every single note played. Also, there is an added layer of height which I only barely noticed when I was listening with the Magni. The lower end sits more below my ears, with the mids centered, and the highs just slightly above. It's a subtle effect but now I can confirm it's not my imagination. The entire thing sounds larger, bigger, fuller

Another thing that I immediately noticed was the bass response. The bass is thicker, and even punchier than before. I had to check my EQ settings to make sure I wasn't on the wrong setting cuz I thought I was using the bass boosted preset.

Another thing is that the level of detail has smoothed out a bit as well and feels more airy. The Magni/Modi combo had a lot of bite to it and could feel pretty hot at times, so far I'm not getting that with the Midgard. I'm not sure if this is something I prefer because in my mind it makes me want to think things are less detailed, however the jury is out on that. I also have a sneaking suspicion that the Modious is going to make a change in that regard and kind of detail things back up. Combined with the airyness of the Midgard it's going to be very detailed without the spicyness. I'll be able to confirm my impressions on that when I get the Modius on Saturday.

So, cost wise and performance wise do I think the Midgard is a worthy upgrade to the Magni? Absolutely. I feel like my music is actually far more musical now than it was before. The overall larger stage is now presenting slightly more detail, the music feels more full like everything gels together without actually crossing over each other. I would say I am quite satisfied with this amp and am looking forward to the Modius. I also have a DT 1990 on the way so I have some excitement coming up over the next week for sure.

 

[Saaki]

Thank you for the detailed comparison! I'm curious to hear your thoughts on the Modius. I'm curious was this on the single ended output or the halo XLR output?

 

[volly]

The Schiit has arrived! I'm currently listening to the Midgard along with the Magni+ and it didn't take more than 30 seconds to hear exactly what I thought I would hear. Moving between the two confirmed my findings immediately.

My initial impression of the Magni+ and what I wanted from the Midgard was to open things up and that's exactly what it did. The stage has opened up, the entire bubble is wider now and instruments feel much better placed. The Magni+ left me with an impression of almost claustrophobia when it comes to everything as in sounds were seperated but they kind of overlapped each other at the edges. I am NOT experiencing that with the Midgard, every single sound now has its own space and quite frankly it's impressive. I don't know if people mention the DT 990 as something with an open soundstage but this thing easily rivals something like the Ananda which cost me almost 3 times as much back when I bought it.

Listening to several of my own songs I've come to hear them many times of course. My track Don't lose hope is a melancholic piano piece using a hall reverb and wow, while the effect was good before it now really sounds like the sound is reverberating through an elongated hallway with tons of space. There is ample space between every single note played. Also, there is an added layer of height which I only barely noticed when I was listening with the Magni. The lower end sits more below my ears, with the mids centered, and the highs just slightly above. It's a subtle effect but now I can confirm it's not my imagination. The entire thing sounds larger, bigger, fuller

Another thing that I immediately noticed was the bass response. The bass is thicker, and even punchier than before. I had to check my EQ settings to make sure I wasn't on the wrong setting cuz I thought I was using the bass boosted preset.

Another thing is that the level of detail has smoothed out a bit as well and feels more airy. The Magni/Modi combo had a lot of bite to it and could feel pretty hot at times, so far I'm not getting that with the Midgard. I'm not sure if this is something I prefer because in my mind it makes me want to think things are less detailed, however the jury is out on that. I also have a sneaking suspicion that the Modious is going to make a change in that regard and kind of detail things back up. Combined with the airyness of the Midgard it's going to be very detailed without the spicyness. I'll be able to confirm my impressions on that when I get the Modius on Saturday.

So, cost wise and performance wise do I think the Midgard is a worthy upgrade to the Magni? Absolutely. I feel like my music is actually far more musical now than it was before. The overall larger stage is now presenting slightly more detail, the music feels more full like everything gels together without actually crossing over each other. I would say I am quite satisfied with this amp and am looking forward to the Modius. I also have a DT 1990 on the way so I have some excitement coming up over the next week for sure.

Compared to the Jot2, your thoughts?

 

[Xerosnake90]

Thank you for the detailed comparison! I'm curious to hear your thoughts on the Modius. I'm curious was this on the single ended output or the halo XLR output?

This is on single end. Unfortunately the 990s and 1990s don't have XLR so I won't be getting to experience Halo Topology. I'm excited for the Modius I'll certainly have impressions for the combo!

Compared to the Jot2, your thoughts?

It's been a while but I would say they are very similar. Jot 2 has a weaker SE than Midgard but the Balanced output has more power than the Midgard. I always ran balanced with the Jot 2 and preferred it greatly over SE. I'd wager to say that the Jot 2 might just have been a tad bit warmer, while the Midgard has a smidge of warmth which I liken to more fullness but it's still not very colored. I think Jot 2 is a bit tighter and energetic with the bass and that makes sense to me given the power difference. Both are equally airy up top, but I think the Midgard is smoother in treble while Jot 2 was a bit hotter.

As said they are very similar in their sound and even the differences I noticed are not huge differences. My decision to go with Midgard this time over the Jot 2 was that I would be using SE over XLR and I don't have any plans at this point to get a pair of cans that can use XLR. If I do I'll be using the Halo port, I'm very satisfied with this amp and while I know what my next upgrade might be I'm not buying it any time soon lol

 

[volly]

This is on single end. Unfortunately the 990s and 1990s don't have XLR so I won't be getting to experience Halo Topology. I'm excited for the Modius I'll certainly have impressions for the combo!



It's been a while but I would say they are very similar. Jot 2 has a weaker SE than Midgard but the Balanced output has more power than the Midgard. I always ran balanced with the Jot 2 and preferred it greatly over SE. I'd wager to say that the Jot 2 might just have been a tad bit warmer, while the Midgard has a smidge of warmth which I liken to more fullness but it's still not very colored. I think Jot 2 is a bit tighter and energetic with the bass and that makes sense to me given the power difference. Both are equally airy up top, but I think the Midgard is smoother in treble while Jot 2 was a bit hotter.

As said they are very similar in their sound and even the differences I noticed are not huge differences. My decision to go with Midgard this time over the Jot 2 was that I would be using SE over XLR and I don't have any plans at this point to get a pair of cans that can use XLR. If I do I'll be using the Halo port, I'm very satisfied with this amp and while I know what my next upgrade might be I'm not buying it any time soon lol

Sounds like the Midgard is a banger of a deal tbh!

 

[Xerosnake90]

Sounds like the Midgard is a banger of a deal tbh!

Absolutely. I'd say that Planars would benefit most from the Jot 2 over Midgard since they tend to scale really well with more power. But this is the first scenario where I can say that the cost difference to performance isn't worth it. If you have a Midgard I don't think the Jot 2 is a worthwhile upgrade, and I loved the Jot 2

 

[J Ottawa]

Good evening Head-Fi Midgard peeps,
I'm back with a Midgard update: a Halo update! I received my balanced cable from Hart Cables.

1. Let's go back a couple of months when I started with DT 990 Pro headphones via SE output: they sounded good with RME; but like crap with the Midgard (too muddying the lows) and this regardless of DAC I was using (RME or Modius (E). YMMV. I put the DTs aside going forward.

2. When I plugged in the Neumann NDH-30s, everything was much better, with the Midgard was doing well with the NDH-30s. It was a strange revelation..I thought, ok, RME has better control in the low end; NDH-30 is easier to control, less floppy. Sounds good with RME and a tad better with Midgard. All good. Maybe there is a problem with my DT 990s, who knows!

3. The RME ADI-2 FS is my sole DAC now (used to have a Modius E) and the Midgard is my Headphone amp. I'm feeding the Midgard via the balanced cables.
I'm using crossfeed at level 1 or 2 and the filter in use is the "Sharp" selection these days; I had been using NOS for some time, but discovered that percussions sounded better with the Sharp filter.
No EQ, bass or treble boost or Loudness features. Basically running it flat.

4. I plug in my HART balanced cable to the Midgard: yeah, the connector is not rigidly attached as some others have noted. It's a little loosey - goosey. It is plugged in and the connection is solid electrically speaking. That's it, that's all physically speaking.

5. So how does it sound? After having mitigated expectations based on comments I've received here at Head-Fi, I was not expecting a huge change, but I had to try it.
And whomever was the person in the past that stated I would not see a huge benefit with NDH-30, they were correct.
That said, another person stated that anything HALO sounds better. That person was correct as well.

They are both correct! It's not night and day, but HALO is better. When you hear better, you can't go back.
It is a more open sound; more detailed, especially improves the layering front to back, the soundstage depth I would call it.
So for the cost of the balance cable, the performance improved.

For example the resolution improves to the point where Björk changes in echos in her song 'Hunter' can be delineated; that and the varying distance she sings from the microphone (probably). It's smoother, more warm but with enhanced resolution in the bass register, which means I hear more of the instruments and their placements, so to speak.

I also think there is a bit more of an extension up on top; but this may be due to the better resolving power of the audio spectrum. More listening will be required. This is tricky.

With the addition of a balanced cable to my Neumann NDH-30, Midgard improves again. I never thought I'd be listening to this level of quality sound from this little headamp.

It may not as holographic as a SET tube amp, but the 3D depth image, so to speak, improves.

 

[volly]

I've had this combo for a few years now for me Hifiman Edition X's.
Just sounds phenomenal and has aged incredibly well! The Midgard would be
a straight swap for the Jot and I can have the Jot1 in another setup!

 

[Xerosnake90]

The Modius E has arrived and pairs with the Midgard beautifully. Most consumer models of headphones and how people tend to just listen to music is BASS with very little of anything else. No dynamics, in your head staging and next to no imaging. All the sounds blend together.

You take something like the Magni/Modi and add the DT 990 pro in there and you have yourself a fine taste of what audio can sound like. You have details, slam in the bass, details are clear and sparkly. It's incredible and already beats out 99% of consumer headphones out there. With the Midgard introduced I noticed a wider sound, imaging was even better with every instrument and sound having its own little zone so to speak. The bass hit harder, felt more substantial and thicker without muddying up the whole mix. Really great but I knew things could get better.

Now with the Modius you're really seeing some synergy here. I can liken the music with the Modi to a linear line that you hear from the center of your head, from the left to the right. While it was now wider and fuller, you're still listening to a flat 2D image. The Modius comes in and not only does it even farther enhance the staging and imaging but the sound is now FULL. That 2D image has now turned 3D. It's once again a very similar story to what I perceived when I first introduced the Bifrost 2 to the Jot 2. I really wish I had that set up next to this one so I could see just how close it is. I'm noticing farther dynamics and sound as well. While the Magni/Modi stack had detail and such, most sounds were close to volume and everything kinda sounded the same. The Modius really changed the dynamics up, with things sounding more quiet and farther away while still being distinguishable from the rest.

I'd say the Magni/Modi is a great starting point but just spend the extra money to get the Midgard and Modius. My next upgrades would likely be the Bifrost 2/64 and I've always heard great things about the Burson Soloist 3XP so that's looking to be my next step up. However with this setup currently I have very little desire to spend that money right now. Now that I have my Amp/DAC to a point I'm quite satisfied with I'm just waiting for my DT 1990s to arrive on tuesday.