[RoninChaos]

I would say mix and match, whichever you decide-- if you go with the Piety, that is "warm" enough to use the Modi+ with the Sennheisers you listed. If you go with MM2, then pair it with the Magni3. I had the Modi3 and Magni3 on my desk at work, and switched them for the MM2/Piety combo. With bright headphones, it is ideal. With normal or warm headphones, it is a little subdued/muted. I am currently listening on the HD660S and sometimes want a bit more treble. If I use other, trebly headphones, no such issues.

That’s actually super helpful. I figured that maybe the piety and Modi+ would be a good combo and the multibit and Magni 3 would be a good combo since they would balance each other out.

So with the Piety and MM2 along with a 660s could use a little more treble? If you swapped out the 660s with a 600 do you think there would be too MUCH treble?

 

[RoninChaos]

I have the Modi 3, not the +. But there is a musicality to the multibit DACs that is lacking in their delta sigma competitors. They're also less dry. The Modi MB2 is more neutral (less warm but less "fuzzy", less veiled) than the Bifrost MB1 but it still has that same musicality.

Edit: I meant to say Bifrost MB1 not 2.

How do you define “musicality”?

Thanks to everyone for the responses.

 

[classfolkphile]

How do you define “musicality”?

Thanks to everyone for the responses.

As a fullness and flow ("continuousness") to the music: a more analog quality.

 

[Brubacca]

How do you define “musicality”?

Thanks to everyone for the responses.

Toe tap. The flow of the music. How the notes connect together.

 

[adias]

Yiggy vs MMB2...

Question for those owning any of the Yggy forms and also having significant MMB2 listening time.

The MMB2 is quite good; very neutral presentation offering, in a good system, wide stage and separation.

What does a Yiigy $2k+ differential offer over the MMB2? I am sure there are differences. What are they?

Those differences may be noticeable with a quick A/B comparo, but do they last? Say, we listen to a CD on Yiigy and we appreciate it. A couple of days later we listen to the same CD on MMB2, do we immediately notice the difference?

 

[EagleWings]

Yes, you can. Where the Yggy really pulls ahead over its younger siblings is in a good speaker system. You can hear the Yggy being ahead on headphones too. Our human brains work in funny ways, especially if the price of the Yggy is not within the individual’s comfortable budget. One day it thinks, ‘man, the Modi sounds so great, perhaps I should sell the Yggy’ and the next day it thinks ‘dayum, the Yggy is so far ahead that can’t believe I even thought of selling it’.

 

[Brubacca]

Yiggy vs MMB2...

Question for those owning any of the Yggy forms and also having significant MMB2 listening time.

The MMB2 is quite good; very neutral presentation offering, in a good system, wide stage and separation.

What does a Yiigy $2k+ differential offer over the MMB2? I am sure there are differences. What are they?

Those differences may be noticeable with a quick A/B comparo, but do they last? Say, we listen to a CD on Yiigy and we appreciate it. A couple of days later we listen to the same CD on MMB2, do we immediately notice the difference?

Not Yggy , but there is a definite difference compared to Gumby. And it is noticed over the long term. My A1 Gumby has a different presentation than MM2, if my Gumby and MM2 had the same overall presentation I’d prefer the “more” that Gumby gives me. More presence, more nuance, there is just more of everything around the music.

In my case the MM2 is more fun, but as I said that is a function of the difference in presentation of the DAC.

If I’m listening to more nuanced music, meaning singer songwriter, maybe some contemporary jazz like Norah Jones…. Then Gumby is a way better listen.

Rock music, Grunge music more up tempo music then my version of Gumby is a bit lacking compared to MM2.

You asked about Iggy, I know, but I think you can infer that Yggy difference would be noticeable in a system that can resolve the difference.

 

[Runrunsmithfly]

I'd love to order a new original Yggy, silver to match, but $3046.00 is just a wee bit out of my budget. Thank you Schiit for still making great budget DACs like the MM2 for all of us retired folks.

 

[kinkling]

That’s actually super helpful. I figured that maybe the piety and Modi+ would be a good combo and the multibit and Magni 3 would be a good combo since they would balance each other out.

So with the Piety and MM2 along with a 660s could use a little more treble? If you swapped out the 660s with a 600 do you think there would be too MUCH treble?

Not with the Piety/MM2 combo, no, I think it would probably be pretty good. I don't find the 600s that much brighter compared to the 660S. I haven't heard the 660S2 yet. Just guessing here, so it means absolutely nothing, but I think the Modi+/Piety combo might be the slightest bit warmer than the MM2/Magni3, since I found the Magni much harsher and brittle sounding than the Piety. But I am usually able to pick up on amp comparisons much better than I am DAC differences.

 

[Hyde00]

So with the Piety and MM2 along with a 660s could use a little more treble? If you swapped out the 660s with a 600 do you think there would be too MUCH treble?

Not with the Piety/MM2 combo, no, I think it would probably be pretty good. I don't find the 600s that much brighter compared to the 660S. I haven't heard the 660S2 yet. Just guessing here, so it means absolutely nothing, but I think the Modi+/Piety combo might be the slightest bit warmer than the MM2/Magni3, since I found the Magni much harsher and brittle sounding than the Piety. But I am usually able to pick up on amp comparisons much better than I am DAC differences.

Yeah I think Piety low gain reduce treble a bit, high gain retains the treble.
MMB2 adds a little bit more treble and bass (more noticeable if you A/B with the NOS mode).

But I remember someone commented here before that Piety + MMB2 + HD600 = spot on.

So you mightttttttt just be ok lol.

 

[Runrunsmithfly]

My two headphone amps are a Piety and Vahalla 2. I find that the MM2 works well with both amps and the HD600 headphones.

 

[RoninChaos]

Yeah I think Piety low gain reduce treble a bit, high gain retains the treble.
MMB2 adds a little bit more treble and bass (more noticeable if you A/B with the NOS mode).

But I remember someone commented here before that Piety + MMB2 + HD600 = spot on.

So you mightttttttt just be ok lol.

Good looking out.

 

[Menkau-ra]

Do I understand correct that the difference between MMB1 and MMB2 is Unison USB and 4 filers vs 8?

 

[twigfarm]

Do I understand correct that the difference between MMB1 and MMB2 is Unison USB and 4 filers vs 8?

Yes, plus some:

MMB 1 v1:

AD5547
4x oversampling with NOS if fed 192kHz content
C-Media USB Type-B

MMB 1 v2:

AD5547
4x oversampling with NOS if fed 192kHz content
Modified burrito filter with glitch fix, identified by a different ROM chip if opened (see this thread for board pictures of the new chip being installed)
C-Media USB Type-B

MMB 2:

AD5547
8x oversampling with option to turn filter off for NOS at any input sample rate, Bifrost 2 style
Analog stage changes, different op-amps
Unison USB with USB-C connector

 

[Menkau-ra]

Yes, plus some:

MMB 1 v1:

AD5547
4x oversampling with NOS if fed 192kHz content
C-Media USB Type-B

MMB 1 v2:

AD5547
4x oversampling with NOS if fed 192kHz content
Modified burrito filter with glitch fix, identified by a different ROM chip if opened (see this thread for board pictures of the new chip being installed)
C-Media USB Type-B

MMB 2:

AD5547
8x oversampling with option to turn filter off for NOS at any input sample rate, Bifrost 2 style
Analog stage changes, different op-amps
Unison USB with USB-C connector

Does it mean that MMB1 is warmer than MMB2 because of the 4x vs 8x filters?
What about MMB1 V3?