Hi friends,
I've posted some pics and a short review of Multibit here in my another post.
http://www.hifivision.com/dac/66058-waiting-my-new-dac.html
Beside this I'm very firm that it has improved the Sound Quality to a great extent. Using it with PM5005 and PolkAudio RTI A3. Every morning when I sit on my desk for work I started these guys to run for hours and they dissolve music to my ears without hurting
One more thing I forgot to mention that when I set up it first time it became very hot for few hours. I shot an email to HPZ and Schiit, however I didn't get any reply from HPZ, think they are not technically versed.
Received an e mail from Nick a Schiit customer support guy and he told me that Multibit runs a little bit hot and it's very normal and it doesn't make the performance lag by any means.
But now I can see after running it several hours it's running not that hot. Being an electronic device its nature is to run a little hot but not that much. I'm OK now.
I've connected Modi Multibit using Belkin Optical cable to my PC and listen to songs from iTunes with payed membership of Apple music. Have some lossless flacs too.
The front push button has a very smooth tactile feedback and doesn't wobble like in many reviews on the Internet and YT.
When you powered it on all the three LEDs start blinking for searching for an input type either of USB, Coax and Optical.
For the built quality I must say it's a SOLID device with brushed aluminum built. Slightly bigger in size than my previous Audioengine DAC D1. However it doesn't equipped with any volume control as the DAC D1 has.
Multibit is powered by a power adapter and not with USB as in the case of D1 and Modi 2.
Multibit has 2 years warranty from the date of invoice. Schiit says if you think you are in need to avail the warranty contact them first than contacting your distributor.
What you receive in the box is just DAC, Four rubber feet, 16VAC wall-wart with 100% linear power supply.
Now how you compare Multibit with the Modi2 and Uber.
Modi 2: USB Only and no input selection switch.
Modi 2 Uber: USB, Toslink SPDIF, Coaxial SPDIF ,has an input selection switch.
Modi Multibit: USB, Toslink SPDIF, Coaxial SPDIF, has an input selection switch.
This is what schiit says about Modi Multibit:
"Modi Multibit is the most affordable multibit DAC with a modern architecturefrom any manufacturer, from any country in the world. Featuring Schiits unique closed-form digital filter, and using the same Analog Devices AD5547 multibit DAC as Bifrost, Modi Multibit smashes the high-price barrier in multibit DACs."
Here are few lines from Schiit's site for Modi Multibit:
How about the Modi Multibit?
Modi Multibit has exactly the same inputs, finish, and controls as Modi 2 Uber (and also a large, stylized M screened on the top that looks kinda like a space invaderand helps designate it as a Modi Multibit.) But its profoundly different from the Modi 2 Uber inside:
Architecture: Instead of a conventional delta-sigma architecture, the Modi Multibit uses our own, entirely new multibit architecture.
Digital Filter: Instead of using the digital filter embedded in the AK4490 DAC, the Modi Multibit features our own unique closed-form digital filter implemented on an Analog Devices SHARC DSPthe same filter used in the Bifrost Multibit.
D/A Converter: Again, instead of using a delta-sigma audio DAC, the Modi Multibit uses an Analog Devices AD5547 medical/military-grade D/A converterthe same D/A converter used in the Bifrost Multibit.
Bottom line, Modi Multibit is by far the most sophisticated DAC available anywhere near this price, and it is based on an entirely new architecture (rather than using NOS or soon-unavailable old-style audio multibit D/A converters.)
Sounds like youre pretty proud of the Modi Multibit.
Not that thats a question, but yes, we are. Only a little more than a year after the introduction of the Yggdrasil, you can now get a DAC that includes derivatives of its unique technology for only about 1/10 of the price. Has anyone else done that? Would anyone else do that? Are we insane? Only you can tell.
Hope this helps. I know it's not a very technical review but for a general user perspective. I think Multibit has an edge over Uber and so I bought it. Also I don't want to regret my decision later and so spent few bucks more on Multibit.
Thank you all!
Dinesh.