Schiit Modi Multibit 2 - All the Dac You Will Ever Need ?

5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed on Dec 27, 2022

Pros:

1. Small Form Factor
2. Affordable Multibit Dac
3. Excellent Musical Reproduction
4. Easy to Use
5. NOS Mode
6. Unison USB Interface

Cons: None

Rumors started a few weeks back that there might me a run of Modi Multibits once again. With all the supply chain and chip shortages Schiit had to prioritize where it was going to use the AD dac chips it could get and the Modi Multibit lost out and was unavailable for quite some time.

Then Jason alluded to a possible December or January run of a slightly updated Modi Multibit called the Modi Multibit 2. Wow! Folks really started to get excited about the ability of getting a Schiit True Multibit ((TM) dac for a decent price. In this case its Modi Multibit 2 for $299 in a black case. Silver is $319.

Well for me when I first heard that Schiit would possibly come out with another run of the Modi Multibit with some tweaks and the addition of Unison USB and a NOS mode my interest was once again stimulated!

Well its back and its even Better!

Schiit just sent me a review unit. I occasionally have vendors send me stuff for my real world opinion and comparisons to other gear usually of similar function. I get no enumeration or special discount or deals. Just a unit that arrives and then is sent back. I want to thank the gang at Schiit for sending me a nice new shiny silver Modi Multibit 2 dac.

The case for this run is still the 4-screw top type case. Not the newer form factor used with Magni +. On top there is a nice logo which I believe is the True Multibit™ moniker. On the back are the usual dac inputs from USB, and the digital coax and SPDIF. The output is via RCA jacks. The USB input is in the USB C form factor. It worked well for me and was snug and not loose etc. Great. On/Off switch in the back. An AC wall-wort plugs into the back, the same type PN as with other Magnis etc (not Vali's though).

It arrived from Corpus Christi during the recent "Bomb Cyclone" and it arrived very cold but intact. I let it warm up to room temperature. The shipping box is the same style all the Magni's and small form factor devices arrive in. The unit, the power supply, the owners manual (ha!), a few Schiit and Corpus Christi stickers and that's about it.

So after several hours I moved stuff around and connected the MM2 to be able to compare with my other dacs. A Soekris 2541, MHDT Orchid, and a iFI IDSD Pro dac. I had two Bifrost 2's in house for years but went they moved into other setups. So I have a pretty good ear for how they work / sound. Two of the dacs I have, have a NOS mode. Comparing dacs is easy with Foobar 2000 and a switchbox. Qobuz switching was easy as well.

When first turned on the three front LEDS cycle several times. Really Cool. Kind of like my PassLabs HPA-1 amp. Once done cycling, the light stays on the input selected. By default, it seems this is the USB, I only used the USB input. All music was ripped FLACS and Qobuz for switching in between different resolutions and bit depths. Schiit stated they had a intermittent garbled sound issue when listening to real music when switching music with different sample rates. I happily did this a lot of times and not once did I experience any garbled sound or anything else improper. Worked like a charm.

What does a dac do or supposed to do, well simply it puts back the digits (PCM) from the ADC process back into an analog signal that can be amplified and listened to. Yeah its more complex that this, like clocking, sampling, and some "black magic". Vendor touted secret sauce etc. Dacs come in several flavors, we hear terms like Delta Sigma, R2R Multibit, Sign, FPGA etc.…from $99 to thousands of dollars!

Seems like the more one spends the more secret sauce one gets. But does it really matter?

Nice Schiit True Multibit Logo:

When it comes to dacs the differences IMO are often subtle. Maybe the biggest differences in sound one can possibly perceive is between widely varying designs and topologies. A multi-bit vs a delta sigma etc..Usually the DS designs tend to measure better, if that's your thing. Even Schitt now makes a DS dac the Modi + for only $129, a whole lot less than this MM2 ! So why, which one is better, which one do I need ?

Schiit had a low cost multibit dac out for a few years and they coined the term "True Multibit". Why? Well some folks are using the multibit to describe dacs that just have several bits. Even a low-cost Delta Sigma dac with 2-5 bits can be touted as 'multibit'. Hence the "True Multibit"™ moniker. Then all this chip shortage stuff happened and the Modi Multibit went "dark"…But now its back in a new improved version!! A limited run based on the amount of chips they have I presume.

So what is True Multibit ™ ?

From Schiit:

It's a unique combination of a time and frequency domain optimized digital filter, implemented on an Analog Devices DSP, and one or more 16 – 20 bit real honest medical defense grade D/A converters. This as you'd expect, wayyyy more costly than doing it "off the rack" with delta-sigma converters and that's why Modi Multibit costs a lot more than Modi +. In the case of Modi Mulitbit, we are using an Analog Devices SHARC DSP and a stereo Analog Devices AD5547 D/A Converter.

Sample rates and bit depths: 16/44.1 to 24/192 via USB, Coax and Optical connections.

The output is fixed at 2.0 volts RMS.

USB connection is with Schiits proprietary Unison ™ Input receiver. Exclusive to Schiit. When and if URD comes out we will a Unison to Unison connection from what I understand!

So now you can buy a True Multibit ™ for $299 or you can send a lot more for a Bifrost 2/64 for $799 or a Gungnir for $1199 or the ultimate Schiit Multibit ™ Yggdrasil + for $2699. So why does this exist at all.

Schiit states "Sound".

When it comes to dacs the differences IMO are often subtle. Maybe the biggest differences in sound one can possibly perceive is between widely varying designs and topologies. For instance listening with a multi-bit vs a delta sigma dac you might hear differences more easily. Usually the DS designs tend to measure better, if that's your thing. Even Schitt now makes a DS dac the Modi + for only $129, a whole lot less than this MM2 ! So why, which one is better, which one do I need ?

Well its really up to your ears and what you like, your bias, your sense of what music should be or sound like in the end. So, IMO after going through many dacs its like a crap shoot to me. Yup. Right now we have 5 dacs in house and they all work well some sound really very much the same. YMMV of course. I am not doubting what your experience is, just what my ears and wallet has told me over the years and recently.

I will cut to the chase. This MM2 dac may be the only dac you ever need.

Many dacs have several filters and sampling stuff that allow you to try out different output sounds….more often than not I read reviews that say "hard to tell any real differences here…but I settled in on the XXX one…seemed to be the best for me"…really subjective for sure. With the MM2 you get to use the secret Schiit sauce in a version of their very own "comboburitto" filter. I don't know if this is exactly the same filter used in the other higher prices True Multibit (tm) Schitt dacs? Schiit has incorporated a NOS mode for us that just want to experience the transformation from bits to analog with no filtering. Nice.

The front panel case is simple and clean. The push button to select the various inputs works very nicely and smooth. When I took the cover off for photos the button fell out and I was amazed at how well machined this button is and how it fits in the hole and is simply held on via the top panel pressure…the distance from the switch and the button back is wonderfully accurate. Yes the simple things amaze me.

And if you're a "purist" you can depress that little silver front button for a few seconds and the light starts cycling from dim to bright etc…indicating you have said "goodbye" to the "comboburitto" filter….press and hold again for a few seconds and wham back to Mr Moffets secret sauce….Now you can tell the difference and let us all know what you really think.

Another simple thing of beauty for me is the three lights on the front panel. Schiit is using I believe 3d printed light "pipes" that transmit the glow from the circuit board leds to the open holes in the front panel. Ingenious.

Notice the light pipes and the small button !

So I listened all day and just enjoyed it and its capabilities. I could easily just have this one dac and be happy. Yup. Simple. End of story. Why. Because it just does what a dac does and the output compared to other dacs are very similar.

So why spend a lot more for the higher priced dacs? Well the Modi Multibit is not upgrade-able. If Schiit does come out with new technology or updates your stuck with this version of perfection. Higher priced dacs might have more power supplies and regulation, better specs, exotic filters, exotic boutique parts, you might want a bigger form factor to match your decor? Or you just want what a vendor touts as their top tier device. Some might have the ability to add filters, DSD, MQA etc…for me having most of my music ripped from 16/44.1 these are not needed. I do have a dac that does real DSD conversion, and I just wanted to see what this was all about. Not needed here.

Black is sweet as well and its less expensive:

I took out an old Oppo BD 83SE to try out the Coax and SPDIF digital inputs. All worked fine and again the differences were IMO minute when listening. Again YMMV.

Lacking from this review are those glittering adjectives like, sparkling highs, deep taunt bass, wonderfully wide soundstage, etc. What I will say is comparing to other dacs its like choosing what filter is best for your ears. I have no DS dacs in house anymore. Some say the difference between multibit dacs and DS is very discernable. YMMV.

Switching from my dacs to the Modi Multibit 2 I found little differences in the sound being heard. Seriously I think this dac for $299 is all you really need. Yup. But the only way you will know is to buy, test and try and decide for yourself.

The one thing I am looking forward to is trying the URD device with the Modi Multibit 2. Stay tuned.

Don't you actually miss that nice white LED light? With the light pipe implementation IMO this is a pleasant and informative light. Wish Schiit would do this on all their gear.

In conclusion:

Well its really up to your ears and what you like, your bias, your sense of what music should be or sound like in the end. So, IMO after going through many dacs its like a crap shoot to me. Yup. Right now we have 5 dacs in house and they all work well some sound really very much the same. YMMV of course. I am not doubting what your experience is, just what my ears and wallet has told me over the years and recently.

So again..... I will cut to the chase. This MM2 dac may be the only dac you ever need. Yup, to some this is audio blasphemy. LOL!

But for $299 what do have to loose!
Alex

Added pix: OG Magni 3 with MM2. I just loved the LED's shine! Some folks complained about the bright LEDS. For me not so. YMMV.