If I had to describe the sound of this DAC briefly, I would use the words: transparent, neutral and fresh. The last word can also be substituted for “clean” in many cases.
Obviously, we need to consider the price point here. So, in direct comparison, the bigger and (much more) expensive converters will have bigger, deeper, more enveloping soundstage. Modi goes here for the first layers and offers more intimate, more focused soundstage rendition. It’s not small by any means, I just want to show how does it compare in the more absolute scale and context of other digital sources. In direct comparison with some DACs at this price point – it will turn out to be surprisingly clear and uncluttered. Or dehazed.
Yet its frequency extensions are not that intimate at. If you can hear that this is a properly done multi-bit DAC its in the bottom. It’s where you can hear all the positive attributes usually associated with R2R technology. It’s quite interesting, since in the lowest octaves, Schiit behaves like digital sources costing around 1K USD mark and more. It has no shortage of energy and – what’s even more important: it does not “pretend” to be bigger. What I mean by that is the fact that in some cases of some physically smaller devices they have their sound “tuned” in the lower octaves so that it seems bigger, so it showcases to the listeners in the beginning, but it’s actually more bloated. Not the case here. Modi actually has that low end that good – and usually bigger – R2R DACs can offer.
On “Bonobo” by Kiara you could heat that it not only had energy and depth, but speed and precision too. Here was also a sense of rhythmic cohesion that was also striking (I believe that the digital filter used here has something to do with that). On Hans Zimmer’s “Budgie” the low frequency impulses were strong, controlled and textured. As for the lower end in the wider context, I would say that Modi goes a half step towards control and definition, than delivering the ultimate seismic events. Yet on the Beyonce “Partition” track I had – for the first time ever – do actually turn down the subwoofers volume just a bit.
“Mash Down Babylon” by Rhytm & Sound proved that it was not only the grunt, but also the entire clarity, breath and composure that all summed up into a very positive musical experience. And on Chris Jones’ “No Sanctuary Here” it was clear that Modi once again both its size and its price. This track was delivered full-bodied with see-through space rendition. The more you listen to such music on Modi, the more you realize that it has something that other, even more expensive, digital sourced simply cannot grasp: that sense of realism and the sound being right. And this is something that strikes after a longer moment with this particular DAC. And when you look at it’s sticker price – strikes you even more.
Schiit Modi Multibit 2 – summary
As you might have noticed, I didn’t write anything about midrange, female vocals and so on in the sound description above. It’s – plainly speaking – because they are as good as they can be at this price point. At the end of the day, all things considered – and especially in the longer run: nothing beats transparency. And this is definitely the direction where the small Schiit is going. The elaborate technology that is inside that box just works. But it doesn’t work so that you are dazzled in the first minutes, but rather amazed after longer listening. It actually works by being not there sonically. And the fact that it all happens at this price points makes it quite simple.
Editor’s Choice award.
Price: 299 USD
Product website: https://www.schiit.com/products/modi-multibit-2