Schiit Modi 2 Uber & Magni

WE FINALLY GOT in some good Schiit. I’ve been working on plans for a new desk, and ever since having to hand back my Denon DA-300USB DAC, my heart has been pining for a suitable external audio solution. Since the main man, Tuan, has been talking Schiit to me for the last year or so, I figured it was only right I put down some of my hard-earned cash on a doozy of a budget audiophile combo: the Schiit Modi 2 Uber DAC and Magni headphone amp, a small, svelte combination of HRA (High Resolution Audio) awesomeness. Each comes in at a more than affordable $99, with a luscious aluminum chassis, and a teeny form factor. The devices are stackable, measure 5 x 3.5 inches, and as a combo, they’re fantastic.

The Modi 2 Uber has inputs for USB, optical, or analog, and outputs via a single left and right channel coaxial, so you need to pump it into something else. In my case, that’s the Magni headphone amp. With a 0.25-inch headphone jack out, and additional coaxial out, it’s the perfect choice for the Modi, a pair of cans, and some studio monitors.

Overall, the sound quality is good, distortion is minimal, and everything (particularly HRA) feels incredible, especially at the price. I’m following through with a pair of Audiotechnica ATH-2000Z headphones.

So, back to the desk. Well, the plan is to mount the pair on the underside of the desk, sitting in a special metal caddy. It’s a bit overkill, given their size, but it’ll look damn good, and adds that extra premium audio element we need to our professional editing desk of choice. $198, www.schiit.com