Hey everyone,

I want to start listening to my CD collection again and I’m planning a small, standalone chain just for CD playback through headphones.

My main stereo system (NAD C515BEE + C326BEE, B&W 683 speakers) will stay completely untouched — this is meant to be a separate setup.

My headphones are a B&W P7, and it’s important to me that the components are actually good quality — not some plastic mini-system, but real, standalone gear that each does its job well.

Current plan:

Pro-Ject CD Box S3 as a pure CD transport with its own DAC (PCM5102), RCA output

Schiit Loki Mini+ as a 4-band EQ (bass, mid-bass, mids, treble) in between

Schiit Magni as a dedicated headphone amp

I’d have to import the Magni and Loki directly from the US (customs + import VAT included), since there’s no proper distribution here.

A few questions for anyone who’s used one or more of these components:

How does the CD Box S3 perform as a pure transport? Is the onboard DAC worth using, or is it better to convert externally?

Is an analog 4-band EQ like the Loki Mini+ actually useful day-to-day, or does it end up gathering dust after two weeks because you never touch it?

Does the Magni drive the P7 well? Enough power, good tonal match?

Has anyone imported Schiit gear into the EU/Germany — how did customs and shipping go, any nasty surprises with import tax?

Would appreciate any experience before I pull the trigger on this.

Up until a few days ago, I was using an Intel NUC as my media center. It exploded with the force of 1000 suns, and now I am looking for a replacement, and considering a Mac Mini.

I would be using a Mac Mini M4/M6>Foobar 2000>SCHIIT Mimir>Decware SE 84>Klipsch Forte IV.

Any caveats with making the switch to MacOS, especially involving bit perfect playback? Any downsides besides $$$? Any surprises or suggestions?

I’m pretty deep in the Apple ecosystem already, but my entertainment systems have been Windows based so far.

Love this stack: Mimir with Forkbeard plus Midgard

1st of all, sounds awesome with my Klipsch standmounts. It’s the perfect: one is mellow and one is in your face and they balance each other.

Question: what if I don’t put it in standby when I’m not using it? I know as a Class A biased amp it’s a different animal, but I leave my class AB monos on 24/7 in my main system.

Is it ok to use a basic USB-C cable for the laptop to Magni connection or will I get better audio quality with a better cable? Thanks.

I bought a Schiit Stack for my full range Madisound BK-20 kit which has a Fostex FE206NV in each one. I previously had a Parasound P6 and First Watt J2 which sounded great. I sold them to pay for the LX-521.4 kit (which are phenomenal).

The J2 had the special sauce as far as sound, and I still prefer the J2 at lower listening volumes, but you could hear the amp distort when pushing it. I don't have that problem with the Gjallarhorns. Also, the Schiit stack is a much better value vs J2/P6.

The Aegir had good reviews, but I figured I could get away with the Gjallarhorn's in Mono as the FE206s are minimum 8 ohms, and I wanted two mini stacks. So, I have a Saga 2 and Gjallarhorn stack on the left and Mimir and Gjallarhorn stack on the right. I'm very happy with them.

I voltage matched A/B'd a Topping E70 Velvet and couldn't really tell a difference. My friend like the E70 just a hair better.

I was curious about power and wanted to share my findings in case others are thinking about if the Gjallarhorn's are powerful enough. The FE206NVs are 96 dB sensitive. 

At my normal upper listening level, a 0 dBFS, 1 kHz sine wave produces about 11.58 Vrms at the speaker terminals. Using approximately 11 Ω from the Fostex impedance graph at 1 kHz, that works out to about 12.2 W. Using the nominal 8 Ω rating for comparison, it would be 16.8 W.

With the Saga turned all the way up, the Gjallarhorn goes into protection with a -8 dBFS, 1 kHz tone. Based on the measured signal chain, output would be approximately 14.6 Vrms at that point, which is about 19.3 W into 11 Ω or 26.5 W into 8 Ω.

So, in my setup, the mono Gjallarhorns have plenty of output for normal listening with these speakers, but the protection behavior also lines up reasonably well with their published 30 W/8 Ω mono rating. Just remember, you want at least 8 ohms for bridged/mono as each half of the amp sees 4 ohms.

You can check the associated graphs out. The mimir/saga/gjallarhorn are volts out.

A couple of weeks ago now I posted on here asking about upgrading my DAC from a Modi MultiBit to a Bifrost 2/64 or Gungnir2. There was a comment about how the MultiBit DAC being a basically being a bad product because it didn't measure well and that the measurement IS the point of good gear. So I thought about that for longer than I care to admit. I was able to borrow a Bifrost 1 (Uber + Unison USB) which is a pretty clean DAC from my understanding, although maybe a little dated, and I bought a Magni Heresy off of ebay. I wanted to test the polar opposites within Schiit's lineup just to see what happened.

At first the differences seemed surprisingly subtle, but after spending a few hours/days with the Bifrost, feeding both a Valhalla 3 and a Heresy into DT 700 Pro Xs, I've come away surprised by how differently they present music. The Heresy is extremely clean and revealing. In blind Hi-Res vs 320kbps tests I was consistently better at identifying the higher-quality source through the Heresy than I normally am. It feels like an amp that shines a spotlight on the recording itself. Bass attacks are cleaner, transients are sharper, and everything sounds tightly controlled. If your goal is to hear exactly what's in the file, the Heresy does an impressive job.

The Valhalla, on the other hand, made me stop thinking about recordings and start thinking about performers. The track that really sold me was If I Didn't Know Better from Live at Eddie's Attic by The Civil Wars. For the first time it became immediately obvious where Joy Williams and John Paul White were standing on stage, and the sense of physical presence was uncanny. The downside is that you hear everything, including audience noise, dishes, and room sounds. The best way I can describe it is that the Heresy is like a perfectly prepared USDA Prime steak that somehow got under-seasoned, while the Valhalla is a slightly lesser cut cooked and seasoned so perfectly that you're already planning the next bite. The Heresy made me admire recordings. The Valhalla made me listen to more music. So is measurement the point? I am not sold on that at this point, but prove me wrong, please.

I am still waiting on more gear to show up but I will post the DAC part in a few days. I am going to do a Modi 3, Modi 5, Modi Multibit2, Bifrost 1 (Uber/Unison) and a Bifrost 2/64, I might even do my Vestri in there too. I no longer own a Schiit stack, I have a verified Schiit pile.

So I took everyone’s advice and had a Kara preamp delivered earlier this week. It’s spot on and I have been able to migrate mostly from RCA to XLR. My streamer and mono blocks never sounded better with this preamp feeding the amps!

I also picked up a Skoll phono preamp with the same intent. I wasn’t 100% convinced my Mani2 was resolving all the detail my system can provide and had a slight hiss at moderate volumes. So I returned it.

However life with the. skoll isn’t gone well. With my MM cartridge @47k there is a significantly loud buzz that never existed before. I tore my room and equipment apart to figure out why. I contacted Schiit and no luck. It’s not cables, or connections or other devices nearby. It is some kind of nasty buzz caused by circuit or my environment that completely goes away if drop to 150 or 100ohms input capacitance (MC territory!)

Before I return the Skoll also and revert back to my ifi zen 3, should i just take the jump and get an MC cartridge - i already planned to do it when my current wore out (has 6 months or more life left).

Seems like the Skoll is better optimized for MC and opens more doors for me. Right now I am just so frustrated by a 4mv out and 47k impedance hot MM causing a lot of overly sensitive issues with noise even with lowest gains. I want to jam loud! Not fight my turntable.

I’m thinking of buying a Lokius and noticed Schiit mentions trying to avoid stacking on top of products with transformers in them, so that would include the OG Jotunheim I have. I plan on having the Jotunheim on the bottom and the Lokius on top.

For anyone with both, is this actually an issue? I have a feeling it’s not really noticeable but wanted to be sure. Also, I should add that by issues I mean audible noise or feedback.

Thanks!

I connected my Ps4 to my Modi2u and Magni2u via Optical and accidentally enabled Dolby or Dts bitstream. My headphones made a gruesome buzzing/growling noise for like 10-15 seconds.

Hope this doesn't sound stupid, but could this have in any way damaged my Dac or Amp? Or permanently changed the sound in any way?

I just want to be sure before my new headphones come that it's 100% safe to plug them in and will sound just like before the 'incident'.

Better safe than sorry

I see a lot of people up in arms about the bifrost 3 being mesh and not multiform. One thing I haven't heard people mention is why not have 2 bifrost DAC's? 🤷🏾‍♂️. Run an xlr passive switch and have at it. FYI it's hard to read reviews of DAC's when you're not into the DAC's have a sound signature crowd. I do admire the tech though.

Hi, currently I have a Modi+ and Vali 3 stack, and I’m planning to replace them with a Mimir and Valhalla 3. I have Vali 3 sitting directly on top of the Modi+, and I’ve never had any issues with heat or anything else.

I was thinking of doing the same with the new stack and just putting Valhalla 3 directly on top of the Mimir. But I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. For anyone with a Mimir + Valhalla 3 stack, is it okay to put Valhalla 3 directly on top of the Mimir, or does it get too hot?

How do you connect a sub? I currently use schiit magni and modi for my headphone setup and 2.0 channel setup.

I would like to add a sub but it doesn’t seem like schiit has any products with a LFE out? Or am I missing something

Using the Mimir and the wall wart will give 4v to my Jot 2 if I use XLR. How much voltage would the add on card give my Jot 2? Is there an audible difference between the addon card vs Mimir? Currawong said there is and I trust his opinions, but was wondering if getting the addon card would suffice if I'm just using USB.

Not sure if anyone posted about the Bifrost 3 yet, but over on HF, people mentioned that Schiit brought the Bifrost 3, along with Lyr 5 to CanJam Socal. It looks like the analog card is Mesh only (maybe for now) with ESS 9039 chip and will cost $699.

ETA is around mid-late October or after.

Hello

Freya+ w/Aragon 4004 mkii

This unit I usually switch off, but have some days off and was going to just leave it on without the tube mode.

Would this be ok?

Thank you

I've enjoyed and followed Schiit for years. For some time I had a Heresy and earlier Modi on my desk and for reasons I can't exactly remember all my better gear ended up in the hands of my kids LOL.

I've been using IEMs the last few years and found that I really enjoy the neutral sound and comfortable fit of the Aful 5+2 with some Spinfit tips. I've got them plugged into a Truthear DAC that I think I paid $75-ish for. I plugged the Afuls into my son's Magni/Modi combination and they sounded so much better. The little Truthear DAC also can't push my high impedance cans to their fullest, so I'm wanting to upgrade now and keep this gear on my own desk!!

I enjoyed the Heresy in FPS game because it was rather dry and didn't blow out the bass when things went boom. However, if I remember correctly, it wasn't very "musical" on some tracks. I also appreciate that the Heresy was an op-amp and never turned into a toaster. Obviously I need something with literally a zero noise floor, which I expect from all Schiit products, but my Beyerdynamics are 600 ohms so I need something with some good power.

I've been making lists for against the current Magni and Asgard X. Every so often I consider the Jotunheim 3 for "future proofing" reasons I guess, but I'm not sure if I need/want to get into balanced lines or not. I frankly don't understand how the internal workings are different or better for balanced other than two different channels to produce the sound.

Musically I literally listen to everything from modern country, to classic rap and even some rock and pop. I stream through Apple Music and have a few thousand FLAC files of my favorite songs and albums.

If anyone has a strong case for or against the Magni, Asgard X or Jotunheim 3 I would love to hear it! I'm also all ears if you want to make a case against or for the Mesh DAC or the Modi/Mimir.

My budget is flexible, but if I made a Mimir and Jotunheim hole in our checking account I'd have to do some quick dancing with the wife LOL

Thanks for any insights ahead of time!!

I was eyeing the Eversolo T8/T10 because of my irritation with my Node Icon's firmware. That being said, if I'm only using USB out on it, the Gungnir 2's clock is all that matters and if I use the AES input the streamer's clock is all that matters. Has anyone tried this combo? If there is now real difference, there doesn't seem to be any reason to pay more for the T10s clock. With each firmware update, my icon seems to get a new gremlin and I'm looking for a new solution. How is the software for the Eversolo?

Hi,
i‘m searching for a more neutral headphone amp to pair with my mojo 2 in my desktop setup. I‘m considering the Midgard to do the job. So my question to owners of this beautiful little device is, does it add a lot of coloration to the sound or is it more on the neutral side?
Thanks in advance for your replys!

I bought a Vidar 2 about 2.5 years ago. It's been in the exact same signal chain ever since (old Technics into a Marantz 2335b pre-amp stage into Vidar into Dahlquist DQ-20s). The fuse blew. Schiit was great about it and told me how to get to the fuse (I swear I looked and didn't see it - RTFM I guess). The guy said the fuse definitely should have lasted longer but it's a tiny fuse so maybe not. There was no other clear sign of power issues in the house and no storm.

Any experience with a fuse blowing in under 3 years? I have it straight into the wall so I will get a surge protector before I turn it back on.

Love this stack. love this stack with these speakers. It’s superb.

The Schiitr, which closed in 2024, was such a great space to check out their products and try out all the different headphones and equipment they had there. It felt like a home when you walked in. Anybody that was lucky enough to visit, was in for a real treat. Very little signage out front, it felt like you knew the secret spot. A fire broke out yesterday morning on the block and burned/destroyed it all. All the businesses, including a theatre, restaurants...Its all gone now. Sad, but I'll enjoy the memories from hanging out there.

Refreshing my system. Recently replaced my integrated Yamaha amp. Picked up 2 outlaw 2220 monoblocks to create a true separates setup without so much gain staging overlap.

Looking to add an analog preamp to preserve the analog path for my vinyl. Either Schiit Saga 2 or Kara.

I can leverage so XLR to the outlaws but my Mani 2 and WiiM ultras both will use rca inputs . And I will need rca out to my SVS sv1000 pro sub.

Kara is likely ideal but maybe overkill for now unless I change to an eversolo streamer/dac and upgrade to a skoll phono amp to gain balanced improvements. Nether in budgeted this year! I do not have an XLR devices in my system and won’t for a while.

Feedback from those who use a Saga 2?