Schiit Modius DAC - Official Thread

Official AMP/DAC/DAP Model Discussion
21

Can be powered from the input or external plug.

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22

What Iā€™m saying.

I have a single USB in, but it has a iDefender on it I just realised. So power rail cut. But still works!

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23

iFi Snake oil? J/K maybe the iFi failed and isnā€™t working properly?

24

Weird, if I use my Matrix Element H PCIe on data-only it immediately loses the handshake without the 2nd power connection plugged into the modius, same with turning off USB power through my motherboard that offers a similar feature on specific ports. Also need power if plugging in by OTG to my Galaxy S20+.

Not sure what is happening but I am a little jealous.

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25

Problemo is, I pretty sure the iFi is working. It was in there to cut the power for my last DAC, as I had ground loop noise. As soon as I plugged it in, noise gone. Last DAC was AC poweredā€¦

X-Files shit going on.

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26

Illuminati confirmedā€¦ :flushed:

Interestingly I wonder if it still is allowing some power through, but cutting excess?

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27

Iā€™d have thought it completely cuts the main power risk, to ensure noise doesnā€™t come though. I guess some power still travels on the other ones?

Dunno. Cayin IHA6 coming today, will test it with and without.

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28

Hi all,

I would like to send the output of my Modius to two different headphone amps. Right now I have the RCA outs going to my Lyr 3 and Iā€™ll be adding a Bottlehead Crack to the mix in a few weeks and Iā€™d like to have both connected to the Modius.

So my question is this, would it be best to get some XLR to RCA cables and connect one amp RCA to RCA and the other amp XLR to RCA? Will I get the same output from both?

Would I be better off to get a quality Y-splitter for the RCA outputs and go that route instead?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

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29

Y splitter is simple, easy and not costlyā€¦once Jason Stoddard posted some y splitters he uses from monoprice for a whopping $59 cents apiece!!

I use them all the timeā€¦if u look and want better quality ones for $10-$15 they are out there at Amazon etc

Also depenging on the inputs of your two amps. The Modius has both balanced and SE u could use balanced to one and SE to the other if one of the amps has a bal input?

Good luck!
Alex

30

Hi Alex,

Both amps - the Lyr 3 and the Bottlehead Crack - have single-ended only inputs. I was doing some reading on Head-Fi and there was mention that using an XLR to RCA can actually cause damage (depending on the wiring); so I like the idea of using a Y-splitter.

So I think Iā€™m going to go in that direction. Iā€™ll do some digging on a good one to use - if you, Jason, or others have a recommendation - that would be great. Iā€™m currently using the PYST Straight Wire RCA 6" cables from Schiit to connect my Modius to my Lyr 3.

Thanks - E

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32

Be careful with the weight of the actual cablesā€¦to not put undue mechancial stress on the dac rca connectorsā€¦

Alex

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33

What @lost33 shows. I think that Audioquest makes a similar one and so does Pangea. The advantage to the right angle style is that it is generally a more secure fit than a Y.

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34

Is it better to use an adapter or a short cable? Seems like a cable would put less pressure on the actual RCA jack. I have plenty of space, so Iā€™d like to favor on best quality & sound.

35

Hereā€™s the Audioquest I found. Iā€™m guessing itā€™s the one you referenced?

36

Looks like Audioquest has one too at 2x the price.

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37

Y splitter cables are another good solution. Just get a quality cableā€¦the el cheopos might have questional soldering etcā€¦u dont need to spend megabucks on these as wellā€¦just decent solid cables.

Alex

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38

I have and use these. I prefer them to cables as itā€™s a shorter signal path.

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39

good call, didnā€™t consider the signal path. :slight_smile:

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40

Another option is to use a switch like the Schiit Sys. Itā€™s cheap ($49) and gives you a little more control over where the signal is going. Even the audio science Schiit-haters loved it.

I was in the same predicament as you and ended up buying a 1-in 3-out switch from Mapletree Audio in Canada. The company is run by a couple of old college professors that make amps and other electronic equipment in their spare time. It doesnā€™t work any better than the Sys (or Y-adaptors), and it was certainly more expensive, but I could afford it, and I like supporting small companies. And they put some fancy wood panels on the side to complement my other gear.

Anyway, in my opinion, all the suggested solutions (brass adapter, Y-splitter cable, switch box) will work just as well as each other so it comes down to how little you want to spend, how much control you want over the signal path and how nice you want it to look. I really over-analyzed this when I was looking into it and after reading post after post with differing opinions in several forums, I came to the conclusion that they all work, so after thinking about what I actually wanted, I decided to buy the nicest looking solution within my budget.

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