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Schiit stack has arrived

ToTo Man said:
I had a pair of Grado SR80 and found the mids much too coarse/aggressive. I haven't heard the M40x or DT990 but I own the DT880 along with several other headphones and cosy/warm/lifeless is not how I would describe them.

I don't know if you are familiar with the Sennheiser HD800S or Audio-Technica ATH-ADX5000 but the DT880 has a very similar presentation to these. Crisp, open and detailed. Linear bass that isn't bloated (some would call this lean or lacking warmth), slightly recessed upper mids, and crisply defined treble. Overall the DT880 is slightly veiled compared to the HD800S/ADX5000 but there's not much in it, and many would find the HD800S/ADX5000 too bright up top anyway.

The DT880's only flaw to my ears is a bit of treble sting at 9k that gives a somewhat steely etched sound to consonants, cymbal crashes, etc. Depending on the shape of your pinnae and sensitivity to high frequencies this may or may not bother you. Otherwise it's a fantastic headphone for the money. I personally prefer the HD600 as I find it more timbrally rich, organic, smooth and engaging through the most important frequencies (100Hz-10kHz). It's less "hifi sounding" than the three aforementioned 'phones, but I find it a smoother and more comfortable listen for longer sessions.

PS - If buying the DT880 or DT990 I'd recommend the 600Ω or 250Ω version as the 32Ω doesn't get as high praise (apparently it sounds a bit rougher and doesn't resolve as well as the higher impedance versions).
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Thanks for the reply - that's very useful. I've not tried the HD800S, but the best sounding headphones I've owned to date were a pair of Sennhesier HD700. I'd love to try a pair of HD800S / 800, but I couldn't justify the cost. I did also briefly own a pair of HD600 but found them slightly a bit too dynamically laid back for my liking. I'd ideally test the DT990 and 880 next to each other and pick my favourite, but I don't know any local shop that stocks them. Tempted to just take a punt on one of them as they aren't that expensive....

Lefty
 
Lefty said:
Thanks for the reply - that's very useful. I've not tried the HD800S, but the best sounding headphones I've owned to date were a pair of Sennhesier HD700. I'd love to try a pair of HD800S / 800, but I couldn't justify the cost. I did also briefly own a pair of HD600 but found them slightly a bit too dynamically laid back for my liking. I'd ideally test the DT990 and 880 next to each other and pick my favourite, but I don't know any local shop that stocks them. Tempted to just take a punt on one of them as they aren't that expensive....

Lefty
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For a punt, go for the 880 pro 250 Ohm.
Yes the 990 sounds a little more open, but it also doesn't flatter less than good recordings.
Both share the same basic character which is a wide, open sound, strong dynamics but coupled with a brighter than neutral balance at the very top. The 250 Ohm version will also work with phones though you need to push the gain.
 
Have you had a look inside those little Schiits? The ASR chappie claims they typically have sloppy hand soldering. He doesn't mince his words in some of the "teardowns" and the photos of the boards appear to back up his criticism.
 
I can't help thinking a thread title opportunity was either missed or avoided.
Surely "A pile o' Schiit has arrived" would have been more satisfying.
( NOT an opinion BTW )
 
Never heard any of the gear but for their sense of humour in naming the brand and their seemingly honest approach I quite like them.

If they make a Schiit Head I may just give in.
 
ASR are a pretty unreliable bunch. They have favourite brands and others they hate with a vengeance. Schiit tends to be one of those. That said some of their reviews of Schiit products are marginally better than others.
 
julifriend said:
ASR are a pretty unreliable bunch. They have favourite brands and others they hate with a vengeance. Schiit tends to be one of those. That said some of their reviews of Schiit products are marginally better than others.
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The "quality" of the reviews tends to be correlated with the objective performance of the equipment. Some of Schiit's earlier designs performed very poorly (and in at least one case, were electrically dangerous), but despite much whinging and trying to discredit the reviews, they ended up acquiring an audio analyser themselves and their designs appear to have improved.
 
Robert, if you go to ASR and get disheartened, follow it with a visit to SBAF (Super Best Audio Friends) and you’ll be all happy again.
 
I recently bought a Schiit Mani phono stage to add a hand me down Rega P3 to my system - first time I've ever had my own vinyl set-up. Went for it after seeing many glowing on-line reviews especially from this guy - he think it compares favourably with units up to $1k in MM mode.
The Mani was out of stock for a while in the UK but the suppliers kept me informed.

Have since added a Schiit Loki to a spare tape loop on my Naim 282 -oh the heresy of tone controls and mixing black and silver ;)
 
I'm not defending ASR, just mentioning the crap soldering that ASR found when they opened up a couple of Schiit products. That particular review, though, seems to me fairly balanced overall. He gives praise where praise is due.
ASR have also done a review of a NAD amp, a (pricey) Hypex-based thing, and the ASR chappie had nothing but praise for both the way it measured and the build quality inside and out.
 
Robert said:
For a punt, go for the 880 pro 250 Ohm.
Yes the 990 sounds a little more open, but it also doesn't flatter less than good recordings.
Both share the same basic character which is a wide, open sound, strong dynamics but coupled with a brighter than neutral balance at the very top. The 250 Ohm version will also work with phones though you need to push the gain.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the steer and info Robert. The 880 definitely sounds like the right choice for me. Especially if it maintains the 'house sound' nut with a slightly more friendly disposition towards poorly produced recordings.

I'll be adding a pair to my (growing) collection of reasonably priced headphones soon :)

Lefty
 
tyrant said:
Audio Science Review, which divides opinion, however the photos in this thread are hard to argue with:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...dware-teardown-of-schiit-modi-2-usb-dac.2082/
That was not an isolated incident. He found really sloppy soldering inside another device, as did some punters posting on his threads.
So would be interesting to know what you find if you ever have a look inside the units you have acquired.
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Thanks, I'll take a look at one for the boards.
 
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