Schiit Magni+ Affordable No-Excuses Headphone Amp & Preamp (Silver)

I purchased 7 amps all in the range of $30 - $250. From the China type cheap ones like Bolanle, Mackie to the cheap Behringer HA400 (DONT PURCHASE THESE CHEAP ONES UNLESS YOU WANT WORSE SOUND QUALITY AND STATIC HISS). I found a few names floating around that seemed to make good amps. All were around $100+ - Topping, Creative (old company), ifi, and Schiit to name the most popular. I crossed out Creative and ifi based off gut instinct. I focused on Schiit and also stumbled on Presonus. I was interested in both Schoot and Presonus, Schiit because they had a good solid story and just wanted to make a no frills Amo that actually works. Presonus because they have their own high impedance headphones. I picked a model from each brand and ordered them since the cheap china ones all did the same thing, increase the volume and create a loud hiss. NO HISSING ALLOWED, I’m not buying an amp and quality headphone and gear to go backwards with sound quality. So if you can’t afford a quality amp, get lower ohm headphones, you will hear the music with no issues and still get quality headphone audio. E.g. Audio Technician M50 doesn’t need an AMP to work at 38 ohm *Both the Presonus HP4 and the Schiit Magni+ both work great. I kept both, why? Personus HP4 - 4 headphone outputs and one for monitor - Sturdy build and doesn’t get hot - Slightly less audio quality (I mean very slightly, you have to swap back and forth numerous times to even notice) Schiit Magni+ - Three output db options (allows for fine tuning between volume and static) - Slightly better sound quality - Unit heats up (but they say it will last a long time) - *ONE HEADPHONE OUTPUT (this is why I kept the Presonus as well) If the Schiit Magni+ had more headphone outputs, I would have kept that only, but the presonus has more flexibility and allows me to amplify speakers and headphones at the same time. I ended up buying a used Presinus from Amazon for about $65 and a clearance/B stock Schiit Magni+ /Heretic for $79. I’m content with the sound and flexibility and since both units seemed to be made well, I believe they will last. *Tip for anyone looking to get a headphone amp to power high OHM. I learned you need an amp with very low Output Impedance. You will Pay likely have to search for the spec/data/cut sheet to find that info, but that will help you weed out the garbage Amps. The output impedance should ideally be 8 times then the headphones Ohm/Impedance. The Schiit Magni+ is around .3 - 4 output impedance, yes I said .3. The output impedance of the Presonus HP4 is a bit tricky since the spec sheet says it’s 51 ohm for the Monitor outputs, that should be for the speakers, they aren’t really clear on the headphones. But I assumed it’s higher than Schiits which may be the difference in sound quality, but the person is works great too. If you do hear a slight hiss due to external input source interference, you can decrease volume on the amp till it’s gone the. Just volume up your gear.

I have this paired with a Modi+ and 250 ohm DT 990 Pro headphones running through my computer. Plenty of juice in this amp to power these cans. The three gain switches make it easy to bump the volume up for different listening scenarios and the manual volume knob is a nice touch. Made very well. I initially just wanted to rid myself of gamer headsets and the terrible software that accompanies them. With a little research, I found this to be solid entry level gear for a beginner. Music sounds brand new, and honestly I don't see any reason to upgrade any further from this setup. The amp can get warm but nothing I see an issue with. Purchase quality RCA cables to do the equipment justice.

Works well and doesn't break the bank. Sound is much better than the prior amp I was using (small Douk for 50 to 60 bucks, which is really not good - and that's' putting it mildly). Mainly clarity and precision of sound that pleased me. Alos, virtually no audible distortions. PS. For headphones, I am using mostly a Sennheiser HD600. PPS: I am using an inexpensive no-name external DAC so far, which is an improvement over the sound circuits in the computer (an i5 Lenovo Tiny from years back), but the DAC needs upgrade, so my review is somewhat limited by that factor. Update: Added a Modi 3E (Shiit as well) - still pleased. I really don't hear any distortions that I could attribute to the amp.

For the cost you can’t beat it. Works well, simple design.

I've had this for about a month now, and it's been fantastic. Paired with the Schiit Modi 3e and couldn't be happier with the way my audio sounds. For the first couple weeks i battled with a bit of sibilance and crackle but I narrowed that down to the cheap RCA cables I was using. I swapped those for a much better pair and everything is clean now. Currently running this through the Phillips Fidelio X3 on middle gain setting, I feel as though I'm in the studio as the artist is recording the song. This things gets loud, jump to the high gain if you have really demanding headphones. For the price this Amp is the best choice, if you can pick up the Modi as well you won't be disappointed.

I’m using this amp because my earphones require the boost. Amp is reasonably priced and provides excellent quality of sound to sensitive earphones.

Provides an unadulterated, clean, warm sound with precise control and 3 gain settings. Unit becomes slightly warm in operation. Sleek look and easy to use! MAKE SURE YOU BUY A 1/4" TO 1/8" ADAPTER AND RCA CABLE!!! THEY ARE NOT INCLUDED.

Update: After having this thing for 3 years. It's not good. Schiit's customer service is sub-par. To sum it up, the wiring for the amp has the possibility to short at any moment during operation and fry your headphone's internals. It's happened to me twice, with two different types of headphones powered at 250 ohms. Lost hundreds of dollars over an unreliable piece of hardware. I do not recommend.