Thunderdome 2: Magni 3+ & Magni Heresy

 

November 29, 2019, Valencia, CA. Today, Schiit Audio announced the availability of two new entry level headphone amps: Magni 3+ and Magni Heresy. Magni 3+ is the highest-performing discrete current feedback entry level amp from Schiit, ever, while Magni Heresy uses an all op-amp topology to push measured performance even higher. Both deliver output power 200% higher than other entry-level headphone amps. Both amps are designed and built in California, feature all-metal construction, and are available immediately at schiit.com for $99.

 

“Magni 3+ is a serious miniaturized speaker amp for headphones,” said Jason Stoddard, Schiit’s Co-Founder. “It further refines Magni 3 with a driver stage and Vbe multiplier for significantly better performance, with THD+N under load of 10-15dB lower than previous Magnis. At the same time, we wanted to see how far we could push measured performance with modern op-amps, so Magni Heresy betters the performance of Magni 3 by another 6-8dB.”

 

At the same time, both Magni 3+ and Magni Heresy deliver these results while delivering class-leading power output and extremely low noise floors. Magni and Magni Heresy are both rated at 2.4W RMS into 32 ohms, both channels driven, at less than 1% THD, which is 2X higher than typical competing entry-level headphone amplifiers, and higher than any Magni delivered to date. Both have noise floors that are inaudible when used with extremely sensitive IEMs. This unique combination of power and low noise means that Magni 3+ or Magni Heresy are suited for virtually every headphone.

 

“These are not entry-level amps,” added Jason. “They’re really all the amp you’ll ever need, whether you’re using inefficient planar magnetic headphones or super-high-efficiency in-ear monitors.”

 

Magni Heresy got its name because it is a radical departure from Schiit’s all-discrete-whenever-possible design dogma. Schiit was so pleased with the overall result that they decided to introduce both Magnis in what they call a “Thunderdome.”

 

Thunderdome, introduced several months ago with new preamp designs, allows allows Schiit to bring its customers new, cool things more often, or offer one-off special runs—but without making prospects join a group to get the price down, or wait for months for delivery. The products that sell the best continue in the line.

 

“This allows us to have some fun doing variations that nobody may ever have seen,” Jason said. “Like Magni Heresy. Now, we can see if our customers want a discrete headphone amp with excellent performance, or an op-amp headphone amp with even better measured performance. It’s literally up to them.”

 

To facilitate early comparisons of the two headphone amps, Schiit is offering a special “buy both, return one” promotion to the first 250 takers. With this, a customer can order both amps, keep both for an extended time (30 days), and return one with no restock fee.

 

Like all of Schiit’s products, both Magni 3+ and Magni Heresy are designed and built in California, with Schiit’s key production partners being located only minutes away from the Schiit facility in Valencia, CA—chassis are done in Valencia and PCBs in Simi Valley. The vast majority of production cost for either product goes to US companies, producing in the USA.

 

Both Magni 3+ and Magni Heresy are available now at schiit.com for $99. 

 

Founded in June 2010 by Jason Stoddard and Mike Moffat, Schiit has grown into a leader in affordable high-end audio, with a wide range of products spanning DACs, amplifiers and preamplifiers, and headphone amplifiers, from $49 to $2399.