Schiit Audio: Audio Products Designed and Built in California

Magni 3+ and Magni Heresy raise the bar even higher for affordable headphone amps, with by far the highest output power in their price class–at least 200% higher than any competitor. At the same time, they provide the cleanest measured performance of any Magni, ever. Go ahead. Compare these new Magnis to anything out there at the price, and we think you’ll agree: there’s really no competition.

Not Just a “Starter Amp”

Either Magni 3+ or Magni Heresy are all the amp you’ll ever need, for any headphone. They both have the power, performance, low noise, and versatility to meet all your needs. You’re set from IEMs to hard-to-drive planar designs. With a full 2400mW into 32 ohms, either Magni has tremendous power reserves. Combined with low distortion, an exceptionally low noise floor, and switchable gain, both Magnis perform far beyond their price.

Your Choice: High Performance…or Even Higher

For Magni 3+, we pulled out all the stops in designing the highest performing discrete Magni ever, by any metric—power, distortion, or noise floor. But it’s easy to get even higher measured performance from integrated (op amp) designs, so we decided to give you a choice, with Magni Heresy.

Choose Magni 3+ for the ultimate expression of an affordable all-discrete current-feedback headphone amp. It’s now seriously like a mini speaker amp, right down to the driver stage and Vbe multiplier. Magni 3+ is in our traditional silver and gray chassis.
Choose Magni Heresy for insanely great measurements from an all-op-amp based headphone amp that uses super high quality parts, including a multiple paralleled output stage with feedforward. Magni Heresy is in a black and red chassis.

Both amps sound fantastic. You really can’t make a wrong choice.

Versatility Comes Standard

Both Magnis include preamp outputs. This means you can connect either one to your desktop powered monitors for a complete system—or even connect it to a speaker power amp and use it as a preamp. With its built-in time-delayed start-up and instant shut-down, there’ll be no glitches or pops through either headphones or speakers, either.

Designed and Built in California (and Nevada)

By “designed and built in California" this is what we mean: the vast majority of the total production cost of either Magni—chassis, boards, transformers, assembly, etc—stays local. Our chassis are made minutes from our facility. Our PCBs are done in Nevada. Yes, the wall-warts are made in China, but there's some give and take at this price point.

2-Year Warranty and 15-Day Return Policy

Either Magni is covered by a limited warranty that covers parts and labor for two years. And, if you don’t like your Magni, you can still send it back for a refund, minus 15% restocking fee, within 15 days of receiving your amp.

Magni 3+

Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, +/-0.04dB

Maximum Power, 16 ohms: 2.8W RMS per channel

Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 2.4W RMS per channel

Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 1.6W RMS per channel

Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 410mW RMS per channel

Maximum Power, 600 ohms: 215mW RMS per channel

THD+N:

High Gain: Less than 0.0013% (-98dB) at 1V RMS into 32 ohms

Low Gain: Less than 0.0005% (-106dB) at 1V RMS into 32 ohms

IMD:

High Gain: Less than 0.01% (-80dB) at 1V RMS into 32 ohms, CCIF

Low Gain: Less than 0.002% (-95dB) at 1V RMS into 32 ohms, CCIF

SNR:

High Gain: Greater than 104dB, A weighted, referenced to 1V RMS

Low Gain: Greater than 115dB, A weighted, referenced to 1V RMS

Crosstalk: Less than -70dB, 20 Hz-20 kHz in either gain

Output Impedance: Less than 0.2 ohms at either gain

Input Impedance: 25k ohms

Gain: 1 (0db) or 5.5 (15db), selectable via rear switch

Topology: Fully discrete, fully complementary all-bipolar, symmetrical current-feedback design with driver stage and Vbe multiplier, no capacitors in the signal path and DC servo

Protection: Standard failsafe DC power input and muting relay

Power Supply: “Wall wart” style 24VA 14VAC transformer, regulated +/- 16V rails with over 6,000uF filter capacitance

Power Consumption: 6W

Size: 5 x 3.5 x 1.25”

Weight: 1 lb

APx555 Report for Magni 3+

Magni Heresy

Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, +/-0.04dB

Maximum Power, 16 ohms: 2.8W RMS per channel

Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 2.4W RMS per channel

Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 1.6W RMS per channel

Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 410mW RMS per channel

Maximum Power, 600 ohms: 215mW RMS per channel

THD+N:

High Gain: Less than 0.0014% (-97dB) at 1V RMS into 32 ohms

Low Gain: Less than 0.0002% (-113dB) at 1V RMS into 32 ohms

IMD:

High Gain: Less than 0.002% (-95dB) at 1V RMS into 32 ohms, CCIF

Low Gain: Less than 0.0006% (-105dB) at 1V RMS into 32 ohms, CCIF

SNR:

High Gain: Greater than 104dB, A weighted, referenced to 1V RMS

Low Gain: Greater than 115dB, A weighted, referenced to 1V RMS

Crosstalk: Less than -70dB, 20 Hz-20 kHz in either gain

Output Impedance: Less than 0.25 ohms at either gain

Input Impedance: 25k ohms

Gain: 1 (0db) or 5.5 (15db), selectable via rear switch

Topology: OPA1662 op-amp for voltage gain with local feedback, OPA1688 (8 stages) as output buffers with local loops, no overall loop feedback.

Protection: Standard failsafe DC power input and muting relay

Power Supply: “Wall wart” style 24VA 14VAC transformer, regulated +/- 16V rails with over 6,000uF filter capacitance

Power Consumption: 6W

Size: 5 x 3.5 x 1.25”

Weight: 1 lb

APx555 Report for Magni Heresy

Wait a sec, there are two Magnis now? Why U make me choose?!?

Because some people really like our historic approach to Magni, and some people want even better measurements. So we decided to give you both: a Magni 3+ that is the ultimate expression of our discrete, current-feedback topology (basically a small speaker amp) and a Magni Heresy that is 100% integrated—all op-amps, all the time.

Why would I choose one over the other?

Because you like silver and gray, which is the finish of Magni 3+, or black and red, which are Magni Heresy's colors.

No, seriously!

I think we covered this in the product description, but here goes again, with more detail

Magni 3+: choose this one if you want an all-discrete headphone amp. Discrete means its made up of lots of individual transistors (well, actually a lot of paired matched transistors now). It’s essentially a mini speaker amp. In fact, the topology is exactly that of a 2-stage speaker amp now, since we added a driver stage and Vbe multiplier for biasing. The driver reduces distortion and the Vbe multiplier means the bias is more stable. It's a super-advanced amp, and we’re very proud of it.
Magni Heresy: choose this one if you want a 100% op-amp-based headphone amp that delivers spectacular measurements. Thank the high-quality op-amps used: OPA1662 for gain, OPA1688 for output—eight (8) OPA1688 stages per channel, for low output impedance and very high current capability. With these advanced parts (the OPA1688 even uses feedforward in its topology), we’re getting 6-8dB lower THD+N than Magni 3+, which is already 10-15dB lower THD+N than Magni 3.

Which one sounds better?

Ah hell no, we aren’t falling for that. You tell us.

At least give us a hint!

We think both amps sound very, very good, or else we wouldn’t offer both of them. We developed the Magni Heresy largely to see what could be accomplished with a simple topology and modern op-amps, but we’re very pleased with the way it came out. At the same time, we think Magni 3+ provides compelling reasons that you shouldn’t choose everything simply based on numbers. But seriously, you tell us.

Why the name “Heresy?”

When we started developing an all-op-amp Magni, it was 100% counter to everything we’ve done. We’ve always done fully discrete designs, when we weren’t so cost-constrained that they weren’t practical. Going op-amp was far, far easier, and more typical in today’s world, but it was, well, almost anathema. So to us, an op-amp Magni was heresy. But we’re happy with the way it turned out!

If Heresy is so good, why’d you bother with Magni 3+?

That’s a great question, isn’t it? Why would we bother with a much more complex, harder to produce product that takes a lot more engineering time and skill (the Magni 3+)? Well, we believe that the numbers don’t tell the entire story. We believe that Magni 3+ has a place. But when it comes down to it, it’s your call.

Why is it a “Magni 3+” and not a “Magni 4?”

Why is it a 6S or 8 but not 9 or 10S but 11? Nah, sorry, just teasing you, Apple fans. There’s a method to our madness. For us, a product gets a “+” when it has the same functionality, but has been changed significantly internally. Like Freya+ and Saga+. A product gets a number bump if the functionality changes.

So which one is quiet enough for IEMs?

Both of them will run IEMs with zero audible noise, though Magni Heresy is slightly quieter on the analyzer.

So which one is powerful enough for inefficient, planar magnetic headphones?

Both of them have tons of power—specifically 2.4W RMS per channel at less than 1% THD, though both typically perform comfortably above that.

How do you keep getting more and more power out of Magni with every iteration?

Simple: we keep tweaking for higher efficiency. Last time it was a topology change. This time it’s a driver stage and optimized emitter resistance. It is about the maximum of what we can do now, though, without giant changes.

What’s this about DC coupling?

Either Magni has no capacitors in the signal path at all—that’s what we mean by DC coupling. This eliminates any sonic effect a capacitor in the signal path might have on your system.

So you probably cheaped out and left the protection off these amps, or something stupid like that, right?

No. Both Magnis have relay mute for delayed startup and fast shut-down. You can leave your headphones plugged in all the time. It also automatically disconnects the preamp outputs when you plug headphones in. Amazing things, switches.

These sound so great! Why would I buy any of your other amps?

Seriously, you really don’t need to. But, you know, different people like different things, and they may want to try out tube amps, or balanced amps, or Class A/Continuity™ amps, or you might have Raal/Requisite headphones, and then you actually need a different amp, the Jotunheim R, the only direct drive ribbon headphone amp.

I want a combined DAC/amp! Why didn’t you put a DAC in here?

We did. They’re just in a different chassis and costs another $99-249. They’re called “Modi 3” or “Modi Multibit.”

Hey, so does that mean I can plug in some uber-special, gold-plated, cryo-treated, 85-lb 2000VA wall wart and have even better performance?

Unless you know what you’re doing, we don’t recommend that. Magni uses an AC wall wart. Most are DC. DC won’t work with either Magni. Plus, seriously? This is a $99 amp. You want to use some $599 power supply with it? Nah.

What the hell is a Magni?

In Norse mythology, Magni was one of Thor’s sons.

Schiit Magni 3+ & Magni Heresy - Headphone Amplifier - Review & Comparison

Ian Dunsmore, Headphones.com

"Thus Magni 3+ becomes my new, and enthusiastic, recommendation for when I am asked which ~$100 amplifier to buy, rather than spending the time to listen to them for yourself and make up your own mind (I will always recommend personally auditioning gear before purchase). Even when following the “headphones first” doctrine to extreme levels, the Magni 3+ turns in an excellent and compelling performance - and at a level that would have been unthinkable at such a low price-point even a couple of years ago!

Ultimately, while I feel they serve different masters, and I have a definite preference for the Magni 3+, I think both the Magni 3+ and Heresy are well worth auditioning if you’re looking for a capable, powerful, headphone amplifier of this level and form factor, regardless of where your performance biases sit."

Schiit's note: review contains subjective comparisons and blind listening with Magni 3+, Magni Heresy, Magni 3, Liquid Spark, Atom, and Archel 2 Pro.

Read Full Review ->

Schiit Magni 3+/Heresy Manual

Magni 3+/Heresy Chapter (from the ongoing Schiit Happened book)

Magni

Magni 3+ and Magni Heresy Headphone Amp and Preamp

$99

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