Schiit Audio, Headphone amps and DACs made in USA.

Go ahead. Compare the third-generation Magni to anything out there at its price. We think you’ll find there’s really no competition. This is no “starter amp.” Magni has the power, performance, resolution, and versatility to meet all your needs—no matter the headphone.

Ready For Any Headphone

Magni 3 is ready for any headphone, from IEMs to hard-to-drive planar designs. With a full 2000mW into 32 ohms—rated in the most honest way, RMS continuous, both channels driven—Magni has tremendous reserves of power. Combined with low distortion, an exceptionally low noise floor, and switchable gain, Magni is ready for any headphone.

Powered Monitors Welcome, Too

Magni 3 includes preamp outputs. This means you can connect it 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.

Forget $99—Compare at Many Times the Price

Most headphone amps in Magni’s price range use op-amps (integrated chips) for gain and power output. Not Magni. Magni’s gain stage is an-all-new, fully discrete, high-speed, dc-coupled, current-feedback design, completely different than the first and second-generation Magnis. This current-feedback gain stage is typically only found in very exotic designs that sell for more than 10x the Magni’s price.

Designed and Assembled in USA

By “designed and assembled in USA" this is what we mean: the vast majority of the total production cost of Magni—chassis, boards, transformers, assembly, etc—goes to US companies manufacturing in the US. Our chassis are made minutes from our facility. Our PCBs are done just over the hill from us, or done in NorCal. 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

Magni is covered by a limited warranty that covers parts and labor for two years. That’s 2x the coverage of most amps in this price range. 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.

Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, -0.1db, 2Hz-900KHz, -3dB

Maximum Power, 16 ohms: 3W RMS per channel

Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 2W RMS per channel

Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 1.3W RMS per channel

Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 430mW RMS per channel

Maximum Power, 600 ohms: 230mW RMS per channel

THD: Less than 0.001%, 20Hz-20KHz, at 1V RMS, less than 0.02% at 5V RMS into 32 ohms

IMD: Less than 0.001%, CCIF

SNR: Greater than 108db, unweighted, referenced to 1V RMS

Crosstalk: -70dB, 20 Hz-20KHz

Output Impedance: Less than 0.3 ohms at either gain
Input Impedance: 25k ohms

Gain: 1.4 (3db) or 7 (17db), selectable via rear switch

Topology: Fully discrete, fully complementary all-bipolar, symmetrical current-feedback design with 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 +/- 17V 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

Is this a half-Jotunheim?
It’s not like you can chop Jotunheim’s Pivot Point topology in half. But, like Jotunheim, Magni 3 uses a discrete, current-feedback gain stage that provides ultra-high performance. Unlike Jotunheim, Magni’s gain stage is fully complementary, all-BJT, and single-ended. The main point is it’s a super-high-end, exotic-topology, no-excuses, do-all headphone amp—that just happens to cost $99.

And it makes like 2x the output power of the original Magni?

Righto.

And you threw in all the good Magni Uber stuff, too—pre outs, aluminum top?

And the bigger wall-wart (er, we mean "linear power supply," gotta use audiophile lingo.)

And it’s the same price as Magni 2?

Yes. Development improves the product. As do larger production runs.

So what’s the difference between the 3rd generation Magni and the previous generations?

It’s actually easier to say what’s the same, because basically, even though it looks the same, it’s a totally different amplifier.

Yeah, that’s cool and all, but break down the differences, please.

Okay, here you go:

One model. There’s only one third-gen Magni, and it’s $99.
Totally different gain stage. Magni 3's fully discrete, fully complementary, current feedback gain stage is completely and totally different than the previous Magnis. The previous amps’ discrete Lin-style topology was a conventional voltage-feedback design.
Power supply. We kept the 21VA transformer and higher capacitance of the former Uber model.
Better cosmetics. The aluminum top is standard.
Faster shut-down. the muting circuit now acts instantaneously on shutoff.
Improved potentiometer curve. we tweaked the potentiometer to have a slower ramp from minimum volume, which improves tracking at low volumes.

Wait a sec, is this “current feedback” thing like “current output” with a really high output impedance?

No. It’s current feedback, not current output. The output impedance is a low 0.3 ohms.

Let’s talk tech. So what’s the big deal about current feedback?

It provides a dramatically faster gain stage with inherent symmetry. When applied to a headphone amplifier, it gives us an amplifier stage that extends far, far beyond the audio range (if not for the input filter, this stage runs out beyond 6MHz), and still provides better measured performance than any amp stage we’ve ever made to date, except for maybe Jotunheim.

What’s this about DC coupling?

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.

And you said this will drive any headphone?

Yes.

Including hard-to-drive orthos?

Yes.

Including IEMs?

Yes.

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

No. Magni has 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.

So why would I buy any of your other amps?

Class A. Tubes. You like larger things. Lots of reasons, really. But we’re dead serious—this is really all you need.

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 2” or “Modi 2 Uber” or “Modi Multibit.” Modi 2 even has a matching aluminum top now. Stack the two and tell yourself it’s a combined DAC/Amp for $198-398.

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.

But I heard all amps sound the same! You’re bullshitting us!

If it’s your experience that all amps sound the same, that’s cool. There are plenty of other options out there, including the one that came in your phone, for free.

What the hell is a Magni?

In Norse mythology, Magni was one of Thor’s sons. There’s this amazing resource called Wikipedia. You may have heard of it.

Schiit Magni 3 Affordable Headphone Amp and Preamp

Tyler Schrank, Innerfidelity

"It works well with about any headphone with almost no compromises or sonic quirks to nitpick. And I'm not saying it's just good for the money, or that it's a jack of all trades and master of none. It's a truly high-performing, do-it-all, well-rounded, and refined headphone amp regardless of price…but, yes, even more exciting because of its price."

Read Full Review ->

$99 Gizmo Kicks Up Your Headphones Sound

Steve Guttenberg, CNET Audiophiliac

"...if you've already invested in a nice set of headphones and never tried them with an amp you don't know how good your headphones really are. You're missing out.

To test that assertion I auditioned a set of Beyerdynamic T 51p on-ear headphones plugged into my Mac Mini's headphone jack, and then with the Magni 3. The Mac Mini's sound was a tad dull and bland, while the Magni 3 had more kick and energy, so it was more fun to listen to. These headphones really shone with the Magni 3.

I also listened to the Magni 3 with a set of Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 over-the-ear headphones. The sound was crisp and clean, a big step up from what I got with listening to my iPhone 6S, which was dynamically crushed and lifeless by comparison. It wasn't even close."

Read Full Review ->

One of the best amps we've ever tested.

The Master Switch, Rob Boffard

"And when it comes down to it, what the Magni 3 offers is so compelling that we genuinely can’t think of another competitor in this particular price range. Up until about $300 – more than three times its cost – there’s simply nothing else like it. It takes all the 2-Uber-Multibit nonsense of the previous Magni generation, and simplifies it. It offers terrific sound, wonderful design, splendid ease-of-use, the ability to power just about any pair of headphones, and – as we keep harping on about – an attractive price. And even if it didn’t, it still has the greatest on-switch noise of any amp out there.

So yes: fight us in the comments. Go ahead. We love this amp, and think you will, too."

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Schiit Audio Magni 3

The Absolute Sound, Editor's Choice

"The Magni3 offers excellent bass and sub-bass control, pitch definition, and drive, as well as a very dynamic upper midrange...a simple and cost-effective way to drive a wide variety of headphones at or near their optimum potential.

What HiFi?

"Want a simple, affordable, great-sounding headphone amp? This is it."

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Schiit Magni 3 & Vali 2 Amps (Solid State vs. Tube-Hybrid): Review & Comparison

Ian Dunmore, Headphone.com

"Magni 3’s combination of traits yields the best overall delivery I’ve heard among its segment of affordable solid-state amplifiers (and several rather less-affordable models), which often lean towards being bright, or hard sounding - or sometimes “clinical” - not something one could accuse Magni 3 of. This is not an amp you buy to fix tonality problems elsewhere in your chain but nor will it add any new ones, and while not necessarily state-of-the-art in any one area (except, perhaps, in overall value), is unfailingly enjoyable and musically convincing."

"Magni 3 performs so well, in fact, that you can go a long way up the headphone ladder before it will become the limiting factor in your listening, particularly on a technical level. For example, this little unit is sufficiently resolving as to be capable of exposing the small and subtle differences in detail resolution that exist between say the Massdrop x Focal Elex and the Focal Clear."

"It is easy to recommend Magni 3 not just as a “$100 headphone amp” or an entry-level unit, but on a general basis and as something that many people will never feel the need to upgrade beyond."

Read Full Review ->

Magni Owner's Manual

Magni

Headphone Amp and Preamp

$99

Description

Specs

FAQ

Reviews

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