It appears that February is the month for new product releases in Q1 (first quarter of the year) as Schiit Audio just announced an updated second generation to their budget phono pre amplifier Mani. The Mani 2 now features upgraded internals for “near -100dB noise floor on a phono preamp with 44dB of gain” and a low cut filter to help reduce unwanted rumble from the notoriously finicky analog source.
The Mani still boasts a diverse loading system to match with any cartridge “47K/47pF to 38 ohms/200pF” – according to Schiit Founder and Designer Jason Stoddard. Those in the market for a new shiny thing such as this will find the Schiit Mani 2 available now, direct on the company’s site for $149 with a black finish and $159 for silver. More details in the press release below.
A NEW PHASE OF OUR MOON
Introducing Mani 2
Simply the highest performing, most flexible, affordable phono preamp…that’s also made in Texas.
February 23, 2022, Corpus Christi, Texas. Today, Schiit Audio introduced the Mani 2 phono preamplifier, the successor to the original Mani, in production since 2014. Mani was one of the most accoladed affordable phono preamps, but Mani 2 is simply the highest performing, most flexible phono preamp, even when compared to products several times its cost. In addition, Mani 2 is produced in the USA, like all Schiit products. Mani 2 is available today for $149.
“There’s simply no question this is the highest performing, most flexible phono preamp you can buy, even at several times the price,” said Jason Stoddard, Schiit’s Co-Founder and head of analog development. “It delivers measured results that are 10-15dB better than the original Mani—results far in excess of its competition—while also simplifying the signal path, eliminating all coupling capacitors and two gain stages for a more direct connection to the cartridge and superior sonics. And, if that wasn’t enough, we added many more loading options and selectable low cut to help eliminate rumble problems, features that weren’t available on the original Mani, and are typically not available at this price point.”
Mani 2 retains the 4 gain settings of the original Mani—now 35, 45, 50, and 60dB nominal gain, for compatibility with all cartridges, from Decca to low-output moving-coil models.
It also adds additional resistive and capacitive loading, allowing resistive loading of 47k, 200, 47, and 38 ohms, and capacitive loading of 47, 100, 150, and 200 pF. This allows Mani 2 to accommodate many more MC cartridges, as well as MM and MI models, with both high and low output.
Furthermore, Mani 2 adds optional, passive 6dB/octave or 12dB/octave low cut filters, centered at 15 Hz, to reduce the effects of rumble and warped records.
“We chose passive because we didn’t want to run the signal through another active stage,” added Jason. “And the low cut is fully defeatable—when it’s off, it’s completely out of the circuit.”
Based on the TI OPA1612 with a DC servo, Mani 2 uses a passive RIAA equalization stage based on 2% film capacitors and 0.1% thin-film resistors. It is also fully DC coupled.
“Where Mani’s signal had to pass through three capacitors, Mani 2 doesn’t use any,” added Jason. “We took what we learned on the phono stages for Ragnarok 2 and Jotunheim 2, and extended them for Mani 2.”
Mani 2’s attention to detail extends far past the gain stage, to include its 100% linear power supply with dual-stage regulation, including a filtering stage that reduces power supply noise and contributes to Mani 2’s stellar performance numbers.
Like all Schiit products, Mani 2 is made in the USA—specifically, designed and and built in Texas. The vast majority of the total cost of the product, including chassis and PC boards, go to US-based companies manufacturing in the USA.
More info: Schiit Mani 2
