Schiit Updates The Magni Amp Line With In-Ear Focused IEMagni
Schiit Audio announces the Schiit Magni IEMagni. Anyone who has battled with a large scale headphone amplifier to tiny in-ear monitors knows the plight of the massive mismatch that often takes place. Volume levels can push to ear bleeding status very quickly, any channel imbalance can become easily revealed and most importantly, noise floor levels can rise to unacceptable points. Schiit Audio’s newest update to their entry-level Magni amplifier line seeks to address all this, all wrapped with some clever branding – The Schiit IEMangi.
A pitch black noise floor into uber sensitive IEMs can be done, its just spectacularly rare. The Schiit IEMagni drops the gain -10dB to help cash in on this, but also includes 3 gains modes to keep more traditional headphone fare satisfied with jumps to 0dB or 15dB of gain, together with high power (2400mW into 32 ohms). Founder Jason Stoddard elaborates: “IEMagni is simply the do-all Magni, it has negative gain, a vanishingly low noise floor, and advanced protection for very sensitive IEMs, plus it delivers high gain and high power needed for hard-to-drive headphones.” From the PR release:
IEMagni is also the first Schiit Magni to feature built-in DC protection, an important feature for highly sensitive IEMs. Built on the advanced TI OPA1656, IEMagni uses 7 separate amplifier sections for each channel (one for gain, 6 for output) in a unique no-overall-feedback configuration that allows for high input impedance even in negative gain. IEMagni’s input impedance never drops below 40 kOhms, allowing it to be used with a wider variety of sources, and to preserve performance of sources that may not be able to drive low-impedance loads effectively. “IEMagni is also the first product conceived, designed, and built in our new Corpus Christi, Texas, facility,” said Jason Stoddard. “Other Schiit Magni models, Modi, and SYS have been built there for about two months now, but this is the first product that’s 100% Texas.” IEMagni costs $119, a $20 premium over Magni 3+ and Magni Heresy. Magni 3+ and Heresy remain in the Magni line, for a complete family of affordable headphone amps built in Corpus Christi, Texas. “Consider this a Thunderdome,” Jason added. “We’ll see how people feel about a more expensive, more versatile Magni—while ensuring that we still offer the highest-value products in audio.”
The Schiit IEMagni is available to purchase direct from Schiit Audio’s site as of today and retails for $119.
More info: Schiit Audio IEMagni
You can check out our thoughts on the rest of the Magni amplifier line in our Magni 3+ vs. Heresy Shootout. You can also read our latest review of The Schiit Modi 3+ $99 DAC for some insights into their popular line of audiophile D-To-A converters. Interested parties can also catch an interview with Schiiit’s founder and digital designer Mike Moffat on The Occasional Podcast, also available in the embed below (Mike’s part starts around the 24:30 mark.)