Schiit Audio’s newest addition to the family is a balanced headphone amplifier called the Magnius. And sticking with tradition, the latest product mimics the size, footprint and price of the corresponding Modius balanced DAC that launched not too long ago.
Available in black, the desktop amplification unit will retail for $199 (to be exact) and offer both SE and 3-pin XLR inputs on the back panel. This is a direct addition to the company’s wildly successful Schiit stack combo compromised of the $99/each Magni and Modi products, which only include singe-ended RCA connections. For the Magnius, this of course lends itself very well to 4-pin balanced XLR connection for headphones on the front panel.
In addition to the connection upgrade, the Magnius touts a high grade potentiometer (volume control) which some believe can bottle neck sound quality if not implemented properly. In my experience, a bad volume knob can not only crackle, pop and introduce channel balance issues, but outright fail occasionally with extended use. The Alps RK27114 27mm “Blue Velvet” potentiometer used in the Magnius promises to help alleviate all those worries and provide reliable control for what will be undoubtedly the most physically used part of the device.
With a pair of XLR and SE outputs, the Magnius can also be used as a solid state pre amp in a small rig, allowing users to attach a traditional power amp to speakers. Output power for the Magnius’ amp rates in at 5000mW at 32 ohms in the balanced position which can be adjusted via a two-way gain switch for additional fine tuning.
It would appear that the upward growth of Schiit’s product line is starting to encroach upon some of the products the California company already makes (there is a modular $199 headphone amplifier called the Asgard) but the balanced connections really help differentiate the Magnius from most of Schiit’s sub-$400 offerings. And for those of you who haven’t been following founder Jason Stoddard’s release schedule with baited breathe, he has shown that he’s not afraid to throw his own products into the ring together and just wait until victor emerges.
The new balanced Magnius is available now via Schiit’s direct site, and retails for $199.
More info: Schiit Audio