So I received the MB2/Piety yesterday as part of the loaner tour. I got some listening in last night after letting in acclimatize, and several hours today having left both items powered on overnight.
I’m really impressed with the Modi MultiBit 2. It’s a smooth, “musical” little DAC that doesn’t stand out in any one aspect, but does everything well in a natural, and pleasant manner.
I agree with @elementze in that it’s very similar to the OG Bifrost 2 (going off of memory). I haven’t heard the 2/64, but I imagine that the MB2 would be a good alternative for those that found the 2/64 somewhat harsh or forward.
I would say that the MB2 slightly rolls off at both ends, lacking a touch of sub bass, with a similar roll-off of the highs. It’s very subtle, but noticeable when compared to something like a Chord DAC.
When paired with my Inverting O2 the sound is very smooth, allowing for some fun music listening. This is an excellent little pair for ‘rocking out’. I forget I’m “analyzing” gear and instead just let the tunes play, going from track to track, bobbing my head and tapping my foot to the beat. Even ripping some gnarly air-guitar riffs from time to time!
The O2 is designed with harmonics such as those found in tube amps, so it has some ‘sweetness’ to it. Gotta love the right kind of distortion.
The soundstage is appropriate in size to the recording with a decent amount of separation to instruments and vocals, remaining coherent with an appropriate level of detail.
If I had to put a number, I’d say this gets you at least 80% of what an OG BF2 gets you in a SE only version.
The Unison work’s excellently as it does with any Schiit DAC I’ve used that had it implemented.
The Nische Piety is interesting. It has some sweetness to it, but it’s just a little too forward in the upper mids for my preferences. It’s more of a junior Jotenheim, where my preferences lean towards the Asgard (smoother, warmer as my preference vs. detail/resolution).
Listening to Rhinoceros off of Gish as I write this, and the guitars just sounds so right. Liquid, and with transients that just flow as they should. Billy Corgan’s vocals hanging in just the right place, never becoming overbearing.
The best summation for this pairing (MB2/Inverting O2) is smooth and coherent.
My main setup is a Chord Qutest with an LTA MZ3, which I love. That’s holographic and at times ‘hyper-real’, which can sound artificial, where this more humble setup is more akin to a vinyl-like smoothness. It’s very “musical” and allows you to just enjoy your tunes. The Qutest/MZ3 is a little too revealing in comparison and limits what I’ll listen to at times. This is just fun.
I’m enjoying the MB2 more so than I did the BF2 which id kind of funny. I’m also enjoying the MB2 enough that it’s making me wonder about the new Yggdrasil + with an OG card…
If you’re curious about Schiit MultiBit DACs I recommend trying out the Modi MB2. It’s the best entry level DAC that I’ve heard (the previous was the Schiit Modius AKM), and it’s a steal at $299, imo.
I don’t feel bad that I missed out on the Piety, but I’m glad I had the opportunity to try it.