Schiit Mani - The New $129 MM/MC Phono Stage from Schiit Audio

xraelx74

AudioFool
Just found out about this today, i did a quick search and couldn't find a thread about this on AK yet so i figured i'd start one.

http://schiit.com/products/mani-phono-stage

Mani-main-1000.jpg


Anyone try it? With all the fanfare the Emotiva XPS-1 received here, i figure this should be a big deal too. I have a Schiit Asgard 2 that i'm very pleased with. Unfortunately i have no need for a new phono stage now, but i would like to try this one out sometime.
 
I was planning on a tube phono preamp but wasn't really that impressed with the ones in my price range...and I'm definitely staying away from Roy Mottram's junk....but since I've heard nothing but praise for this brand this will probably be my choice for my new SL-1200. Thanks for the post.
 
Dammit! A whole new temptation to bring vinyl into my cube at work or take my Lyr home. Too bad it's in the short case instead of the 2.25" tall case to match the Lyr. If the Mani goes well, I won't be surprised to see mid-line phono stage from Schiit that will match up with the Lyr and the BiFrost. Then I could have a whole line of Schiit.
 
well -- it has all the right things (passive RIAA EQ, four selectable gain settings, and two cartridge loading options) and none of the wrong ones --with the possible, arguable exception of being, shall we say, "fully indiscrete" under the hood ;-)

mani%20bottom%201000.jpg


So, for a hunnert-twenny-nine smackers, it seems like a worthwhile option to consider.

(although, I gotta tell you, this company's Kindergarten level potty humor name is a big time disincentive to me, even more so than Doc Bottlehead's old "SEX product" nomenclature and nudie photos of his wife were)

As to vacuum tube phono preamps -- very good ones do indeed exist (commercial & DIY), but I can tell you the ones I've liked are outta my price range. I went back to soiled state for phono preamp/EQ several years ago (original version of Allen Wright's "JLTi") and will likely stick with it for a long time.

FWIW (and not that anyone asked!), the value leader in terms of "vacuum state" phono preamps of my acquaintance would be Jim Hagerman's Cornet -- I assume the new Cornet 2 is all that and more.
 
Im in the market for a preamp and this definitely has my interest. Id love to hear some thoughts on it but I an find any yet.

Im very curious as to how it compares the the others that usually get recommended in it price range, ie CA551p, NAD PP2/3, TCC tc750, Art DJ and the like.

Also from everything Ive read the HA Bugle2 is excellent so a comparison to that would be interesting.
 
This is on my radar now. If any early adopters can compare it to the ART Phono Pre I'd love to know how it stacks up. Whether its an upgrade or a lateral move.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
 
I was hoping to to stir up some Schiit.

Such a clever pun, you're only about the millionth person to make it.

Interesting piece; seems functional enough, price is good and it has some audiophile cachet.
 
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I just found this the other day. I've been looking for an upgrade, but haven't settled because there are so many damn choices! On top of that, there is not one good central place to hear phono preamp sound samples (which is about as close as you can get to auditioning from your home location)

I wonder how this compares with the Bugle2 or the Pro-Ject MM Phono, or the Rega Fono Mini A2d, or as the OP mentioned the Emotiva XPS-1.

I might have to purchase it just so i can review it, but it wouldn't be very enlightening since all i have to compare is the Art DJ PreII and a 90's Panasonic Receiver.
 
I just found this the other day. I've been looking for an upgrade, but haven't settled because there are so many damn choices! On top of that, there is not one good central place to hear phono preamp sound samples (which is about as close as you can get to auditioning from your home location)

I wonder how this compares with the Bugle2 or the Pro-Ject MM Phono, or the Rega Fono Mini A2d, or as the OP mentioned the Emotiva XPS-1.

I might have to purchase it just so i can review it, but it wouldn't be very enlightening since all i have to compare is the Art DJ PreII and a 90's Panasonic Receiver.
FWIW, I've heard one person compare it to the Project Phono Box MkII. According to them, the Mani blows it out of the water. The Project box sounds very veiled in comparison.
 
After reading this thread, I emailed Schiit and found out they are a 20 minute drive up the road.

I'll be picking up the "Mani" some time next week. Sadly the only other Phono Pre's I can compare it to are a "Little Bear"(unmolested) and a "LCC 750".

With a generous return policy ,I figured it was worth trying :)

Alan
 
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