Jason Stoddard of Schiit Audio has announced a third version of their most basic headphone amp, the Magni. The IEMagni joins the Magni Heresy (opamp-based) and Magni 3+ (discrete component-based) in the line-up.
The multiple versions are part of what Jason Stoddard calls a “Thunderdome” (as in Mad Max 3) where different versions of the same product compete to see which is the most popular, and any that don’t sell sufficiently are killed off.
The IEMagni is the first Schiit Audio amp to be “conceived, designed, and built” in their new Corpus Christi, Texas location.
Not surprisingly from the name, the IEMagni is designed to work with IEMs as well as full-sized headphones, with not only the usual 0dB and +15dB gain modes, but a negative gain mode specifically for IEMs.
To ensure a sufficiently low noise floor, the IEMagni is based upon the Magni Heresy, with updated OPAMPs and changes to the design to ensure that even very sensitive IEMs wouldn’t hiss at the low output levels required.
However, due to the complexity of the new amp, the price has broken the US$100 mark, with the IEMagni to be sold at $119.
