SchiitMani 2 Phono Preamp for MM, MC, and MI Cartridges (Black)

I recently upgraded my turntable to a Pro-Ject Pro X2 with a Sumiko Moonstone cartridge. I listen through Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 speakers driven by a Denon AVR4500 receiver/amp/pre-amp. I suspected the AVR's phono pre-amp was not on par with the turntable and speakers so I decided to add a dedicated, but affordable, phono pre-amp. I narrowed the field down to 2, the Pro-Ject Phono Box S2 and the Schiit Mani 2, based on price, various reviews, MM/MC capabilities, etc. The two pre-amps are very similar on what they offer and very nearly the same price.I was a little biased towards the Pro-Ject because I figured they made my turntable so they should offer an affordable pre-amp to match it. I could not have been more wrong. We set up the Pro-ject pre-amp first and listened to Miles David Kind of Blue. The sound was way better than that through the AVR, so my wife and I were very excited. "How could it get better than this", we asked ourselves. The improvement was enough to put smiles on both of our faces - there really is a very noticeable improvement in sound stage, instrument separation, etc. We almost decided to end the test there and just send back the Schiit, but we didn't. When the needle came down on Mile's record and we heard the sound of the Schiit, our jaws dropped - again. The difference between the two pre-amps was about as noticeable as between the AVR and the Pro-ject pre-amp. We could not believe our ears, so we A-B'd the same album 2 more times. I even did a blinded test with my wife, who is no audiophile, and she unhesitatingly picked the Schiit. We went on to A-B against, Pink Floyd's DSOM, Beethoven's 6th, 5th and 9th symphonies (2 different orchestras), a Moody Blues album, the Eagles Hotel CA, John Coltrane's A love Supreme, Creme and, wait for it...KC and the Sunshine Band. There was a noticeable difference in all albums except the KC, Eagles and Creme albums. There was still a preference to the Schiit, but the difference with these albums was not as notable as the difference in the jazz and classical albums. In no case did the Pro-Ject impress better than the Schiit.We tried several impedances on the two pre-amps (both are adjustable with dip switches) but could not get the Pro-Ject to impress as well as the Schiit.What we heard: there was clearly an improved sound stage with the Schiit. The sense of "being there" was so much nicer. The upper mids were noticeably more pronounced with the Schitt while the base was brought out more without being boomy (we do have a 10" SW on our system). The highs were more...sparkly... with the Schitt, a little more, though, and they would have bordered on too sparkly and cause ear fatigue. This did not happen and while those highs and upper mids were well defined and present, we did not experience any ear fatigue during our extensive A-B testing or the album-listening frenzy of the ensuing days as we began gong through our collection.Look, I'm no audiophile and our overall system is only solidly mid-tier, maybe verging on upper mid-tier, but these are only $200 pre-amps but we know when we hear differences and there were clear differences between the AVR, Pro-Ject and Schiit. One might say the Pro-Ject was more rounded, but I think that's another way of saying it's muted. The Schiit sound was more open, present, balanced and makes the bands/orchestras feel the most "in the room".I will stop far short of saying he Pro-Ject is not a nice pre-amp. In fact it might suit some people's tastes better than the Schitt. But for what I think a pre-amp is supposed to do for your music, the Schitt, to us, does it far better.

Works great and the manual is not only informative, but humorous. Just plug it in and it works.

Great little phono stage/pre with lots of adjustability. Wish there was a gain setting between 30 and 42 but nice selection (30, 42, 48, 59) as well as resistance and load settings. So far I have found 42db, 47ohm, and 150pF to my liking for an Ortofon Blue (5.5mv) into an NAD M10 V2. Very happy with it, especially for price.

I’ve been running my Hitachi HT-350, Sony STR amp, and Polk T-15s for a while. Solid components, but they never fully delivered the sound I knew was hidden in my vinyl. Enter the Schiit Mani 2: a true Kraftmultiplikator (force multiplier), designed to elevate every other piece in the chain. It’s the Drachen that breathes life into your music.The transformation was immediate. Nine Inch Nails’ “The Way Out Is Through” erupted with newfound power—each layer of industrial sound meticulously articulated, yet raw and alive. With Sinéad O’Connor’s “Feel So Different,” the Mani 2 unveiled her vocals with a precision and emotional depth that felt almost sacred.When I spun Dark Side of the Moon, the solo in “Time” became an otherworldly experience—every note soaring with rich, unyielding sustain. Tommy James’ “Dragging the Line” delivered punch and rhythm, the bassline disciplined yet bursting with vibrancy. And Pipeline by The Ventures? Pure clarity. The guitar riffs sliced through the air, the reverb so clean it could’ve been crafted by a Swiss watchmaker.The Schiit Mani 2 doesn’t overpower your setup; it strengthens it. It’s the Kraftmultiplikator that takes an old system and refines it into something extraordinary. For anyone seeking perfection in analog sound, the Mani 2 is your answer. Unverzichtbar.

I will start by saying that I had to return the unit due to the low-level hum/noise it produced in my system. However, keeping that aside, see the impressions .System details: vpi record player, schiit mani 2 phono, 300B single-ended tube integrated amp. I compared the schiit mani 2 with u-turn pluto 2 and musical fidelity v-lps (the original, not the new v90-lps).Good:Strong Bass(u-turn pluto had the similar bass as well)Extended treble (treble is more extended with mani 2 than with pluto or v-lps)Strange/bad:- Factory setting gain too high for my system. I had to set the mani 2 to the lower setting. With that not just the gain was reduced but the overall sound felt more flat in terms of frequency response- Treble seemed artificially extended. This was the most noticeable thing about mani 2 compared to the other phono's I have tried. Almost as if the RIAA is processing higher frequency differently and not keeping it flat. Not suggesting it actually does that, but it sounded like it if you can imagine (you could hear the hiss of the cymbal be so noticeable to a fault).- mid-range slightly boxed. As if the singer is in a box, sound is boxed/muffled- mid-range muted. This could be the side effect of the strong bass and overextended trebleComparison of the three:- in my system, u-turn pluto 2 I liked the least. Least musical of the three. meh.- With the strong bass, very extended but also somewhat artificially extended sounding high frequencies, and somewhat muted/boxed mid-range (may also be overshadowed by the focus on the highs), mani 2, after a while, didn't sound so great; not fatiguing but too much attention drawn to the highs- MF v-lps was the most laid-back of three but also with all frequencies sounding natural- Finally but most importantly (to me): In my otherwise fully analog system , schiit mani 2 sounded like a full digital setup. Vinyls playing through the tube pre/power amp sounded like a CD player connected to a mosfet/digital amp. The warmth and body was basically gone (some soundstaging remained).I think the system matching is for real is what I learned. schiit mani 2 sounds quite well put-together and may work in your system. If your system is treble shy or you prefer high frequency extension or like a strong forward projecting phono (think opposite of laid-back), you may enjoy schiit mani 2.