The Short Version
Schiit’s Modi has been the default answer to “which budget DAC?” since 2013. The line has been revised six times, and the used market is full of every generation — which is exactly why people get confused. Here’s the whole family tree, and what each one is worth today.
| Generation | Year | New price | Fair used price (2026) | Verdict today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modi (original) | 2013 | $99 | ~$35 | Skip — USB-only quirks, dated |
| Modi 2 / 2 Uber | 2015 | $99/$149 | $40–60 | OK at $50, no more |
| Modi 3 | 2018 | $99 | $60–75 | Fine budget buy |
| Modi 3+ | 2020 | $99 | $70–90 | Value sweet spot used |
| Modi 3E | 2021 | $99 | $70–90 | Same as 3+, ESS chip |
| Modi+ | 2022 | $129 | $90–110 | Solid, recently current |
| Modi 5 | 2025 | $149 | — | The one to buy new |
| Modi Multibit | 2016 | $249 | $130–160 | Character pick, used |
| Modi Multibit 2 | 2023 | $299 | $200+ | The “analog sound” upgrade |
Why “Modi 2” Still Gets Searched
The Modi 2 was the generation that made Schiit’s $99 DAC famous — it was everywhere in 2015–2018 desktop-audio recommendations, and thousands of them are still working fine on desks and in closets. If you’ve inherited one, been offered one used, or found your old unit in a drawer: it still works as a basic 24/192 delta-sigma DAC over USB or optical (Uber version).
What you give up versus anything current:
- No Unison USB. Schiit’s in-house USB input (introduced later) is measurably and audibly more robust against source noise than the older C-Media-based USB in the Modi 2.
- Older chip and output stage. Every subsequent generation improved SINAD and output-stage consistency. The Modi 2 isn’t broken — it’s just been out-engineered several times at the same price.
- No warranty. Schiit’s support is famously good, but not for decade-old discontinued units.
The honest rule: a working Modi 2 you already own is not worth replacing until you upgrade something else in the chain. A Modi 2 you’d have to pay $70+ for is not worth buying — that money is most of the way to a used Modi 3+ and half of a new Modi 5.
The Delta-Sigma Line: Modi 3 → 3+ → 3E → Modi+ → Modi 5
The Modi 3 (2018) was the first big redesign, and the 3+/3E revisions were incremental: the 3+ improved the analog stage and USB, and the 3E swapped the AKM chip for an ESS part after the 2020 AKM factory fire made AKM chips unobtainable. Sonically, 3+ and 3E are interchangeable in practice — buy whichever is cheaper used.
The Modi+ (2022, $129) added Unison USB across the board and tightened measurements again. It was the sensible default for three years.
The Modi 5 (late 2025, $149) is the first Modi that inherits genuinely upper-tier Schiit engineering: the Mesh digital filter and the Unison 384 USB interface, both previously reserved for DACs several times its price, plus an optional linear power supply mode that raises output from 1.5V to 2V. At $149 it’s no longer the impulse-buy DAC the original $99 Modi was — but it’s also no longer a compromise you plan to upgrade away from.
The Multibit Branch
The Modi Multibit (“Mimby”, 2016) and Modi Multibit 2 (2023) are a separate branch — Schiit’s proprietary multibit architecture in the small chassis. The delta-sigma Modis are the accurate choice; the Multibits are the character choice. Listeners consistently describe the multibit presentation as denser and more natural on acoustic material, and measurements consistently show the delta-sigma units are technically cleaner. Both descriptions are correct. Read our full Schiit Modi Multibit 2 review for the long version.
Which One for Your Setup
- New desktop setup, buying everything now → Modi 5 + Schiit Magni Heresy. The current stack, ~$260 total.
- Tightest possible budget → used Modi 3+/3E around $80. Spend the savings on headphones.
- You already own any Modi 3 or later → don’t upgrade the DAC. You will hear a bigger difference spending the same money anywhere else in the chain.
- You want the “analog” flavor → Modi Multibit 2, ideally fed by a decent amp like the Asgard 3.
- You need Bluetooth or a remote → no Modi has either; look at the Topping DX3 Pro+ instead.