SCHIIT Mani 2 MM/MC Phono Preamplifier Owner’s Manual
- June 6, 2024
- SCHIIT
Table of Contents
MANI 2
MM/MC PHONO PREAMPLIFIER
MM? MC? DON’T KNOW? WHO CARES?
MANI 2 IS FLEXIBLE ENOUGH FOR ANY CARTRIDGE.
SERIOUSLY. RELAX. YOU’RE SET.
MANI: PERSONIFICATION OF THE MOON IN NORSE MYTHOLOGY.
YEP, IT’S ROUND. SO ARE RECORDS. WE ARE SIMPLE.
THERE YOU GO.
OWNER’S MANUAL
INTRODUCTION
Mani 2 is simply the most flexible, best-performing phono preamp that you can get, anywhere near it’s price. With 4 gain levels, multiple loading options, and a selectable dual-slope passive low-frequency filter, it’s ready for any turntable and any cartridge. Go ahead and try it with the uber-priced stuff–we think you’ll be surprised. Pleasantly, that is.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX
(1) Mani 2
(1) Wall-Wart
(0) Records
(0) Backstage passes
(0) Prestige
(0) Clingy jeans
You get the picture. This ain’t fancy, but it’s definitely the most flexible
phono preamp that can be had for the bucks.
The following is required by the roughly 9,542 government agencies and regulations we have to comply with. If you have some common sense, they should seem pretty straightforward. In any case, read these instructions before proceeding further, follow all instructions, and heed all warnings. Or else!
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If you don’t know how to install audio devices, get a qualified professional to help.
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Never use this device near water, and clean only with a dry cloth.
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Assure adequate ventilation, do not block any ventilation openings or place near heat sources.
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Use only the supplied power cord or a suitable replacement.
Route cords away from traffic areas and protect them from being pinched. Unplug the cord from the outlet if the apparatus is unused for a long period of time. -
To prevent electric shock, do not use the plug with an extension cord, receptacle, or outlet unless blades can be fully inserted.
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Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Service is required when the device has been damaged, including cord or plug damage, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the device, the device has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
WARNING : TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS DEVICE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
GETTING STARTED
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Choose the right location.
Mani 2 has a lot of gains, so where you put it matters. If it’s sitting on top of a power amp with a giant transformer inside, it’s going to hum. If you wrap a power cord around it, it might not be all that great either. So:
a. Put it near your turntable.
b. Keep it away from the turntable motor, especially if it’s one of those that’s big enough to run a Tesla.
c. Don’t run the AC cord to the turntable around it or underneath it, or near the cables. -
Choose the right cables.
You heard that thing about a lot of gains, right?
Well, Mani 2 can also pick up the crud that comes in through the cables from the turntable.
We recommend the following:
a. Choose short, well-shielded RCA cables from the turntable to Mani 2.
b. Short means short. 0.5m is good. 0.25m is even better. Or, in USAish, 6-12 inches.
c. Well-shielded means well-shielded. Open braided cables, even if they’re using yak-hair and magic crystal insulation, are not a great idea. You want a 100% coverage shield. -
Start with the factory settings.
For most turntables owned by actual mortals (that is, turntables that use moving-magnet, or MM, cartridges), start with Mani 2 at the factory settings. We’ve already set it up for 42dB of gain, and 47pF/47kΩ loading. This works best for most systems.
IMPORTANT
When changing gains on Mani 2, turn down your preamp all the way, or, in
systems with no preamp (you are crazy, by the way), turn off your amp before
changing gains.
CONNECTIONS
- RCA Outputs. Connect Mani 2’s RCA outputs to your preamp or headphone amp.
- Ground. Connect the turntable ground to Mani 2’s ground input, if you have hum problems.
- RCA Inputs. Connect Mani 2’s RCA inputs to your turntable, using short, shielded cables.
- Power Switch. Turn on to enjoy your turntable. But see VERY IMPORTANT to the right.
- Power Input. Connect the supplied 16VAC wall- wart to Mani 2 with the attached cord.
VERY IMPORTANT:
Turn on Mani 2 FIRST, before other components like power amps, or else you may
get some very loud pops through your system.
Turn Mani 2 off AFTER turning off power amps, for the same reason. (Or just go
ahead and leave it on, that’s fine too.)
DO NOT change gain switch settings with Mani 2 on. Turn your whole system off,
change the gain, and then turn on Mani 2 first, before anything else.
CONTROLS (EASY VERSION)
Don’t flip it over. No. Just don’t do it. Luxuriate in the confidence of
having a device with one simple power-on light, and no other controls on the
front panel. Connect it as described on the previous page, and see how it
does.
Mani 2 is set up from the factory for most systems, so it’s fairly plugged
and play in most cases. So, does it sound good?
Then you’re done. Enjoy some music, and don’t worry about what’s on the
bottom of Mani 2. Doesn’t the music sound nice?
Yeah. Just enjoy it. Sit back. Relax. Oh no.
You’re looking at the Mani 2, thinking “it can’t be that simple.” You’re
wondering about all these controls on the bottom.
You’re wondering if things could be any better, aren’t you?
Well, here’s the thing: probably not, unless you have something super-
weird, like a Decca cartridge (which needs lower gain), or a moving-coil
cartridge (MC), and specifically a
low-output moving coil cartridge, or a low-output moving-iron cartridge like
Grado. Then maybe you could take a look at the gain and loading options.
Or maybe you have woofers moving furiously because you have warped records or
something like that—then maybe the filter settings could help.
But in most cases, you don’t have to do anything. Don’t flip the Mani 2 over.
No. Seriously. Don’t turn it over. Ah heck. Okay. Turn the page.
CONTROLS
Flip Mani 2 over to make changes:
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Filter. Mani 2 offers 6dB or 12dB of low-frequency filtering, which helps tame excessive woofer excursion with warped records. Most systems won’t need it. If you do:
a. Switch in the 6DB switches on both channels for 6dB low-pass filter.
b. Add in the +6DB switches on both channels (so both switches are set to “I,” or “IN,” for 12dB of low-pass filtering. -
Loading. For most systems using MM cartridges, you don’t need to change this— with all switches to “O” or “OUT,” the load is
47pF/47kΩ. If you need to change load:
a. Select 200Ω or 47Ω for MC cartridges. Or set both switches to “I” for about a 38Ω load.
b. Select an additional 47pF, an additional 100pF, or both, for about 100pF, 150pF, and 200pF loading respectively. -
Gain. For most systems, you won’t need to change these either. They’ve been set at the factory to INPUT = L, and OUTPUT = H, which offers 42dB of gain for most moving magnet (MM) cartridges. You can also select:
Gain 1 and Gain 2 both L: 30dB of gain Gain 1 = H, Gain 2 = L: 48dB of gain Gain 1 and Gain 2 both H: 60dB of gain
IMPORTANT
Unknown cartridge? Try 47 ohms. If your sound fades to almost nothing, set it
back to 47K. Distorted sound? One or more of the gain stages is overloading.
Switch both INPUT and OUTPUT gains to “L” and then adjust one at a time until
the distortion goes away.
2-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY
Schiit Audio warrants to the original purchaser that this product shall be
free from defects in material and workmanship for two (2) years from the date
of purchase. If a defect covered by this warranty occurs during this period,
Schiit Audio will repair the defective product, free of charge. Date of
purchase will be based on customer receipts, otherwise date of manufacturing
will be used.
If you believe you need warranty service, contact us first. Schiit Audio
products sent back to us without a Return Authorization (RA) will be returned
to the sender without repair. To contact us and obtain an RA,
emailinfo@schiit.com.
Warranty Limitations. This warranty shall not apply if a product: (a) is
modified or tampered with; (b) is damaged by negligence, accident,
unreasonable use, or other causes unrelated to defective materials or
workmanship, or (c) has had the serial number altered or removed. Any implied
warranties, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a
particular purpose, are hereby limited in duration to the warranty period of 2
years. In no event shall Schiit Audio be liable for consequential or
incidental damages resulting from the breach of any implied or expressed
warranties. Some states do not allow these limitations, so they may not apply
to you. You may also have other rights which vary from state to state or
province to province.
Application for Council Directives 72/23/EEC Conformity declared for
EN60065, EN50082-1
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Read User Manual Online (PDF format) >>