Certain Schiit Models Reportedly Overheat, Producing Smoke and Unpleasant Smell

The Schiit Modi 3 is the subject of a potentially harmful defect (From: Schiit)
The Schiit Modi 3 is the subject of a potentially harmful defect (From: Schiit)

The Schiit Modi 3 is the subject of the latest casualty.

The Schiit Modi 3 is the subject of a potentially harmful defect (From: Schiit)
The Schiit Modi 3 is the subject of a potentially harmful defect (From: Schiit)

Schiit is known for producing high-quality DACs and amplifiers, ranging from the gaming-focused Fulla to the higher-end Ragnarok that retails for $1,499. However, the California-based company may be in a pickle with some users reporting overheating to the point of smoke coming out of certain models.

The latest incident happened to Reddit user /u/noserotonin who noticed a “strong chemical smell” coming out of his Schiit Modi 3 DAC while on his desk. He naturally had to shut down his whole system to ensure that the situation couldn’t get any worse.

Heading Straight to Warranty Support

Here’s how the problem started in his own words:

”Today, while working at my pc, I noticed a strong chemical smell, immediately shut everything down, and eventually traced it to my Schiit Modi 3. (sniff, sniff, sniff)”

To his luck, he was fortunate enough to discover the issue before more damage was dealt. Had this happened while he was away, there was no telling what could’ve happened to his setup.

”Fortunately, I was at my desk at the time. (I’ll probably have nightmares later as I’ve kept my DAC/Amp stack plugged in all the time). The modi appears fine, and nothing seems to have happened to the headphones I had plugged in, thankfully.
The Modi 3 retails for $99 on Schiit's website (From: Schiit)
The Modi 3 retails for $99 on Schiit’s website (From: Schiit)

After some research, he discovered that another Schiit user on Reddit experienced a similar dilemma while his Modi 3 DAC was connected to a Magni 3 amplifier. This occurred in June 2019 while noserotonin’s problem happened earlier today.

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire

Comments have since been building up on the Reddit thread, with one particular user sharing his own experience with a Schiit product:

”I had the same thing happen with a Jot a long time ago,” wrote Reddit user /u/valar_k. “It took days for each email response. I had to pay shipping because it happened after 1.5 months and their warranty only covers shipping within 1 month. In total, it took a month and like $15 or so in shipping.”

Until Schiit releases a public statement to address the current and past instances of its products overheating, anyone affected is advised to contact customer support directly, whether or not it’s within the warranty period.

Anyone affected is advised to contact customer support directly.

As of writing, the story is still developing with few other instances to speak of. Hopefully, this is the last we hear of them so we can avoid a widespread recall.

2 comments

  1. I can confirm. Yesterday my MAGNI 3+ that is less than a year old went up in smoke exactly as you described in your article. I am hoping their support is decent, as I loved the sound quality.

  2. This happened to me literally minutes ago, I contacted them, and started looking for reasons to why this happened, it also gave lots of static to my setup and fried a set of my IEMS.

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