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My current system is as follows:Amp: W4S ST500
DAC: Schiit Bifrost (not multibit) USB
Pre Amp: Passive
Interconnects: Homebuilt Solid Silver Single Ended RCA
Speakers: Maggie 1.6s with crossover upgradeI was thinking about getting the Schiit Multi-Bit Gungnir, but I would like to know if I need to make any other changes for a SIGNIFICANT sound increase. For example, getting new balanced XLR cables or something like the Regen? The Gungnir is really more than I can afford, so I'm only interested in upgrades that will truly provide me with a SIGNIFICANT sound quality increase. THANKS!
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"Humility is the true mark of genius. Just get used to it."
-Anonymous
Edits: 11/16/16Follow Ups:
2 SVS SB12 subs at $399 each, Black Friday special.
Thanks me later :-)
My guess would be a W4S Recovery with an appropriate LPS would maintain the general tone of your current system but offer a cleaner, blacker background and a more natural tonal presentation. A USB/SPDIF convertor may also offer similar gains, but I think there could be a risk there of additional brightness if the convertor does not match up well with your DAC.
There are a lot of good ideas here, especially the Freya and power conditioning... but I think for the money, the Recovery may offer a surprising overall improvement with little risk to changing stuff you already like. Since the freight charges are cheap with such a small device, it would be relatively effortless to resell if things are not to your expectations (after giving it a few days break-in trial of course...)
If you don't really have the bucks for the Gungnir Multibit, you won't regret upgrading your Bifrost to Multibit.
I currently am using the Gungnir Multibit having upgrade from Bifrost Multibit. The Gungnir principal improvement, for me, was in the bass, and that might partly be because I'm now using balance output to an all-balance downstream system.
Before the Gungnir, I upgraded the my Bifrost Uber to Multibit: it was a huge improvement in air and transparency -- this was especially true for 16/44.1 input.
Going from Bifrost Uber to Multibit was overall a bigger improvement that going from Bifrost MB to Gungnir MB.
I love the music of Dmitri Shostakovich ...
Thanks for that insight! I have no direct experience on this, but I expect that just using the unmodified Bifrost results in the most bang for the bucks, and next like you just said, the Bifrost with the multibit upgrade. I'm sure that the Gungnir Multibit is better than the Bifrost Multibit, but that the ratio of performance to the investment is much lower.
My system really is not that bad, and I'm able to extract much listening pleasure from it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Humility is the true mark of genius. Just get used to it."
-Anonymous
Last winter I upgraded from an original, bone-stock Bifrost to the multi bit Gungnir, and thought it was a worthwhile improvement. These things are always hard to put into words, but images are more solid and dimensional. Whether that's worth $1249 is a call only you can make.
If you haven't done so already, you might want to read John Darko's review of the Gungnir.
Happy listening,
Jim
"The passage of my life is measured out in shirts."
- Brian Eno
I did the Bifrost Multibit upgrade and it was worth it.
I would consider a good sub. Filling in the bottom will transform your listening experience. I added a Rythmic F15 EP to my system and really enjoy the result.
get a decent convertor USB/SPDIF and a decent SPDIF cble, then use the SPDIF input in your DAC; you'll notice an inmediate, very significant improvement!
I would consider a good tube preamp, new or used. Determine if you desire a Remote Control feature. Conrad Johnson, Audio Research, others. Might bring out more from your Maggies.
If this idea (tube pre-amp) appeals to you, then perhaps consider a used Don Allen 6BQ7 linestage? Budget superstar. They pop up from time to time on the various Internet sites in the $500-$600 range.
With this unit, I think you would totally avoid the problem (i.e., tubes add color, rob detail) you mention below.
Just a thought...
Good luck!
I'm interested in the announced Freya balanced tube-gain remote control preamp. Not yet listed for sale on their webpage, however, but to be priced about $700 -- sounds like heck of a bargoon.
Freya specs:
Balanced Remote Passive/Active Preamp
= Relay switched stepped attenuator (128 steps)
= Selectable passive, JFET buffer, or tube gain operation
= Tube gain stage uses (4) 6SN7 tubes and 300V rail
= 2 balanced inputs, 3 SE inputs, balanced and SE outputs
= Full remote control
= Shipping October 2016 for $699
I love the music of Dmitri Shostakovich ...
Thanks for the insight on the new Schitt preamps, will be watching for reviews. I love my audio gear (which includes a Schitt DAC, ARC, and Merlin speakers), but boy have some prices gotten high. Good for you guys at Schitt, Elac, Emotive, NHT, and others that can bring a good sounding system to someones home at an affordable price for those that don't belong in an Asylum! Maybe we should consider a section titled "Dirt Poor Inmates" for systems under $2K -$4K. Just a thought.
Wow! Talk about aggressive pricing and a nice feature set. Now you have me curious. I wasn't aware of these preamps. Thanks.
it's Schiit or nothing. I'm on work disability and live like a hermit, and I listen to music about 12 hours each and every day. I'm pleased with my system, but I have an eye on the Yggdrasil just to see if it'll make a significant improvement in my system. The new preamp also has my attention.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Humility is the true mark of genius. Just get used to it."
-Anonymous
I really enjoyed the video. Jeff seems like a great guy with his "quality entry point" challenge.
The notion of a selectable three-in-one "line stage" is very clever.
I like 6SN7 tubes (Cary SLP-05) and I like relay controlled stepped attenuators (Placette passive).
Switching discrete resistors in and out thru the use of relays is how Placette does it in their passive preamps.... same for Wyred4Sound in their STP-SE preamp.
Without a budget it is hard to make recommendations, and you are posting in PC Asylum.
When I went from a Nobis preamp that used 6CG7/6FQ7 tubes to a Conrad Johnson CT5 I got more detail and none of the colorations that some older tube amps were known for. Look for an Audio Research that uses 6H30 tubes.
Another direction would be to get a computer or music player that you use for music only. You can then optimize it for audio. Why are you stuck with 16/44 recordings? If you have problems with sibilance, it could be your dac, or speakers. Or your speaker cables. I like silver ICs, but prefer copper speaker cables.
What about upgrading your power conditioners? Separate the PC from the audio system. Look for a used regenerater.
I like tube preamps, but you might want to start with sources, and cables.
I posted this in the PC forum because I felt that a higher quality USB DAC would provide the most bang for the money. The thought that a tube preamp may be a better way to go never entered my mind.
My speaker cables are solid silver too, but I doubt that they are degrading my system.
I'm not really getting that much sibilance... Good recordings sound to my liking but poorly recorded vocals drive me up a wall. My system as it stands now is not that bad, but I'm always willing to pay for something that truly makes my system sound better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Humility is the true mark of genius. Just get used to it."
-Anonymous
The reason I brought up sibilance is that you mentioned it when you posted your system.
If the Gungnir is over your budget then you are quite limited. So, either used, or with a 30 day trial.
If you like your dac how about a Wyrd decrapper? Or some isolation devices? Maybe a used sub woofer?
If you want to upgrade your dac there are a lot of used ones out there, but with your budget it would be a side way move most likely.
Maybe post your budget and what you want to improve. What is the one thing you would like to accomplish?
I had a Blue Circle tube preamp and it added a lot of color and robbed me of detail. I added a Django TVC Preamp and, wow, things really opened up with total transparency. I tried several tube swaps in the Blue Circle, but to no avail. Maybe it was a bad capacitor in the Blue Circle, which from past experiences, I think could have caused problems. Anyway, I'm reluctant to try another tube preamp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Humility is the true mark of genius. Just get used to it."
-Anonymous
I have a Shindo tube preamp and it is one of the most natural, beautiful and musical devices I have ever hear. I have had tube, ss and passive pres and nothing comes close to the Shindo. They are expensive though
Alan
NT
For $1000 it will make your whole system sound better. NOT a subtle change. After that a sub. Vandersteen or REL. I also agree on the USB to SP/DIF converter. But mostly the Niagara 1000.
bigshow
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