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Does anyone have an update on either of these Schiit Audio DACs. As I understand both are based on "ladder" rather than delta-sigma DACs. Also, both employDSDDSP chips and a sophisticated algorithm to perform oversampling (non-asynchronous) and filtering.Anyone heard either of them?
Anyone compared either to other well-regarded DACs?
Anyone seen a review by a popular & reputable reviewer?
I love the music of Dmitri Shostakovich
Edits: 09/07/15Follow Ups:
See the link below.
I find the Bifrost Multibit, ("Bimby"), to have similar characteristics, I.e. it is highly revealing of all details and instrument timbres.
It might be a downside for some people, but the Bimby really separates the Good from the Not-so-good recordings, (although it improves both).
I love the music of Dmitri Shostakovich
To date not that many units are in circulation. I'm hoping to see reviews in the audiophile press soon.
So how does one select the song or album to be played? Is this accomplished via the music server?
nt
I love the music of Dmitri Shostakovich
I've got over 125 hours in on the Gumby. It has not been turned off and has been fed signal constantly either from me playing music or a steady repeat of various burn in and test sources (Frybaby audio track, Xlo Test & Burn-In CD, Tara Lads - Cascade Noise Burn In Disk and Stereophile Test CD). I'm also using 4 Herbies Tenderfeet with one Supersonic Stabilizer on top of the dac. Signals are originating from my Dell desk top pc which is deriving power from my Furman conditioner via a Zu Audio Mother power cable (don't laugh, it make s a huge difference). The desktop also sits on 4 Herbies Tenderfeet on my component stand. I've become a firm believer in usb converters so my pc is connected to a Bryston Buc-1 USB to spdif converter via a YFS USB Reference data only cable. The BUC-1 also has a Zu Audio Mother power cable and the Gumby is using a Silnote Poseidon GL power cord. The Gumby receives its signal from the Bryston via a Zu Audio Ash spdif rca digital cable.
Now that all of that's out of the way, let say that the Gumby is awesome. The bass is very extended and articulate. Some may call it warm sounding but not detrimentally so. If you'll recall back in the day, many we're attracted to Theta dacs because of how they reproduced bass; I suspect the family lineage is shining through with the Gumby. Cymbals are metallic with plenty of air. Vocals are holographic with background singers clearly spread across the soundstage (background singers are easily understood as well). Strings are lush and acoustic guitarists are right in front of you. Pianos have the appropriate amount of percussive attack and decay (i.e. they sound like real pianos). The soundstage is deep and extended. No digital glare and no listener fatigue. The suddenness of handclaps on live disks are scary and immmersive. I know I'm writing in short clipped sentences but all I can say is I haven't heard anything I don't like. The Gumby is a musical and enjoyable piece that's worthy of your consideration. Back to the listening chair, I've been away too long already.
One more observation, I've never heard 44.1/16 standard resolution sound this good before. The music has body and makes you want to shake the proverbial booty (the real one too). Sound improvements from hirez, where present, are clearly discernible. I'm rediscovering my music collection because the resolution of the Gumby keeps pulling stuff out of the mix I hadn't heard before. For example, listening to Cassandra Wilson's Harvest Moon on New Moon Daughter in the dark can be spooky as you go deeper into the swamp like mix of cricket sounds. Great stuff!!
... That is, a big boost for standard resolution. It is amazingly revealing for all resolutions but especially for Redbook.
Also, (in case of the Bimby at least), it really distinguishes great from mediocre and poor recordings, (though it improves all).
I love the music of Dmitri Shostakovich
I have been listening to Paul Simon Graceland on the Gumby and I am hooked. There are so many layers to this recording I never really knew existed. I am definitely am a fan of this DAC.
Edits: 11/17/15 11/17/15 11/17/15
I just got my Gungnir multibit today. It's got new dac issues (not enough air, some veiling and some glassiness on piano) in the first couple of hours. However, the bass is very articulatw, soundstaging is good and I'm not hearing any glare. Very promising. I'm exciteed about what's to come!
... Which wasn't available when I originally posted.
After three days on the waiting list I got my RA to ship for the upgrade. The actual upgrade took only a day and now the unit is wending it way back to me via USPS and Canada Post.
I'll post a comment after it has some burn-in time.
I love the music of Dmitri Shostakovich
I have had the Gungnir for over a year and recently had the multibit upgrade completed around the beginning of September. I was 8th in line for two days after I paid for it. But on the third day they asked me to send it in. Once received, the upgrade was done and it was mailed back to me the next day. Very impressive.I got it back and was disappointed at first. The sound had changed completely. The bass seemed to have disappeared. I put in Bob Marley, Catch a Fire to test the Bass. I turned it up and noticed that I could finally understand all the words. Wow, the midrange is so crystal clear. The bass and highs are still there but there is a much better balance to the music. Using the original dac, Aston Barrett, the Bassist was one note and bloated in my system. Now, it's still deep, but takes on a much richer resonance that no longer over powers the recording rendering everything else hard to focus on.
I have also noticed there is more apparent depth and bite to a great Cello recordings. Pianos also sound incredible with this new multibit dac. This greater string clarity makes it more fun to get sucked into the performances.
I can't believe this is the same DAC. It's a wall of sound which comes out much further into my listening room and there appears to be a much greater distance between instruments on well recorded songs. I am very happy with the synergy in my system.
I sure wish I could hear an Yggdrasil Dac to see if I am missing even more hidden music enjoyment. This DAC will be quite hard to beat for the price and I know I will be quite happy.
Edits: 10/09/15
For about one month now I have been living with the Yggdrasil. I use it in conjunction with a Marantz NA 11S1 network device. The ethernet to SP/DIF bridge in the Marantzhas a tap out before the DAC to feed an external DAC if desired. I purchased a AudioGD Reference 1 dac about 5 years ago. Like the other three units in the series it uses 8 AD1704 DACs and sounds outstanding. The Marantz sounded very good, but not as good as either of the multibit DACs, mostly in sound stage presentation.
I decided to replace the AudioGD with a new design mostly because of the heat generated in this unit. After over five years of use I wondered how much longer the electrolytic caps last in that oven. I replaced the AudioGD with the Yggdrasil and so far I am more than satisfied with the change.
RD
Like you, I can live with the Marantz house sound, albeit I have the MUCH lower-on-the-food-chain NA-7004 and would love to move up and to a R2R Ladder type DAC.
And still use the Marantz as a streamer.
$!200 for the Gungnir Multi could work for me if it's within a few percentage points of the Yggdrasil sound-wise.
Who knows?
Schiit has a prety good money back return program. You can always buy the unit, try it out, and return it for 95% of your money back if you don.t like it.
RD
I have a Marantz SA-8005. It sounds pretty darn good. I would love to compare it to some of the higher end units from Schiit but don't feel like paying a 5% restocking fee ($100+ on the Yggd) if the Schiit doesn't measure up to expectations.
I do not think you will be paying any restocking fee. There will be a significant improvement over your Marantz. The Yggdrasil has bettered, in my system, the Hugo, the Weiss DAC2 and others.
For me, a component does not only need to best my existing components to warrant my purchase of it. In addition, it needs to be clearly worth the additional cost. While I will take your word that the Schiit unit bests the Marantz SA-8005, I am not so convinced that it would be worth the additional ~$1400 it would cost me over what i paid for the Marantz.
I compared the Marantz SA-8005 with the Bifrost Multibit. The Bifrost was fed from the Marantz through coax and I set-up the premp for 1 button switching between the two. Music was classical, Jazz, opera, voice (both male and female), pop, and rock. This was a blind test (someone else did the listening and evaluation). While the Bifrost Multibit was more detailed, the Marantz beat it on dynamics. The Marantz was more musical and more enjoyable. I'm keeping the Bifrost MB in the system for another couple of weeks and will compare again then. Yes, the Bifrost MB is not the Yggy but given what we heard, I wouldn't be so sure that the Yggy will hands down be preferred over the SA-8005.
I'm would be surprised that some people will prefer other DACs over the Schiit Multibits for "musicality".
The Multibits are highly revealing of detail, but aren't "warm". For that matter the details on the recording might be good or bad. I find that the greatest improvement, in my case with the Bifrost Multibit, is from the best recordings and from 16/44.1; mediocre/poor recordings are not nearly so improved.
I love the music of Dmitri Shostakovich
Then don't purchase it. No big deal.
but I might do that with the agreement of Schiit to give me my money back on ONLY one that I chose to send back.
I would do that.
Otherwise, I'd never know if I bought the right one. :-(
RD:
Not familiar with the Reference 1 -- was it running class A all the time?
Thanks,
Doug
"Do you need those light bulbs on your stereo?" - my niece, looking at a Dynaco ST-70
I am confused. I have a Master 7 and it doesn't get warm at all. The output stages of these dacs are like a preamp, not a power amp. All preamps and these dac outputs run in class A and shouldn't put out much Heat. Does the one use built in power supply regenerators? Some of there dacs due. That might generate the heat
Alan
I don't know for sure, but I think that the output stages are class A. I do not see how it can generate all that heat if it was not class A.
RD
The AudioGD DACs seem to have pretty good rep so your experience says something for the Ygg.
I love the music of Dmitri Shostakovich
I started with a Bifrost and now own a Gungnir. Couldn't be happier. Service one time on it was speedy with good communication. I would rate product and service "first class". BTw, I don't have anything to do with HF.
It will be great for the $$.
The Bifrost Uber is great for anywhere near the dough.
I love the music of Dmitri Shostakovich
I meant to say 'DSP' (digital signal processing), not 'DSD'.
I love the music of Dmitri Shostakovich
Don't know about a Reputable reviewer but they have a large fan base over at Headfi.
Can't say the reviews by users there are not biased by group-think...seeing that anyone who posts negative reviews about Headfi's sponsors become banned.
Good luck though.
Dynobots Audio
Music is the Bridge between Heaven and Earth - 音楽は天国と地球のかけ橋
Well for a large proportion of the respondents on HF I think group - non thought as actually
more appropriate!
I've had several postings mysteriously disappear & was asked not to make any future references to their "Irreverent, seemingly limited vocabulary" nemesis web-site.
The funny thing is the nemesis site is very similar to much of what you'll see on HF
although they may be even more of a closed cliquish group.
However , there are at least a handful of posters I enjoy responding with over on HF,
that haven't convinced themselves they are legends & are capable of subjective thought
processing .
(As far as the "Yggy" is concerned it may be worthwhile for the fact M. Moffat is behind it; It
appears to be more like a Theta designed product than his current company's usual offerings) (Do try to find a non-biased review on it though)
Product support from this company is a joke. The fast response being touted is rubbish.
My Wyrd stopped working several months ago. I emailed them with the direct purchase details and heard nothing. I emailed again recently and I got a lightning reply from tech support to say that they didn't receive my email and would I please fill in a returns form. This I duly did and emailed the guy that I'd done it, in addition.
Total stonely silence. I bet they'd say again that they hadn't received my form and email.
I have a memory of you saying you had made some "enhancement" to your Wyrd..?
I've had absolutely no problem with them on my email responses. But I've also had occasions that a receivers email software that reads my message as spam and automatically puts it in the trash - which never gets read by the receiver. These guys have been so responsive to me on issues that make no money for them that I would have difficulty to believe that they are intentionally being unresponsive.
Edits: 09/06/15
Over the last two years I've sent multiple questions into them on various topics, to include most recently a lightening strike that damaged my Wyrd and BiFrost. Always immediate responses from them. Very happy with their products and support. AAA Insurance rep was a little confused that the company was actually called Schiit :)
And that's including sending my Bifrost DAC in for the Uber Audio upgrade. Also, I've had occasion to ask question a couple of times and have had prompt replies
I love the music of Dmitri Shostakovich
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