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Post by tropicallutefisk on Sept 27, 2021 13:07:06 GMT -5
I received my new Schiit Yggdrasil "Less Is More" DAC on Saturday. Its replacing the DAC in my Cambridge CXN v1 which I am still using for its streaming capabilities. Before I began listening, I let the unit warm up for about 4 hours and I now have about 5 hours of actual play time on it. Not sure if its fully burned in, but it sure sounds good at this point. Before I go further, all my comments are in relation to the Cambridge CXN v1 except where noted. The CXN was the best sounding source I've owned and it beat a Marantz CD/BluRay player that previously held the title. In regards to sound quality, CXN impressed me with its smoothness and detail. What surprised me most was the improvement in bass. I did not expect this from a DAC swap especially since I've had a number of physical media players and never heard much of a bass difference before. The bass is tighter and there is more of it. The next most pleasing thing is the separation. One area I could fault the CXN was with music that was complex or busy. It could get a little blurry and individual instruments might not stand out as distinctly as I'd like. With my speakers, Maggie 3.7is, highs can get a bit bright at times due to the revealing nature of the true ribbon tweeter. So far I have not found anything harsh in this area. As a matter of fact the highs seem to be very sweet without being muted in any way. The final comparison is with the perceived seating position. My other mild complaint with the CXN was that I always felt like I was at concert in the cheap seats and forever leaning forward to feel more involved in the music, if this makes sense... With this new Schiit I feel like I'm in the perfect seat. Not front row but a few rows back where all the sound comes together perfectly.
Unfortunately, I cannot tell you how this compares to the other YGGY selections. I chose this one primarily based on a review stating the quality of the highs which seemed a good match with my current speakers. In summary, I'd also add this is very easy to listen to. I wouldn't say it sounds "analog" per se, but it does sound rich, full and is not fatiguing in any way.
I'm not much of a reviewer or writer so hopefully this comes across somewhat coherently.
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Post by garbulky on Sept 27, 2021 20:06:08 GMT -5
I received my new Schiit Yggdrasil "Less Is More" DAC on Saturday. Its replacing the DAC in my Cambridge CXN v1 which I am still using for its streaming capabilities. Before I began listening, I let the unit warm up for about 4 hours and I now have about 5 hours of actual play time on it. Not sure if its fully burned in, but it sure sounds good at this point. Before I go further, all my comments are in relation to the Cambridge CXN v1 except where noted. The CXN was the best sounding source I've owned and it beat a Marantz CD/BluRay player that previously held the title. In regards to sound quality, CXN impressed me with its smoothness and detail. What surprised me most was the improvement in bass. I did not expect this from a DAC swap especially since I've had a number of physical media players and never heard much of a bass difference before. The bass is tighter and there is more of it. The next most pleasing thing is the separation. One area I could fault the CXN was with music that was complex or busy. It could get a little blurry and individual instruments might not stand out as distinctly as I'd like. With my speakers, Maggie 3.7is, highs can get a bit bright at times due to the revealing nature of the true ribbon tweeter. So far I have not found anything harsh in this area. As a matter of fact the highs seem to be very sweet without being muted in any way. The final comparison is with the perceived seating position. My other mild complaint with the CXN was that I always felt like I was at concert in the cheap seats and forever leaning forward to feel more involved in the music, if this makes sense... With this new Schiit I feel like I'm in the perfect seat. Not front row but a few rows back where all the sound comes together perfectly. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you how this compares to the other YGGY selections. I chose this one primarily based on a review stating the quality of the highs which seemed a good match with my current speakers. In summary, I'd also add this is very easy to listen to. I wouldn't say it sounds "analog" per se, but it does sound rich, full and is not fatiguing in any way. I'm not much of a reviewer or writer so hopefully this comes across somewhat coherently. When I tried the little brother the Gungnir multibit, the thing that I noticed was a sense of this "improved timing". For some reason, there was a sense that things felt more real in terms of the time or speed at which things happened. So instead of hearing a recording with a bunch of instruments together, I heard each instrument in its own place doing its own thing. So in Pachelbels canon I heard the violinists doing the vibrato clear as day. When I ab'd it with the DC-1 I noticed better detail on the DC-1, but the ease in which I could just hear a violinists vibrato was not there. I ultimately didn't switch to the Gungiir precisely for this lack of detail and a little bit of a dissatisfaction with the tone. But it was that timing that still makes me think that I'll upgarde to the Ygdrassil. I'm just waiting on it to have a remote for input switching so I can use it with my harmony hub. |
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Post by 405x5 on Sept 28, 2021 9:58:27 GMT -5
“Schiit Yggdrasil“…..”Gungiir”.
Digital Analog Converters.
The ONLY meaningful and significant differences between them are the implementation of exotica names (such as the above) to elevate them into dreamland.( You can “hear” whatever you like)
DACS are cheap and get the job done.
What the snake oil sales force does with them is an old story.
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Post by pedrocols on Sept 28, 2021 22:15:35 GMT -5
“Schiit Yggdrasil“…..”Gungiir”. Digital Analog Converters. The ONLY meaningful and significant differences between them are the implementation of exotica names (such as the above) to elevate them into dreamland.( You can “hear” whatever you like) DACS are cheap and get the job done. What the snake oil sales force does with them is an old story. DACs sure sound different for better or worse. |
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Post by RichGuy on Sept 28, 2021 23:00:15 GMT -5
While I'll agree a lot of DAC's sound pretty much the same, especially your average DAC's and typical built in DAC's. However a good DAC will make a very nice change in how your system sounds and can make a big difference.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2021 6:36:12 GMT -5
“Schiit Yggdrasil“…..”Gungiir”. Digital Analog Converters. The ONLY meaningful and significant differences between them are the implementation of exotica names (such as the above) to elevate them into dreamland.( You can “hear” whatever you like) DACS are cheap and get the job done. What the snake oil sales force does with them is an old story. DACs sure sound different for better or worse. Indeed, I wasn't sold on other DACs until I bypassed the internal DAC of my Bluesound Node 2i streaming device. The contrast was night and day and all those little cracks and noises while firing up and shutting down the system simply disappeared. One thing the SMSL M400 DAC has sold me on are the various selectable filters that I'll always look for in a future DAC as a feature should I ever replace it. Not to mention "adequate" voltage output in order to gain match equipment. |
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Post by LuisV on Dec 2, 2021 11:17:52 GMT -5
Curious... how's that Yggdrasil "Less Is More" DAC treating ya?
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Post by tropicallutefisk on Dec 2, 2021 14:30:00 GMT -5
Luis, I'm quite pleased. I don't have much to compare against, but now that it has been in my system a bit longer and have listened to more of my favorite music I'm even more impressed. More bass, better separation of complex passages and its very easy on the ears. The other night I was listening and "suddenly" five hours had passed. I just couldn't keep pulling up old favorites to hear how they sounded on this new DAC. As they say though... your mileage my vary.
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Post by Soup on Dec 2, 2021 18:57:06 GMT -5
Luis, I'm quite pleased. I don't have much to compare against, but now that it has been in my system a bit longer and have listened to more of my favorite music I'm even more impressed. More bass, better separation of complex passages and its very easy on the ears. The other night I was listening and "suddenly" five hours had passed. I just couldn't keep pulling up old favorites to hear how they sounded on this new DAC. As they say though... your mileage my vary. Based on your description, you have found the sweet spot. |
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Post by housetech on Dec 6, 2021 17:58:50 GMT -5
I compare DACs to a phono cartridge, they'll all work, but do they match the system for optimum performance.
I found Burr-Brown the best for my system, then I heard the ESS Sabre ES9016, wow. tropicallutefisk, I did the same, kept playing favs one after another.
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bootman
Emo VIPs 
Typing useless posts on internet forums....
Posts: 9,358
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Post by bootman on Dec 7, 2021 15:50:37 GMT -5
“Schiit Yggdrasil“…..”Gungiir”. Digital Analog Converters. The ONLY meaningful and significant differences between them are the implementation of exotica names (such as the above) to elevate them into dreamland.( You can “hear” whatever you like) DACS are cheap and get the job done. What the snake oil sales force does with them is an old story. DACs sure sound different for better or worse. The design and quality of the analog stage goes a long way in determining how a DAC sounds. (IMHO more then what actual chip is used) |
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Post by 405x5 on Dec 7, 2021 18:38:01 GMT -5
DACs sure sound different for better or worse. The design and quality of the analog stage goes a long way in determining how a DAC sounds. (IMHO more then what actual chip is used) Perhaps 🤔 some of these are better than I give them credit for but those names!! “Schiit Yggdrasil“…..”Gungiir”. Am I the only one who sees the humor?? If only I were a Klingon 🚀 I could take it more seriously! 🤣  |
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bootman
Emo VIPs
Typing useless posts on internet forums....
Posts: 9,358
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Post by bootman on Dec 8, 2021 9:51:29 GMT -5
The design and quality of the analog stage goes a long way in determining how a DAC sounds. (IMHO more then what actual chip is used) Perhaps 🤔 some of these are better than I give them credit for but those names!! “Schiit Yggdrasil“…..”Gungiir”. Am I the only one who sees the humor?? If only I were a Klingon 🚀 I could take it more seriously! 🤣 View AttachmentThis is directly tied to their marketing, or more accurately the tongue and check approach to marketing which for that company has very little. Example: Just try and find a Schiit ad somewhere. If you are interesting to find out more from the founder, many interviews are available online. Here is one that is about an hour long. youtu.be/THWpsPluW8E |
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Post by 405x5 on Dec 9, 2021 10:14:33 GMT -5
Perhaps 🤔 some of these are better than I give them credit for but those names!! “Schiit Yggdrasil“…..”Gungiir”. Am I the only one who sees the humor?? If only I were a Klingon 🚀 I could take it more seriously! 🤣 View AttachmentThis is directly tied to their marketing, or more accurately the tongue and check approach to marketing which for that company has very little. Example: Just try and find a Schiit ad somewhere. If you are interesting to find out more from the founder, many interviews are available online. Here is one that is about an hour long. youtu.be/THWpsPluW8EHa Ha thanks (an hour too long!) 😂 |
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Post by LuisV on Dec 9, 2021 11:02:52 GMT -5
Or book... Besides working at Sumo, Jason started his own marketing firm years ago and I believe he's responsible for all the content at their site and manuals. Jason's wife sparked the name Schiit.  |
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Post by 405x5 on Dec 9, 2021 11:45:16 GMT -5
Or book... Besides working at Sumo, Jason started his own marketing firm years ago and I believe he's responsible for all the content at their site and manuals. Jason's wife sparked the name Schiit. |
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Post by MusicHead on Dec 9, 2021 19:29:15 GMT -5
Or book... Besides working at Sumo, Jason started his own marketing firm years ago and I believe he's responsible for all the content at their site and manuals. Jason's wife sparked the name Schiit. I read it, very entertaining and full of interesting information on the consumer electronics business. Nice mix of lightly technical notions, marketing and personal experience. It does not hurt that Jason has a pungent sense of humor... I believe he still maintains a live version of the book over at the HeadFi forum. |
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