Chinese DAC shames a few heavy hitters

DaveC

Industry Expert
Nov 16, 2014
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I have listened to the Schiit Bifrost with the AK4490 DAC chip, very lifeless and unimpressed. I know it is not all about the actual converter chips.

+1,my Bifrost was pretty bad compared to the Vega and Sony HAP. But it was better than the TEAC 501.
 

DaveC

Industry Expert
Nov 16, 2014
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The multi bit conversion made it a much better DAC but still lifeless and very "digital"

Yeah, I was actually waiting for the Yggy to come out, but after owning the Bifrost I decided to go another direction... it's not a good sound imo. I like the concept of Schiit, made in USA, no middleman, no sales, etc. but the performance needs to be there too, and the attitude towards DSD is inexplicable. When the Sony HAP came out it redefined value for digital sources imo an d an all-in-one box that requires no computer, USB interface, etc is compelling. But times are moving on it seems, and the Roon interface is leagues better than the Sony HAP interface too.
 

nc42acc

Member Sponsor
Nov 10, 2015
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North Carolina
I had high hopes for the Yggydrasil with the cult following. It is a good DAC but just not what I was looking for.


Yeah, I was actually waiting for the Yggy to come out, but after owning the Bifrost I decided to go another direction... it's not a good sound imo. I like the concept of Schiit, made in USA, no middleman, no sales, etc. but the performance needs to be there too, and the attitude towards DSD is inexplicable. When the Sony HAP came out it redefined value for digital sources imo an d an all-in-one box that requires no computer, USB interface, etc is compelling. But times are moving on it seems, and the Roon interface is leagues better than the Sony HAP interface too.
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
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Seattle, WA
I had high hopes for the Yggydrasil with the cult following. It is a good DAC but just not what I was looking for.
My son got the Bitfrost DAC. Isolation from USB was so poor that he could hear the noise from his PC as he played games! I measured it and it had a nasty jitter in addition to that -- the highest I have ever measured on S/PDIF -- on one of its inputs.




He also bought an interconnect from them and it was so poorly soldered that the solder from the center pin broke after a day.

He returned them all and bought the Oppo DAC-1 and has been quite happy other than volume control not keeping the levels the same on both channels as you adjust.
 
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BobShermanEsq

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2015
231
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What does Marty's speakers and listening have to do with A/Bing a circuit that you don't even know exists in the product versus 1000 other possible circuits? He is just stating how good the DAC is. I have no doubt about what he said. The opamps in the DAC are not even near the discrete stage. Please stick to facts you know to be true. Your quote at the bottom of your posts is about honesty. What do you honestly know? Certainly nothing about this output stage.

Ric,

This is his song! Like audio Raman Noodles. Just add water and instant audio expert. :)

 

nc42acc

Member Sponsor
Nov 10, 2015
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Amir you are giving me hope that I can still hear. My ears were not lying to me. :)


My son got the Bitfrost DAC. Isolation from USB was so poor that he could hear the noise from his PC as he played games! I measured it and it had a nasty jitter in addition to that -- the highest I have ever measured on S/PDIF -- on one of its inputs.




He also bought an interconnect from them and it was so poorly soldered that the solder from the center pin broke after a day.

He returned them all and bought the Oppo DAC-1 and has been quite happy other than volume control not keeping the levels the same on both channels as you adjust.
 

Blizzard

Banned
Sep 30, 2015
3,049
3
0
I had high hopes for the Yggydrasil with the cult following. It is a good DAC but just not what I was looking for.

I find when things have a cult following, it's usually more based on religious beliefs than reality.
 

Blizzard

Banned
Sep 30, 2015
3,049
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Ric,

This is his song! Like audio Raman Noodles. Just add water and instant audio expert. :)


According to Ric, the IC opamps are in the digital section.
 

Blizzard

Banned
Sep 30, 2015
3,049
3
0
I have listened to the Schiit Bifrost with the AK4490 DAC chip, very lifeless and unimpressed. I know it is not all about the actual converter chips.

Goes to show that's there much more to a good DAC than the chip. Definitely not the case with my AK4490 based DAC.
 

Blizzard

Banned
Sep 30, 2015
3,049
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So if I am that enamored with my Gustard I should start a cult? I would lean towards Buddhism since the DAC is Chinese.

The cult followers won't like it, because it actually has good measured specs :) You need more "mystique" and less evidence.
 

BobShermanEsq

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2015
231
1
98
This is what I hear with the X20 compared to the Vega and Yggydrasil, both great DACs in their own market share. I would like someone with a DAC in the SOTA category to hear the X20. I am just saying the X20 has changed my listening habits in terms of analog or digital. And I really like Chinese food too, maybe just Asian since I can include Thai. Chill out guys this is suppose to be fun.


So you like the X20 better? Was the Yaggy warmed up?

Regards
Bob
 

wisnon

Well-Known Member
Dec 12, 2011
3,525
635
1,200
I had high hopes for the Yggydrasil with the cult following. It is a good DAC but just not what I was looking for.

Not crazy about it either. Lots of detail but less body than I am used to. I love my GG and the more options out there I hear, the more convinced I am about its unique qualities.
 

nc42acc

Member Sponsor
Nov 10, 2015
609
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North Carolina
Exactly Wisnon. That is where the X20 excels in my system. Has the detail but maintains the body and warmth especially through the midrange.

Not crazy about it either. Lots of detail but less body than I am used to. I love my GG and the more options out there I hear, the more convinced I am about its unique qualities.
 

Blizzard

Banned
Sep 30, 2015
3,049
3
0
Exactly Wisnon. That is where the X20 excels in my system. Has the detail but maintains the body and warmth especially through the midrange.

I would love to compare it with the Resonessence Labs Mirus. It just may have the "warmth" ingredients that are missing from it. This warmth is due to the discrete output stage. The Mirus uses 100% IC AD797's.
 
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BobShermanEsq

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2015
231
1
98
I would love to compare it with the Resonessence Labs Mirus. It just may have the "warmth" ingredients that are missing from it. This warmth is due to the discrete output stage. The Mirus uses 100% IC AD797's. Dustin really stood behind using them, however he was talking about the hybrid IC/discrete. Maybe he decided to let Gustard use it just to see the market reaction before deciding whether or not to use them in the next gen Mirus boards?

What makes you think that Gustard is using someone design? Dustin, Dustin, Dustin...


 

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