Thanks for posting this, Dr. Tone. I am not sure that Al M. is yet aware of this. It was interesting to read that the Yggy is now four years old, so it makes sense that an upgrade is due. I just reread the first page of this thread in which the listening impressions expressed by members of our Boston Area Audio Group seem pretty mixed. I have been meaning to compare again these two DACs, but Al has been very busy auditioning different amps and breaking in his new speakers. His mind is made up about the superiority of the Yggy, but I would like to hear his Berkeley DAC again in his more resolving system so see if my old impressions remain. His system is sounding excellent these days.
Well, yes, vinyl, but also the Yggy.
My impression of the Yggy was it still sounded digital to me. It is an R-2R NOS DAC I believe, but having heard quite a few NOS DACs (mostly with tubes) the Yggy didn't blow my socks off.
Peter, your impressions about a slightly dull and heavy sound of the Yggy at the beginning of the thread are from a time the DAC was not yet broken in, when there were problems with my room acoustics in terms of high frequency extension that are now solved, and it was with my current amps that are less extended in treble also than the Octave amp that you liked very much and which I will purchase shortly. The new sound of my system completely changes the game and fully reveals the Yggy as being tonally true and complete, as well as extremely resolving (with the new speakers). I am confident that in a comparison under the new circumstances the Yggy still will win over the Berkeley, and am happy to do the shootout again when the new Octave amp is in place.
Really, does the Yggy compete / equal your Vivaldi Stack? I find that hard to believe. I have heard the Yggy and it is good, but not high end IMO. I haven't heard the Vivalidi but seeing that stacks against the MSB Select II or other top flight DACs.
My impression of the Yggy was it still sounded digital to me. It is an R-2R NOS DAC I believe, but having heard quite a few NOS DACs (mostly with tubes) the Yggy didn't blow my socks off. I would say it is a great under 5K DAC, but there are better DACs around beyond that sector. It is / was a game changer when it came out, mainly I imagine on price v performance. Since then we have had a flurry of 3K-ish R-2R DACs out from Audio GD, Kitsune audio and others. Maybe the Lampi Atlantic would be a good fight as well? But I don't buy into the Yggy hype train, check out head-fi, it is on full throttle .....
Doesn’t scale dynamics right? What does that even mean? I have an Yggy and have heard Yggys on about 5 other systems of varying complexities and dynamics has never been an issue. Not even mentioned by anyone.
Doesn’t scale dynamics right? What does that even mean? I have an Yggy and have heard Yggys on about 5 other systems of varying complexities and dynamics has never been an issue. Not even mentioned by anyone.
Yup, a comment that leaves me puzzled as well. The Yggy does dynamics and dynamic shadings extremely well. The only circumstance where I could envision a problem is if you choke it off with bad power conditioning. Many power conditioners have problems.
it means it loses clarity in dynamic passages.
i knew i would offend the Yggy parade by posting this, but oh well.
On the contrary. What impressed me the most with orchestral on Ian's system was how climaxes just kept building, harmonically complex layer upon harmonically complex layer, without the Yggy ever losing composure. There was never the slightest hint of congestion, remarkable especially for digital.
Your friend must have had other problems. And by the way, the above was with CD transport.
Al- I get that you really like the Yggy, but his experience was different. why can't that be the case? why is there automatically a problem when he believed MSB (which starts at $6995) to be quite a bit better. He also uses a cd transport from time to time, unlike me. He was very complementary of the Yggy, just didn't think it excelled in that area vs other good dacs.
MIT anything isn't a plus to me. ymmv.
(...) i knew i would offend the Yggy parade by posting this, but oh well.
Steve Williams Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator | Ron Resnick Site Co-Owner | Administrator | Julian (The Fixer) Website Build | Marketing Managersing |