The Computer Audiophile Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Hey Guys - Just a quick post and photo to show what a delightful week it has been already :~) The Merging Technologies NADAC and the Schiit Audio Yggdrasil both arrived! Upper left - Berkeley Audio Design Alpha DAC RS Lower left - Merging Technologies NADAC Upper right - Schiit Audio Yggdrasil Middle right - EMM Labs PRE2 Lower right - EMM Labs DAC2X (updated) Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
Nikhil Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 *feeling jealous* Just kidding. Look forward to your report on these DACs. Custom Win10 Server | Mutec MC-3+ USB | Lampizator Amber | Job INT | ATC SCM20PSL + JL Audio E-Sub e110 Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted September 2, 2015 Author Share Posted September 2, 2015 After warming up the Yggdrasil this morning I just started listening to it. Holy schiit! The only other DAC that impressed me this much so immediately was the Berkeley Alpha RS. The Yggy is so so so impressive. What a great time to be in this hobby. An astounding DAC for $2,299 that competes with DACs at any price. So cool. Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
kilroy Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 What inputs blow you away? What???? No I2S???????? Some people will NOT be happy. Link to comment
Nikhil Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 After warming up the Yggdrasil this morning I just started listening to it. Holy schiit! The only other DAC that impressed me this much so immediately was the Berkeley Alpha RS. The Yggy is so so so impressive. What a great time to be in this hobby. An astounding DAC for $2,299 that competes with DACs at any price. So cool. That is really impressive! Looks like 21 bits is good enough for good sound. Custom Win10 Server | Mutec MC-3+ USB | Lampizator Amber | Job INT | ATC SCM20PSL + JL Audio E-Sub e110 Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted September 2, 2015 Author Share Posted September 2, 2015 What inputs blow you away? What???? No I2S???????? Some people will NOT be happy. Doesn't support DSD or anything above 192 kHz either. So far just been listening through the USB input. That is really impressive! Looks like 21 bits is good enough for good sound. This DAC really proves the numbers don't mean a thing in and of themselves. Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
Jud Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Doesn't support DSD or anything above 192 kHz either. So far just been listening through the USB input. This DAC really proves the numbers don't mean a thing in and of themselves. First of all, woot! Fun times! Second the numbers mean plenty; just have to try to understand which numbers mean what. Lots of misinterpretation by well meaning folks who want to oversimplify the world (aided by marketing that is only too glad to tell you if you've just got the Wizz-Bang 101 process happening inside your DAC, it's the *best* *sound* *evah*!!). One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature. Link to comment
Melvin Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Jealous? Who me? Schiit yes! If I weren't off the merry-go-round I'd be all over that Yggy. Link to comment
joelha Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Chris, Could we just have a live video feed while you compare the DAC's? If that seems excessive, please just say so. I'll try to understand. Hey, enjoy. What a remarkable collection of hardware. Joel Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted September 2, 2015 Author Share Posted September 2, 2015 Chris, Could we just have a live video feed while you compare the DAC's? If that seems excessive, please just say so. I'll try to understand. Hey, enjoy. What a remarkable collection of hardware. Joel :~) Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
preproman Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Is some kind of review coming soon? Headamp Blue Hawaii Special Edition / Stax SR-009, SR-007 MKI, SR-007 MKII Lumin A-1 Network Player iPAD Pro / JRemote App JRiver 21 / unRAID NAS Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted September 2, 2015 Author Share Posted September 2, 2015 Is some kind of review coming soon? Yes, I'll publish reviews of the both the NADAC and the Yggdrasil. Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
Audio_ELF Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Yes, I'll publish reviews of the both the NADAC and the Yggdrasil. At the weekend? Or do you need till Monday? :-) Eloise --- ...in my opinion / experience... While I agree "Everything may matter" working out what actually affects the sound is a trickier thing. And I agree "Trust your ears" but equally don't allow them to fool you - trust them with a bit of skepticism. keep your mind open... But mind your brain doesn't fall out. Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted September 2, 2015 Author Share Posted September 2, 2015 At the weekend? Or do you need till Monday? :-) Ha! Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
Blizzard Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 What inputs blow you away? What???? No I2S???????? Some people will NOT be happy. That will be what the Ravenna internal renderer in the NADAC sends direct to the DAC chip. The BEST way things can be done. Far better than any external renderer, even with I2S. Can't wait to hear Chris's impressions on that Link to comment
mordante Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Very nice. The EMM labs (or Meitner I always mix them up) is the best DAC I have ever heard. EMM labs transport and DAC im my ears and that set beat a DCS Vivaldi stack. [br] Link to comment
wdw Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Interesting that the YGGY is a fixed output since many, if not most, offer fixed and variable outputs. This is even more pecular as Schiit doesn't offer a preamp in a similar price/performance range as this DAC. It does look intriguing, that's for sure. Link to comment
firedog Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Yes, I'll publish reviews of the both the NADAC and the Yggdrasil. I know you don't like to do it, but some comparisons of DACs would be helpful. Main listening (small home office): Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments. Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three . Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup. Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. All absolute statements about audio are false Link to comment
Panelhead Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 That is really impressive! Looks like 21 bits is good enough for good sound. That brings the noise floor down to -155 dB or so with 24 bit data. 2012 Mac Mini, i5 - 2.5 GHz, 16 GB RAM. SSD, PM/PV software, Focusrite Clarett 4Pre 4 channel interface. Daysequerra M4.0X Broadcast monitor., My_Ref Evolution rev a , Klipsch La Scala II, Blue Sky Sub 12 Clarett used as ADC for vinyl rips. Corning Optical Thunderbolt cable used to connect computer to 4Pre. Dac fed by iFi iPower and Noise Trapper isolation transformer. Link to comment
MikeJazz Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Chris, if you can grasp it, please explain to us what is Closed-form digital filter... I have read the schiit but...sounds like a foreign language...thanks. http://www.computeraudiophile.com/members/mikejazz/ funded this campain: http://igg.me/at/geekpulseaudio/x/5216671 Link to comment
Nes Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Subscribed Merging NADAC / Theta Compli --> Spectral DMC-20 --> Spectral DMA-250 --> Avalon Ascendant (with tweeter upgrades) Link to comment
Jud Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Chris, if you can grasp it, please explain to us what is Closed-form digital filter... I have read the schiit but...sounds like a foreign language...thanks. What "closed form" means in mathematics is a problem that can be solved in a reasonable number of steps using "well known" mathematical functions. Without computers, it implies there is an exact solution rather than one that must be in some sense estimated (e.g., approaching a limit, as in calculus). When there is a computer or similar resource involved (such as apparently the Yggy chips), the notion of "well known" expands a little because there are "numerical" (non-exact, but very quickly done by computer) functions that can be included. Therefore Schiit's claim could be read to mean that instead of the normal tradeoff between aliasing, ringing and phase distortions all DAC filters have had to negotiate, their filter resolves the input exactly. That would be quite a strong claim, as you can imagine. Whether that is really what they are claiming (and what the Yggy does), I don't know. But it at least appears to be implied by their statements. One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature. Link to comment
jtwrace Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 What happened to the video's Chris was doing? They were enjoyable. No need to take a lot of time...quick-n-easy. W10 NUC i7 (Gen 10) > Roon (Audiolense FIR) > Motu UltraLite mk5 > (4) Hypex NCore NC502MP > JBL M2 Master Reference +4 subs Watch my Podcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXMw_bZWBMtRWNJQfTJ38kA/videos Link to comment
MikeJazz Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 What "closed form" means in mathematics is a problem that can be solved in a reasonable number of steps using "well known" mathematical functions. Without computers, it implies there is an exact solution rather than one that must be in some sense estimated (e.g., approaching a limit, as in calculus). When there is a computer or similar resource involved (such as apparently the Yggy chips), the notion of "well known" expands a little because there are "numerical" (non-exact, but very quickly done by computer) functions that can be included. Therefore Schiit's claim could be read to mean that instead of the normal tradeoff between aliasing, ringing and phase distortions all DAC filters have had to negotiate, their filter resolves the input exactly. That would be quite a strong claim, as you can imagine. Whether that is really what they are claiming (and what the Yggy does), I don't know. But it at least appears to be implied by their statements. Thanks Jud, My thoughts were...what the heck, this sounds radical...and new. With so many smart designers doing dacs, why this was never achieved before...? But yeah, I take this claims with lots of caution... http://www.computeraudiophile.com/members/mikejazz/ funded this campain: http://igg.me/at/geekpulseaudio/x/5216671 Link to comment
Lighthouse Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Yes, I'll publish reviews of the both the NADAC and the Yggdrasil. Schiit claims Yggdrasil has to be turned on for a week for its best sound. Are you going to wait for a week for Yggdrasil, Chris? Link to comment
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