Melvin Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 Should the Bifrost Multibit be called the Byby? HA! I'm partial to BiMBo to be honest. Link to comment
Melvin Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 BiMBy is on the way back to me :-) Link to comment
Melvin Posted October 15, 2015 Author Share Posted October 15, 2015 My Schiitbox arrived: Link to comment
Feanor Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 My Schiitbox arrived: [ATTACH=CONFIG]21503[/ATTACH] Great. Let us know your impressions after some burn-in. My Bifrost Multibit is wending its way back to me; the trek will be longer in my case because the package has to clear Canadian Customs. Meanwhile I'm having to get by with my SMSL SD1955 DAC which, I can assure you, isn't in the same league as any version of Bifrost. Link to comment
mrvco Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 My Schiitbox arrived: [ATTACH=CONFIG]21503[/ATTACH] What, is this a collectible DAC now? You should open it, plug it up, listen to it and tell us how it sounds :-) Congrats! I'm itching to get mine upgraded as well. -- My Audio System Link to comment
Melvin Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 What, is this a collectible DAC now? You should open it, plug it up, listen to it and tell us how it sounds :-) Congrats! I'm itching to get mine upgraded as well. HA! Well, I have in fact been enjoying it for the past 3.5 hours and it's sounds good .. very good! I hesitate to say much at this point but I sincerely doubt anyone will be unhappy with the upgrade. This is a significant change in sound quality over the Uber Analog and is money well spent IMO. Link to comment
Melvin Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 So, just a comment or 2 after my evening with BiMBy (5 hours or so). I listened to music I'm most familiar with using Amarra Symphony, Audirvana +, and HQPlayer. I purposely selected music at sample rates up to and including 24/192. I listened at both native rates and up-sampled (music with sample rates below 24/176.4 were up-sampled using integer multiples). My Bel Canto mLink USB-SPDIF converter was used for this session as well. For clarity, Amarra, as I'm sure most are aware of, has no up-sampling option(s) and I use it in Playlist mode with iRC (Dirac) engaged. My initial reaction and preference was to allow the DAC do it's thing with no up-sampling performed in the player. As the night progressed, subsequent, more focused listening was much the same and my preference for a BiMBy/Amarra pairing emerged. Said preference may change in time of course. No doubt I will be swapping out the converter with my SOtM converter at some point. I'll try a REGEN in the mix. A different cable perhaps. Winter here in the northeast is long and swapping out gear is a winter past-time for me. Fun. This upgrade makes me happy I held onto my Bifrost. Good Schiit. Link to comment
mrvco Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Thanks, hopefully I'll have a chance to get my upgrade in the queue this weekend. I was considering just doing the DIY board upgrade for now, but I bought a new (non-Schiit) DAC so I won't be DACless during the MB upgrade. -- My Audio System Link to comment
jiminlogansquare Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 I received my Multibit upgraded Bifrost today and, after letting it play all afternoon, I can report that the change has resulted in PHENOMENAL improvement to SQ that was already pretty good. I was one of the first to buy the Bifrost, and I was happy to make the Uber upgrade a couple of years later, but allow me to say none of that could have prepared me for the sound coming out of that box right now. Every element of the sound I listen for has been enhanced. Imaging, soundstage width, depth and height, transients, PRAT, timbral fidelity, all are hugely improved. I feel like I bought a new DAC. While I let the thing burn in all afternoon, I was in my office and more than once the sound escaping my living room tricked me with that "live music in another room" sound. Listening this evening to recordings I am intimately familiar with is just enhancing the experience all the more. The CSO/Muti live recording of Prokofiev Romeo & Juliet sounds even more like my memory of actually being there when that concert was recorded. Well, I guess it is apparent I like the Multibit upgrade to my Bifrost. Going to go now and listen and enjoy. Link to comment
Jud Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 Imaging, soundstage width, depth and height, transients, PRAT, timbral fidelity, all are hugely improved. I feel like I bought a new DAC.... Going to go now and listen and enjoy. We share your joy. Since the filtering is one of the major contributors to the "sound" of a DAC, at least in a theoretical sense a significant change is not surprising, though in the actual hearing it very well may be. 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
ChrisG Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 So, just a comment or 2 after my evening with BiMBy (5 hours or so). I listened to music I'm most familiar with using Amarra Symphony, Audirvana +, and HQPlayer. I purposely selected music at sample rates up to and including 24/192. I listened at both native rates and up-sampled (music with sample rates below 24/176.4 were up-sampled using integer multiples). My Bel Canto mLink USB-SPDIF converter was used for this session as well. For clarity, Amarra, as I'm sure most are aware of, has no up-sampling option(s) and I use it in Playlist mode with iRC (Dirac) engaged. My initial reaction and preference was to allow the DAC do it's thing with no up-sampling performed in the player. As the night progressed, subsequent, more focused listening was much the same and my preference for a BiMBy/Amarra pairing emerged. Said preference may change in time of course. No doubt I will be swapping out the converter with my SOtM converter at some point. I'll try a REGEN in the mix. A different cable perhaps. Winter here in the northeast is long and swapping out gear is a winter past-time for me. Fun. This upgrade makes me happy I held onto my Bifrost. Good Schiit. Mike Moffat chimed in on HF this week and said no up-sampling (while this applies to Yggy, they all use the burrito filter) - Schiit Yggdrasil Impressions thread - Page 78 "I recommend the Yggy be fed with no up sampling whenever possible, taking full advantage of the mega combo burrito filter. Redbook is wonderful with an Yggy, as well as native 48K sr recordings. " ChrisG Bend, OR Link to comment
Melvin Posted October 17, 2015 Author Share Posted October 17, 2015 We share your joy. +1 Mike Moffat chimed in on HF this week and said no up-sampling (while this applies to Yggy, they all use the burrito filter) - Schiit Yggdrasil Impressions thread - Page 78 "I recommend the Yggy be fed with no up sampling whenever possible, taking full advantage of the mega combo burrito filter. Redbook is wonderful with an Yggy, as well as native 48K sr recordings. " Thanks for sharing this ChrisG. I continue to be impressed. Link to comment
Melvin Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 Some tech info Jason posted on another forum: "Some fun facts about the AD5547CRUZ DAC used in Bifrost Multibit (for super techies only): 1. It features an integral nonlinearity plot that's better than +/-0.5LSB. This is a spec they never even bother doing for audio DACs, because (a) it would be terrifying in the case of audio multibit DACs and (b) it is not possible to measure delta-sigma DACs in this way, since the output depends on the preceding and following samples. 2. The THD performance is actually scary good--far better than 16 bits. 16 bit level THD, from a theoretically perfect 16-bit DAC, is -96dB. Most 16 bit DACs from the Jurassic Age of Digital didn't hit this number. The AD5547 is -104dB, much better than 16 bit--and its noise level is down at the 22 bit level. And this is without the deglitching tricks applied to Gungnir Multibit and Yggdrasil. 3. It is a parallel input DAC. As in, the entire 16-bit word has to be written in at once, on 16 separate pins. This is very bizarre, since most DACs are serial in. Just one way that these are NOT easy to use for audio." Link to comment
holzmann Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 How does the Bimby compare to the Gumby (RCA only)? I'd also be interested to know how the Bimby compares to the Audio-GD 19 10th Anniversary DAC (about same price). And even the Chord 2Qute. Link to comment
Jud Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Anyone heard Bimby or Gumby and Nano or Micro? 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
The Computer Audiophile Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Hi Guys - This thread obviously needed some cleaning up (well, obvious to some of us). I moved parts of the discussion to a new thread -> http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/hiros-schiit-mola-mola-conversation-26188/ Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Mike from Schiit was kind enough to send me a Multibit Bifrost (in addition to the Multibit Yggy I have for review). I have it connected to the new Audioengine HD6 powered speakers at my desktop. Overkill for a desktop system? Of course :~) The sound is terrific so far. Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
Hiro Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Mike from Schiit was kind enough to send me a Multibit Bifrost (in addition to the Multibit Yggy I have for review). I have it connected to the new Audioengine HD6 powered speakers at my desktop. Overkill for a desktop system? Of course :~) The sound is terrific so far. Hi Chris, Will be interested in your listening impressions of hi-res tracks played on the Bifrost, i.e. whether there's still an audible difference between them and their 16-bit versions. Link to comment
JuleZ Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Anyone heard Bimby or Gumby and Nano or Micro? Bimby (day 5) and Micro (14 months) here... Using speakers, expectation bias aside (well, trying to), and comparing the comparable (micro in direct mode (=> no 3D and/or Xbass)), space, instruments/sounds placement and bass rendering are the biggest differences for me in favor of Bimby. Link to comment
Jud Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Bimby (day 5) and Micro (14 months) here... Using speakers, expectation bias aside (well, trying to), and comparing the comparable (micro in direct mode (=> no 3D and/or Xbass)), space, instruments/sounds placement and bass rendering are the biggest differences for me in favor of Bimby. Thanks, helpful and interesting. Have you tried comparing the incomparable ( ), by using HQPlayer to convert to DSD, running that through the Micro, and comparing the result to PCM into Bimby? 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
JuleZ Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Took me too long to edit (got lost in music for 1 1/2 hour, searching for illustrating tracks ), so here it is : space (Meira Asher - Vio Smear), instruments/sounds placement (Lucretia Dalt - Esplendor) and bass rendering (The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble - Patra (Saint Vitus cover)) Battery sounds in particular... really nice. (The Desert Sessions - A#1, various rock and metal bands \m/ ) Link to comment
Melvin Posted October 21, 2015 Author Share Posted October 21, 2015 Mike from Schiit was kind enough to send me a Multibit Bifrost (in addition to the Multibit Yggy I have for review). I have it connected to the new Audioengine HD6 powered speakers at my desktop. Overkill for a desktop system? Of course :~) The sound is terrific so far. So does this mean a formal review of the Bifrost MB will be in your/our future? It is a sweet little DAC isn't it?! Link to comment
JuleZ Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Thanks, helpful and interesting. Have you tried comparing the incomparable ( ), by using HQPlayer to convert to DSD, running that through the Micro, and comparing the result to PCM into Bimby? Nope, never been a fan of upsampling I might say... (only ever tried with foobar) Link to comment
Jud Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Nope, never been a fan of upsampling I might say... (only ever tried with foobar) Thanks for the listening impressions again, and for the examples (will be interested to check these out). For folks like me who dabble in upsampling, that would be part of the attraction of a DAC like the Micro. 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
Jud Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Took me too long to edit (got lost in music for 1 1/2 hour, searching for illustrating tracks ), so here it is :space (Meira Asher - Vio Smear), instruments/sounds placement (Lucretia Dalt - Esplendor) and bass rendering (The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble - Patra (Saint Vitus cover)) Battery sounds in particular... really nice. (The Desert Sessions - A#1, various rock and metal bands \m/ ) Like the Lucretia Dalt; *really* like the Kilimanjaro. 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
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