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I admit that I have only done a cursory reading of the SBAF thread, but are they saying that placing an Eitr before a DAC makes everything that comes before it sound equally good, and therefore indifferent as to its quality or price?

 

Are they really saying, for example, that all 4 of the following hypothetical chains will sound equally good, regardless of the cable interconnects that are used?

 

1. Mac mini ==> Eitr ==> Yggy ==> Amplification

2. Microrendu ==> Eitr ==> Yggy ==> Amplification

3. Ultrarendu ==> Eitr ==>Yggy ==> Amplification

4. Squeezebox Touch ==>> Yggy ==> Amplification

 

I am not sure whether this is what the reviews there are claiming, but if it is, and the claim is accurate, it would make the Eitr not only the ultimate decrapifier, but also a  great equalizer...

 

The next question this is raising for me is whether chains ##2 and #33 will sound better or worse with the Eitr withdrawn from the chain?

 

I am just trying to understand what I am reading, but it sounds to me as if some very bold and far-reaching claims are being made there about the Eitr. Any clarifications/corrections would be welcome.

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1 hour ago, cfisher said:

 

Yeah, that's the claim. I'm inclined to think there is some truth to this. My computer and stereo are in different rooms so I could only experiment via my headphone system. I tried the following variations:

 

Dell XPS-POS>Eitr>GUMBY>Jotunheim>Focal Elear/Campfire Andromeda

Dell XPS-POS>ultrarendu>GUMBY>Jotunheim>Focal Elear/Campfire Andromeda

Dell XPS-POS>microrendu>Eitr>GUMBY>Jotunheim>Focal Elear/Campfire Andromeda

 

All three sounded very good and significantly better than the microrendu straight into the GUMBY. I am not saying there weren't any differences between the three chains, but it would probably take better ears, language, and patience to suss them out.

Nice:  This is helpful, and I realize it does take some effort, so I do not want to sound ungrateful. Still, here is a question I cannot resist :  If chain #1 sounds as good as 2 and 3, and even better than 3 (with the Eitr removed), then that seems to be suggesting that the Eitr renders both the Ultrarendu and the microrendu effectively redundant in these particular set ups (in the sense that you can do without them and get the same sq, as long as the Eitr is in the chain)... Is that an accurate summary of your position?

 

Also, I notice that the Eitr is missing from Chain #2. On that note, if you have tried combining the Ultrarendu with the Eitr in order to find out how that combination will impact sound quality, or if you ever get around to trying that combo, could you kindly report back and give us your impressions?

 

With all that said, I do appreciate your caveat that these results come exclusively from experimenting with headphones/iems. I wouldn't be completely surprised if experimentation with loudspeakers produces more discernible differences in SQ in similar comparative testing.  Thanks.

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Thanks. No pressure, but please keep us updated with any further findings. I'm adding an ultrarendu to my main system so that I can move the microrendu to a second one. I'm also expecting an Eitr in the mail, so I should be able to participate in these experimentations soon.

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  • 2 weeks later...
4 hours ago, Charente said:

 

@chauphuong I have done a comparison per your chain suggestions…

 

(A)  MacMini > EITR > DAC

(B)  MacMini > microRendu > EITR (I used a short USB adapter) > DAC

 

I played just one album that I’m familiar with on both chains:- George Coleman  - A Master Speaks (16/44.1). A Jazz album that is reasonably well recorded, featuring a classic set of Saxophone, Piano, Double Bass & Drums.

 

TO MY HEARING, and in my setup, there are differences. They are not huge by any means but enough for me to notice.

 

Essentially in Chain (B), it boils down to more airiness around the instruments and more body to the sound. It comes across just a bit more smooth and relaxed. I particularly noticed that cymbals on this album splash more delicately and they are more intricate when being played rhythmically. The ‘blowey’ nuances on the sax are also notably more audible. There is a bit less ‘wooliness’ to the music as a whole.

 

I must stress that none of this is massive. I suspect (although I haven’t checked this) the audible differences may depend on the genres of music being played …. The differences are fairly subtle. A Rock album may reveal no differences at all whereas with a well recorded small Jazz set the differences may be more apparent.

 

As I said before, I would not suggest that you necessarily want to rush out to spend $1000 on a microRendu/UltraCap LPS-1 front-end. The end result may simply not justify itself to you. Chain (A) will almost certainly satisfy a majority of people, in my opinion.

Thanks for  sharing the results of all this patient testing.  I also have the microrendu, an ultrarendu and a couple of Mac minis in different configurations, so I find your results particularly helpful. One thing I am somewhat intrigued about is your Mac mini > microrendu pairing. Could you explain how that works?  I have always thought the thing to do was to link the micro- or the ultrarendu directly to one's router, without any computer in the chain, but I may be taking a dogmatic tunnel- visionist approach to this, without knowing it...  I do use one mac mini as my roon core, but it is not connected to either my micro- or my ultrarendu... My typical set up, as exemplified by my main rig is:

 

Asus Router > (ethernet cable)>Ultrarendu(powered by LPS-1)> (Moon audio USB cable)>Schiit Eitr> (S/PDIF coax cable)>Schiit Yggdrasil...

 

I enjoy the sound, but there is one test I am very keen to do, which is to replace the ultrarendu in this chain with the microrendu, in order to find out if, and to what degree, that will affect the sound quality...  That is meant to test the validity of the finding according to which the quality of the Schiit Eitr's sound is not affected by anything that comes before it, but that testing is yet to come...  On that note, here are two questions for you:

 

1. Since you do hear differences (albeit subtle differences) between chains A and B above (and having the microrendu in the chain does make a differenct), would it be correct to say that the claim according to which the Eitr's sound quality is indifferent to what comes before it in a given chain is essentially refuted?

 

2. Have you tried--and heard the sq results of--taking the mac mini out of the chain, and going straight from your router to the microrendu, and then from microrendu to the Eitr..? (Bypassing the Mac mini this way is possible for me personally, only because I use the micro- & ultrarendus as roon-ready devices, maintain the core on an isolated mac mini, and store my music on a synology NAS...  I do realize that this arrangement may not be suitable for you if your rig is set up differently.  Still, I am only asking because I am interested in knowing whether the presence of the mac mini in the chain makes a difference, one way or the other :)  )

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  • 1 month later...

There is an issue with the Eitr/Yggdrasil combo--erratic clicking and sound dropouts--which has not been properly addressed as yet by Schiit audio...  Oddly though, The Eitr plays much much nicer with a Metrum Acoustics Hex with which I replaced the Yggrasil (which is now off to Schiit Audio for the USB 5 upgrade)..in the same chain...

 

Quoting my own post from another site:

" the Eitr was making the Yggy click like crazy, during playback, as well as in idle mode, several times a day. With the Eitr/Hex combo, conversely, I have just noticed something happen on just two occasions: I called that "something" a click, but it is nothing like those I used to hear on the Yggy... Both times, it was more like an ever-so-soft and ever-so-brief "blip" of a sound accompanied by a mild blink of the blue light on the Hex, and that was all., Whatever it is, it has been nowhere near as obnoxious, and frankly, as worrisome as the Eitr/Yggy combo was becoming to me. It has been 11 days now since the Yggy left here and was replaced by Hex, and I haven't seen or heard a single click or drop on the hex during music playback, and I find that to be relatively pleasing considering the alternative...

That said, all things being equal, and with all "clicks" taken out of the picture, I would rather have the Yggy installed in this particular system, and that is why I am hoping there shall be no clicking on the USB5 equipped Yggy, when it gets back."

 

The clicking reportedly goes away with the Gen 5 USB installation, but some people are reporting compatibility issues between the Gen 5 USB and Micro/Ultrarendu's serving as Roon endpoints...  Has anyone experienced such issues?

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Yes, I read Mike's explanation about capacitance and inductances, sending pulses that can "cause a tic or a few millisecond interruption in the Eitr."  I think the effect was particularly severe on my Yggy probably because my living room, in which it was located, also has an adjoining kitchen with many non-audio appliances that were emitting the offensive pulses.  That said, I am still left wondering why the Eitr plays so nicely with the Metrum Hex, which has replaced the Yggy in the same chain, and in the same listening area. The Eitr/Hex combo is extremely well-behaved, and very composed, as compared to the Eitr/Yggy combo.  It's a good thing the Eitr is going to stay with the Hex in another system when the Yggy comes back with the USB 5 upgrade.

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8 minutes ago, Charente said:

@sahmen I'm not familiar with the Metrum Hex (more's the pity), but just a thought .... does it have a relay like on the Gungnir & Ygdrassil for switching between resolutions ? I'm wondering whether this relay makes the resulting effect you describe more pronounced ?

I am not sure about this.  Will have to verify and let you know.

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5 minutes ago, Charente said:

microRendu with EITR ... iFi iPower versus Uptone LPS-1 ?

 

Following @OldBigEars request I undertook to test whether there was any difference between using the iPower or the LPS-1 powering a microRendu, when connected to the EITR. This further tests the assertion that anything before the EITR will not make a difference. This may also be useful for others who are contemplating a mR (e.g. as Roon endpoint) in this chain arrangement.

 

My test kept the new Balanced Power Supply (BPS) that I have acquired in situ, with all components sharing the same power strip connected to the BPS, ... APART from the iFi iPower, which I kept outside the BPS. I had already proved to myself that the iFi pollutes the power to other components resulting in a much less vivid overall sound.

 

The short answer to the initial question is YES, it does make a difference, although it is not a big one. With the iPower, the ambience is that bit less 'airy' and the tonal quality of the instruments was not quite as accurately portrayed. This was particularly noticeable when I listened to the Shai Maestro Trio (album of the same name). This is quite a dynamic recording and it sounded somewhat 'dulled down' with the iPower ... the drums didn't reveal their ringing thwacks in quite the same way ... the cymbals didn't quite give the same quality delicate 'ting' or lingering airy splash that I was expecting. Piano and double-bass were good tho'... soundstage presentation was as before. Whether these differences are less apparent with other genres of music, I don't know at this stage ... more listening would be required.

 

Why this is the case, when the EITR isolates the power from the source, I don't have a clue, other than offer 'signal integrity' as an answer. Maybe someone can offer a better explanation.

 

Having said all that, it is still eminently listenable to with the iPower ... is it worth $395 for the LPS-1 for the resulting difference ? On balance .... nyyyyes ... (it's close!) with one caveat ... get a BPS as well. If you can only get one of these two, then I would say get the BPS first. All IMPO.

Interesting comparison. Could you kindly provide a link to the exact BPS version you're referring to, and do you know whether that version supports American voltage requirements?

 

Again, thanks for this important experiment.

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My USB Gen 5 upgraded Yggdrasil is here, and I am glad to note that it does not exhibit the clicking problem the Eitr/Yggy was experiencing in my house, and that is great already....  On the SQ front, the USB gen 5 has already established itself as a clear winner, although it has seen only 5 hours of warm-up playback time so far, which makes it a little premature to do a definite evaluation of its performance (given that this is the Yggrasil). The Gen USB definitely sounds better than the Yggy with the USB 3 version. That much is already more than clear (and I was not even using the USB 3 for playback... I was using the Audiophilleo 2 with PP USB to S/PDIF converter)... As for the Eitr, it is going to stay with my Metrum Acoustics Hex. henceforth.

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  • 8 months later...
1 hour ago, buonassi said:

Just got Eitr and love the sound.  But it fails every time my HVAC unit's Air conditioning shuts off.  As soon as I hear the thermostat click that it's cool enough, bam - out goes the Eitr. How in the world do I deal with this?  When it's playing it sounds sublime!

 

buonassi : Are you using your Eitr with a Schiit DAC?  I ask because I experienced my problems mostly with the Eitr playing with the Yggy.  The problem went away when I got the USB Gen 5 update for the Yggy.

 

On the other hand, pairing the Eitr with my Metrum Acoustics Hex DAC also whittled down the incidence of those interferences to near-zero.  And yes, the irony of the Eitr playing far, far, nicer with a Metrum DAC than with the Schiit DAC did not escape me.

 

I am not sure how any of this might be helpful to you, but I thought i should mention them any way.  Keep us updated with the progress of your troubleshooting.

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