Schiit EITR

[89reksal]

On 03/08/2017 at 3:56 AM, Charente said:

EITR is an accomplished performer and I will do a more detailed audition against the Singxer F-1 and directly from the MacMini, although on my initial listening thru the microRendu is very favourable.

 

 Looking forward to reading your report. I've ordered one as well. I'm currently using a SOtM dx-USB HD. I'm hoping the Eitr will be a worthwhile upgrade.

 

I found this write up that gives a great overview and comparison of different USB to S/PDIF converters. He updated it to include the Eitr:

 

http://www.basshead.club/spdif-battle-mutec-singxer-lynx-rednet-et-al/

 

Suffice to say, he liked the Eitr

 

 

 

 

[Charente]

1 hour ago, lasker98 said:

 

 Looking forward to reading your report. ....

 

 

 

 

I should be able to write it up tomorrow ... I'm putting together some listening notes that I will summarize. Thank-you for the link and I'll look at it after I've done.

[Charente]

I’ve had a Singxer F-1 (European equivalent) USB-S/PDIF converter for a few weeks and this easily gave me the best sound I had achieved in my setup to date. When the EITR was launched I felt compelled to do a comparison to the F-1, especially as the EITR is similarly priced but has the benefit of its own power supply. Would the results match the bold claims being made by Schiit in my system ?

 

I’m running a dedicated, unmodified MacMini 2012 model, with Audirvana + as the library manager and player. The rest of the system is as per my signature below.

 

Cables are nothing special. An Audiophonics USB2 compliant cable for €29 but I did splurge €50 on their in-house assembled Canare coax cable and connectors to ensure a good quality S/PDIF connection to the Gungnir.

 

I chose a small number of albums to represent my personal music tastes.

 

I’ll first summarise what I personally thought were the highlights of my listening experience with the EITR and then draw some comparisons against the F-1.

 

If there is one phrase to describe what the EITR does overwhelmingly well to my ears, it would be ‘soundstage CLARITY’.

 

The stage is well dimensioned and well balanced. The stage width on my setup was already quite good but depth representation is now ‘alarmingly’ good. Instruments at the front and back are clear and sound like they should at their respective positions and volumes. I could ‘imagine’ the depth of the stage quite well. Live performances in particular are realistically ‘atmospheric’… even the appreciative audience sounds good.

 

Instruments are well defined and exhibit good tonal character. There is no significant glare that bothered me. In my experience jazz piano & vibraphone lingering tones can be challenging at certain frequencies on some systems. Drums, cymbals & bass are well textured … they are articulate and well nuanced. Double bass in particular comes across well on my HD-650’s, which are not renowned in this area.

 

Overall a refined, natural and realistic musical presentation that gives an enjoyable and relaxing musical listening experience. I don’t feel there is anything missing that might make me ‘wince’ and feel on edge.

 

It is difficult to avoid superlatives when listening to the EITR but at its price point it is very good indeed.

 

Comparisons:-

I have to say at the start that the comparisons did not reveal ‘massive’ differences. In some cases they were quite subtle. However, in most cases, I thought the differences were worthwhile to me personally.

 

1.     MacMini USB direct to EITR versus Singxer F-1 (vbus powered)

 

This was the biggest difference by far. EITR gave a much improved sound and in particular a more airy soundstage presentation. The F-1 was somewhat flatter and duller sounding. I noticed that bass was less ‘flabby’. In fact, all instruments sounded a bit more detailed.

 

I imagine many people would be entirely happy with this setup and it is one of Schiit’s stated aims with the EITR.

 

2.     MacMini USB direct to EITR versus Singxer F-1 (powered by UltraCap LPS-1)

 

Powering the F-1 with an LPS-1 (via a pigtail), the differences were much smaller. However, when you consider the cost of an LPS-1 to power the F-1 then the EITR is a winner here.

 

3.     MacMini to microRendu (powered by UltraCap LPS-1) – EITR versus F-1 (powered by mR vbus)

 

I already have a microRendu & LPS-1 so it makes sense for me to use it and does give me some other options (e.g. Roon).

 

This is by far the smallest difference in my opinion. The F-1 is already very good in this pairing. However with the soundstage improvements, I would give the nod to the EITR.

 

We are in the area of diminishing returns in this setup, so I probably would not suggest that you go out and spend close to $1000 on a microRendu and LPS-1.

 

As an aside, I decided to take the EITR with me on a trip earlier in the week to pair with a small ‘transportable’ system that I take with me on such occasions. This comprises of an AUNE X1s DAC/AMP with an ageing Lenovo Win7 laptop, playing through FooBar (WASAPI). The EITR in this chain proved very worthwhile and will be coming again. The moral here is that EITR should improve modest systems quite significantly.

 

In conclusion, I can safely say that the EITR is a polished performer. It is priced to be competitive and it will be interesting to see if anyone comes up with a better DDC at this price level and with its own quality power supply.

 

Surely an industry disrupter !

[Lebouwsky]

Nice post Charente.

 

I'm still skeptical, because I sometimes feel posts become more and more adverticements in disguise. Reports on other fora are overwhelming. Please don't take this personal.But I ordered one because it doesn't break the bank.

 

If it does what it's supposed to do it's a good investment. It will be put in this chain: w10 minimserver - sms200 - regen - amr dp777. Will post my findings and it will hopefully add something to the findings of other members already did on CA.

[Charente]

8 minutes ago, Lebouwsky said:

....But I ordered one because it doesn't break the bank....

 

 

Yes, indeed ! Look forward to your views.

[PorkChop]

Je vous remercie for the thoughtful review, Charente.  I've avoided buying a dedicated HTPC or audio micro-computer because I consume music and video mostly from my everyday PC.  Plus, I loathe USB connections in general, so I would be thrilled to ditch this silly train of accessories (iFi iPower and Gemini cable, iPurifier, Regen, Short Block).  EITR looks like just the ticket!

[Charente]

Not many (any ?) would disagree with you @PorkChop . Until audio over ethernet becomes more mainstream (and cheaper) we're stuck with it. In the meantime, EITR is an affordable(ish), good quality solution.

[Charente]

I came across a small anomaly with the microRendu and EITR. Last night I had to power down my system and when powering back up, the mR would not reconnect to the EITR. The recommended way to power up is to switch on the DAC first before the mR. However, I discovered that switching on the mR first, and letting it fully boot up, BEFORE switching on the EITR, the connection worked.

[Charente]

A thick, metre long USB cable coming from the microRendu to the EITR is not very visually appealing. I then remembered the mR came with a very short hard adapter. The design of the mR lends itself to be mounted on a USB port using this. So, I got rid of the cable and it will look better when I install this in my rack. Soundwise, it's certainly not worse than with a regular cable ... if anything it's slightly better ... it all helps. I also remember reading somewhere that USB connections should be as short as possible ... can't get any shorter than this !

 

[Lebouwsky]

1 hour ago, Charente said:

A thick, metre long USB cable coming from the microRendu to the EITR is not very visually appealing. I then remembered the mR came with a very short hard adapter. The design of the mR lends itself to be mounted on a USB port using this. So, I got rid of the cable and it will look better when I install this in my rack. Soundwise, it's certainly not worse than with a regular cable ... if anything it's slightly better ... it all helps. I also remember reading somewhere that USB connections should be as short as possible ... can't get any shorter than this !

 

Did you try anything in the chain between the microrendu and the eitr, for example an isolator or a reclocker.

[Charente]

2 minutes ago, Lebouwsky said:

Did you try anything in the chain between the microrendu and the eitr, for example an isolator or a reclocker.

 

No, nothing at this stage ... I'm not entirely convinced it will add anything significant SQ-wise, in view of the design of the EITR itself. It sounds very satisfying to me as it is with the mR, which does output a quality signal itself. 

[Lebouwsky]

5 minutes ago, Charente said:

 

No, nothing at this stage ... I'm not entirely convinced it will add anything significant SQ-wise, in view of the design of the EITR itself. It sounds very satisfying to me as it is with the mR, which does output a quality signal itself. 

I will compare evaluate with / without regen and report back, same goes for lps on sms200

[Charente]

That would be great. Is that the original Regen or the ISO model ... or something else ?

[Charente]

I will also try the new short connector by UpTone, the USPCB, which is on its way to me. A smallish cost but a number of people swear by it, suggesting it's better than regular cables. But then, a lot of people swear by (or swear at) all sorts of things in this hobby !

[Jud]

29 minutes ago, Charente said:

I will also try the new short connector by UpTone, the USPCB, which is on its way to me. A smallish cost but a number of people swear by it, suggesting it's better than regular cables. But then, a lot of people swear by (or swear at) all sorts of things in this hobby !

 

I think the USPCB is better than the Mapleshade Clearlink Plus ($135) I used for a couple of years.  (And I thought the Clearlink Plus was a lot better than the Audioquest Coffee, $275, that it replaced.)

[Charente]

Sounds intriguing ... yes, I've seen your comments about this before, which prompted me to give it a go in my setup.

[Charente]

Deleted

 

[Ralf11]

Charente , I have to ask - do you live on or near the river?

[Charente]

Ha ! ... I actually live in the Dordogne, on the border with the Charente Department. The boundary between the two departments in this area is the river La Dronne.

FYI ... 

https://www.google.fr/maps/place/24600+Bourg-du-Bost/@45.2784154,0.2645398,13.6z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x47ffea56999d70c3:0x406651748180fe0!8m2!3d45.27089!4d0.258646

 

[Ralf11]

ok, thx - was curious

 

 

I grew up in a former French colony called "Louisiana"

[chauphuong]

On 8/6/2017 at 3:28 PM, Charente said:

I’ve had a Singxer F-1 (European equivalent) USB-S/PDIF converter for a few weeks and this easily gave me the best sound I had achieved in my setup to date. When the EITR was launched I felt compelled to do a comparison to the F-1, especially as the EITR is similarly priced but has the benefit of its own power supply. Would the results match the bold claims being made by Schiit in my system ?

 

I’m running a dedicated, unmodified MacMini 2012 model, with Audirvana + as the library manager and player. The rest of the system is as per my signature below.

 

Cables are nothing special. An Audiophonics USB2 compliant cable for €29 but I did splurge €50 on their in-house assembled Canare coax cable and connectors to ensure a good quality S/PDIF connection to the Gungnir.

 

I chose a small number of albums to represent my personal music tastes.

 

I’ll first summarise what I personally thought were the highlights of my listening experience with the EITR and then draw some comparisons against the F-1.

 

If there is one phrase to describe what the EITR does overwhelmingly well to my ears, it would be ‘soundstage CLARITY’.

 

The stage is well dimensioned and well balanced. The stage width on my setup was already quite good but depth representation is now ‘alarmingly’ good. Instruments at the front and back are clear and sound like they should at their respective positions and volumes. I could ‘imagine’ the depth of the stage quite well. Live performances in particular are realistically ‘atmospheric’… even the appreciative audience sounds good.

 

Instruments are well defined and exhibit good tonal character. There is no significant glare that bothered me. In my experience jazz piano & vibraphone lingering tones can be challenging at certain frequencies on some systems. Drums, cymbals & bass are well textured … they are articulate and well nuanced. Double bass in particular comes across well on my HD-650’s, which are not renowned in this area.

 

Overall a refined, natural and realistic musical presentation that gives an enjoyable and relaxing musical listening experience. I don’t feel there is anything missing that might make me ‘wince’ and feel on edge.

 

It is difficult to avoid superlatives when listening to the EITR but at its price point it is very good indeed.

 

Comparisons:-

I have to say at the start that the comparisons did not reveal ‘massive’ differences. In some cases they were quite subtle. However, in most cases, I thought the differences were worthwhile to me personally.

 

1.     MacMini USB direct to EITR versus Singxer F-1 (vbus powered)

 

This was the biggest difference by far. EITR gave a much improved sound and in particular a more airy soundstage presentation. The F-1 was somewhat flatter and duller sounding. I noticed that bass was less ‘flabby’. In fact, all instruments sounded a bit more detailed.

 

I imagine many people would be entirely happy with this setup and it is one of Schiit’s stated aims with the EITR.

 

2.     MacMini USB direct to EITR versus Singxer F-1 (powered by UltraCap LPS-1)

 

Powering the F-1 with an LPS-1 (via a pigtail), the differences were much smaller. However, when you consider the cost of an LPS-1 to power the F-1 then the EITR is a winner here.

 

3.     MacMini to microRendu (powered by UltraCap LPS-1) – EITR versus F-1 (powered by mR vbus)

 

I already have a microRendu & LPS-1 so it makes sense for me to use it and does give me some other options (e.g. Roon).

 

This is by far the smallest difference in my opinion. The F-1 is already very good in this pairing. However with the soundstage improvements, I would give the nod to the EITR.

 

We are in the area of diminishing returns in this setup, so I probably would not suggest that you go out and spend close to $1000 on a microRendu and LPS-1.

 

As an aside, I decided to take the EITR with me on a trip earlier in the week to pair with a small ‘transportable’ system that I take with me on such occasions. This comprises of an AUNE X1s DAC/AMP with an ageing Lenovo Win7 laptop, playing through FooBar (WASAPI). The EITR in this chain proved very worthwhile and will be coming again. The moral here is that EITR should improve modest systems quite significantly.

 

In conclusion, I can safely say that the EITR is a polished performer. It is priced to be competitive and it will be interesting to see if anyone comes up with a better DDC at this price level and with its own quality power supply.

 

Surely an industry disrupter !

Could you pls compare Macmini usb - Eitr - DAC with Macmini - Microrendu - Eitr - DAC? I have read a lot about "beingwith or without anything before Eitr, sound stays much the same". Thanks in advance.

[Charente]

@chauphuong My notes suggest there was a difference when I did my Tests 1 & 3, but I'll compare again per your suggestion and reply in due course.

[Charente]

 

@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.

[Charente]

I regularly trawl around BandCamp and I came across this guy ...

 

He is a double-bass player extraordinaire and plays other instruments as well. He plays everything you can hear on this album.... a veritable one-man-band. On my preferred chain it sounds incredible. A very Middle-East-Israeli feel to the music.

 

Link to his BandCamp page ... https://adambenezra.bandcamp.com/album/pin-drop

[OldBigEars]

Thanks for all the testing and reporting.  Really interesting stuff.  Quick question.....what kind/brand of coax cable are you using to get such excellent SQ?  Did you experiment with different levels?  Any point in using a high-end cable?  Sorry - don't mean to turn this into yet cable discussion, but wondering what (if any) part the cables play.