Member Reviews: Schiit Audio Bifrost DAC

REVIEW: Schiit Audio “Bifrost” DAC   Introduction   By now, Schiit probably needs no head-fi introduction, and so I will not be providing one.  I will also not be making any jokes about the name.  Sorry.  That was so last review   I had asked to be sent a review loaner of the Bifrost when the announcement was made about its existence.  Schiit was nice enough to oblige – unfortunately it arrived at a very bad time for me at work, and I was able to spend a good amount of time casually listening to it, but not much time really evaluating it, or writing about it.  I have finally been able to do some of that, although this review isn’t...

  I'm really happy with my Bifrost.  I don't know if your experience will match mine but here goes:   I already have a DAC hooked up to my "good" system in my listening room.  But I have been waiting to find the best way to listen to the music in my downstairs family room served from an upstairs Drobo via Ethernet.  The Drobo is packed with all lossless audio, some of it ripped from CD, some high resolution, some needle drops.   So here's what I have: Old iBook G4 running OS 10.5 and iTunes > ethernet > Drobo > ethernet > Airport Express optical out> Schiit Bifrost > decent Rotel preamp and amp > B&W ceiling...

ALAC lossless music > MBP > Optical > Schiit Bifrost (previously a Nuforce uDac) > Schiit Lyr > Audeze LCD2r2 (previously a Denon d2000)   Artists listened to: Deadmau5 The Birthday Massacre Dub Fx Feed Me Flux Pavilion Skrillex Teebs   The construction of the Bifrost is superb, with only minor quirks. The aluminum chassis is rigid and sturdy; there's no body flex or any loose components inside. The only downsides are that the input indication LEDs on the front are bright and not the same temperature of white as the Lyr.   The jump in sound quality from a simple entry-level DAC is definitely noticeable. Everything about my music...

I own my Bifrost now for 2 months and it just keep getting better. Major improvement was also achieved by upgrading the power cable. Im not using it with headphones but to play music from Spotify via my iPad. I started my DAC quest via an Audioengine D1 to a Micromega MyDac which had issues with the Apple connection to finaly the Bifrost.

Before getting this DAC, I ran my Asgard thru a Pacific Valve NOS DAC. I also compared this in my main home system to a Audio-GD Reference 1 DAC. When I first received it, it went into my home system for the comparison against my Audio-GD. Its not really a fair competition, but I found the Bifrost held up a lot better to rock/metal fast type of music. It was very clinical and detailed compared to my Audio-GD. I didn't find myself wanting for anything, but when I plugged in my Audio-GD I found that the music gained more life, thickness, and personality. So that let me to believe that this was a highly capable, if boring, DAC. I then brought it into work and replaced my PV NOS DAC...

  I just got these two days ago. I am running these with my Bellari HA540 and Grado GS1000i   GS1000i already has quite big sound stage (about head size for left, right, back, and top), a with Bellari   HA540 and by Adding Bifrost, they become even bigger by half head size. I can clearly feel where are the   sounds coming from. Bifrost adds more resolution in to your music it is crystal clear.   I would recommend this to everyone who are looking for DAC under 700 USD.