[Torq]

Not too fond of the higher priced Chord stuff. Too much $$ for what you're getting, IMO. I'd probably look at the list of things coming to that LA meet (I would expect Schiit DACs of all shapes and sizes considering it's L.A).

I'd expect something like what's in the picture at least for amps.

Those will be most interesting!
 
I would love to bring more gear, but I doubt Yggdrasil's will be in short supply ... and anything else is likely to be full size and not very practical to travel with.

 

[Torq]

  You already know you're going to do it!    

 

 

Funny!
 
Even if it ultimately winds up on top sonically ... it's ugly as sin and is annoying to use in my configuration without the stand (which doesn't help the aesthetics or the value proposition).  So there are no guarantees.  And while price is no assurance of performance, so far it's only been competing with things priced up to about half what DAVE with a stand runs (a bit more in the case of TotalDAC) ... the price-comparable competition hasn't even started yet.
 
Then, when you consider that for the same price, I could have another Yggdrasil, a DirectStream Junior a Pavane AND an MSB Analog ... well, that's quite the thing to overcome.  So far it's the best unit I've heard, but it's not like it's that far ahead of the other units on the shortlist at this point.  One of the remaining tests, once I'm down to the final shortlist, will just be to sit and listen, without taking notes, and see if I even notice the differences in "normal" recreational listening.
 
One of the problems I find doing auditions is that the way I listen when trying to evaluate gear isn't the same as how I do it when I'm just trying to enjoy music.  So if it, or anything else, doesn't elevate that experience without having to listen for differences, then to me those differences won't matter.
 
But, we shall see ... I'm a long way from making any decisions!

 

[maxh22]

Funny!

Even if it ultimately winds up on top sonically ... it's ugly as sin and is annoying to use in my configuration without the stand (which doesn't help the aesthetics or the value proposition).  So there are no guarantees.  And while price is no assurance of performance, so far it's only been competing with things priced up to about half what DAVE with a stand runs (a bit more in the case of TotalDAC) ... the price-comparable competition hasn't even started yet.

Then, when you consider that for the same price, I could have another Yggdrasil, a DirectStream Junior a Pavane AND an MSB Analog ... well, that's quite the thing to overcome.  So far it's the best unit I've heard, but it's not like it's that far ahead of the other units on the shortlist at this point.  One of the remaining tests, once I'm down to the final shortlist, will just be to sit and listen, without taking notes, and see if I even notice the differences in "normal" recreational listening.

One of the problems I find doing auditions is that the way I listen when trying to evaluate gear isn't the same as how I do it when I'm just trying to enjoy music.  So if it, or anything else, doesn't elevate that experience without having to listen for differences, then to me those differences won't matter.

But, we shall see ... I'm a long way from making any decisions!

For the price of one Dave you could get four excellent dacs. But do you know how many modi's I could get for the price of Yggy? Haha

At the end of the day I could still only listen to one of them. Since I only have one set of ears.

 

[Torq]

For the price of one Dave you could get four excellent dacs. But do you know how many modi's I could get for the price of Yggy? Haha

At the end of the day I could still only listen to one of them. Since I only have one set of ears.

Sure, I can only listen to one at a time.
 
But I have multiple homes, and rigs in multiple rooms in each home because I'd rather spend the money than keep moving things around.
 
So, yes, you can get 23 Modi's for the price of an Yggdrasil, or 9 if you go for the multi-bit (which I did).  But the difference in performance between even Modi Multi-bit (which is excellent), and Yggdrasil is considerably bigger (for $2049 more) than the difference in performance between Yggdrasil and DAVE (for $14,300 more).
 
The point was, however, as I've said multiple times in this thread, I'm NOT just buying on sound quality.  And DAVE is far from a foregone conclusion due to the issues I have with the aesthetics, ergonomics and value proposition.

 

[maxh22]

 
Sure, I can only listen to one at a time.
 
But I have multiple homes, and rigs in multiple rooms in each home because I'd rather spend the money than keep moving things around.
 
So, yes, you can get 23 Modi's for the price of an Yggdrasil, or 9 if you go for the multi-bit (which I did).  But the difference in performance between even Modi Multi-bit (which is excellent), and Yggdrasil is considerably bigger (for $2049 more) than the difference in performance between Yggdrasil and DAVE (for $14,300 more).
 
The point was, however, as I've said multiple times in this thread, I'm NOT just buying on sound quality.  And DAVE is far from a foregone conclusion due to the issues I have with the aesthetics, ergonomics and value proposition.

Yes, that's right you have multiple rooms and homes, completely forgot.  Lately I have been noticing some ear fatigue from long listening sessions and have found that If I try to listen (even at low volumes) I can't hear the same amount of detail as I use to. Music's magical effect temporarily wears off. After a few days of resting and doing other things the magic comes back. I'm not sure how long or often you listen but when I am away I try to use that time to replenish my ears. After I come back I am usually more excited that I was before the break. Long critical listening sessions are very fatiguing as you might have figured out from doing all your comparisons against the Yggdrasil. 
 
Long term listening for pleasure only might point out bigger differences than you had thought between the Yggy and Dave.

 

[kazsud]

 
Maybe ... but, not any of the full-size stuff on this list at least (especially as most of them have just been loaners/friend's units or auditioned at dealers).
 
I'll probably bring the Mojo, DragonFly Red and Modi Multi-bit, but anything larger is probably out.
 
The only possible exception is if I wind up buying DAVE, as that's probably just about manageable for traveling (at least the way I tend to travel).

Ha!
 
The Dave won't make it through TSA.
It looks like an alien bomb.

 

[nepherte]

 
And while price is no assurance of performance, so far it's only been competing with things priced up to about half what DAVE with a stand runs (a bit more in the case of TotalDAC) ...

 
Forgive my ignorance (or understanding of English). I didn't understand this reference to the TotalDAC. Can you elaborate?

 

[Torq]

   
Forgive my ignorance (or understanding of English). I didn't understand this reference to the TotalDAC. Can you elaborate?

What I meant was that, most of the other DACs I have auditioned were about half (or less than half) the price of DAVE.  Where as the TotalDAC, while still cheaper, was more than half DAVE's price.

 

[nepherte]

What I meant was that, most of the other DACs I have auditioned were about half (or less than half) the price of DAVE.  Where as the TotalDAC, while still cheaper, was more than half DAVE's price.

Thanks for the clarificafion. It makes total sense now

 

[Audiolic]

hi torq.. since you seem to have tried a lot
 
I'm looking to buy some dac for my crossover
 
i need the best 3 fairly low cost dac..
 
soundwise only
would you prefer mojo to modi MB?
would you prefer gungnir vs metrum musette  
would you prefer Metrum musette to mojo 
 
let me know what you think =) do you have another proposition?

 

[Torq]

  hi torq.. since you seem to have tried a lot
 
I'm looking to buy some dac for my crossover
 
i need the best 3 fairly low cost dac..
 
soundwise only
would you prefer mojo to modi MB?
would you prefer gungnir vs metrum musette  
would you prefer Metrum musette to mojo 
 
let me know what you think =) do you have another proposition?

I have not directly compared Mojo to Modi MB yet (only got my Modi MB on Thursday) ... check back on that later in the week (in the process of writing up my Bifrost MB vs. Modi MB comparison, and will get to Mojo after that).
 
Can't help you, either way, on the Musette vs. anything, sorry!

 

[wink]

Just get the YGGY, and be done with it.......    

     

 

[Torq]

  Just get the YGGY, and be done with it.......    

     

 
Isn't that about the fourth time you've said that, or something to the same effect?
 
There are a number of reasons that make doing just that a very tempting proposition ... 

 

[acguitar84]

Gosh, if anything this thread makes me want a Yggy even more. Especially when I read the post about how Yggy is much better than the modi multibit, something along the lines of, the gap between the modi multibit and the yggy is (much?) larger than the gap between the yggy and chord dave. I read that while listening to the modi multibit through my speakers downstairs, and it was basically frying my brain, i love the modi multibit!! So I can't even imagine at this point what Yggy would sound like in comparison.

 

[deuter]

One day!