[conquerator2]

In some ways very much, like lower midrange, lower treble and bass in other ways, like upper midrange, upper treble and detail/resolution, not so much
It is a great DAC but I can see myself getting the Yggdrasil eventually, if existing impressions are any indication

 

[Liu Junyuan]

In some ways very much, like lower midrange, lower treble and bass in other ways, like upper midrange, upper treble and detail/resolution, not so much
It is a great DAC but I can see myself getting the Yggdrasil eventually, if existing impressions are any indication

The detail/resolution point is what bothers me because I also love those aspects. What exactly do you mean in terms of how they differ. Am I listening through a veil, a blanket, an impenetrable cloak with the Gungnir, or am I hearing details faintly though less prominently presented?

 

[Solude]

The resolution of the Gungnir is stunning BUT the tonal balance is shifted down.  It really takes something naturally bright to balance it out IF the goal is air and not warmth.

 

[conquerator2]

The detail/resolution point is what bothers me because I also love those aspects. What exactly do you mean in terms of how they differ. Am I listening through a veil, a blanket, an impenetrable cloak with the Gungnir, or am I hearing details faintly though less prominently presented?

Pretty much. I feel the Gungnir smooths over things a bit, missing some nice extension. Instruments lack a bit of energy to me, even vocals sometimes and threre is not much air. The Sabre is definitely clearer and more aggressive, with plenty of air. The Gungnir does sound veiled next to the Sabre. I would love to have those attributes of the Sabre with Gungnir's mixed in as I said.
Guitars, pianos, violins and female vocals could sound absolutely stunning on the NFB7... The Gungnir does not seem like it can reach that.
The advantages are obviously there - at times a more natural sound, never fatiguing and the bass is hands down better. But the trade-offs are there... On both sides. :rolleyes:
The Gungnir is still a very solid DAC IMO and it's a keeper for now for sure I think I prefer it overall to the NFB-7 because the subjective flaws affect my overall listening experience less. Say harsh vocals vs little air... The first is obviously worse. Just the things I miss now Also, the headphones play a major point IMO, as I pointed out
Overall, I think at the peak I enjoyed the NFB-7 a bit more but at the bottom I enjoy the Gungnir more... Or the Gungnir is more forgiving and thus a better all-rounder, while the NFB-7 is more 'reference' and only sound best with good -> very good tracks... The bread and butter of it
I will be watching the Yggdrasil very closely... I still don't think tubes are the way to go

Also - I am still adjusting to the Gungnir after the NFB-7. So, take the impressions as are... Can only get more positive But the general consensus won't change much, tonality and stuff. Also, still a possible burn-in phase at play.

 

[conquerator2]

Well, I am definitely starting to enjoy the Gungnir more and more!
Going PC - Wyrd - U12 - coax to Gungnir. USB Gungnir is very good too btw.
Anyway, burn-in or brain burn-in or not, really starting to enjoy it a lot more. All the musicality coming back

The post above is still accurate, of course. Just saying I like what I currently have too

 

 

[NoxNoctum]

So I have both the Gugnir and Bifrost (non uber) at the moment (auditioning both, will return one), I've come across a few posts on the net about people with tinnitus responding negatively to the Gugnir but not the Bifrost. Can anyone comment on this? I have so little time to get the feel for both that I'd love to hear thoughts on this. For now I'm just alternating days listening to one then the other.
 
If I do end up going with the lower-end Bifrost, will it "bottleneck" my set-up? I will probably end up with ~$2-3K invested in just the amp/headphones so I would hate for it to be bottlenecked.

 

[David Aldrich]

What are you other components that will be going with the DAC? You can't really call out an "investment" amount and get good responses.
 
From everything I've come across the Bifrost has a deeper warmer sound signature, I find it difficult to claim the Gungnir is empirically better than the Bifrost. The Gungnir may well be more technically accurate and overall resolving because of that character I think the difference between the two is ultimately going to have to come down to your own needs and subjective opinion of which you like better from a purely signature standpoint.
 
If you're strictly concerned with getting a analytical accurate DAC just keep the Gungnir, it's a no brainer, it's more expensive so you can feel like you didn't cheap yourself out sticking with it right? That last bit was purely tongue in cheek. I'm very happy with my Gungnir here's why it's the better choice for me.
 
I prefer an accurate DAC and don't miss any low end emphasis that the Bifrost or others may have over the Gungnir, I like low end but only when well balanced with the rest of the spectrum and never overpowering.
 
I know that I will be pursuing balanced amps in the future which I prefer to feed with a balanced DAC, I also like XLR connectors much more than RCA so I am happy to use them instead.
 
I like heavy equipment, it's just doesn't get scooted around so easily which is a peeve of mine admittedly. 
 
Consider the difference in features and focus on wether or not any differences in I/O, size, or weight can make an important mark on your decision checklist.

 

[NoxNoctum]

Sorry --- other components will likely be:
 
Mjolnir amp
LCD-2.2 or possibly LCD-X or -3.
 
I'm also trying out some HE-6s but the LCD2.2 in my possession ATM is much closer to the sound I want to go for (though admittedly I've been told that the Mjo is not a good match for the HE-6). I just want to add some kick/bite to the sound -- which I hope the Mjo will deliver. If not I will probably look into trying a LCD-X.
 
I asked about bottlenecking just because I usually see Mjo paired with Gungnir and Bifrost with Lyr. 

 

[Liu Junyuan]

Well, do you hear a difference between them yet?

As far as I am aware, the Bifrost not any richer or bassy than the Gungnir. From what I have read, the Gungnir is slightly less grainy up top and has better dynamics, even on single ended. I think the extra dynamics may be what would fatigue someone over the Bifrost. Both possess the same natural sweet tone and neither will be as resolving as a good Sabre implementation or other more high end DACs.

First step is to figure out whether you can tell a difference or not. No use keeping the more expensive model if you cant tell?!

 

[NoxNoctum]

My impressions after ~6 hours on the Bifrost and ~15 on the Gungnir is the Gungnir is more detailed and has more instrument separation while the Bifrost has more low end emphasis and is less fatiguing. 
 
Maybe it's all in my head though after reading opinions expressing the above (I don't think so though...) We'll see how they both feel after hours of break in (speaking of which --- does the DAC need to actually be playing music to burn in or can it just be on?) Honestly I might just end up keeping both. If I end up selling one down the road I'd be out what-- $150 maybe? Not a huge loss if I'm looking for the best audio experience possible.
 
If anyone on here has experience with tinnitus and could comment on how they reacted with one vs the other that'd be awesome as well.

 

[David Aldrich]

The Uber Bifrost shares a similar if not identical analog output stage. If you don't have the need for a BNC S/PDIF input or balanced outputs and you can't hear a difference yourself there is no harm in saving a few bucks.
 
They run in those units prior to shipping for function testing don't expect them to change. What you can expect to change is your ears/mind which will either grow to like the sound or dislike it.

 

[Solude]

  My impressions after ~6 hours on the Bifrost and ~15 on the Gungnir is the Gungnir is more detailed and has more instrument separation while the Bifrost has more low end emphasis and is less fatiguing. 
 
If anyone on here has experience with tinnitus and could comment on how they reacted with one vs the other that'd be awesome as well.

 
Answered your own question.  Keep the Gungnir.  
 
Not sure how a piece of gear could affect your tinnitus one way or another.  About the only thing that ever bugs mine is if the material is played loud and has stuff going on at the same frequency as my mild tinnitus.

 

[joebobbilly]

I have the M/G stack with the LCD2.2 and it is an excellent combo. I have compared the bifrost vs gungnir on the mjolnir before on the HD650 and I definitely preferred the better resolution and soundstage on the Gungnir. As such, I would suggest that the LCD2.2 should be seen in a similar manner since it shares a similar darker sound signature as the HD650.

 

[hodgjy]

  I have the M/G stack with the LCD2.2 and it is an excellent combo. I have compared the bifrost vs gungnir on the mjolnir before on the HD650 and I definitely preferred the better resolution and soundstage on the Gungnir. As such, I would suggest that the LCD2.2 should be seen in a similar manner since it shares a similar darker sound signature as the HD650.

Is your LCD Fazored?

 

[joebobbilly]

  Is your LCD Fazored?

No it is not. It was measured 2013 October... making it just a few months shy of the fazor ones. I am in fact curious about the fazor so I'm looking to see if anyone has a fazor one that they would be willing to trade with me.