[x838nwy]

  I didn't know you could pile Schiit that high

 
All I need is some steam, then I'd have a big steaming pile of Schiit on my desk...
 
But in all seriousness, however, they're actually all connected up together as a 2 input system. The modi optical is connected to my airport express and the modi usb to my mbp via the wyrd. The sys selects between the two and the Vali does the amplification and volume control duties.
 
I could add a mani and another sys to add a turntable to the system. But having a record player at work might cause comment...

 

[Puma Cat]

The book has certainly been a great read. While I loved reading about the history, challenges, and successes of Schiit, I really enjoyed the insights about how to build a successful business, put together a successful team, and provide products that are compelling value propositions for customers. 
 
But I have to ask, what is "Fulla?"
 
Thanks so much for this thread. 
 
Stephen aka Puma Cat aka PC...

 

[1adam12]

 
But I have to ask, what is "Fulla?"
 

 
Fulla is a new $79 amp/DAC combo. To be released soon-ish.

 

[BirdManOfCT]

And you know the statement product, the way-out-there-best item will just be called "The" as in "The Schiit".

 

[firev1]

a) The way Asynch works and behaves when under stress; and
b) Windows being completely crap at anything remotely close to 'real time' computing and resource sharing. My next instalment will have more about that one.

This is true, some Aysnc applications take up a ton(relative to sync) of resource, particularly measurable in dpc latency compared to similar isochronous sync solutions. Sadly my UD120 got lost in the mail somewhere so I could not investigate the Wyrd with an asynchronous DAC but at least to say my observations together with subjective hearing is that the Wyrd is no pixie dust. At the very least the effects are measureable though as Jason has already mention, well below the "thresholds" of hearing.

 

[Delirious Lab]

  And you know the statement product, the way-out-there-best item will just be called "The" as in "The Schiit".

You, sir, just won the Internets.

 

[Jones Bob]

Listened to the Wyrd in my headphone system (Mac mini, Mavericks, Audirvana Plus > el cheapo USB printer cable> Wyrd> Audioquest Diamond USB> Gungnir w/USB rev2>Straightwire Crescendo II balanced XLR> KGST> Stax SR-009) for over 3 hours last night. The following are just my impressions.

Hard to get a grip on what the Wyrd brings to the mix, as it's effect seems subtle at first. Also it took some Audirvana adjustments to get the best out of it, so not a direct apples to apples comparison.

Without the Wyrd, I prefered A+ v1.5.10, Direct Mode off. After several changes with inserting the Wyrd, I settled with A+ v1.5.12, Direct Mode on. With these changes, the SQ differences between non-inverted and inverted audio signal phase was very apparent. Much more than I have heard (or maybe imagined) before. Now with the Wyrd in place there was an easily identifyable signature when a track or album was out of absolute phase.

Without the Wyrd, my 009s can be discribed as very neutral, but slightly towards the analytical side. With the Wyrd, again neutral but now slightly towards the warm side. The Wyrd adds a richness to the SQ and with more naturally revealed details. This helped opened up the soundstage and made the recordings both more individual sounding and enjoyable. Not a night and day difference, but a positive and perceptive difference without a negative that I could hear.

All in all, the Wyrd offers a postitive effect on my system's SQ so no immediate need to upgrade my Gungnir -at least until the Yggy is released.

Thats it for now. I have work to do.

 

[BackToAnalogue]

I am pretty sure that if you upgraded your PC to an i5 with 16Gb RAM and an SSD, and got rid of all the crap on it that does things without you asking it to, then it would have exactly the same effect.

But it would cost you four or five times as much, so the Wyrd is a pretty cost effective solution.

I have a PC as above and still decided that I might as well put a buffer (a cheap one) in between with its own power, just to be sure and help me sleep at night without having night-mares about all those missing bits and power glitches that might be happening but I wasn't hearing because of the placebo effect.

I am guessing that a few of you are gamers? If you are this is probably not a great idea for you because it will add another delay. You don't really want to use Asynchronous USB for gaming unless it is your only option because it will always add a delay. I would stick with fibre for that.

 

[Jones Bob]

I am pretty sure that if you upgraded your PC to an i5 with 16Gb RAM and an SSD, and got rid of all the crap on it that does things without you asking it to, then it would have exactly the same effect.

FWIW

My 2013 Mac mini came with a quad core i7 which I added 16G of RAM and replaced the HD with a 256G SSD. It is exclusively a standalone music server with no internet access or other programs installed. Running Audirvana Plus in Exclusive access mode with which shuts down CPU operations except A+, and in Direct Mode which bypasses Core Audio.

I hear a positive in SQ when using Wyrd. Subtle but still moar better. That's why I am keeping it.

 

[djd1122]

Quote:

  I have one of these…
http://www.audioexcellenceaz.com/products/audiodharma-cable-cooker-cable-conditioner/
 
With the usb adapters…
 
This is a heavy duty 'industrial strength' cooker when compared to the cd versions etc.
 
I have found that 'cooking' the cables brings out a whole nuther level of inner detail, especially the very bottom of the bass (the last several octaves).
 
In my experiments on my system, it was only after cooking my Shunyata power cables where the very bottom end of the bass finally turned 'on'.   I wouldn't have purchased them if they didn't deliver the bass that I knew was there, because my home made ac cables (also cooked) let me know it was there.

 
Do you have Shunyata Zitron Anaconda power cables?  How many days or weeks did it take on the cable cooker for the bass to fully come in?

 

[BackToAnalogue]

Well if that is true and I am not saying it isn't, then Mac OS is worse than even I thought it was.

 

[jexby]

Well if that is true and I am not saying it isn't, then Mac OS is worse than even I thought it was.

Whatever man.
The guy has isolated his Mac and the Wyrd makes some improvements even by Jason's latest posting.
Please don't start a ridiculous OS religious debate.

 

[David Aldrich]

Well if that is true and I am not saying it isn't, then Mac OS is worse than even I thought it was.

OS X handles the digital audio streams much more gracefully than Windows OS's. There is something very wrong with your setup if your audio playback software is making a difference in your listening experience.

 

[johnjen]

  Quote:
 
Do you have Shunyata Zitron Anaconda power cables?  How many days or weeks did it take on the cable cooker for the bass to fully come in?

Not the anaconda but the python.  I mean the amp draws like 45 watts so going for the 'big guy' didn't seem necessary.
 
But the Alpha Digital cable which is used on the PSA PWD (which draws even less, ≈ 30 watts) and it's over kill as well.
 
But the number of hours I cooked the python was ≈ 126 hrs but it really needs much more.  
Like some where in the 175 to 200 hrs.  
When things settle down I'll probably cook the python for 7 days straight, just to find out what happens. 
 
The bass 'appeared' after about 90-100 hrs of cooking and then ≈ 330hrs+ of 'burn in' where the bass and inner detail really blossomed.  
 
My notes from that time… 
12/8 @2am (328/216hrs) (pyth/a-d & ana-xlr)   the degree of bloom seems to be ≈ 80-90% range, with further hints of gains yet to reach full blossom.  Shut down amp for night 

@ 2pm (328/228hrs)  start amp back up 

@6pm (332/232hrs)  sound is detailed, deep bass detailed with air and resolution.  Bloom in full effect.  Smooth, detailed, slam and impact engaged.  It seems like there is still ≈10-15% remaining for a full blossom   

 

12/9 @2am (340/240hrs) shut down amp for the night, continue to run the dac all night.

@ 4pm (340/254hrs)  start amp back up.  Blossom still here.  Bass is slowly improving as in it’s extending downwards.  Some tracks are truly awe inspiring.

 

12/10  @2am (350/264hrs)  (pyth/a-d & ana-xlr)  3d is kick’n in, bass is very detailed,  still there are small hints, fewer, but still there.  Shut down amp and dac for the 1st time in a long time. 

@ 1pm start up amp and dac 

@6pm (355/269hrs)   sound is MUCH better, everything has come into focus.  But it seems as though the focus is getting sharper and sharper both spatially and temporally… 

@11pm (360/264hrs)  Focus is resolving down to finer and finer levels of detail,  plosive leading edge of most voices is very evident, a good sign of near or sub 10Hz response.

 

And then at ≈ 400hrs the sound headed into the toilet, but returned…

12/14 @2am (400/339hrs)  (pyth/a-d & ana-xlr)  shut down amp  @2pm start amp back up. 

@8pm (406/357hrs)  The sound is like the cables are heading into the toilet, only no where near as bad as before.  2d, flat bass, detail but not scary detail,  I re-route all cables and progold the AC cables.  Impact and slam is returning, when I crank on it.  The dynamic range seems to have broadened by quite a bit (estimate 20-40-dB)  Which is most likely due to lowered sonic fatigue especially at higher volume levels.  Cannons (1812 Ovrtr) at this level are startling.

 

12/16 @2am (425/387hrs)  (pyth/a-d & ana-xlr)  shut amp down  

@3pm (425/400hrs)  start amp back up 

@8pm (430/405hrs)  sound is blossoming like crazy it feels like I’m in the 90%+ range of blooming audio nirvana.

 

12/17 @2am (436/411hrs)  @ 1pm (436/422hrs)  start up amp  Blossom is still improving but slowly.  @10pm (445/431hrs)  The very top end degree of detail is resolving and coming into focus.  Bass has very nice impact and slam.  Sound is luscious and cohesive with an effortlessness.  Even greater apparent dynamic range.

 
This gives you an idea of the back and forth nature of cable settling in time, at least in my system.
 
The Alpha D cable is more finicky and takes more time to settle in, (≈ 4-500 hrs (minimum) of burn in AFTER cooking). 
 
By comparison my homemade cables took 70-80hrs of cook time and ≈ 300hrs to settle in after that.
 
JJ

 

[marcoarment]

Regardless of whether Wyrd changes the audio's tone noticeably, it's worth its price to me even if it only serves as a USB power isolator with a power switch for the connected device.
 
I use mine in my podcast setup, along with a Sys for switching the icecast-streamed output between the live show and and prerecorded music. Since I use the infamously low-output SM7B mic, I'm always battling noise, and the best preamp/interface I've found is the bus-powered USBPre 2.
 
The Wyrd dropped the noise even further and provides a convenient power switch for the preamp.