[MacMan31]

I still wanna try a Denafrips Ares II. Maybe I'll try and find one of those.

 

[theveterans]

maddening isnt it lol?
They're are VERY similar. There's just a bit more plankton, a bit more richness an a bit more low end emphasis, just a bit. But also a bit less clarity and layering. So if you use speaker a lot and if you listen to a lot of orchestra type music A1 is preffered even. But I listen to rock and rap and EDM and only really use Yggy for headphones and in that case the A2 is a bit better. Not to an earth shattering degree or anything. Not as big of a jump as coming from Bifrost to GS2 was. It's a baby step from Gumby MB to A1 to A2.
This is Marv's chart from SBAF which is pretty accurate to my ear.

Just to add what I hear when I A/B NOS mode on MiB against the default burrito filter:

In NOS mode, MiB would be about 8.5 on Density and Plankton at 8.0 (shifted to more emotive vocal plankton but lose a small amount of plankton on instruments) and layering & separation at 9.5 with headstage expansiveness at 6.5, and timbral richness at medium-heavy and everything else remains the same

 

[Slackaveli]

Just to add what I hear when I A/B NOS mode on MiB against the default burrito filter:

In NOS mode, MiB would be about 8.5 on Density and Plankton at 8.0 (shifted to more emotive vocal plankton but lose a small amount of plankton on instruments) and layering & separation at 9.5 with headstage expansiveness at 6.5, and timbral richness at medium-heavy and everything else remains the same

MiB certainly sounds like it is a really amazing DAC.

 

[theveterans]

MiB certainly sounds like it is a really amazing DAC.

It tilts toward the Rockna's and Holo's of R2R DACs in terms of layering and separation that's for sure! You do lose a bit of dynamics at the trade off of sheer neutrality across the board

 

[Slackaveli]

It tilts toward the Rockna's and Holo's of R2R DACs in terms of layering and separation that's for sure! You do lose a bit of dynamics at the trade off of sheer neutrality across the board

I really wish they'd take the MiB chip and slap analog end-stage on it like OG. That'd be the Ultimate Yggy bc i think you'd regain some of the lost dynamics if nothing else.. I remember it being discussed somewhere and it was said that Jason says it's possible but would take more FETs or something and im all- OKAY, DO IT.

 

[theveterans]

I really wish they take the MiB chip and slap analog end-stage on it like OG. That'd be the Ultimate Yggy.

I think the discrete analog version would definitely fix that reserved dynamics relative to the OG. You'd need to have a slammy amp to compensate for this DAC. MJ3 is slammy enough for my tastes

 

[Slackaveli]

I think the analog version would definitely fix that reserved dynamics relative to the OG. You'd need to have a slammy amp to compensate for this DAC. MJ3 is slammy enough for my tastes

Mentor + OG certainly is slammy
I do miss that potential extra layering though.

One day they'd do an Ultimate Yggy but it'll be $4 grand lol so i'll never have one until maybe when they go used someday...
Unless they are upgradable to it

 

[theveterans]

Mentor + OG certainly is slammy
I do miss that potential extra layering though.

Oh man. Your HE1000stealth would appreciate that part, but yeah, depending on the genre you listen, you will feel that it's not as explosive as the OG, no matter how much you crank up the volume

 

[Slackaveli]

Oh man. Your HE1000stealth would appreciate that part, but yeah, depending on the genre you listen, you will feel that it's not as explosive as the OG, no matter how much you crank up the volume

If I had to pick one or the other i think i have my preference.
And also the stack is prepped for SS Tungstens to arrive. Took them over DS bc I have the HeK and that might be more similar than the SS, but also bc Ryan told me I can always pay the difference and trade up to DS if I find the SS not tight enough for me in the bass. I can't wait to hear them on Mentor for OG.

 

[jlemaster1957]

Mentor + OG certainly is slammy
I do miss that potential extra layering though.

One day they'd do an Ultimate Yggy but it'll be $4 grand lol so i'll never have one until maybe when they go used someday...
Unless they are upgradable to it

Ditto to all good OG comments. I’m having JOMO on MIB at the moment (excellent as I’m sure it is though I take SBAF and @theveterans word for it) as I just added a Freya+ to the mix with upgraded NOS tubes (GE GTAs in CF, Marconi GTBs on gain). It’s like dialing up the slam on bass without loss of texture or detail up top and the stage and layering open out gloriously- vocals in particular are amazing, incredible mids timbre. This is into the fully souped up 3XGT 2023 (with SP02 power chips and V7 vivid op amps) - tonight via Susvaras. Next step is to add the Tyr monos. New definition of a Schiit stack. Point: the OG scales wonderfully, no desire to sell/swap it for anything else.

Congrats to you who snagged one.

 

[theveterans]

Ditto to all good OG comments. I’m having JOMO on MIB at the moment (excellent as I’m sure it is though I take SBAF and @theveterans word for it) as I just added a Freya+ to the mix with upgraded NOS tubes (GE GTAs in CF, Marconi GTBs on gain). It’s like dialing up the slam on bass without loss of texture or detail up top and the stage and layering open out gloriously- vocals in particular are amazing, incredible mids timbre. This is into the fully souped up 3XGT 2023 (with SP02 power chips and V7 vivid op amps) - tonight via Susvaras. Next step is to add the Tyr monos. New definition of a Schiit stack. Point: the OG scales wonderfully, no desire to sell/swap it for anything else.

Congrats to you who snagged one.

It's all about component matching. MiB isn't some specialty DAC that needs specialty amp to shine. Lots of gears jive with it and if one needs more slam factor than a perfect neutral sound, just add a matching preamp to the chain is all one needs . Saga with RCA 5692 Red Base tube works wonders to my Forge amp to provide that extra pump to the sound

 

[Slackaveli]

It's all about component matching. MiB isn't some specialty DAC that needs specialty amp to shine. Lots of gears jive with it and if one needs more slam factor than a perfect neutral sound, just add a matching preamp to the chain is all one needs . Saga with RCA 5692 Red Base tube works wonders to my Forge amp to provide that extra pump to the sound

Yeah thats a very under-looked thing. I think most folks even on here are pretty unfamiliar with pre-amping. I know I've never done it in these applications- have back-in-the-day with speakers. I've thought about pre-amping really when I was laying for an MJ3 but still vacillating and trying to actually get a Tungsten order in. I knew MJ3 would be great with HeK but not-so-much with Tungstens. But then I discovered Mentor and didnt give it much more thought after that.
I have since considered a few of the schiit pre-amps but w/ Mentor the mind would just go to "get a second Mentor is something is lacking". So yeah having that out there is a different situation than most amps owners would be in obviously.
Of course nothings lacking lol, but that doesnt always stop us, does it. And the hardware-nerd in me has kind of always wanted a dual-mono stack lol.
Would be absolutely ridiculous on my desk on top of an OG Yggy. It's already dumb as hell

 

[DeeT79]

It's all about component matching. MiB isn't some specialty DAC that needs specialty amp to shine. Lots of gears jive with it and if one needs more slam factor than a perfect neutral sound, just add a matching preamp to the chain is all one needs . Saga with RCA 5692 Red Base tube works wonders to my Forge amp to provide that extra pump to the sound

I really enjoy the sound I get from using a pair of RCA 5692 red base as drivers to the 300Bs in the Envy with OG and Susvara and I highly recommend them.

Gets even better with Telefunken G73-R in terns of clarity, instrument separation, micro and macro details, but a little lighter in the low end. 1960s Mullard ECC82s driver tubes almost give you the best of everything in my system.

OG and Envy complement each other very well.