Jut wanted to update all the Mimby owners that I've moved up to Gumby (Gungnir Multibit).
I wanted to share my thoughts about the differences for those thinking of upgrading. Is it worth it? YES. Mimby is an amazing DAC for the money, but Gumby is a world class product worthy of all the praise it gets. Mimby is just a taste of the Schiit multibit sound, an appetizer. Gumby/Yggy are the main course, and boy are they tasty.
I got a used unit, and it took about 10 days for it to stabilize its sound signature. But it started sounding great after about 2 days of warm up. On initial turn on (from cold), it still sounded better than Mimby, but there was alot of congestion.
The most obvious difference between Mimby and Gumby is the dynamics. Gumby slams MUCH harder and has a bigger, bolder presentation. The sense of PRAT/rhythm is greatly increased, and I find myself bobbing my head to songs alot more than I did with Mimby. Gumby is so dynamic it can be jaw dropping at times. The DAC's ballsy, grandiose nature is incredible, but it also never feel overdone or unnatural. It somehow retains an impressive sense of naturalism while slamming you harder with music. This is THE must have DAC for bass-heads. But we're not talking BEATS, with exaggerated, bloated bass... the bass is actually tighter, more controlled and better defined/textured than Mimby, while hitting much harder, and going deeper.
I was never a huge fan of Mimby's soundstage... it always felt cramped, with instruments feeling cluttered and too close together. Gumby completely reverses this, and is huge and expansive. Instrument/voice separation is much better. The soundstage also feels more cohesive and "orderly", as if everything is properly placed. But it never feels exaggerated.
Another obvious change is voices. Voices are much better articulated, with more depth, texture and detail. The sense of breath is more apparent. There is also better focus, with the singer becoming more lifelike and realistic, since you are hearing more information.
Gumby has much better imaging... the musical images have more solidity and are easier to identify. This also translates to a better sense of ease while listening, since you are not straining to hear anything. Sounds that are lower in the mix remain easy to pinpoint, whereas these same sounds were causing me to strain to hear them on the Mimby. Backup singers and voices are not as drowned out in the mix. Again, this translates into a more relaxed and easier listening experience. This is especially useful with classical music, with sections of the orchestra that were hazy on Mimby becoming clearly presented on Gumby, with no sense of compression or veil. It is like a picture coming better into focus for you to easily identify smaller details.
Gumby's dynamic range is increased. It is able to better resolve the differences in volume between sounds. Little bits of dynamic expression among the music are better presented... this is more obvious with classical.
Gumby is alot smoother. Mimby is relatively shouty/abrasive in comparison. Mimby was never offensive in this area when I owned it. It only became apparent when I upgraded just how much smoother Gumby is. Gumby's treble is also better extended, while retaining the smoothness. It is not harsh at all. But harsh music will still be presented accurately.
Gumby has an ease and flow to it that is quite incredible. Mimby sounds relatively strained in comparison. It is like the difference between an elegant Olympic skater versus an amateur at a skating rink. The manner in which Gumby pumps out music is extremely pleasing...
Gumby has better resolution. It resolves the music better. You feel like you are getting a much clearer picture of everything. There are things I heard with Gumby I didn't hear with Mimby. It is really like going from a 720P movie on a small 36 inch TV, to a 4K movie on a 70 inch TV. That's the best way to describe the uptick in resolution and clarity. Alot of this will greatly depend on your other gear. TOTL or near TOTL headphones will easily distinguish these differences. Mid-fi phones might not be able to as much, but I imagine you will still hear differences. Same with amps. But even something like the Magni 3 should be able to highlight the differences. The great thing about Gumby though is you have an endgame DAC that will massively scale-up any other equipment you buy. So it's worth it even if you don't have summit-fi gear yet.
