[landroni]

 
 
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).

Would this suggest that with DAVE we're deep into diminishing returns territory?

 

[wink]

   
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 ... 

The amount of iterations does not establish nor ameliorate the validity of the fact.   

 
btw, the count would be considerably greater than just four.....   

 

[Torq]

 
Would this suggest that with DAVE we're deep into diminishing returns territory?

 
Very deep into diminishing returns.
 
That comes on very quickly with digital replay, somewhat less so with analog.
 
The big jumps come very low down the pricing tiers.  By the time you're at Yggdrasil's level you're lucky to hear clear improvements at all, and when you do you tend to have to listen for them.  There are exceptions, but they're rare in my experience.  And you're frequently paying multiples of the cost of the next tier down for low-single-digit percentage point improvements in most cases (and often as not, any improvements aren't "across the board").

 

[Torq]

Random thought ...
 
I look at the price-tags on some of these DACs ... and think about the 12,000 or so LPs I have sitting in storage back in the UK ... and ever-less-idly start thinking I should get them shipped over here and spend the difference on another state-of-the-art analog setup.
 
That might not sound as good, on a technical level, but it was always entirely enjoyable.

 

[vhsownsbeta]

Random thought ...

I look at the price-tags on some of these DACs ... and think about the 12,000 or so LPs I have sitting in storage back in the UK ... and ever-less-idly start thinking I should get them shipped over here and spend the difference on another state-of-the-art analog setup.

That might not sound as good, on a technical level, but it was always entirely enjoyable.

The other people at other places have gotten to you, haven't they

 

[Torq]

The other people at other places have gotten to you, haven't they

Who-to-the-what-now?!
 
I did vinyl long before I was convinced about digital (you don't get to 12,000 or so LPs without some level of conviction/passion/sickness).
 
When listening to albums, as a whole, I still prefer vinyl.  Though, as it happens, I don't get on with vinyl at all through headphones ... so I don't tend to talk about it much here.  But, either way, listening to music is a LOT more fun than evaluating gear.  And after weeks of listening to this stuff, having a little bit of time to just chill out and enjoy some music is much appreciated.  And since some (most) of that happens to be relaxing to entire albums ... vinyl is a particularly seductive medium (not just, or even, for the sound, but for the entire ritual and aesthetic).
 
And then, despite being a huge music fan for 40 years or so, I'm only just discovering Bowie (no idea how that happened).
 
So ... I'm suddenly a LOT less worried about finding a new DAC and a lot more interesting in enjoying music and fiddling with turntables.

 

[TokenGesture]

/end thread/
 

 

[Insidious Meme]

Who-to-the-what-now?!

I did vinyl long before I was convinced about digital (you don't get to 12,000 or so LPs without some level of conviction/passion/sickness).

When listening to albums, as a whole, I still prefer vinyl.  Though, as it happens, I don't get on with vinyl at all through headphones ... so I don't tend to talk about it much here.  But, either way, listening to music is a LOT more fun than evaluating gear.  And after weeks of listening to this stuff, having a little bit of time to just chill out and enjoy some music is much appreciated.  And since some (most) of that happens to be relaxing to entire albums ... vinyl is a particularly seductive medium (not just, or even, for the sound, but for the entire ritual and aesthetic).

And then, despite being a huge music fan for 40 years or so, I'm only just discovering Bowie (no idea how that happened).

So ... I'm suddenly a LOT less worried about finding a new DAC and a lot more interesting in enjoying music and fiddling with turntables.

You found your answer to the title of this thread. But somehow it was destined.

 

[REXNFX]

 
Who-to-the-what-now?!
 
I did vinyl long before I was convinced about digital (you don't get to 12,000 or so LPs without some level of conviction/passion/sickness).
 
When listening to albums, as a whole, I still prefer vinyl.  Though, as it happens, I don't get on with vinyl at all through headphones ... so I don't tend to talk about it much here.  But, either way, listening to music is a LOT more fun than evaluating gear.  And after weeks of listening to this stuff, having a little bit of time to just chill out and enjoy some music is much appreciated.  And since some (most) of that happens to be relaxing to entire albums ... vinyl is a particularly seductive medium (not just, or even, for the sound, but for the entire ritual and aesthetic).
 
And then, despite being a huge music fan for 40 years or so, I'm only just discovering Bowie (no idea how that happened).
 
So ... I'm suddenly a LOT less worried about finding a new DAC and a lot more interesting in enjoying music and fiddling with turntables.

Having a vinyl rig is a must IMO as the majority of digital remasterings out there are unlistenable.

 

[hornytoad]

Having a vinyl rig is a must IMO as the majority of digital remasterings out there are unlistenable.

Isn't a lot of vinyl sold today from a digital encoding process ?

 

[hifimckinney]

Isn't a lot of vinyl from digital files?

It may be a biggest claim that what people like about vinyl is combination of calmness and sharpness but IMO, timbre is sacrificed somewhere and I now, find digital to be better. Do not kill me with this thought/perception because this is purely my own.

 

[REXNFX]

Isn't a lot of vinyl sold today from a digital encoding process ?

Yes, I was referring to older analog recordings.

 

[artur9]

  Random thought ...
 
I look at the price-tags on some of these DACs ... and think about the 12,000 or so LPs I have sitting in storage back in the UK ... and ever-less-idly start thinking I should get them shipped over here and spend the difference on another state-of-the-art analog setup.
 
That might not sound as good, on a technical level, but it was always entirely enjoyable.

I hear you.  I have a few dozen LPs from younger days and a slightly-beyond-entry-level vinyl rig.  It's a different kind of pleasure to listen to it.  
 
I think if I were in your position I'd settle on a DAC around the Yggy's price range and take the difference between it and the DAVE to make a good vinyl rig.  Especially since I bet some of your LPs do not have any digital version.

 

[prot]

...
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.

A bit better. Possibly .. maybe.

In my exp people tend to seriously overstimate the diffs between Dacs. Most of those diffs lie in an area that the vast majority of people would call "professional-nitpicking". Comparing Dacs is usually a sort of a maybe-game ... maybe this one has a larger stage, maybe that one has a somewhat 'rounder' sound, etc.

 

[acguitar84]

A bit better. Possibly .. maybe.

In my exp people tend to seriously overstimate the diffs between Dacs. Most of those diffs lie in an area that the vast majority of people would call "professional-nitpicking". Comparing Dacs is usually a sort of a maybe-game ... maybe this one has a larger stage, maybe that one has a somewhat 'rounder' sound, etc.

Gosh, to me the differences between my audiophile 2496 soundcard, the concero HD, the Dac in the Wa7 Fireflies, and the modi multibit, weren't as subtle as I thought they'd be. If I had to rate them, it would be, Audiophile 2496 < Wa7 Dac < Concero HD < Modi Multibit.  In fact, my entire family picked the Modi Multibit over the Concero HD in "blind" listening tests (on my downstairs speakers), including my daughter who could care less (completely disinterested) about our audiophile hobby.
 
In other words, again, the differences to us weren't subtle, the modi multibit was the clear winner overall. We didn't have to play things over and over to compare. What is kind of odd though, on my headphone rig, I think I still prefer the Concero HD over the modi multibit (barely though, and I would probably still switch back and forth). That one has been a tougher comparison. It has me thinking of getting another headphone amp completely and relegating the Wa7 to backup status only.  
 
Also, since this is a Yggy thread, all of my experiences with my DACs, and reading all of the reviews and info in this thread, sure make Yggy shine. I really want to hear one. Once they're back in stock I will more than likely order at least one, maybe two. I've been going back and forth on it, thinking maybe the gumby (also as of this post out of stock) is good enough for my purposes, but then I'd always wonder what the yggy is like. I'm just wondering if I'll end up having to have 3 of them, one for each of my desktop rigs and one for the headphone rig. Gonna get expensive.