Life after Yggdrasil?
Nov 22, 2016 at 12:29 PM Post #991 of 1,366
  I don't quite get it...Yggy is decent, no?


What is it that you don't get?
 
Yggdrasil is a superlative DAC.  It has proven very hard to equal, let alone beat, even against much higher-priced competition.  In both relative, and absolute, terms, it's an excellent, musical, capable performer and incredible value.
 
But I needed another DAC, for another system, and wanted to see (or hear, I guess) what else was out there rather than just buying another Yggdrasil.  Variety is nice, and that's where I wound up ... ultimately adding both a new DAC and another Yggdrasil.  I consider that quite the endorsement ... in both areas - namely that Yggdrasil comfortably stands against competition that, so far, has ranged all the way up to $28,000 ... more than 10x times Schiit's asking price and that, even when choosing to add something else with a different approach, I still wanted another Yggdrasil in that system.
 
And even then I had to go in a completely different architectural direction (discrete R2R with linear compensation and NO oversampling) to find something else that was different but that I enjoyed on the same level as Yggdrasil.  And the combination of Yggdrasil and the Holo Audio Spring DAC, so far, is the best overall solution I can come up with.  And even the combination of those two DACs comes in cheaper than the next closest rival.
 
Perhaps things will change when I start auditioning the remaining units, including the dCS and MSB offerings, next year, perhaps not.  
 
As it stands, Yggdrasil is far more than "decent", but it's not the only DAC in the world nor the only way to approach D-to-A conversion.
 
Nov 22, 2016 at 12:53 PM Post #992 of 1,366
Thanks for breaking it down for me. I am hearing life in addition to Yggdrasil though, not life after Yggdrasil.
Your endorsement only really underscores my skepticism for a need to think about something other than Yggy. 
 
Nov 22, 2016 at 1:39 PM Post #993 of 1,366
  Thanks for breaking it down for me. I am hearing life in addition to Yggdrasil though, not life after Yggdrasil.

 
The thread title is simply indicative of the fact that my search is coming after being exposed to Yggdrasil for a meaningful period of time.
 
  Your endorsement only really underscores my skepticism for a need to think about something other than Yggy. 

 
It's thinking like that that has my fiancé's father going to the same restaurant every day and always ordering the same dish.
 
Variety is good and the world, generally, moves forward.
 
Nov 22, 2016 at 4:29 PM Post #995 of 1,366
It's all good, the noobie that I am is still happy with Yggy, good thing I don't have to buy one every day though!
 
Nov 22, 2016 at 7:09 PM Post #996 of 1,366

Hey Energy,
 
How do you like the Spring Dac level 1 with your HD800S? I'm currently looking for a dac and level 3 is out of stock. There doesn't seem to be much out there on level 1, and not anyone who have heard several, and can compare the different levels of the Spring dac. Would appreciate if you could compare it to another dac you've owned before.
 
I'm very curious how much of a difference there is between level 1 and level 3, but i guess it'll take some time before someone gets experience with more than one.
 
Nov 22, 2016 at 8:08 PM Post #997 of 1,366
  Hey Energy,
 
How do you like the Spring Dac level 1 with your HD800S? I'm currently looking for a dac and level 3 is out of stock. There doesn't seem to be much out there on level 1, and not anyone who have heard several, and can compare the different levels of the Spring dac. Would appreciate if you could compare it to another dac you've owned before.
 
I'm very curious how much of a difference there is between level 1 and level 3, but i guess it'll take some time before someone gets experience with more than one.


You're unlikely to find the Level 3 Spring DAC "in stock" any time soon.
 
I expect directly-comparative reviews between Level 1 and Level 3 will be a long time in coming - as there's not a lot of incentive for someone that has a Level 3 to spend time with the Level 1.
 
And I very much doubt that the difference between the L1 and the L3 is so significant that it would turn an excellent DAC (the Level 3) into something that wasn't still entirely desirable and still good value.
 
If I was on the fence, I'd take advantage of the current $1400 sale price on the Level 1 and then sell it, likely for what I'd have paid for it, if I decided to upgrade to a Level 3.  It's also worth noting the the Level 3 is very likely going to be going up in price at the end of the year - so putting off a decision isn't going to save you anything!
 
Nov 22, 2016 at 8:53 PM Post #998 of 1,366
There is a Level 3 on the FS section if (not mine) if anybody is interested.
 
Nov 22, 2016 at 9:56 PM Post #1,000 of 1,366
Is there?  It wasn't @Joeybgood
's was it?  I think his sold in under a day (though he's usually very generous with his prices).


I think it was. That was fast.
 
Nov 26, 2016 at 2:01 PM Post #1,001 of 1,366
  The Holo Audio Spring DAC has proved something of an upset in my auditioning process.  I was intrigued by it's implementation of "Linear Compensation" (you'll need to see my full review for a proper discussion of that), and that turned out to lead me into a wonderfully musical and emotional experience.
 
While I'm not quite ready to say that I think the Spring DAC completely, technically, bests Yggdrasil, Metrum Pavane or Chord DAVE (the latter two being statements that really deserve a proper back-to-back comparison), I am finding that I'm at a suitable end-point for the process I started here.  What I WILL say, quite happily, is that based on my reactions/emotional responses, to these units, that I prefer the Spring DAC over DAVE, the Pavane, and the Direct Stream Junior (and possibly non-junior).
 
With everything I've heard, and commented on, so far, this year, I am finding that it is an easy choice to opt for the combination of Schiit Yggdrasil and Holo Audio Spring DAC.  They are both excellent performers, delivering very high-value, and yet are sufficiently different in their signature and capabilities that I find no conflict in wanting both of them.  As I said, I wouldn't trade one for the other, but they are both SOTA/TOTL level performers and great complements to one another.
 
That means, at this point, and least for the remainder of this year, I am DONE in my search for an additional DAC.
 
If I elect to look further next year then the competition will restart with the DACs on my list that I've not so far gotten to listen to properly, but they will now be compared to the pairing of Yggdrasil and Spring DAC.  And that process will start with a back-to-back elimination of my currently indicated short-list.
 
I am going to spend a nice long while immersing myself in the music that Yggdrasil and the Spring DAC render so convincingly.   I am also going to spend the difference between the price I had anticipated potentially dropping on a new DAC into my vinyl system instead.  And we'll see where things go next year.
 
For now, if you're looking for a new DAC, and have a budget that intersects the units in my shortlist, you need to make sure you audition both Yggdrasil and the Spring DAC.  Even at several times their respective, similar, price-points, the difference between them and the "front-runner" are small and, often, a matter of taste.
 
To end ...
 
As of my formal evaluations, DAVE remained at the top of my list in terms of raw technical performance, while retaining excellent musicality.  Still ... I'd, personally, rather have the combination of Yggdrasil and the Holo Audio Spring, regardless of price.
 
And just to whet your whistle, seed some anticipation, stir the pot and, of course, put the cat among the pigeons, I recently got to hear a unit that, while not in back-to-back comparison, and not strictly just a DAC, manages to redefine my expectations from digital audio.  It's not cheap (several times the combined price of Yggdrasil and Spring, and indeed nudging a doubling of the price of DAVE) and not conventional, but it is going to cause quite the stir among the well-heeled when it makes a proper public appearance ...
 
Thanks for reading ... enjoy the music!


Nice process. I've enjoyed it. Looking forward to your shootout between the Directstream Senior and Holo, if you decide to revisit it.
 
I do know someone who opted for the Holo. I'm just wondering if you found the Holo fuller sounding and with more midrange richness than the Directstream Senior.
 
Dec 7, 2016 at 8:15 AM Post #1,003 of 1,366
Torq I'm interested in the Level 3  and have really enjoyed your journey in the dac testing.   Can I ask which genres of music you have been testing with.  I enjoy old classic rock, Jazz Fusion and sax and piano. 
 
Dec 7, 2016 at 3:35 PM Post #1,005 of 1,366
  Torq I'm interested in the Level 3  and have really enjoyed your journey in the dac testing.   Can I ask which genres of music you have been testing with.  I enjoy old classic rock, Jazz Fusion and sax and piano. 


All of those genres are included in my standard audition playlist.
 
In fact I listen to pretty much everything, though Country and various forms of Metal are somewhat under-represented in my collection.
 

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