[coli]

   
Interesting post!  Is there a good PCI -> SPDIF card that you think would be worth trying, as an alternative to the Yggy's USB input, for those of us with desktop PC's?  

RME is the standard.

 

[JohnnyCanuck]

  Here comes da tweak!  I have been manufacturing and modifying high end gear for over 38 years.  I am a crazed tweaky deaky dude.  So, take what I say with whatever grain of whatever you like.  Everything makes a difference sonically in every piece of equipment.  The Yggy sounds the way it does because of lots and lots of things inside it.  You can improve it tremendously by doing various tweaky deaky things.  If I had a schematic then I could really get crazy with it.  Schiit does not believe in lots of things that I or other tweakers do.  They do not believe in wire sound, or fuse sound or damping sound, etc. etc.  I only believe what I hear.  Everything I do is done to make the sound better.....everything. 
 
Here is a beginning list of things that could be easily done to the Yggy that would improve the sound.
 
1.  Remove or replace the fuse with a super Audiophile fuse.
2.  Remove the AC input filter and replace with Furutech AC inlet and great wire with Mad Scientist Neo Kegs on the wire.
3,  Damp all the heatsinks with EAR SD40AL constrained layer damping material.
4.  Put WA Quantum chips on the DACs and on almost all the electrolytic caps.
5,  Damp the chassis and put the Yggy on Mad Scientist Ceramic footers.
6.  Eliminate any LEDs that light up when playing.  You could have a switch on it that allows the LEDs to light so you can see what frequency it is playing and then you throw the switch so the LEDs are off for best sound.
7.  Short all the unused inputs with shorting plugs.  Did this on a Gen III Theta to good effect.
8.  Make sure all the board standoffs are non magnetic brass and change the screws to brass.  Damp the standoffs with SD40AL.
9.  Try listening without the cover....most gear sounds best sans cover.  I understand about having the DACs at the "right" temp......just try it!
 
Once these things are done then the serious mods would commence......replacing/eliminating many of the electrolytic caps, changing the rectifying diodes and damping them, changing some of the regulators to lower noise tweakier regulators, replacing the Dale resistors in the output stage with Nude Vishays, using giant power transformers outboarded, different solder, etc.  Everything I mention changes the sound....and usually, for the better.
 
One of my tweak buddies is getting an Yggy next week and he will do some of the beginner mods.  I am sure he will report his findings here.  If anyone wants to send me one to mod I would totally dig it.
 
"Why drive stock when you can have a screaming hot rod?"

 
All valid points.  In fact, you could go even further with an external power supply using R-core transformers and multi-stage discreet voltage regulation.
 
But, we both know that the $2399 price would quickly rise into the 5-figure range with all these tweaks.
 
Who knows, though.  Maybe the [REDACTED] will be a Yggdrasil Signature Edition with your tweaks incorporated.

 

[Jones Bob]

Here comes da tweak!  I have been manufacturing and modifying high end gear for over 38 years.  I am a crazed tweaky deaky dude.  So, take what I say with whatever grain of whatever you like.  Everything makes a difference sonically in every piece of equipment.  The Yggy sounds the way it does because of lots and lots of things inside it.  You can improve it tremendously by doing various tweaky deaky things.  If I had a schematic then I could really get crazy with it.  Schiit does not believe in lots of things that I or other tweakers do.  They do not believe in wire sound, or fuse sound or damping sound, etc. etc.  I only believe what I hear.  Everything I do is done to make the sound better.....everything. 

Here is a beginning list of things that could be easily done to the Yggy that would improve the sound.

1.  Remove or replace the fuse with a super Audiophile fuse.
2.  Remove the AC input filter and replace with Furutech AC inlet and great wire with Mad Scientist Neo Kegs on the wire.
3,  Damp all the heatsinks with EAR SD40AL constrained layer damping material.
4.  Put WA Quantum chips on the DACs and on almost all the electrolytic caps.
5,  Damp the chassis and put the Yggy on Mad Scientist Ceramic footers.
6.  Eliminate any LEDs that light up when playing.  You could have a switch on it that allows the LEDs to light so you can see what frequency it is playing and then you throw the switch so the LEDs are off for best sound.
7.  Short all the unused inputs with shorting plugs.  Did this on a Gen III Theta to good effect.
8.  Make sure all the board standoffs are non magnetic brass and change the screws to brass.  Damp the standoffs with SD40AL.
9.  Try listening without the cover....most gear sounds best sans cover.  I understand about having the DACs at the "right" temp......just try it!

Once these things are done then the serious mods would commence......replacing/eliminating many of the electrolytic caps, changing the rectifying diodes and damping them, changing some of the regulators to lower noise tweakier regulators, replacing the Dale resistors in the output stage with Nude Vishays, using giant power transformers outboarded, different solder, etc.  Everything I mention changes the sound....and usually, for the better.

One of my tweak buddies is getting an Yggy next week and he will do some of the beginner mods.  I am sure he will report his findings here.  If anyone wants to send me one to mod I would totally dig it.

"Why drive stock when you can have a screaming hot rod?"

I'd rather drive a stock Ferrari than one that's been butchered with JC Whitney add-ons.

 

[Jones Bob]

BTW, 120 hours in on my Yggy and the SQ is still refining.

 

[pyfgcrl]

  RME is the standard.

For example: http://www.amazon.com/RME-AES-32-express-audio-interface/dp/B001E331RQ

 

[Exidrion]

Baldr's post made me both excited and sad. Excited because I feel like it's the first time I'll hear a DAC and feel like it's something out of the ordinary for the first time in my young life, and sad because I have so much electronic music. . Ahh well. We'll see.

 

[goldendarko]

Baldr's post made me both excited and sad. Excited because I feel like it's the fist time I'll hear a DAC and feel like it's something out of the ordinary for the first time in my young life, and sad because I have so much electronic music. . Ahh well. We'll see.

 


I agree, while I realize that a lot of my older music sounds better, part of the fun of this hobby for me is experiencing new and exciting music and learning about new bands, so ultimately I hope the Yggy will sound good with new and old music alike.

 

[blitzxgene]

Pretty close to exactly 7 and a half days since I turned on the Yggy and I'm pretty thrilled by this plus the Rag. I've spent the last hour listening to $100 earbuds through $4k of equipment and i'm having trouble finding anything particularly lacking. (vsonic gr07) Yggy rocks major ballz. I'm officially ending my hunt for a dac after working my way through various audio-gd dacs and ps-audio dacs. I might invest in a tube amp for headphones in the future but the Yggy will be the foundation, hands down. 
 
Currently listening to the Beach Boys, which sounds freakin amazing. Who knew mono recordings could have so much hidden life... 

 

[jexby]

Baldr's post made me both excited and sad. Excited because I feel like it's the fist time I'll hear a DAC and feel like it's something out of the ordinary for the first time in my young life, and sad because I have so much electronic music. . Ahh well. We'll see.

 


I agree, while I realize that a lot of my older music sounds better, part of the fun of this hobby for me is experiencing new and exciting music and learning about new bands, so ultimately I hope the Yggy will sound good with new and old music alike.

+1
I'll put everything from Fleetwood to Mogwai to Shellac to Merzbow through a Yggy. One day.

 

[coli]

  For example: http://www.amazon.com/RME-AES-32-express-audio-interface/dp/B001E331RQ

I kinda wish more audiophile DACs would support optical MADI...

 

[freddy1201]

  Baldr's post made me both excited and sad. Excited because I feel like it's the fist time I'll hear a DAC and feel like it's something out of the ordinary for the first time in my young life, and sad because I have so much electronic music. . Ahh well. We'll see.

Actually, electronic sound really good with yggy, the burrito filter helps a lot for the ''soundstage of effects'' like in shpongle or infected mushroom and there is less harshness in some tracks.

 

[drfindley]

I agree, while I realize that a lot of my older music sounds better, part of the fun of this hobby for me is experiencing new and exciting music and learning about new bands, so ultimately I hope the Yggy will sound good with new and old music alike.

Frankly, while it's difficult to recreate something that has never truly existed, the Yggy sounds awesome with what little electronica I have: Thom Yorke, Aphex Twin, Flying Lotus and some others. I'd say the Yggy does a great job of creating something of of virtual nothing, just as the artist intended.

 

[money4me247]

  Baldr's post made me both excited and sad. Excited because I feel like it's the first time I'll hear a DAC and feel like it's something out of the ordinary for the first time in my young life, and sad because I have so much electronic music. . Ahh well. We'll see.

while I respect baldr's position and completely understand his point of view, it does also make me a bit sad as well to see the bias against electronic music and digitally created or remastered audio tracks.
 
I do think it makes to most sense to pursue audio transparency (as defined by accuracy of of well recorded live tracks to live performances) from a equipment manufacturer's point of view, but I do think that many electronic artists do take their craft very seriously and put in a lot of work trying to get things to sound 'right' to their ears on their system. there have been a lot of innovations drawn from electronic music. judging the purity of music based on the instruments/techniques used to create it is a bit overly elitist I think. whether playing a real violin or using an electronic keyboard, artists are simply using different tools/methods to express their creativity and I really respect talent/hard work regardless of the form/technique.
 
the end of the day, I personally believe music is all about how it makes us feel and how it moves us.

 

[Pier Paolo]

I have had the asgard, the lyr, the bifrost uber and now I have the gungnir. So, I am a good customer for schiit, I think. I am very curious to listen at the yggdrasil but one BIG think could stop me to buy it: the fact that it works well only if leaved on EVER. I think that this is not accettable, really. It is OK to warm up for 20 minutes; it is OK to leave it on for some days for the first week, but EVER: NO. In Italy power costs and it is not safe and during the summer is HOT. So, please, fix this.

 

[yfei]

Maybe in the future Schiit (or 3rd party mod) can add water or electrical cooling / warming mechanism to keep the critical components at constant temperature.  Or help these components to reach optimal temperature quickly   (Fiat 500e has water warmed / cooled battery pack to keep the battery at optimal working condition.)   
I don't see why it's not possible,  just a matter of cost.    Maybe there can be a more expensive 'quick' edition of yggy.
 
 
 
Quote:

I have had the asgard, the lyr, the bifrost uber and now I have the gungnir. So, I am a good customer for schiit, I think. I am very curious to listen at the yggdrasil but one BIG think could stop me to buy it: the fact that it works well only if leaved on EVER. I think that this is not accettable, really. It is OK to warm up for 20 minutes; it is OK to leave it on for some days for the first week, but EVER: NO. In Italy power costs and it is not safe and during the summer is HOT. So, please, fix this.