[magiccabbage]

   
Stay tuned. 
 
My Yggdrasil will be here on Monday.  I placed an order for the TotalDAC D1-Dual.  One will stay, one will go.  I'm very doubtful the Yggdrasil will hang with the TotalDAC, I guess because I don't believe in all this magic. 
 
The reason I waited to order the TotalDAC is because I wanted to give the Yggdrasil it's proper stabilizing time.  I will also give the TotalDAC a few days, so the Yggdrasil will have at least a two week lead.   

 

[AlanU]

In this test I'd have the owner blind folded sitting on the couch.....and let a friend swap dacs. At the same time I'd swap different power cords and adding and subtracting levels of power conditioning. While your at it swap interconnects.
 
This is where a combination of different combinations of variables of the cheaper can trump a much more expensive component. 
 
Synergy is everything and if your not into tweaking this is where personalizing your system makes a huge difference. 
 
If I swap to a cheap oem cord and put inexpensive interconnects on a solid state dac it can make it sound potentially better (usually not) or worst (typical). If you cannot hear this kind of difference your a lucky lucky person. Blindfolded I can easily tell the difference.
 
Disregarding system synergy in these DAC "tests" do not tell the whole story of performance. 

 

[money4me247]

Here're the results of a top DAC meet somewhere in Asia, the panel of judges included 8 senior hifier/magazine author

The Yggy has to beat these top dogs to claim the #1 spot

CDplayer：dCS Verdi、Vitus RCD-100
Amp：Blouder 1010+1060
speakers：Eggleston Works The Nine
Interface：8XR、Hydra Z

Was this a blinded comparison? Any links to the article? thanks!

 

[bfreedma]

In this test I'd have the owner blind folded sitting on the couch.....and let a friend swap dacs. At the same time I'd swap different power cords and adding and subtracting levels of power conditioning. While your at it swap interconnects.
 
This is where a combination of different combinations of variables of the cheaper can trump a much more expensive component. 
 
Synergy is everything and if your not into tweaking this is where personalizing your system makes a huge difference. 
 
If I swap to a cheap oem cord and put inexpensive interconnects on a solid state dac it can make it sound potentially better (usually not) or worst (typical). If you cannot hear this kind of difference your a lucky lucky person. Blindfolded I can easily tell the difference.
 
Disregarding system synergy in these DAC "tests" do not tell the whole story of performance. 

I'd rather see the "variables" kept to a minimum and simply switch out the DACs without changing any other components. Testing a single component will be difficult enough without introducing more, um, esoteric concepts.

 

[AlanU]

I'd rather see the "variables" kept to a minimum and simply switch out the DACs without changing any other components. Testing a single component will be difficult enough without introducing more, um, esoteric concepts.

 
The concept of HeadFi members swapping headphones cables must be ludicrous to you then........
 
Going from a Cardas copper cable to a Kimber cable silver interconnect is literally like swapping speakers or headphones as far as cabling is concerned. 
 
Preliminary testing can be done with identical cabling. Swapping cables can be another test with a so called listening panel.
 
If you've ever tested a Nordost vinshu and immeidately swapped  the power cord to an amp or even source component with a Brahma. If you cannot tell the difference between the two power cables....your an extremely fortunate person. Its so apparent it's not even funny. That variation can sway the owner of the component from experiencing ear fatigue or musical bliss over long listening periods. 
 
The age of the "judge panel" also plays an important role since we are all human and understand the concepts of losing audible frequency to an aging ear drum. 
 
I've had alot of serious skeptics (friends and acquaintance)  blindfolded listening to my 2 channel system with jaws dropping as I simply change power cords and no other modifications. My test was with my amplifier but it also effects source components too. I'm not here to convince you...... as you know heated discussions get no further after hundreds of posts.  Each to their own and if people have not explored that realm of tweaking its unfortunate imo. Components swapping is equally as effective in changing SQ and it's just another method of personal enjoyment. I'd gladly buy $2000+ worth of power conditioning before buying a new amp or dac. 

 

[7ryder]

   
The concept of HeadFi members swapping headphones cables must be ludicrous to you then........
 
Going from a Cardas copper cable to a Kimber cable silver interconnect is literally like swapping speakers or headphones as far as cabling is concerned. 
 
Preliminary testing can be done with identical cabling. Swapping cables can be another test with a so called listening panel.
 
If you've ever tested a Nordost vinshu and immeidately swapped  the power cord to an amp or even source component with a Brahma. If you cannot tell the difference between the two power cables....your an extremely fortunate person. Its so apparent it's not even funny. That variation can sway the owner of the component from experiencing ear fatigue or musical bliss over long listening periods. 
 
The age of the "judge panel" also plays an important role since we are all human and understand the concepts of losing audible frequency to an aging ear drum. 
 
I've had alot of serious skeptics (friends and acquaintance)  blindfolded listening to my 2 channel system with jaws dropping as I simply change power cords and no other modifications. My test was with my amplifier but it also effects source components too. I'm not here to convince you...... as you know heated discussions get no further after hundreds of posts.  Each to their own and if people have not explored that realm of tweaking its unfortunate imo. Components swapping is equally as effective in changing SQ and it's just another method of personal enjoyment. I'd gladly buy $2000+ worth of power conditioning before buying a new amp or dac. 

sounds like you got it all worked out.  we will await the results of your listening tests. 

 

[money4me247]

regards to AlanU's cable tests & to prevent this thread from de-evolving into a cable debate, I'd say maybe take that particular conversation to private messaging if wanting to continue to discuss his specific testing set-up and results.

 

[AlanU]

brfree,
 
I noticed you own a cullen wyred4sound mk2.  Your current dac is an extreme hyper detail dac and this maybe your preference.  Note decay on that particular dac from my audition had the typical characteristics of a very solid state sound however it was better than the mk1 version of that dac. 
 
I can see how this Yggy can potentially be a major step since people are claiming it is "digital vinyl". 
 
I will hopefully audition this dac very soon

 

[AlanU]

  brfree,
 
I noticed you own a cullen wyred4sound mk2.  Your current dac is an extreme hyper detail dac and this maybe your preference.  Note decay on that particular dac from my audition had the typical characteristics of a very solid state sound however it was better than the mk1 version of that dac. 
 
I can see how this Yggy can potentially be a major step since people are claiming it is "digital vinyl". 
 
I will hopefully audition this dac very soon
 
ok ...no more cable talk

 

[AlanU]

7ryder,
 
Your ears and my ears are different
 
This thread has seriously peaked my interest.  My current tube dac is now getting hot rodded with updates  so I'll be busy enough enjoying my upgrades to 60yr old Mullard EL32 tubes and other tweaks.
 
What's difficult to compared dacs is that some headphones may benefit massively with the specific dac sound signature while others may potentially get too heavy/dark/loss of detail. 
 
Disregarding synergy is a very bad idea when dac comparison is concerned. 
 
If your matching an HD800, Testla t1 with a wyred4sound dac you may have detail overload while you may find the Simaudio Moon 300d v2 more enjoyable........The hd650 may sound fantastic with the wyred4sound........it's all bout synergy.....

 

[Zorlac]

Setup my Ygg last night and could not stop listening. I upgraded from the Bryston BDA-1 and all I can say is that Ygg's detail and separation is un*****ingbelievable!!! Left it on all night and listening as we speak. Sounds a little warmer now. I am like a kid on Christmas morning! It only gets better from here.

As far as the source that should be used....my thoughts have always been with whatever has the least amount of signal conversions. Since the DAC only understands I2S, then whatever takes the least translations to get from PCM to IS2 right? I use USB currently, but wish Ygg had I2S input. Pinkfaun makes a rad I2S PCIe card. http://www.pinkfaun.nl/portal/productaanbod/dac-streaming-audio/1440-i2s-bridge

 

[prot]

I'd rather see the "variables" kept to a minimum and simply switch out the DACs without changing any other components. Testing a single component will be difficult enough without introducing more, um, esoteric concepts.

+10

 

[bfreedma]

Quote:Originally Posted by bfreedma I'd rather see the "variables" kept to a minimum and simply switch out the DACs without changing any other components. Testing a single component will be difficult enough without introducing more, um, esoteric concepts. The concept of HeadFi members swapping headphones cables must be ludicrous to you then........ Going from a Cardas copper cable to a Kimber cable silver interconnect is literally like swapping speakers or headphones as far as cabling is concerned. Preliminary testing can be done with identical cabling. Swapping cables can be another test with a so called listening panel. If you've ever tested a Nordost vinshu and immeidately swapped the power cord to an amp or even source component with a Brahma. If you cannot tell the difference between the two power cables....your an extremely fortunate person. Its so apparent it's not even funny. That variation can sway the owner of the component from experiencing ear fatigue or musical bliss over long listening periods. The age of the "judge panel" also plays an important role since we are all human and understand the concepts of losing audible frequency to an aging ear drum. I've had alot of serious skeptics (friends and acquaintance) blindfolded listening to my 2 channel system with jaws dropping as I simply change power cords and no other modifications. My test was with my amplifier but it also effects source components too. I'm not here to convince you...... as you know heated discussions get no further after hundreds of posts. Each to their own and if people have not explored that realm of tweaking its unfortunate imo. Components swapping is equally as effective in changing SQ and it's just another method of personal enjoyment. I'd gladly buy $2000+ worth of power conditioning before buying a new amp or dac.

Let's just say that you and I have very different opinions on the impact of cables, power conditioning, and other tweaks and leave it at that.

I don't think adding in hundreds of possible permutations of those to testing two DACs is going to lead to a valid comparison of those two individual components and hope that the first test will change only the DACs so that people following this thread can review the results with a minimum of variables.

If you want to perform tests between the two DACs looking for component "synergy", don't let me dissuade you but I'll have no interest in those results.

 

[subtle]

I'd rather see the "variables" kept to a minimum and simply switch out the DACs without changing any other components. Testing a single component will be difficult enough without introducing more, um, esoteric concepts.

 

+10

 
+10 to the power of 10.
 
I'm so glad I could care less about this so-called "synergy".  Can you imagine how maddening it would be to try out 50 different variations of cables and pretend to notice huge differences?  Cheap power cord + silver interconnects + power conditioning + copper headphone cables vs Nordost power cord + copper interconnects + no power conditioning + silver headphone cables vs on and on and on and on.  What ever.  No thank you with that garbage.
 
Why do you think Patrick is not around anymore?  He drove himself mad doing this with the K1000.

 

[preproman]

Considering the expectation bias in his previous post, I don't think the D1 will take a "beating". Nevertheless, his will be one of the first data points between a TOTL DAC and the Yggdrasil.

 
There's noting more that I would like to do is return a 10K DAC back for a refund if it takes a "beating".  I really pulling for the Yggdrasil.  However, because it's being overly hyped the expectation bias  in favor of the Yggdrasil..