[tafens]

So I can only comment on the remote that came with my Freya + which looks like a solid piece of milled aluminum. Turns out the grey piece where the buttons are is actually the battery cover, and is held on by several strong magnets. So pressing around the edges will make the cover lift up. Not sure if BF2 remote is the same.

It is. As a bonus, thanks to the magnets, you can stick the remote to the side of the Bifrost when not in use (or any other steel/iron surface)

 

[elementze]

Just started sourcing my BF2 with an Intona Galvanic Isolator. Paired with a Raspbery Pi steamer, this has seemed to pair really nicely with the Bifrost. Anyone else experiment with the Intona on a BF2? Curious your experience.

 

[Ripper2860]

Hmmm. I thought Unison USB in the BF2 already provides Galvanic Isolation.

 

[tafens]

Hmmm. I thought Unison USB in the BF2 already provides Galvanic Isolation.

So did I, but you just can’t isolate enough, can you?

 

[elementze]

Hmmm. I thought Unison USB in the BF2 already provides Galvanic Isolation.

It does, but no isolation is perfect. It has some level of isolation / rejection, which is much better than nothing. With the Intona I guess it's two stages of isolation :-D It would be interesting to see the specs on the Galvanic isolation used in the BF2. And I should setup a blind a/b test and see if I really can pickout the difference...

 

[DeweyCH]

My BF2 is doing something odd. Whenever I start Tidal playing, it clicks (I know the click is protection by design), but there's no sound. I have to pause, and then hit play again, then everything works fine. This somewhat normal?

 

[tafens]

My BF2 is doing something odd. Whenever I start Tidal playing, it clicks (I know the click is protection by design), but there's no sound. I have to pause, and then hit play again, then everything works fine. This somewhat normal?

Bifrost2 mutes (click is the muting relay) the output when the sample rate is changed. That’s probably why it clicks, as for the missing sound I don’t know, but as it works after a pause/play maybe some player/usb driver/port issue perhaps? Have you tried restarting the computer, turning it off and on again, change usb port etc?

 

[JohnnyOps]

Afaik every single Schiit DAC clicks audibly when the input format changes. 16/44 to 24/48 to 24/192 to 24/196.

You shouldn’t hear a click between two tracks that are the exact same format, but there could be some “no format” time between two tracks of the exact same format, so in that situation (depending on streamer/player/content) you might hear a click between two tracks on the same album.

So everything is acting as expected.

 

[nasty nate]

more knobs = more enjoyment, that's just science

 

[Neweymatt]

more knobs = more enjoyment, that's just science

Ooooh yeah, has to be!!

I've been holding out as I've got software EQ on my Mac already, so I've been diverting Lokius $$ toward headphones & IEMs, but I'm sure it will happen eventually.

At the moment I've got balanced from BF2 to the Jot2, but on the SE path I've got a SYS to the Vali2+ and then to the Jot2. This lets me switch in tube-ness if I like, and also use a second DAC on the SE input to the Vali. Adding Lokius to this mix would give me 2x more paths to mess around with along with all those knobs, and I'm not sure my brain could handle it...

 

[RickB]

If you use a Mac and you want to hear how much detail a B2 can pull out, check out the simple music player Colibri (in the Mac App Store, $4.99 when I bought it). Go into its settings and make sure you're using exclusive mode and the RAM disk. It's a little harsher than Audirvāna, but noticeably more detailed.

 

[Lovebox]

In the hope that someone can help me with a quick question:
I currently have a choice to make between a BF 2 and a Gumby (from 2017 used) for the same price.
My current amp is a Singxer SA-1. Which of the two would be the better choice?

 

[nasty nate]

Ooooh yeah, has to be!!

I've been holding out as I've got software EQ on my Mac already, so I've been diverting Lokius $$ toward headphones & IEMs, but I'm sure it will happen eventually.

At the moment I've got balanced from BF2 to the Jot2, but on the SE path I've got a SYS to the Vali2+ and then to the Jot2. This lets me switch in tube-ness if I like, and also use a second DAC on the SE input to the Vali. Adding Lokius to this mix would give me 2x more paths to mess around with along with all those knobs, and I'm not sure my brain could handle it...

That would be a ton of options to play with; I suppose a Lokius could eliminate the need for the Vali2 path, since you can introduce some tube flavor / characteristics with the knobs... all a matter of preference!

Your setup sounds ideal to me - maybe a Lyr 4 eventually to replace that Vali2

 

[HeyWaj10]

Hi all - could use some input on my potential upgrade path centered around the Bifrost 2. My goal is simplicity, as I'm turning to 100% Tidal streaming. The chain would be as follows:

2021 MacBook Air > Tidal via Roon > USB-C to USB-B cable > Schiit Bifrost 2 (Unison USB) > Schiit Lyr 3 > Audeze LCD-X (2020)

My main concern is whether I will have any handover issues from the iMac Air directly to the Bifrost 2? My 2011 iMac is useless into my ES9028 USB-C input of my Lyr3, as it requires too much hardware via powered USB hub. I'm trying to keep the simplicity both in terms of the signal chain and the wire array at my listening chair. The aesthetic is very clean, and I intend to keep it that way. Having to use the Apple CCK adapter for my iPhone 11 into the Lyr3 (ES9028) drives me nuts as it is.

Thoughts/confirmations are greatly appreciated!

 

[Neweymatt]

Hi all - could use some input on my potential upgrade path centered around the Bifrost 2. My goal is simplicity, as I'm turning to 100% Tidal streaming. The chain would be as follows:

2021 MacBook Air > Tidal via Roon > USB-C to USB-B cable > Schiit Bifrost 2 (Unison USB) > Schiit Lyr 3 > Audeze LCD-X (2020)

My main concern is whether I will have any handover issues from the iMac Air directly to the Bifrost 2? My 2011 iMac is useless into my ES9028 USB-C input of my Lyr3, as it requires too much hardware via powered USB hub. I'm trying to keep the simplicity both in terms of the signal chain and the wire array at my listening chair. The aesthetic is very clean, and I intend to keep it that way. Having to use the Apple CCK adapter for my iPhone 11 into the Lyr3 (ES9028) drives me nuts as it is.

Thoughts/confirmations are greatly appreciated!

Looks like a winner to me. I use the USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter out of my MacBook Pro, and a USB-A to USB-B cable to the Bifrost2 instead, as I also have an external HDMI monitor. But a USB-C to USB-B should work fine I believe.

The Tidal app on your Mac will let you select "Schiit Bifrost 2 Unison USB" in Exclusive mode, so there should be no issues other than the 'click' the BF2 makes when it negotiates a different bitrate with Tidal.

I sometimes use the old CCK adapter with the same USB-A to USB-B cable from my iPhone to the BF2, and this also works well if I don't want to be bothered with the MBP.

Should be an awesome listen once you get it going!!