[hifin00b117]

I am loving every bit of this DAC. I also listened to Bitfrost which is an impressive DAC on its own, but fell in love with the sound of 4490.
I just want to know which of the filters it employs or if it employs all of them.
This what it states on the AKM site: The 5 types of digital filters allow the music playback in a variety of sound quality settings by switching the filter type.
 
 
 

 

[notfitforpublic]

2 days in after a 4490 upgrade from the Uber. There is definitely a noticeable difference over the Uber. Not to abuse terms, but instrument separation is noticeably better and music sounds much more natural. I found the Uber to have a bit of bite in the some top end that sometimes made cymbals and vocals sound a little... too metallic? The 4490 provides a nice smooth reproduction. I'm quite happy with the bump for the price and I think I'll be passing on the Multibit option for now an let my ignorance be bliss.
 
4490 is, without a doubt, worth $70 for Uber owners if you got a few bucks to spare. Not sure if I would say the same if it was much more, however. The differences are noticeable, not mind blowing.
 
If the Multibit upgrade is too much for you to swallow (It equals out to $400 or so for us Canadians, 4490 was $100 or so) the 4490 is a pretty decent $70 bump IMO.
 
MacMini->256k to ALAC->Bifrost 4490->Schiit Valhalla 2 NOS tubes->HD600
 
Edit: For those curious, because I was concerned, install is easy. If you've taken apart a computer before, theres nothing to worry about. Theres a great tutorial on how the upgrade goes in the Uber thread.

 

[Instinct]

Anyone feel like the the upgrade from Uber to 4490 made vocals less forward? I feel like they blend in with the rest of the other instruments in my music which is a disappointment to me. Or maybe it is because the sound is now smoother/warmer.

 

[notfitforpublic]

Smoother, warmer, yes, but don't feel that vocals are recessed IMO. Perhaps a day or so for your brain to accept the change?

 

[Instinct]

Anyone else also getting a static thump when starting your computer? This occurred with the Bitfrost Uber before but it was just a normal thump. The 4490 is giving me a more unpleasant static thump like it is damaging my speakers/headphones. The sound is very brief and less than a second. I am also using USB.

 

[bigro]

Thats Sounds

  Anyone else also getting a static thump when starting your computer? This occurred with the Bitfrost Uber before but it was just a normal thump. The 4490 is giving me a more unpleasant static thump like it is damaging my speakers/headphones. The sound is very brief and less than a second. I am also using USB.

 
That Sounds like it is coming from your computer when it turns on. Turn the Volume Down on your amp to the lowest setting or just power the Amp down until the computer is booted up.

 

[ToTo Man]

Bringing together and summarising all of the comparisons so far between the new Bifrost 4490 and old Bifrost Uber:
 

  With the 4490 the female and male voices are more transparent and distinct.  Much of the digital edge is gone.  Overall, the sound is smoother.  Individual instruments are easier to follow.  The bass was a bit tighter and deeper.

 

  With the 4490 the soundstage really did seem wider and more detailed...It sounds very lively and exciting - also somehow as if a veil was lifted and the highs are clearer. Some brass at the moment nearly seemed a bit harsh, but I will have to return to that and will let the 4490 run all night. To me it is more immediate and involving. The bass was surprisingly tight.

 

  I'm really enjoying the 4490 upgrade so far. It seems its smoother sounding than the Uber with a wider soundstage. I wasn't quick to post impressions because I got some Bugle Boy tubes for my Lyr 2 and have been running those, It makes it difficult to tell if it's the tubes changing the sound or the 4490 board. Too many upgrades at once.

 

  Sounds nothing like the old Bifrost and Bifrost Uber...
 
- Much wider soundstage and a more "airy" presentation than the older Bifrost. This is by far the biggest improvement from the two older boards.
- More relaxed character but doesn't sacrifice detail.
- I would also say that the timing feels a little "faster" - but not at all fatiguing and does not affect it's relaxed character.
- Sounds warmer and less fatiguing. In my opinion, it is not neutral.
- It has a very analogue feel to the sound, very natural and vocals are very pleasant to listen to.
- The vocals take center-stage. It is quite forward in terms of (vocal) presentation (but still retains that airy presentation, but not as close and intimate as some DACs such as the HRT Music Streamer II).
- There is also more sparkle to the voices - especial women's voices.
- Bass is tighter and more coherent than the older Uber. Kind of reminds me of the Asgard 2's bass.
- I wouldn't say it has more bass performance, but the bass is cleaner, clearer and more defined - and very well balanced.
- Everything sounds well balanced, from the lows, mids and all the way up to the highs.
- It also has a tad more gain, it also sounds as if it is slightly "louder".
- Good emphasis on micro-detail, especially things like echoes (of vocals) during live performances in large concert halls. It conveys a good sense of space (e.g. Diana Krall Live in Paris album).
 
Downsides:
- Voices can sound a little "grainy" but not really a problem.
- Not as full-bodied as I would like it to be. Vocals do sound a little thin at times.
- Vocals can be "shouty".

 

  There is definitely a noticeable difference over the Uber….instrument separation is noticeably better and music sounds much more natural. I found the Uber to have a bit of bite in the some top end that sometimes made cymbals and vocals sound a little... too metallic? The 4490 provides a nice smooth reproduction.

 
Perhaps it's just due to a difference in use of language, but there seems to be some contradictions in what people are hearing.  e.g. some are describing the 4490 as sounding smoother, warmer and more relaxed than the Uber, whilst others are describing the 4490 as more lively, detailed and sparkly than the Uber.  
 
I am trying to decide whether to upgrade my Uber to the 4490 or MB, or not to upgrade at all, so the above leaves me a little confused!  
 

When I upgraded my original Bifrost to Uber, I noticed a significant improvement during real-time A/B testing (I had an Uber on home demo for comparison).  Uber gave better 

[size=x-small]clarity and transparency.  It was as if a film of dirt had been removed from the soundscape, everything became clearer, more focused and less smeary/grainy, [/size]particularly[size=x-small] the mid and high frequencies (vocals and cymbals).[/size] [size=x-small] The soundstage also became slightly wider and instruments were layered more distinctly.[/size]
 
I recently had the Gungnir MB on home demo, and as excellent as it is, it lacked some of the excitement, presence and high frequency sparkle that I have obviously become accustomed to with my Bifrost Uber.
 
Hence my dilemma in deciding whether to upgrade my Uber to 4490, MB, or not at all.  I am swaying towards upgrading to the 4490, but only if I can be sure that it improves the existing sonic characteristics of the Uber without taking any of the excitement away.  Suggestions?

 

[notfitforpublic]

 There was a touch of an improvement in soundstage for the 4490 upgrade, however, the greatest improvement I found was the 4490 being closer to what I would consider an analogue sound. Smoother, less of a digitized shrill sound. I consider this a step into the "warmer" direction  though my terminology may be incorrect.
 
If that digitized high frequency sparkle is what you want, might as well stay with the Uber. Still a fantastic DAC and saves you some cash either way. That digitized high frequency sparkle was something I didn't particularly enjoy in the Uber, hence may preference to the 4490 and I believe the MB is even a step farther in that same direction.

 

[markta]

I went from the uber to 4490 an am loving it. I'm so happy I decided to go with bitfrost, for $70 I got a great new dac. I find the difference from the uber to be more detail, resulting in a deeper sound stage and detailed bass. If you don't like it better than the uber I believe you can return it.

 

[duetta]

Got mine yesterday, simply plugged it into to my home media center with no burn in, and found it extremely musical.  CDs with a tendency to be ever-so-bright had no unpleasant edge at all, and the DAC had this very preliminary impression of a touch of warmth.  
 
Again, this is just out of the box - so the sound may change as the burn-in process proceeds.  But so far, so good.  

 

[Tuneslover]

Cool pics!

So what's involved in installing this board? It looks like it nests on top of the Bifrost (Uber) innards and fastened down with 2 screws. That seems over simplified. Does it come with instructions?

Finally got my Bifrost 4490 board in the mail today. This is what it looks like:





It has a new AKM 4490 chip, apart from one component on the board, it looks almost identical to the older Uber board. Build quality is similar.




This is the Bifrost board with the older Uber card.




The Bifrost board with the new 4490 card installed.


First impressions:

Sounds nothing like the old Bifrost and Bifrost Uber.

Some initial impressions:

- Much wider soundstage and a more "airy" presentation than the older Bifrost. This is by far the biggest improvement from the two older boards.
- More relaxed character but doesn't sacrifice detail.
- I would also say that the timing feels a little "faster" - but not at all fatiguing and does not affect it's relaxed character.
- Sounds warmer and less fatiguing. In my opinion, it is not neutral.
- It has a very analogue feel to the sound, very natural and vocals are very pleasant to listen to.
- The vocals take center-stage. It is quite forward in terms of (vocal) presentation (but still retains that airy presentation, but not as close and intimate as some DACs such as the HRT Music Streamer II).
- There is also more sparkle to the voices - especial women's voices.
- Bass is tighter and more coherent than the older Uber. Kind of reminds me of the Asgard 2's bass.
- I wouldn't say it has more bass performance, but the bass is cleaner, clearer and more defined - and very well balanced.
- Everything sounds well balanced, from the lows, mids and all the way up to the highs.
- It also has a tad more gain, it also sounds as if it is slightly "louder".
- Good emphasis on micro-detail, especially things like echoes (of vocals) during live performances in large concert halls. It conveys a good sense of space (e.g. Diana Krall Live in Paris album).

Downsides:

- Voices can sound a little "grainy" but not really a problem.
- Not as full-bodied as I would like it to be. Vocals do sound a little thin at times.
- Vocals can be "shouty".


All in all, a very fine DAC and a worthy replacement for the original Bifrost and Bifrost Uber and well worth the upgrade.
Very happy with it to be honest.



Hope this helps.

 

[notfitforpublic]

Cool pics!

So what's involved in installing this board? It looks like it nests on top of the Bifrost (Uber) innards and fastened down with 2 screws. That seems over simplified. Does it come with instructions?

Uber card comes out. 4490 card replaces it. There's a great tutorial in the Bifrost Uber Upgrade thread, pics and all. No instructions but it is that simple.

 

[Tuneslover]

Uber card comes out. 4490 card replaces it. There's a great tutorial in the Bifrost Uber Upgrade thread, pics and all. No instructions but it is that simple.

I emailed with Nick from Schiit and he explained that it's a relatively painless procedure. I reviewed a few posts that illustrated a pictorial procedure too. I went for it and ordered a 4490 card.

 

[notfitforpublic]

I emailed with Nick from Schiit and he explained that it's a relatively painless procedure. I reviewed a few posts that illustrated a pictorial procedure too. I went for it and ordered a 4490 card.

Nice, let us know what you think. Personally, I found the money spent vs the results had were well worth it.

 

[Tuneslover]

Nice, let us know what you think. Personally, I found the money spent vs the results had were well worth it.

So the board replacement was very straight forward. I took my time and it only took me about 40 minutes or so.

The sound of the 4490 is definitely different from the Über. My initial impression, the bass is more noticeable, as well as deeper and tighter. The other noticeable difference is that the sound was less digital sounding. Other posters have also commented on this and used the smoother analog sound to describe the 4490. I totally agree with this assessment. With respect to soundstage I was a bit nervous because I absolutely loved how the Über improved my 2 channel speaker system, well the 4490 expanded the soundstage even a tad more...fantastic!

I really liked the Über sound but it did have a bit of a digital sound to it with sometimes a bit too much treble glare although the detail was nice. It lacked decent bass punch too.

So overall I am very pleased with the 4490 upgrade with its smooth analog sound and most importantly retains, even improves on the Über expansive soundscape. This was a very affordable upgrade, especially if you handle the install yourself. If for whatever you don't care for the 4490 board it's easily reversible back to Über...not sure why you would want to though.