[kothganesh]

I concur with what everyone has said so far.  The USB gen 2 card is excellent in the Bifrost Uber.  I cannot hear any difference between USB, coax, or optical.  In lesser DACs, I could hear slight differences over USB.

Also, unless you need balanced, the Bifrost is a better a value.  Some reviewers, like Purrin, has said the Gungnir is slightly better at unbalanced than the Bifrost, but it's not very much.  If you might eventually go balanced in the future, go ahead and get the Gungnir.  If you will always be unbalanced, go with the Bifrost.  They are that close in quality while both running unbalanced.  The Gungnir takes it to another level over balanced.

+1 and for madwolfa as well. If balanced is not needed, Bifrost Uber is the way to go. I use the Gungnir with the Mjolnir(balanced amp) and the Uber with well, just about every other amp.

 

[Byrnie]

   
That is pretty much my approach, too.  I thought about the Gungnir, but the Bifrost Uber was close enough for me call it a day. 

Same here.  I don't plan on upgrading my Bifrost Uber unless I run out of headphones or amps to buy

 

[musicman2006]

I have a newbie question about going balanced.
 
I'm running a pair of HE6 with the Bifrost Uber and an Emotiva Mini xa100 direct from the speaker taps. It sounds fantastic but I am curious about the Gungnir. If I upgrade to the Gungnir with an Emotiva XPA-200, which has balanced inputs, and still connect the headphones to the speaker taps, is it still considered balanced? 

 

[Byrnie]

  I have a newbie question about going balanced.
 
I'm running a pair of HE6 with the Bifrost Uber and an Emotiva Mini xa100 direct from the speaker taps. It sounds fantastic but I am curious about the Gungnir. If I upgrade to the Gungnir with an Emotiva XPA-200, which has balanced inputs, and still connect the headphones to the speaker taps, is it still considered balanced?

I don't think it would be considered balanced given the headphone itself is not going from the amp to the headphone via balanced (that appears to be the unwritten definition).

 

[fenderf4i]

Yeah it just depends on how you're connecting the headphones to the speaker taps. If each channel is connected to each tap independently, then it would be balanced (as long as that amp is truly balanced)

 

[musicman2006]

The positive and negative for the left and right channels are each connected directly to their respective speaker taps. I didn't know if not having a third wire for each channel was necessary to act as a ground like XLR cables do. 

 

[madwolfa]

Here is a nice fresh review of a Bifrost Uber and Asgard 2 combo:
 
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/headphone-amplifiers/headphone-amplifiers/schiit-asgard-2-headphone-amplifier-and-bifrost-uber-dac-review.html

 

[genclaymore]

is the difference between the normal and the uber major or small difference, i planning on getting a bifrost soon and i wonder if i should start couch surfing for extra cash to afford the bifrost uber.

 

[Tuco1965]

I can't tell you that it's better because I have not heard the non uber. I just thought I'd go for broke and get the works. No remorse.

 

[Byrnie]

is the difference between the normal and the uber major or small difference, i planning on getting a bifrost soon and i wonder if i should start couch surfing for extra cash to afford the bifrost uber.

I've read multiple times of people suggesting for others' to get the Uber and that's why i did. I also heard it's a noticeable difference but that could be interpretted as a small to large difference.

 

[StanD]

  is the difference between the normal and the uber major or small difference, i planning on getting a bifrost soon and i wonder if i should start couch surfing for extra cash to afford the bifrost uber.

I'll bet that the difference isn't drastic and that most people probably couldn't tell the difference, unless they felt compelled to. I got the Uber, the price difference wasn't that much to make me think twice. Surf's up. 

 

[hodgjy]

I can't tell you that it's better because I have not heard the non uber. I just thought I'd go for broke and get the works. No remorse.

 
I did the same and feel exactly the same.

 

[sling5s]

I had the Bifrost when it first came and sold it.  I thought it was slightly shouty and grainy.  
Couple months ago, I decided to try the Bifrost again with Uber upgrade.  To me, it sounds much more smoother (less grainy than I remembered and the shoutiness is no longer present) and more detailed with a fuller sound (maybe more bass extension).  I'm happy to say, I'm satisfied with it now. 

 

[hodgjy]

  I had the Bifrost when it first came and sold it.  I thought it was slightly shouty and grainy.  
Couple months ago, I decided to try the Bifrost again with Uber upgrade.  To me, it sounds much more smoother (less grainy than I remembered and the shoutiness is no longer present) and more detailed with a fuller sound (maybe more bass extension).  I'm happy to say, I'm satisfied with it now. 

 
From what I recall reading, those were the main complaints of the original Bifrost, and your experience just further confirms that.

 

[genclaymore]

Finally got enough to go ahead and grab a bifrost uber off amazon,Then I can move off this DGX analog and use it optical to plug into the bifrost.