[AugustusZab]

Thanks, you made my nervousness stop wiggling. I want it but, my first  - end game [fking money] would have been a mARANTZ  -PM6005, BUT As I said, the Onkyo came in  cheap so.. I'm annoyingly looking for a DAC. Thanks for the info - Sheldaze, ya made me think again

 

[StanD]

   
Many are of the opinion that a component that has been designed from its inception to be balanced will sound better than if it is required to be converted to unbalanced.  Gungnir is inherently a balanced design, and its single-ended outputs are the product of conversion.  After accounting for SPL matching, the Gungnir's balanced outputs sound audibly superior to the single ended outputs IMO.  The soundstage is deeper and wider and the overall sound is more transparent and dynamic.  I am not the only one on the forum to reach this conclusion, and I believe even Jason admits that balanced is the way to go if you want to hear Gungnir at its full potential.

Beliefs and reality are not necessarily the same thing. There are realities of perception and human limitations. If one is happy with beliefs, one can go right ahead and enjoy what they are into. Here's a harsh reality, one cannot tell the differences between .05% and .001% distortion. Headphones create more distortion than this and loudspeakers yet even more. So here we are quibling about distortion and FR deviations from Amps and DACs that we cannot possibly perceive, yet our headphones and speakers are far worse. Like it or not, them's the facts. I'd put my money on headphones and Schiit offers a variety of kit at prices that allow this.

 

[schneller]

So word on the street has it that the SE (RCA) outputs on the GMB are crap. I already have a RCA-DIN interconnect from Chord. A $600 one. I am not getting rid of it. 
 
Will the the BiFrost get Multibit? And if so, could it potentially sound better (via SE outputs) than the GMB?
 
It would appear that the Audio GD-19 at $650 has much better SE outputs, so why bother with the GMB? 
 
Why did Schiit gimp SE on the GMB anyway? To protect the Yiggy? 
 
I mean I don't mind spending $2500 on a Hugo, especially because of its footprint. If Schiit made the Yiggy in the chasis of the GMB or Bifront and sold if for $2500, I'd consider it too. But as it is, it's too damned big to get Wife Approval...among other visual constraints. 

 

[sheldaze]

  I did a comparison of the Gungnir SE vs. balanced output into the Ragnarok with my LCD-X's. The comparison was easy because the Gungnir simultaneously outputs both signals and the Rag has switchable multiple inputs. It sounds like there's a small difference, but depending on the recording, it can be tough to discern any difference. While I'm pretty certain there's small difference, I'm not sure I could reliably pick it out in a blind test. Any time I find myself straining to detect a difference, it's not something I'm going to worry about.

And here's a post where the difference between the SE and balanced outputs isn't so noticeable 

 
He used a Rag, for what that's worth. And I suspect the difference you're probably referencing was noted only due to direct comparison with the Audio-GD DAC-19. And then (if I'm using the same reference) I don't recall it being a major difference. It's simply if you going SE and want the best bang for your buck, get the Audio-GD (or perhaps the Bifrost if/when it is released with Multibit).
 
Otherwise the question becomes tougher, because it may be based on implementation of the SE and balanced inputs to your pre-amp/amp. Not all amps treat SE and balanced as well as the Liquid Carbon is reported to do. I just don't think it is a cut-and-dry question to be answered simply. Read the threads. Go to shows. And try things out everywhere you can 

 

 

[StanD]

I think everyone is missing an important point being that human beings have perceptual limits that have long been surpassed by electronic equipment being Amps and DACs.  It may be difficult to hear this but I believe that the Bifrost Uber is already better than we are, any other improvements are for the benefit of test equipment, audiophile egos and marleting campaigns. My recommendations are enjoy your Bifrost Uber and Schiit can do what any responsible business should, that is produce products that consumers want. If you want more than you need they can provide it at a better value than most of or perhaps than any of their competitors can. So if you have your Bifrost Uber I wouldn't worry about an upgrade or cave to an upsell driven purchase or the chanting on forums. Spend your time listening to music, after all that's what this kit is for.

 

[Baldr]

Any rumor that the SE out on the Gumby has been gimped is pure bullschiit.  The implementation is as on the Yggy, where the individual balanced outputs are summed algebraically.  This inherently cancels common mode artifacts.

 

[money4me247]

edited

 

[schneller]

  Any rumor that the SE out on the Gumby has been gimped is pure bullschiit.  The implementation is as on the Yggy, where the individual balanced outputs are summed algebraically.  This inherently cancels common mode artifacts.

 
Thanks for commenting. As someone who doesn't own...nor has auditioned...the GMB, I can only infer from comments I read. And less-than-stellar comments about the SE outputs on the GMB are becoming quite common on forums I read.

 

[ZoNtO]

   
Thanks for commenting. As someone who doesn't own...nor has auditioned...the GMB, I can only infer from comments I read. And less-than-stellar comments about the SE outputs on the GMB are becoming quite common on forums I read.

Well whatever you do, better to trust random people on the internet that may or may not be level-matching their outputs rather than the designer of the equipment you're looking at purchasing. 

 

[bretemm]

I recently got the Valhalla2 and it's really shown allot of a quality boost vs using my modi,
How a Bifrost Valhalla2 compare to a
Modi and magni?

 

[sheldaze]

Has this thread died? I subscribed, thinking this would be the first place to find this:
 
http://schiit.com/news/news/big-bifrost-updates

 

[HeyWaj10]

Bifrost Multibit...
 
http://schiit.com/products/bifrost
 
Oh, looky there!

 

[hifi808]

  Has this thread died? I subscribed, thinking this would be the first place to find this:
 
http://schiit.com/news/news/big-bifrost-updates

 
I would be on this in a minute...if they offered it in black (gotta match my black Valhalla).

 

[elnero]

   
I would be on this in a minute...if they offered it in black (gotta match my black Valhalla).

 
I was in on it the minute I read the news in the Gungnir thread.
 
I have to say Schiit's customer service is excellent, I remembered after I put in the order that I wanted a pair of Pyst RCA cables as well, I sent them an email and heard back within a half hour. After that they it all sorted and a new Fed Ex tracking number within a couple of minutes.

 

[bretemm]

That's a main reason why I've boughten from them (soon to be 4th time) I just have been asking about some more details about the Bifrost and Nick T is Whos mainly always replyed to my emails, emailed me back right away.

I was in on it the minute I read the news in the Gungnir thread.

I have to say Schiit's customer service is excellent, I remembered after I put in the order that I wanted a pair of Pyst RCA cables as well, I sent them an email and heard back within a half hour. After that they it all sorted and a new Fed Ex tracking number within a couple of minutes.