Schiit Bifrost Uber Analog Upgrade
Dec 2, 2013 at 8:25 PM Post #527 of 1,448
Step 7: In your Control Panel/Audio Devices, select “Speakers: Schiit USB Interface.” You may also have to select it in the player software you are using in order to get output.
 
All I see is my soundcard. Is this normal?
 
Dec 2, 2013 at 9:59 PM Post #528 of 1,448
  Step 7: In your Control Panel/Audio Devices, select “Speakers: Schiit USB Interface.” You may also have to select it in the player software you are using in order to get output.
 
All I see is my soundcard. Is this normal?

Yep, that's normal if you are using optical.

The instructions are for USB not optical.  You need to select S/PDIF or optical output in "sound" in the control panel and/or in the program you are using.
 
Dec 2, 2013 at 10:08 PM Post #529 of 1,448
   
Thanks! I can definitely envision the Dac-It not quite having a lot of low end punch (it's begging for some extension), but it seems to roll off the highs nicely and seems to encourage me to turn up the volume on my Lyr (they seem to have good synergy). It's JUST analytical enough, but I'm getting nice, big sound out of it that really fun too. At some point, I do want to do a side by side comparison with the Bifrost Uber, but I'm happy for right now. Also, Dac-It runs super cool, so I can stack my Magni on it. Good for a cramped up cubible. Does the Bifrost Uber run hot, like the Lyr/Magni?
 
One thing I noticed through Dac-It/Lyr...On my AD2000x, guitars are really upfront. On my HD800, they are more far back. Am wondering if that is just due to soundstage differences of the headphones, that my other DAC wasn't rendering before.


My Bifrost with Uber Analog upgrade barely gets warm.  It doesn't get anywhere close to as hot as the Lyr.  I would avoid covering the exhaust holes in the Bifrost though, but I suspect you would not have a problem putting a Magni on top. 
 
Dec 5, 2013 at 6:48 AM Post #532 of 1,448
Hi everyone. I was wondering if I connected the Bifrost Uber to my Titanium HD Soundcard's optical out to the Bifrost Uber Optical in, will it bypass the Titanium HD's internal DAC? Also if it does bypass the Titanium HD's DAC, would I still be able to use the soundcard's software for EQ'ing etc?
 
Thanks for any help and/or info!
 
Dec 7, 2013 at 7:23 AM Post #533 of 1,448
  Hi everyone. I was wondering if I connected the Bifrost Uber to my Titanium HD Soundcard's optical out to the Bifrost Uber Optical in, will it bypass the Titanium HD's internal DAC? Also if it does bypass the Titanium HD's DAC, would I still be able to use the soundcard's software for EQ'ing etc?
 
Thanks for any help and/or info!

 
It will bypass the Soundcard DAC, but I'm not sure if it will bypass the soundcard EQ.
Try it and see!
 
Dec 7, 2013 at 10:29 AM Post #534 of 1,448
   
It will bypass the Soundcard DAC, but I'm not sure if it will bypass the soundcard EQ.
Try it and see!


Thank you Chris for the reply. I actually wish I could try it, but I don't own the Bifrost Uber yet. I was just trying to get some answers about it before I purchased one. I have a decent soundcard in the Titanium HD, so I wanted to keep that installed for gaming and for it's EQ, but wanted a better DAC thus the reason for asking if optical would bypass the Titanium HD's DAC. The reason for the question abbout the Soundcard's software is because for whatever reason, the Titanium HD's Creative COnsole Launcher's EQ is actually really good, I have had a hard time finding an EQ I like better than that one so far with JRiver MC 19. I've tried all different types of EQ's, Parametric, izotope Ozone 5 (Usually I use that for Mastering music, it has a master EQ built in that you can isolate). iZotope Ozone 5's EQ is probably the closest I've gotten to getting the sound I am looking for next to the Creative Console's (I know it sounds crazy, but Creative's EQ sounds better than iZotope's in my opinion). Anyway, just some pre-purchase questions, although I wish I could take your advice right now and just try it out!
 
Thank you again for your reply.
 
Dec 10, 2013 at 12:47 PM Post #538 of 1,448
  I've sat down and switched optical and usb cables to form an opinion on differences between them. I could hear none. How about y'all? Do they make the sound any different to you?

 
I'm not talking about a Bifrost, but I don't hear any difference between USB and Optical from my HP notebook into an iBasso DAC.
 
One advantage with Optical is there is no electrical connection between source and DAC, hence no power supply and CPU noise transmitted to your DAC.
Just Sumthin' to think about.
 
Dec 11, 2013 at 9:34 AM Post #539 of 1,448
  I've had the Uber Bifrost (with USB2 & Uber Analog) for the better part of nearly three weeks now.  Since arriving, I've used it exclusively with my BH Crack (w/ speedball and other upgrades).  ...
 
... I think the UB would, quite comfortably, go head-to-head with many DACs in the $1K-1.2K range.  Considering the performance of the UB and how impressed I've been, I don't anticipate getting another (desktop) DAC for the foreseeable future.  It certainly doesn't feel like a bottleneck in my rig and I love Schiit's modular/upgradeable architecture to 'future-proof' this DAC.  With Schiit's 'statement' amp/dac coming out in the next year or so, I think it's safe to expect some of the innovative advancements in DAC architecture to eventually trickle down to the Bifrost.  Until then, I'm more than satisfied with what the current UB has to offer.
 
..next up will be a comparison with the Violectric V800.

 
Did you ever get a chance to do this comparison?  Or has anyone else had a chance to listen to both the Bitfrost w Uber upgrade and the V800 - or to comparable DACs to the V800 for that matter?
 
For the sake of discussion and comparison, I'd be interested in comparisons of the sound of the upgraded Bitfrost vs DACs in the price range up to $1.2K. This could include DACs such as the Audio g-d NFB-2/NFB 10ES2 (which some have claimed are better than the Bitfrost+Uber upgrade?), the Yulong D18, Rega DAC, Arcam irDAC, etc. Heck, potentially up to the V800, Yulong DA8, Mytek Stereo192-DSD class of equipment, although that really not fair, but could be a fun comparison.
 
I'm considering whether I get Bitfrost w the Uber upgrade (which I'm sure will be good), or a DAC in the up to the $750 to ~$1.2K range for a new desktop system. Maybe I'll decide not to move up a tier at this point, but since some folks suggest that there is a very significant step in refinement, musicality & sound stage (esp depth) between the under $500 DACs and those in the next tier.  Makes sense that there would or could be, given the significant price difference.  So it seems worth at least considering ...
 
For example, some have suggested that the Gungir is appreciably better than the Uber Bitfrost, and could be an interesting step up, and comparison(s) would be interesting.
 
(Unfortunately for me personally, the Gungir is too big (wide) for the home office / desktop application I'm planning at the moment... 10" is the max width I've arbitrarily chosen, 8" would be better. I understand that the Gungir is ~16" wide. Yeah, I have considered turning the Gungir on it's side - I'm concerned about stability in the presence of cats, etc. :).
 
It would be great if anyone who has had a chance to compare the Uber Bitfrost to the next tier DAC(s) could share their specific impressions of the sonic differences between this very good DAC, and the next tier of DACs (leaving aside feature differences for the moment). Just for fun - I understand that it's not exactly a 'fair fight'.
 
Personally, I'm most interested in how the upgraded Bitfrost compares to the next tier in the areas of musicality, imaging realism & soundstage depth/3D.  (Of course, others may be more interested in the usual other areas - detail retrieval, frequency balance, instrument tonality, etc. etc.)
 
Dec 11, 2013 at 4:22 PM Post #540 of 1,448
I received my Bifrost Uber today. HUGE (no, HUUUUUGE) improvement for the Squeezebox Duet! But... BUT I note only a very little difference with my CD Nad C515 BEE (this one is even a little better I think). In any case I'm glad it's as if all my MP3 read from the Squeezebox were now CD! Conclusion: I'm happy.Bifrost is expensive for what it is but it is a good product
 
....Otherwise I'll sell my Lyr... I definitely prefer the output of my amp Nad C356 BEE even though I tried MANY tubes ... 
 

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