[Emulator]

Hi everyone,
 
I have been following this thread for couple of months, and I really like what I am reading about the Bifrost. Actually, I believe that only thing keeping me away for pulling the trigger on Bifrost+Asgard is the Bifrost clicking issue mentioned in several posts.
 
Can anyone please explain this in more detail. Is this a click in audio signal, or mechanical click in the unit? When does it occur? How annoying is it? I am using iTunes on PC and will use Bifrost's USB input. When should I expect clicking in this scenario?
 
Regards,
E

 

[xxhaxx]

Quote:

Hi everyone,
 
I have been following this thread for couple of months, and I really like what I am reading about the Bifrost. Actually, I believe that only thing keeping me away for pulling the trigger on Bifrost+Asgard is the Bifrost clicking issue mentioned in several posts.
 
Can anyone please explain this in more detail. Is this a click in audio signal, or mechanical click in the unit? When does it occur? How annoying is it? I am using iTunes on PC and will use Bifrost's USB input. When should I expect clicking in this scenario?
 
Regards,
E

 
It is a mechanical click, but it seems to only occur when I use optical. From previous post iirc that when you change track some computer would disconnect and reconnect the optical thus causing the clicking noise. Not sure if it would occur with USB
 
 

 

[pseudohippy]

Ive been using it with only USB for about a week and not a single clicking noise. One day Ill test with optical and see if I can hear what people are talking about. Ive listened to music in all different bit rates from flac to some not so good stuff.

 

[internethandle]

I can confirm that there's no click for me via USB, either. The Bifrost makes a clicking noise upon turning on or off, that's about it. There's also a bit of a "pop" if you exit Foobar without pausing or stopping a track. For those using Foobar with the Bifrost and experiencing clicks between tracks, try reducing the gaps between tracks/fade-in by going to File -> Preferences -> Advanced -> Playback -> and change "Fade on seek (ms)", "Fade out (ms)", and "Fade on pause (ms)" to "0" and restart Foobar to see if the problem is eased/eliminated. Just a hunch.

 

[Megalith]

I get annoying clicks/pops every time I double click on a new song in foobar, though it seems that has to do with my motherboard's S/PDIF out.

 

[sferic]

Anyone have a Bifrost connected to optical out on a Mac Pro? Any clicking issues, etc.? I was actually psyched about using optical so as not to have a ground connection from DAC to Computer, now concerned.

 

[Traddad]

Good job. Looks like we have another Bill Evans fan on the boards. I love him and Scott together-- so sadly fleeting a partnership-- especially.

+ 1+ Love the synergy of LaFaro and Evans. My favorite bassist in a trio or quartet. Scratch that. Favorite ever.

 

[Anathallo]

I have no clicking noises with both USB and Optical off my mobo unless I turn off or change input on the Bifrost.
 
Using WinAmp with Windows 7 and everything is V0 VBR/320kbps MP3 or FLAC.

 

[Argo Duck]

MacMini - optical - Bifrost here. No issues; none.
 
Quote:

Anyone have a Bifrost connected to optical out on a Mac Pro? Any clicking issues, etc.? I was actually psyched about using optical so as not to have a ground connection from DAC to Computer, now concerned.

 

 

[wberghofer]

Anyone have a Bifrost connected to optical out on a Mac Pro? Any clicking issues, etc.? […]

 
In my setup the Bifrost is connected to the optical out of an Airport Express. There’s a very short click immediately after the Bifrost has been powered on, but nothing else. I’m streaming exclusively 44100 Hz/16 bit ALAC files, so there’s no issue with switching resolution between different songs.
 
Werner.

 

[Blurpapa]

 
Quote:

 
In my setup the Bifrost is connected to the optical out of an Airport Express. There’s a very short click immediately after the Bifrost has been powered on, but nothing else. I’m streaming exclusively 44100 Hz/16 bit ALAC files, so there’s no issue with switching resolution between different songs.
 
Werner.

Does the airport express have an optical out? Isnt it only a single ended 3.5mm analog out jack?
 
 

 

[drexman]

how's the bifrost's usb sound quality compared to spdif?

 

[Kremer930]

The stereo mini port on airport express and also MacBook pro is a dual output. If you insert a mini optical it will output digital optical. 
 

 
Quote:

 

Does the airport express have an optical out? Isnt it only a single ended 3.5mm analog out jack?
 
 

 
 

 

[judmarc]

 
Quote:

Anyone have a Bifrost connected to optical out on a Mac Pro? Any clicking issues, etc.? I was actually psyched about using optical so as not to have a ground connection from DAC to Computer, now concerned.

Well, it's a MacBook Pro rather than a Mac Pro, but perhaps that's close enough?  My understanding from what I've read is the click comes from a mechanical relay inside the unit when the resolution changes.  Through USB I've noticed no click when running through a playlist of songs with different resolutions (24/96 and 24/176.4, so if there are different oscillators for the 44.1kHz-multiple and 48kHz-multiple frequencies and that's what the relay is switching between, any resulting click was too soft to hear).  I've also run the Bifrost from my MacBook Pro's optical out and had no issues, but I wasn't using a playlist with changing resolutions.
 
BTW, rather than concentrating on one particular advantage of optical (no ground connection), I think you'll want to try the USB connection (assuming you don't have a way to directly connect coax from the Mac Pro - though if you do, try that as well) and just see which sounds better to you.  I personally prefer the USB input in my own setup.
 

 

[judmarc]

Quote:

how's the bifrost's usb sound quality compared to spdif?

1. I prefer the USB in my setup.
 
2. YMMV!!
 
Not surprising that with my setup USB sounds good, for a couple of reasons: Async USB probably offers the lowest jitter at this price point with my source (MacBook Pro, where the alternative is the digital optical output, which reputedly has lots of jitter).  Also, the player I use (Audirvana Plus) does nice things to help with some of the disadvantages of the fact that USB wasn't designed as a dedicated audio interface.
 
Look, each interface has its advantages and disadvantages.  The S/PDIF interface was made for audio, unlike USB.  Optical offers the lowest electrical noise.  Coax offers greater bandwidth than most optical interfaces.  So it strongly depends on your own setup.  Does your source have vanishingly low jitter?  Then S/PDIF may work better for you.  Does your source come from an electrically noisy environment?  Then optical may be what you want.  Is the source electrically quiet, with low jitter?  Then coax's superior bandwidth may win out.
 
Moral of the story: Hook it up to your own system, burn it in, and listen.