[size=10pt]The Bifrost has been running 24/7 since Monday, and we are now at the 100 hour mark.
It has definitely smoothed out some. I notice it most in the high and mid range. What has not changed is the speed and detail. The overall balance may be the slightest bit light in low mid & V bottom range, however the accuracy and clean, snappy kick in percussive detail is absolutely amazing. String bass, Congo, bass drum and synthesized bass is extremely musical and alive with enough raw power to maintain the overall natural essence. With acoustic material, the bottom truly shines. I have no desire what so ever to tweak any extra bass via the tone knob. I will take musicality, tonality and timing over ‘big boom’ every time.
The highs are silky, but still V sharp and crisp. Exquisite detail with no grain, no ‘edge’ typically associated with digital. This is the area where digital can induce listening fatigue. Not so with this DAC.
The mid range started out great, now it is true as life. Voices ring clear and true. Brass and woodwinds shimmer and shine. Strings are full of percussive quality, as they should be.
Regarding depth, nothing has changed. My system has always had a V deep sense, attributed to the pre-amp and speakers. Same with stage width. And focus may actually be bettered. If it is on the source material, it is in my room. And if the source material is sub-par, the result will be displayed in spades. I noticed it right away with my ‘Trombone Shorty’ rip. Brick-Walled mixing will hit you like a……well, like running into brick wall. Bifrost will not hide any flaw. In other words, the Bifrost is adding nothing. Nor is it demanding tithe in return for tonality or musicality. It is totally transparent in my system.
If I were to condense my overall opinion into one word (that would be a first) I would have say ‘detail’. The Bifrost is delivering an amazing sense of life, truth and realness that is unexpected at this price.[/size]
[size=10pt]My System:[/size]
[size=10pt]SeeDee w/FLAC Conversion via dBpoweramp & Imported HiRes files > NAS File Storage > Foobar File Management & Control > SoundBlaster Audigy 2 XS Sound Card ASIO > SPDIF Silflex Glass Optical > Bifrost DAC > Kingcats RCA I/C's > Carver C-19 Pre-amp > Kingcats RCA I/C's > Rotel RB-1090 > Mapleshade Cleaview Golden Helix Speaker Cable > NatP 65 litre Towers[/size]