[jseymour]

I am using the internal board installed in an Yggrasil. I am not using an Eitr. What DAC are you using?

I use JRMC. In Windows 10 Pro the Gen5 card is automatically recognized and a WASAPI driver assigned to it. Under my JRMC Options tab I only see "Yggdrasil Gen5(WASAPI)". I have tried all of the other Schiit supplied drivers and they all give me an error that the Operating System is not supported. I tried the Schiit supplied ASIO driver and got that same error. I have never heard of a "Windows Generic ASIO driver". Where does that show or where is it found?

I also have a Yggy. My syntax was off for the driver name. Here it is exactly as it shows up in MusicBee in a scroll down list.
"ASIO for USB device"
"ASIO for Generic USB device"
"PUC2 ASIO driver"

I was using a Yellowtec PUC2 before I replaced it with an Eitr. I also use Foobar for the Dynamic Range plugin, but it is only configured for WASAPI.

If you haven't already, try removing the WASAPI driver and reboot. Driver installs don't always work the first time.

 

[behwatch]

I've been checking the shipping rate of Eitr vs a gen5 upgrade (self-install) for Gumby. The upgrade is very expensive to ship, and I believe there's a mistake in the system. The rates I checked are for shipping to Singapore, but I've read elsewhere that shipping quotes are out of whack for the gen5 card.

Could someone at Schiit please look into this?

Shipped using the usps $23.25 one. Got a tracking number though.

Emailed them and they say the shipping rate for fedex is correct.

 

[hpnutz]

Hello all,
Quick question- I use an Aurender N-100h to feed a Gumby/Mjolnir 2 stack via USB. Would the Eitr or internal board upgrade make a significant improvement and which would be better if so? I feel the SQ is already wonderful and don't want to keep tumbling down the rabbit hole if it won't be a vast change for the better. Thanks for your help!

 

[sheldaze]

Hello all,
Quick question- I use an Aurender N-100h to feed a Gumby/Mjolnir 2 stack via USB. Would the Eitr or internal board upgrade make a significant improvement and which would be better if so? I feel the SQ is already wonderful and don't want to keep tumbling down the rabbit hole if it won't be a vast change for the better. Thanks for your help!

Short answer - yes.

The best implementation of USB available from Schiit, until the recent release of the Eitr and internal board upgrades, was the USB gen 3 on the Yggy. With the newest boards, on all three DACs, there is a notable improvement to the sound, when feeding into the DAC via USB. And this is regardless of how clean or electrically pure your source is. And it is particularly true for the Bifrost and Gungnir, which did not have access to the better USB gen 3 implementation.

However, it is not going to suddenly make the sound "magical". I feel the sound was already pretty magical in the Gumby

It just takes away a layer of "digital", which you probably did not know was there - unless you used a good transport instead of the USB. But the basic answer to your question, yes the sound will be better. A big part of the weakness, in some people's perspective of the Gumby sound, was actually the USB sound. This fixes that weakness. However take your time...make the jump if and when you feel it is a good time to do so. The internal board is just an easier all-in-one package. The Eitr is external and will require space on your power source for an AC power adapter and additional COAX cable. The sound though is the same, Eitr and internal board.

 

[hpnutz]

Short answer - yes.

The best implementation of USB available from Schiit, until the recent release of the Eitr and internal board upgrades, was the USB gen 3 on the Yggy. With the newest boards, on all three DACs, there is a notable improvement to the sound, when feeding into the DAC via USB. And this is regardless of how clean or electrically pure your source is. And it is particularly true for the Bifrost and Gungnir, which did not have access to the better USB gen 3 implementation.

However, it is not going to suddenly make the sound "magical". I feel the sound was already pretty magical in the Gumby

It just takes away a layer of "digital", which you probably did not know was there - unless you used a good transport instead of the USB. But the basic answer to your question, yes the sound will be better. A big part of the weakness, in some people's perspective of the Gumby sound, was actually the USB sound. This fixes that weakness. However take your time...make the jump if and when you feel it is a good time to do so. The internal board is just an easier all-in-one package. The Eitr is external and will require space on your power source for an AC power adapter and additional COAX cable. The sound though is the same, Eitr and internal board.

 

[hpnutz]

Thanks Sheldaze- guess I will be sending the Gungnir in for an upgrade!

 

[sheldaze]

Thanks Sheldaze- guess I will be sending the Gungnir in for an upgrade!

There are also a couple of guides on how to do this yourself. I believe a Gungnir Gen 5 search will find some information, if you're apt to try a self-installation.

 

[behwatch]

Comparison between Eitr (170hr) and G5 USB (30hr) with Yggy:

Eitr is less detailed but smoother with no fatigue.
Eitr has larger soundstage. Height is bigger. Width is about the same. Depth is longer.
Both have the same tone.

Overall prefer Eitr for smoothness. Will report if there are changes after longer listening hours for G5.

 

[Jones Bob]

Comparison between Eitr (170hr) and G5 USB (30hr) with Yggy:

Eitr is less detailed but smoother with no fatigue.
Eitr has larger soundstage. Height is bigger. Width is about the same. Depth is longer.
Both have the same tone.

Overall prefer Eitr for smoothness. Will report if there are changes after longer listening hours for G5.

What coax are you using between your Eitr and Yggy?

 

[behwatch]

What coax are you using between your Eitr and Yggy?

IXOS XHD258 Coaxial Cable

may be seen as lousy as it is not expensive.

 

[ScareDe2]

Hi everyone,

Have any of you compared the eitr or the gen 5 versus a good transport? Would be interesting to know in order to better decide if USB sound quality is finally worth it.

 

[sheldaze]

I'd first start with what is your standard for a good transport?

I was surprised and dismayed at the variation I heard, when I finally did start to compare the digital output from various transport I had in use. Many boxes which were highly rated turned out to be as much the problem as the rest of the chain. Price was not a good determining factor either, as transports costing in the range of $500 to $2000 were both good and bad. I basically settled on anything Oppo and an old transport from the era when transports used to be measured by the pound (a 24-pound behemoth is still in use in my headphone system). Against my now updated transport baseline, the Eitr is the first digital device that does not require me to hear a 2nd listening on the transport after 1st listening to something via the computer.

Eitr and Gen5 simply work.

 

[ScareDe2]

Hi and thank you for this answer. I have no experience with transport because I have invest everything on USB and various decrapifiers. A good transport would be something that just leave you satisfied, noise free, natural and musical, I suppose.

 

[jseymour]

Hi and thank you for this answer. I have no experience with transport because I have invest everything on USB and various decrapifiers. A good transport would be something that just leave you satisfied, noise free, natural and musical, I suppose.

10 years ago I switched to PC based music and felt liberated. No more popping CDs in and out of the player and of course putting them back in their proper spot. CDs are easier than vinyl but still a housekeeping chore. PC based playback (and I also must include streaming in this) offers your entire library in front of you with predefined and on the fly playlists. Playing CDs seems so yesterday. Rip it once and be done.

 

[ScareDe2]

10 years ago I switched to PC based music and felt liberated. No more popping CDs in and out of the player and of course putting them back in their proper spot. CDs are easier than vinyl but still a housekeeping chore. PC based playback (and I also must include streaming in this) offers your entire library in front of you with predefined and on the fly playlists. Playing CDs seems so yesterday. Rip it once and be done.

Yes PC audio is more convenient. It allows you to access more music with one single mouse click. However as USB cleaners suggest, the signal is very dirty and everyone I read on that particular subject agreed that a good transport is better. But now that it is said the eitr and gen 5 makes upgraded USB cables and decrapifiers useless, I feel it's time to compare again.