[rtaylor76]

Well that is good advice, and how many of us turn off our refrigerator, our TV that is always on in standby mode, electric water heater, clock radio, electric toothbrush recharger, aquarium pumps, etc.

This is what surge protectors and internal fuses are for. Some tube amps or other high voltage equipment has fuses on the secondary side and not just the primary power transformer.

Also, many surge protectors fail after so many surges and stop protecting anything. Mine has a circuit rage beeps if the surge circuit stops working.

Isn't this also the reason for X2 and Y2 caps? For across the line voltage.

 

[defbear]

Remember, the transformer is there to protect the fuse.........so many times

 

[sheldaze]

  Hi, I was just following up on this post to find out if you every had an opportunity to compare BiMBy to Mojo again?  Do you have any additional thoughts about how they compare?  You signature states that you still use the Mojo, so maybe you decided not to get a BiMBy?
 
Thanks!

Sorry.
I did sell. But it served its purpose to a local Head-Fi member who was able to A-B-C between Uber, 4490 (mine), and Bimby. We do have enough local members that there's ample opportunity to hear it without needing to own.
 

I have A Bimby and a Mojo. I spent several hours listening to each last night. Both feeding a microZotl2 SE amp with Ether-C phones. Both are remarkable and detailed and buzzword compliant. Bimby wins by a nose or so. A bit taller and wider soundstage.....what it comes down to is the BiFrost Multibit has more Gravitas than the Mojo. It is the exact adjective needed.

I get what you mean by "gravitas". I'm currently comparing Metrum Musette against Mojo (and Hugo). The Chord DACs are just cold. They are doing something, while neat, I don't think it's real. The Mojo sounded closer to real because it was warmer, but with the naked sound of the Hugo - just ice cold. There is something meaty and real about the Schiit Multibit DACs. I think the Musette shares a similar meatiness. Going from Bimby to Gumby to Yggy, it gets clearer, but it never loses it meaty, realness - gravitas, at least how I would define it.

 

[sludgeogre]

I like to think that 'gravitas' here is related to the total lack of overhang and ringing with the Multibit DACs. I mean, planar headphones already have insane, almost immediate decay, but the Bimby really makes it even more apparent. To me it really makes a huge difference, especially with the technical death metal that I love to listen to. I need all of the immediacy and impact I can get!

 

[defbear]

Sorry.
I did sell. But it served its purpose to a local Head-Fi member who was able to A-B-C between Uber, 4490 (mine), and Bimby. We do have enough local members that there's ample opportunity to hear it without needing to own.

I get what you mean by "gravitas". I'm currently comparing Metrum Musette against Mojo (and Hugo). The Chord DACs are just cold. They are doing something, while neat, I don't think it's real. The Mojo sounded closer to real because it was warmer, but with the naked sound of the Hugo - just ice cold. There is something meaty and real about the Schiit Multibit DACs. I think the Musette shares a similar meatiness. Going from Bimby to Gumby to Yggy, it gets clearer, but it never loses it meaty, realness - gravitas, at least how I would define it.

That's great! Others disputed my description of the Mojo as being warm. With my MZL the Mojo is open, airy and detailed (safe for now). I wasn't wild about my BiFrost Uber. The Bimby is so good I question the need to upgrade. Lol, just kidding. I am Really interested in a review of the Musette.

 

[Argo Duck]

Well I'm relieved. The new audio term gravitas 'means something' - points to other words if not other 'things' in the world - after all.

I was beginning to think head-fi doesn't meet even a basic definition of a social group e.g. shared language and meanings which are established and change through histories of use and dispute :rolleyes:

 

[earnmyturns]

The Bimby is so good I question the need to upgrade. Lol, just kidding. I am Really interested in a review of the Musette.

It will be interesting to hear a careful comparison of Musette's NOS R2R design with Schiit's combo-burrito filter R2R design. One thing that puzzles me about NOS is how much it seems to rely on downstream components (including your ears) performing implicit low-pass filtering. I think I understand the theory, but I wonder about those high frequencies from the R2R's stepwise constant output hitting slight nonlinearities downstream and aliasing into the audible spectrum. The combo burrito design seems to me (theoretically) more predictable, as it doesn't leave the filtering of the high frequencies from R2R for other components to do.

 

[sheldaze]

  It will be interesting to hear a careful comparison of Musette's NOS R2R design with Schiit's combo-burrito filter R2R design. One thing that puzzles me about NOS is how much it seems to rely on downstream components (including your ears) performing implicit low-pass filtering. I think I understand the theory, but I wonder about those high frequencies from the R2R's stepwise constant output hitting slight nonlinearities downstream and aliasing into the audible spectrum. The combo burrito design seems to me (theoretically) more predictable, as it doesn't leave the filtering of the high frequencies from R2R for other components to do.

Ok!
 
So how would one go about this, beyond just the obvious listening part. Does the amplifier matter? Do the tracks matter - what would be a good selection to compare?
 
I'm headed to the Atlanta meet, own a MicroZOTL2, and was fortunate enough to borrow the Musette. But my normal bedroom, and not traveling too far for a meet DAC is the Gungnir Multibit. Not traveling too far is key because the Gungnir is attached to a UPS. That's why I borrowed the more forgiving Musette. And I'm loving the sound, but it will need to be returned right after the meet. So either tonight or tomorrow, I plan to listen to the two DACs. What should I be listening for? How should I go about the listen.
 
Yes, I know - Gungnir Multibit is a little off topic of the Bifrost Multibit, but I've read they can sound similar. I still think it is a valid comparison, even if I must post the results elsewhere to keep this thread on topic.

 

[earnmyturns]

  Ok!
 
So how would one go about this, beyond just the obvious listening part. Does the amplifier matter? Do the tracks matter - what would be a good selection to compare?
 
I'm headed to the Atlanta meet, own a MicroZOTL2, and was fortunate enough to borrow the Musette. But my normal bedroom, and not traveling too far for a meet DAC is the Gungnir Multibit. Not traveling too far is key because the Gungnir is attached to a UPS. That's why I borrowed the more forgiving Musette. And I'm loving the sound, but it will need to be returned right after the meet. So either tonight or tomorrow, I plan to listen to the two DACs. What should I be listening for? How should I go about the listen.
 
Yes, I know - Gungnir Multibit is a little off topic of the Bifrost Multibit, but I've read they can sound similar. I still think it is a valid comparison, even if I must post the results elsewhere to keep this thread on topic.

I'm no expert in "proper" A/B testing of audio gear. My guess (such as it is) is that any aliasing from downstream nonlinearities in the NOS case would appear (if at all) in the higher frequency range and maybe associated to fast transients. Maybe cymbals, classical guitar, solo or small ensemble piano (think well recorded jazz)? Those are where the Bimby stands out especially for me, with very clean attack/decay, realistic timbre, and separation. Very linear amps might be better for NOS than more euphonic but maybe a bit less linear ones (solid state vs tubes?). 

 

[landroni]

  It will be interesting to hear a careful comparison of Musette's NOS R2R design with Schiit's combo-burrito filter R2R design. One thing that puzzles me about NOS is how much it seems to rely on downstream components (including your ears) performing implicit low-pass filtering. I think I understand the theory, but I wonder about those high frequencies from the R2R's stepwise constant output hitting slight nonlinearities downstream and aliasing into the audible spectrum. The combo burrito design seems to me (theoretically) more predictable, as it doesn't leave the filtering of the high frequencies from R2R for other components to do.

I too am very interested in how Schiit's gear fares compared to NOS R2R approaches with minimal filtering section... Recently I discovered the SPS DAC 3 (head-fi thread), which uses TDA1543 and a minimal filtering section (only the onboard amp which does 1st order filtering, not unlike the Metrum approach): essentially there's nothing between D/A chip out and RCA out. I've heard of similar designs from tweakers in the past (same D/A chip, same filtering section), and many seem to be very content with it to the point of not looking for anything better again...

 

[defbear]

I am using my Bimby with a microZOTL2 OTL amp. Input is SE via RCA. I'm pretty stunned at Bimby's performance with the MZL. If only used SE is there any reason to move up to a Multibit Gungnir? Thank you.

 

[sheldaze]

I am using my Bimby with a microZOTL2 OTL amp. Input is SE via RCA. I'm pretty stunned at Bimby's performance with the MZL. If only used SE is there any reason to move up to a Multibit Gungnir? Thank you.

I suspect you're going to get a smattering of opinions. I'll try to be honest and direct...
 
I went from Bimby to Gumby to Yggdrasil, all while running single-ended, and all while feeding into multi-kilobuck speaker equipment. I heard a difference at every level. I kept the Gumby for my bedroom headphone setup, and sold my Bimby. I did (and will again) use Gumby balanced, as well as single-ended. So I am feeding 2 or 3 amplifiers from the Gumby, and like that feature.
 
But again with speaker equipment, I heard a difference between Bimby and Gumby, and the same between Gumby and Yggdrasil, all while running single-ended, into multi-kilobuck speaker equipment.

 

[jacal01]

Upgrade from Bimbo to Gumby includes change of multibit DAC chip (AD5547 to AD5791) and upgrade of analog output buffer stage from opamp to discrete.

 

[wahsmoh]

  I like to think that 'gravitas' here is related to the total lack of overhang and ringing with the Multibit DACs. I mean, planar headphones already have insane, almost immediate decay, but the Bimby really makes it even more apparent. To me it really makes a huge difference, especially with the technical death metal that I love to listen to. I need all of the immediacy and impact I can get!

Yes It is like the music has been stabilized or something. I get a similar feeling with the Mojo which is a FPGA pulse array DAC when I compare to Bifrost MB and Theta, but both Theta and MB come through with more drive and power. The Mojo is a neutral sound without being sterile, but it doesn't as much drive or impact as the Theta I own or the Bifrost MB.
 
Going back to the Fiio X3II which uses an off the shelf CS4398 I lose the separation and realness of the sound. I also get more of that digital nastiness like you said "overhang and ringing" than with either Mojo or Theta DACs.
 
I have only heard a few D-S DACs that could float my boat but they used FPGAs with filter algorithms and I think only one was an ESS Sabre DAC. The other might have been a PCM1795. The ones I liked were the Lynx Hilo, Matrix X-Sabre, and M2Tech Young DAC. They all were pretty good at what they did but they had minor quirks and the Lynx Hilo had a less inviting midrange than my EAD CD-1000 that uses two PCM63P-k DACs and PMD100 HDCD filter. The Lynx Hilo also sounded thinner than the EAD but with tighter bass and less natural.

 

[sludgeogre]

  Going back to the Fiio X3II which uses an off the shelf CS4398 I lose the separation and realness of the sound. I also get more of that digital nastiness like you said "overhang and ringing" than with either Mojo or Theta DACs.

Awesome post.
 
I have an iBasso DX80 which has the same DAC chip, but it has two of them, and I have the exact same feelings. Separation and realness is incredible, but yes, the sound is somehow more digital and less lifelike and that overhang and ringing is more prevalent.
 
Glad we're on the same page!