[Ampeezy]

Gungnir is my next stop, and probably my last for a good long time

 

[defbear]

With my Ether-C it's bliss.

Wonderful news about the Ether-C. Have you tried your Yggy with your Moli? I'm working myself up to an Yggy.

 

[Ableza]

Wonderful news about the Ether-C. Have you tried your Yggy with your Moli? I'm working myself up to an Yggy.

No, the Yggdrasil lives comfortably in my 2-channel music system, not my headphone system.

 

[Odin412]

  No, the Yggdrasil lives comfortably in my 2-channel music system, not my headphone system.

​Interesting - I'm thinking ahead to the (hopefully) soon-to-be-announced Schiit 2-channel components. Have you compared the Gungnir and Yggdrasil in your 2-channel system, and if so did you find that there is a meaningful difference between them? The Yggdrasil was wonderful at THE Show, but I'm wondering how close the next step down in the Schiit range would be.

 

[earnmyturns]

 
​Interesting - I'm thinking ahead to the (hopefully) soon-to-be-announced Schiit 2-channel components. Have you compared the Gungnir and Yggdrasil in your 2-channel system, and if so did you find that there is a meaningful difference between them? The Yggdrasil was wonderful at THE Show, but I'm wondering how close the next step down in the Schiit range would be.

I have the same question. I have a bit of a space constraint for the electronics of my speaker system, where I currently I have a surprisingly good and very compact Bell Canto C7R (DAC+class D amp). I'm hoping to upgrade to a proper Schiit multibit DAC and appropriate amp, maybe from the forthcoming Schiit 2-channel components. Just for context, even though the C7R sounds very good on its own with my KEF Reference 1s and REL T7I subwoofers, there's a bit of a smoothing of sharper edges less "weight" compared with even the Bimby headphone system in my study. The living room system is lovely, but a bit too tame compared with the more lively/live experience through the Bimby, so of course I'm contemplating go Schiit multibit for the living room.

 

[Ableza]

I have not directly compared Yggdrasil to Gungnir MB in the loudspeaker system.  I did compare them briefly in my headphone system and my impression was that the Gungnir is warmer sounding, but otherwise they are both incredibly detailed and accurate and very similar.  YMMV.

 

[Ableza]

FYI I spend many years looking for a DAC that I really loved and went through at least a dozen including some of the high end labels.  I had settled on Wavelength DACs which had bested (to my ears) units from Ayre, Benchmark, Kora, NorthStar, Auralic, Marantz, ODAC, Scott Nixon and a few others.  When I received the Yggdrasil it (to me) blew away the Wavelength unit.  I was astounded and it became my default reference DAC.  I upgraded another Wavelength in my headphone system to the Gungnir MB and it was a step forward that I will not roll back.  I recommend Schiit multibit solutions.

 

[earnmyturns]

  FYI I spend many years looking for a DAC that I really loved and went through at least a dozen including some of the high end labels.  I had settled on Wavelength DACs which had bested (to my ears) units from Ayre, Benchmark, Kora, NorthStar, Auralic, Marantz, ODAC, Scott Nixon and a few others.  When I received the Yggdrasil it (to me) blew away the Wavelength unit.  I was astounded and it because my default reference DAC.  I upgraded another Wavelength in my headphone system to the Gungnir MB and it was a step forward that I will not roll back.  I recommend Schiit multibit solutions.

My DAC exploration has been much more limited, but I agree. I got into digital audio with a 2-channel system based on a Naim UnitiQute with built-in DAC, which sounded pretty good to me then. More recently I upgraded it to a Bel Canto C7R again with builtin DAC), that sounded quite a bit better, listening to it now. But in the meanwhile I assembled a headphone system for my study based on the Bimby. As I reported on some of these threads, the Bimby fed by a good USB source (a Sonore microRendu) beats my current speaker system. To put it in inadequate words, higher-order harmonics and dynamics that give uniqueness and heft to voices and instruments are more vivid, realistic on the headphone system. For example, there's a "roughness" in the voice of Habib Koité (the Malian bandleader I'm listening to right now) that is partly missing on the speaker system. The DAC in the C7R seems to wash out those higher-order effects, smoothing everything onto a very pleasant but somewhat bland mix. I believe the difference is from multibit, because I had started with a Bifrost Uber with a pretty good USB source and the same headphone amp and headphones, but at that point the speaker system was a clearly ahead. So, the Bimby convinced me I should replace my C7R by a Gumby or Yggy + amp, it's just a matter of finding the right amp (maybe from Schiit's new 2-channel line when it comes out). I'll also likely replace the Bimby by a Gumby when the Liquid Carbon I have on order shows up late summer, to make my headphone system balanced.

 

[Baldr]

 
​Interesting - I'm thinking ahead to the (hopefully) soon-to-be-announced Schiit 2-channel components. Have you compared the Gungnir and Yggdrasil in your 2-channel system, and if so did you find that there is a meaningful difference between them? The Yggdrasil was wonderful at THE Show, but I'm wondering how close the next step down in the Schiit range would be.

 
Please take note of the fact that all of my original Theta DACs (all multibit) were developed on speaker system around thirty years ago  I never used headphones until ten or so years later, when I built a direct drive tube amp for 500 volt bias electrostatic headphones of the time - Stax Lambdas.  Those were my gateway drug into the world of cans.

 

[cbl117]

Can anyone help me decide if its worth moving from bimby to gumby?

 

[Ampeezy]

Have not heard it but i'd go for it...One can tell from the implementation that it should very comfortably best the Bimby. It is just the jump from Gumby to the Yggy that is more pertinent imo 

 

[intlsubband]

  Can anyone help me decide if its worth moving from bimby to gumby?

 
I think a big part of it is whether you need balanced output.
 
I auditioned Bimby and Gumby side by side on SE at the shop, and I actually preferred the sound of the Bimby (seemed more edge to the sound / presence). Granted, it was only for 30 minutes (in a dedicated listening room however), but I got the Bimby and we lived happily ever after...
 
Since then I sold my previous main DAC, and I'm still absolutely thrilled with the Bimby.

 

[landroni]

  Can anyone help me decide if its worth moving from bimby to gumby?

http://www.head-fi.org/t/785369/yggdrasil-gungnir-mb-bifrost-mb-a-terse-ribald-comparison

 

[landroni]

 
 
Please take note of the fact that all of my original Theta DACs (all multibit) were developed on speaker system around thirty years ago  I never used headphones until ten or so years later, when I built a direct drive tube amp for 500 volt bias electrostatic headphones of the time - Stax Lambdas.  Those were my gateway drug into the world of cans.

I really hope Schiit would plunge into electrostatic amps at one point. While electrostats are no doubt a niche, it's underserved and many of the amps in this market come with ludicrous price tags that are in dire need of a reality check... 
 

 

[Ampeezy]

Looks like I stand corrected, the Gumby does not blow the Bimby out the water when comparing SE. I'll be interested to see a comparison using its balanced output though