[bixby]

@cb117
 
FWIW- I did a review of the Bimby on my blog.  I felt it was one of the best $600 dacs I have auditioned.  That being said, in absolute terms in my speaker based setup, I did feel it had some faults.  Some of these issues may not be as noticeable on headphones because of the poor spatial reproduction as compared to speakers.  Please read the review for the details.
 
Now let me offer my impressions of the Gumby which I had in house for the last 10 days.  The Gumby is in another league altogether as far as I am concerned.  It does space better, soundstage presentation better, it has excellent highs, bass is deep and extended with good dynamics.  And the midrange is placed right with excellent tonality.  I favored the Matrix X-sabre over the Bimby but favor the Gumby over both.  It is easily worth the double the price in my opinion.
 
I would rather live with a M2U4490 for a year and save for a Gumby than jump up to a Bimby.  I have not yet had the Yggy in my setup but have heard the Yggy and Gumby numerous times in an even more revealing speaker based system.  Yes, the Yggy is better.  But you do get really close with the Gumby.  I think it is a very good value.  and then there is the whole notion of using USB - Spdif bridges with it to further refine.
 
Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[cbl117]

@cb117

FWIW- I did a review of the Bimby on my blog.  I felt it was one of the best $600 dacs I have auditioned.  That being said, in absolute terms in my speaker based setup, I did feel it had some faults.  Some of these issues may not be as noticeable on headphones because of the poor spatial reproduction as compared to speakers.  Please read the review for the details.

Now let me offer my impressions of the Gumby which I had in house for the last 10 days.  The Gumby is in another league altogether as far as I am concerned.  It does space better, soundstage presentation better, it has excellent highs, bass is deep and extended with good dynamics.  And the midrange is placed right with excellent tonality.  I favored the Matrix X-sabre over the Bimby but favor the Gumby over both.  It is easily worth the double the price in my opinion.

I would rather live with a M2U4490 for a year and save for a Gumby than jump up to a Bimby.  I have not yet had the Yggy in my setup but have heard the Yggy and Gumby numerous times in an even more revealing speaker based system.  Yes, the Yggy is better.  But you do get really close with the Gumby.  I think it is a very good value.  and then there is the whole notion of using USB - Spdif bridges with it to further refine.

Good luck whatever you decide.

Bixby, I'll take a look at your review. Was your assessment of the Gumby using balanced or SE? I'd be planning to run the Gumby SE until I purchased a mjolnir2. If your using a computer as a source , how do people work around the USB issues? I'm using a iMac in my office with audirvana SW.

 

[bixby]

Bixby, I'll take a look at your review. Was your assessment of the Gumby using balanced or SE? I'd be planning to run the Gumby SE until I purchased a mjolnir2. If your using a computer as a source , how do people work around the USB issues? I'm using a iMac in my office with audirvana SW.

All listening done via SE RCA cables into deHavilland preamp and Bel Canto amp, all SE.
 
If using a computer as source, first rule, don't use it for anything else while listening, then tweak and if you got cash to spare try a bridge.  A+ SW is very good indeed.

 

[Ableza]

 
All listening done via SE RCA cables into deHavilland preamp and Bel Canto amp, all SE.
 
If using a computer as source, first rule, don't use it for anything else while listening, then tweak and if you got cash to spare try a bridge.  A+ SW is very good indeed.

Or just get a Wyrd.

 

[cbl117]

Or just get a Wyrd.

Can anyone confirm hearing a audible difference using something like a wyrd to clean up the USB line out?

 

[sheldaze]

Can anyone confirm hearing a audible difference using something like a wyrd to clean up the USB line out?

Yes.
This is how I ran into my Hugo. My laptop computer has terrible USB output, and Wyrd cleaned it right up.
 
::
 
I read that the Hugo was bright - it was, until I cleaned up my USB.
Then it was just awesome. Sorry that this is a Schiit thread, but that is my most recent and most audible change.

 

[Ableza]

Can anyone confirm hearing a audible difference using something like a wyrd to clean up the USB line out?

I can confirm that it cleaned up the signal from my PC and eliminated an annoying hum that the poor quality power supply in the Dell was causing.

 

[bixby]

Can anyone confirm hearing a audible difference using something like a wyrd to clean up the USB line out?

The Wyrd did nothing positive with one dac and it helped helped noise in another.  I have heard and owned the Wyrd, Jitterbug, ipurifier 2, and Regen.  All do something, yet none did anything positive to the good dacs that I connected them to.  In a few cases they provided some pretty objectionable things when you listen seriously.  I am still at a loss to understand how most reviewers go gagaga over these things.
 
They all sound different, but do you really want your highs rolled or reverb trails dulled or the body of an acoustic guitar thinned out so much that almost all that is left with is mainly fretboard sounds.  okay exaggerating here with the last one, it was a bit less than that, but some do bad stuff with some dacs.

 

[MWSVette]

Can anyone confirm hearing a audible difference using something like a wyrd to clean up the USB line out?

I have 2 and do not find any change in sound.  However I was having a really bad time with the USB dropping out and they completely corrected that particular issue.

 

[johnjen]

I ran 1 Wyrd for quite a while, it definitely helped.
But I also cooked my USB cables which raised the SQ even further.
Then I added a second Wyrd and it helped even more, and again using cooked cables.
 
It remains a 'reference' at the moment, to compare while using a RedNet3 (ethernet to digital audio box).
 
JJ

 

[Odin412]

Can anyone confirm hearing a audible difference using something like a wyrd to clean up the USB line out?

 
​I hear no difference, but for a USB-powered DACs the Wyrd does alleviate issues with USB power management (laptops tend to turn off USB power after a while).

 

[bixby]

​I hear no difference, but for a USB-powered DACs the Wyrd does alleviate issues with USB power management (laptops tend to turn off USB power after a while).

true fact til you learn what settings in Windows to keep them hot.

 

[theveterans]

 ​I hear no difference, but for a USB-powered DACs the Wyrd does alleviate issues with USB power management (laptops tend to turn off USB power after a while).

 
Just disable USB suspend in power options, your issues will be gone.

 

[theveterans]

  Yes.
This is how I ran into my Hugo. My laptop computer has terrible USB output, and Wyrd cleaned it right up.
 
::
 
I read that the Hugo was bright - it was, until I cleaned up my USB.
Then it was just awesome. Sorry that this is a Schiit thread, but that is my most recent and most audible change.

 
Use a USB to coax / optical converter, you'll hear the same effect since I use one for my Schiit Bifrost.

 

[sheldaze]

Guys -  I was simply answering the question. Does Wyrd work - yes:
 

1. So does my Gustard U12.
2. So does my Peachtree X1.
3. So does my Regen.
4. So does the optical output straight from my laptop. I have my reservations only regarding my Jitterbug.