MarkF786
500+ Head-Fier
I received my Bimby (Bifrost Multibit) today and wanted to share some early impressions. I've got it connected to my Jotunheim and was comparing the Bimby to the Jot's internal DAC.
First, out of the box the Bimby feels very heavy and well built. One slight annoyance is Schiit changed the aluminum finish on the Jotunheim, so the two devices don't entirely match; to the casual glance, they look a slightly different shade of grade. I'll get over it.
I was a little worried that after spending $600 on the Bimby, I'd find the difference between it and the Jot's internal DAC to be negligible. When I previously compared the internal DAC to my Chord Mojo, that was the case - but thankfully, the Bimby is clearly superior. It's hard to quantify the difference; at first, I would have said the Jot's internal DAC sounded 98% of the Bimby's performance, but in time the difference becomes more noticeable, so now the internal DAC has dropped down to 95% or less in my estimation - and I expect the Bimby to only get better as it burns-in (or even just warms up, since some owners report it sounds better after being powered for a couple days), and as my ears get more time to discern the subtle differences.
To compare two two DACs, I had separate Macs connected and used Audirvana synced with the same tracks. I could then switch between the two, though I had to slightly adjust the volume knob to match volumes as I switched.
So what sounds different? The Bimby sounds much more detailed, making nuances more noticeable on the Bimby. At first I could hear the difference most clearly in the bass region (and also there was more authority in the bass on the Bimby, which is likely due to the improved power supply), but as I focused in on various instruments I could hear the difference across the entire frequency range. Being a guitarist and keyboard player I know well the sound of acoustic guitar, acoustic piano, etc - and the Bimby conveys the realism much better, and exposes nuances in the timbre and articulation. A good example is the fretboard/string buzz on a plucked upright bass, where the Bimby clearly reproduces it with more realism and detail. And forgetting nitpicking the differences between the two, the Bimby just better conveys the magic of music better.
Is it worth $600? I think many would likely be happy with the internal DAC (which is an incredible value) or the Modi Multibit (at least from what others say, since I haven't heard it). For me though, I wanted the Bifrost's form factor and built in power supply - and the upgradability is a bonus. I think it'll be my end-game DAC, so with that in mind it's worth the $600.
BTW, I haven't done a direct comparison of the Bimby and the Chord Mojo, but relative to the difference between the two and the Jot's internal DAC, I would say with some certainty the Bimby would be better.
First, out of the box the Bimby feels very heavy and well built. One slight annoyance is Schiit changed the aluminum finish on the Jotunheim, so the two devices don't entirely match; to the casual glance, they look a slightly different shade of grade. I'll get over it.
I was a little worried that after spending $600 on the Bimby, I'd find the difference between it and the Jot's internal DAC to be negligible. When I previously compared the internal DAC to my Chord Mojo, that was the case - but thankfully, the Bimby is clearly superior. It's hard to quantify the difference; at first, I would have said the Jot's internal DAC sounded 98% of the Bimby's performance, but in time the difference becomes more noticeable, so now the internal DAC has dropped down to 95% or less in my estimation - and I expect the Bimby to only get better as it burns-in (or even just warms up, since some owners report it sounds better after being powered for a couple days), and as my ears get more time to discern the subtle differences.
To compare two two DACs, I had separate Macs connected and used Audirvana synced with the same tracks. I could then switch between the two, though I had to slightly adjust the volume knob to match volumes as I switched.
So what sounds different? The Bimby sounds much more detailed, making nuances more noticeable on the Bimby. At first I could hear the difference most clearly in the bass region (and also there was more authority in the bass on the Bimby, which is likely due to the improved power supply), but as I focused in on various instruments I could hear the difference across the entire frequency range. Being a guitarist and keyboard player I know well the sound of acoustic guitar, acoustic piano, etc - and the Bimby conveys the realism much better, and exposes nuances in the timbre and articulation. A good example is the fretboard/string buzz on a plucked upright bass, where the Bimby clearly reproduces it with more realism and detail. And forgetting nitpicking the differences between the two, the Bimby just better conveys the magic of music better.
Is it worth $600? I think many would likely be happy with the internal DAC (which is an incredible value) or the Modi Multibit (at least from what others say, since I haven't heard it). For me though, I wanted the Bifrost's form factor and built in power supply - and the upgradability is a bonus. I think it'll be my end-game DAC, so with that in mind it's worth the $600.
BTW, I haven't done a direct comparison of the Bimby and the Chord Mojo, but relative to the difference between the two and the Jot's internal DAC, I would say with some certainty the Bimby would be better.
