[grokit]

The USB option is for those that don't have coax/toslink, and don't want a separate box. Or for dumb@sses like me that want it for comparative or resale purposes.

It's better than most USB converters out there but not as good as some, subjectively and according to developing consensus.

 

[crossjeremiah]

Has anyone tried moonaudio blue dragon toslink cables?

 

[earwaxxer]

Has anyone tried moonaudio blue dragon toslink cables?

One thing I noticed with my Gungnir, it appears to be relatively insensitive to toslink, coax, BNC. I tried all three. I'm now using a JPS Labs BNC from my Transporter. I could not tell the difference between coax and toslink, using a glass toslink. IMO, Schiit has the clock lock thing down on this thing. I wouldnt spend a bunch of bucks on a good cable. I'm not sure if I could put my finger on if/how the BNC bests the other two. I just use it because I sleep better at night!

 

[turboglo]

i'm using the $60 Silflex Toslink cable with a Mac Mini.
 
Do some deep breathing, CJ. I know what it's like to spend more $$$ than I have on audio equipment. But you are getting an extremely high value in the Gungnir, IMO. I have a very high end system, and it sounds bloody fantastic. Sounds better in my system than a 5 year old reference CD player. I don't think you'll be needing to spend more money on a DAC for a long, long time.
 
Just give it lots of time to settle in.

 

[crossjeremiah]

Thanks I have a ibasso d7 and its running with a triode tube amp . I have turn it up to 85% for good listening level. Should I buy a mjolnir or wait till I hear the gungnir with the tube amp

 

[turboglo]

I would wait just because I would be curious about how the Gungnir sounds paired with the triode amp. I have an ARS Sonum-Filarmonia driving a pair of Merlin Master VSM's. The Filarmonia is an integrated tube amp using  E34L Pentode output tubes. I like the combination of the Gungnir and the tube amp. What I have sounds like a synthesis of the best qualities of tubes and s/s. 

 

[grokit]

The Gungnir sounds great with the balanced WA22 transformer-coupled tube amp.

 

[crossjeremiah]

I listen to alot of post-rock it drove my 250 hr burn in on my ibasso d7 but when I played with the new gungnir no burn in time. just a little grainy a first . but i thought to my self, this is what it would sound like at the actual concert then i'm starting to like it. but i'll let it time to burn

 

[MoonUnit]

I've had my Gungnir for about two weeks now. In short, I think it's fantastic... it's the best sigma-delta DAC I've ever heard. The sound doesn't jump out at you at first, but there's an ease and rightness to the sound that is addictive.
 
It's less sensitive to sources than some other DACs, but I find that it is still somewhat source sensitive. Right now I'm running it from a 2011 Mac Mini's optical out through a DIY dejittering device based on the WM8804. I think this is better than the USB input, though the USB input is not bad. The sound does have a bit of glare directly out of the Mac Mini.

 

[turboglo]

I've had mine for a bit over a month now. It truly has continued to improve over this entire time. Seems like the process has been lots of increasingly good listening session, interrupted by some harsh sessions. But the overall arc is toward increasing effortlessness and ease. The coolest aspect has been increasing emergence of a kind of natural layered texture that good analogue will give you, but has often been elusive with digital.
 
Recordings that I used to think were unlistenable are now listenable, even engaging. They're still not great recordings, but they don't hurt my ears.
 
Guess what I'm saying is that you should hear a definite improvement during the 15 day audition period, especially if you keep it playing. But there's even more improvement after that. Keep us up to date on your own impressions.
 
Oh, one more thing. My experience is that good DAC's are very sensitive to what's upstream. Audirvana and Pure Music have put out new versions this past week. Very noticeable improvements in SQ.

 

[rwelles]

There is a "bug" with the new version (1.88a) of Pure Music when using the NetSend feature. It keeps creating new broadcasts on the fly. The receiving computer loses connection with each new broadcast. They are aware of the issue.
 
There is also an issue with iTunes 11 (link). It appears that Apple has changed the way iTunes deals with gapless albums. The info isn't consistent between the web resources I've checked, so I'm not positive of the details. In any case, Channel D is recommending that you not upgrade to iTunes 11.
 
So I'm using PM 1.86a with iTunes 10.7. At least until things get sorted out.

 

[plsvn]

Quote:

It appears that Apple has changed the way iTunes deals with gapless albums

 
... first thing I noticed in iTunes 11 is, in fact, that "Gapless Album" option has vanished from "file infos". but Audirvana+ seems to not care at all

 

[Erukian]

Quote:

 
... first thing I noticed in iTunes 11 is, in fact, that "Gapless Album" option has vanished from "file infos". but Audirvana+ seems to not care at all

I noticed that as well. It appears all iTunes tracks are now gapless by default.
 
One neat trick I noticed is that if you use crossfade, it now only works when on shuffle or when using a playlist (genius or otherwise) and when playing songs in sequential order from a record, it plays them gapless. Just the way I want it

 

[crossjeremiah]

Figures that tube amps aren't my forte. Too smooth and romantic for me . The single power it self

 

[plsvn]

Quote:

Figures that tube amps aren't my forte. Too smooth and romantic for me . The single power it self

 
 
... yes: many tube amplifiers are smooth indeed, but... just the *bad* ones