[Tompo88]

I think you'll be pleased.

I spent the weekend comparing my Bifrost MB to a recently acquired Gumby... it's was a N I C E weekend.

Gumby > Jot > HD650 all balanced is sublime

How did the comparison go? I was sitting here debating between bifrost and going straight to gumby. As stated, decided to just pull trigger on gumby.

 

[eee1111]

nm

 

[captkirk]

How did the comparison go? I was sitting here debating between bifrost and going straight to gumby. As stated, decided to just pull trigger on gumby.

It has been an enlightening experience. I'm not deft at being able to communicate the sonic differences between the two DACs, and one person's "large soundstage" may be small to another's...so I'll steer clear of trying.

For me, the differences come down to perception. The Gungnir MB envelopes me. I feel immersed and connected to the music more so than I have before. My Bifrost MB has a great level of detail and sounds very good, but I feel it's playing music at me, while the Gungnir MB is playing around me.

Both balanced and SE are very good. The differences between the two are subtle and may be more or less apparent depending on the listener and all the variables up or down the chain. They are there, but subject to each listener. Would I appreciate the performance of the Gungnir MB without the balance capability? Yes, without doubt. Do I appreciate that it's balanced? Heck yes!

For me, the Gungnir MB is simply better than the Bifrost MB. I hear it. I like it.

Is it worth it. Not going to touch that one, because in all fairness, I'm still trying to figure that out. Just because I appreciate the performance of the Gungnir doesn't answer the question. That said, I look forward to trying to answer it.

 

[theveterans]

^ IMO a fully warmed up Bimby on COAX SPDIF gives the same feeling of music "playing around me" at least for my ears. But a balanced connection will always be "blacker" than SE due to better noise rejection

 

[joeexp]

...But a balanced connection will always be "blacker" than SE due to better noise rejection ...

That Sir, is a load of nonsense...

 

[pctazhp]

I use the USB by-pass function of my ASUS soundcard to completely by-pass USB and feed my Bimby's spdif coax input. I get amazing results - surrounded by music that sounds wonderful. I am planning to get a Gumby soon, but at the moment I'm not quite sure why.

I agree that in a desktop setting (short runs) there is no technical reason why a balanced connection should be quieter than SE.

 

[Ninadada]

It has been an enlightening experience. I'm not deft at being able to communicate the sonic differences between the two DACs, and one person's "large soundstage" may be small to another's...so I'll steer clear of trying.

For me, the differences come down to perception. The Gungnir MB envelopes me. I feel immersed and connected to the music more so than I have before. My Bifrost MB has a great level of detail and sounds very good, but I feel it's playing music at me, while the Gungnir MB is playing around me.

Both balanced and SE are very good. The differences between the two are subtle and may be more or less apparent depending on the listener and all the variables up or down the chain. They are there, but subject to each listener. Would I appreciate the performance of the Gungnir MB without the balance capability? Yes, without doubt. Do I appreciate that it's balanced? Heck yes!

For me, the Gungnir MB is simply better than the Bifrost MB. I hear it. I like it.

Is it worth it. Not going to touch that one, because in all fairness, I'm still trying to figure that out. Just because I appreciate the performance of the Gungnir doesn't answer the question. That said, I look forward to trying to answer it.

I appreciate your fair, neutral, and realistic assessment. I'd like to comment on music type as a factor in the "worth it" decision. When I upgraded from the Jot w/ internal DAC to Jot + Bimby, the improvement was significant and immediately noticeable when listening to Jazz, vocals, soft rock, or music with mostly acoustic instruments, quiet passages, and a higher dynamic range. By improvements, I'm referring mostly to increased sound stage width and separation between instruments. When listening to synthesized or electronic music such as EDM and some new age tracks, or hard rock with electric guitars and few quiet passages, the improvement and the "worth it" factor was substantially lower and in many cases, imperceptible. So for me, the type of music I plan to play through my rig the majority of the time would be a significant consideration.

 

[captkirk]

I appreciate your fair, neutral, and realistic assessment. I'd like to comment on music type as a factor in the "worth it" decision. When I upgraded from the Jot w/ internal DAC to Jot + Bimby, the improvement was significant and immediately noticeable when listening to Jazz, vocals, soft rock, or music with mostly acoustic instruments, quiet passages, and a higher dynamic range. By improvements, I'm referring mostly to increased sound stage width and separation between instruments. When listening to synthesized or electronic music such as EDM and some new age tracks, or hard rock with electric guitars and few quiet passages, the improvement and the "worth it" factor was substantially lower and in many cases, imperceptible. So for me, the type of music I plan to play through my rig the majority of the time would be a significant consideration.

Agreed. My perceived level of improvement, from BMB to the GMB, has been heavily influenced by the music being played.

 

[ETanner]

Yesterday my Gumby came back from Schiit after they replaced it with the new Gen 5 model. I had my Bimby sitting on the MJ 2 and decided to do some A-Bing after sliding the Gumby under the amp. I put a SYS between the DACs and the MJ2 input so I'd only need to swap the USB from the microRendu.

Soon after they were hooked in I had this serious attitude come over me as I prepared to compare the sounds. First a few measures of the Bimby (Miles Davis I'm sure) then the Gungnir Multibit just out of the shipping box. I wasn't able to complete four minutes before my face unconsciously frowned in disappointment. The warm Bimby smoked its older sibling. I couldn't listen any more to this car radio like soundstage, all flat and lifeless. Yet twenty four hours later I was listening again to Ella James when my face just had a smile like I'd just seen an old friend. The upper end showed up--almost like someone invited the trebles to the party. Two hours later I had my eyes closed, listening to Nina Simone when I could have sworn she was singing in the chair across from me. Her voice was like a solid island in the center of black space. It had presence all its own, isolated in a sea of "no sound".

Three surprises in less than 30 hours. Without a doubt the Bimby is a solid DAC and overwhelmingly better than a cold Gumby. But every time after that this Gumby shifted gears it created separation beyond my expectations. Single voices became solid presences in a larger much darker sound stage. I know I'm a homer with this Schiit however the soundstage sounds more silent than the surrounding space in my listening room??? Like a canvas of black was thrown down and instruments applied.

Such simply impressions and so much joy.

 

[thedesigner2011]

As someone who is debating between the MMB, BMB, and GMB, these posts are very helpful. One thing I'd like to ask is if people are volume matching between the warmed up GMB and warmed up BMB, and if not, how this changes the landscape? Thanks guys, happy listening.

 

[RCBinTN]

Yesterday my Gumby came back from Schiit after they replaced it with the new Gen 5 model. I had my Bimby sitting on the MJ 2 and decided to do some A-Bing after sliding the Gumby under the amp. I put a SYS between the DACs and the MJ2 input so I'd only need to swap the USB from the microRendu.

Soon after they were hooked in I had this serious attitude come over me as I prepared to compare the sounds. First a few measures of the Bimby (Miles Davis I'm sure) then the Gungnir Multibit just out of the shipping box. I wasn't able to complete four minutes before my face unconsciously frowned in disappointment. The warm Bimby smoked its older sibling. I couldn't listen any more to this car radio like soundstage, all flat and lifeless. Yet twenty four hours later I was listening again to Ella James when my face just had a smile like I'd just seen an old friend. The upper end showed up--almost like someone invited the trebles to the party. Two hours later I had my eyes closed, listening to Nina Simone when I could have sworn she was singing in the chair across from me. Her voice was like a solid island in the center of black space. It had presence all its own, isolated in a sea of "no sound".

Three surprises in less than 30 hours. Without a doubt the Bimby is a solid DAC and overwhelmingly better than a cold Gumby. But every time after that this Gumby shifted gears it created separation beyond my expectations. Single voices became solid presences in a larger much darker sound stage. I know I'm a homer with this Schiit however the soundstage sounds more silent than the surrounding space in my listening room??? Like a canvas of black was thrown down and instruments applied.

Such simply impressions and so much joy.

That's why we leave it "on" all the time. The music will have consistent SQ for each listening session. No need to play music, just leave the AC power switched on. Keeps the internal components warm and ready.
Happy Listening!

 

[RCBinTN]

As someone who is debating between the MMB, BMB, and GMB, these posts are very helpful. One thing I'd like to ask is if people are volume matching between the warmed up GMB and warmed up BMB, and if not, how this changes the landscape? Thanks guys, happy listening.

I think that's a good question, but the GMB will win between the three DACs, for SQ. It is sublime.

 

[ETanner]

That's why we leave it "on" all the time. The music will have consistent SQ for each listening session. No need to play music, just leave the AC power switched on. Keeps the internal components warm and ready.
Happy Listening!

Yes, I've had many happy years leaving my Schiit DACs on. And yet I was once again surprised to hear my Gumby sound so ordinary (or worse) in the beginning only to be so nice 30 hrs later. It is also evident how good the Bimby is and still outclassed a day later.

 

[thedesigner2011]

I think that's a good question, but the GMB will win between the three DACs, for SQ. It is sublime.

I don't doubt the GMB will come out on top, but how much of the difference is due to greater volume is just a bar to set for myself. In an ideal world, I use the BMB on my desk and the Yggy for my 2.0 setup, but if even volume matching the BMB doesn't get in the ballpark of the GMB then that's too much left on the table for me, and I'll need a GMB for my desk.

 

[ETanner]

I don't doubt the GMB will come out on top, but how much of the difference is due to greater volume is just a bar to set for myself. In an ideal world, I use the BMB on my desk and the Yggy for my 2.0 setup, but if even volume matching the BMB doesn't get in the ballpark of the GMB then that's too much left on the table for me, and I'll need a GMB for my desk.

I will be using my Bimby and Valhalla 2 at my desk along with an HD600. My recent impressions comparing the two were with both DACs being run via RCAs into my Mjolnir 2 preouts and into the Vidar in stereo setup. I did switch to balanced outs with the Gumby into the MJ2 and Vidar for the vocal impressions. Until everything is settled in I'll not be doing headphone comparisons. The type of work I do at my desk seldom invites critical listening so I can't really see myself moving the G/MJ2 into my office.