[tincanear]

So an Apple Mac mini would serve as the Roon core and in your model, you would also have it feed the DAC via USB; I thought the core and endpoint had to be separate units largely because the Mac can be electronically noisy?

if your Bifrost Multibit OG has the Gen 5 Usb (galvanically isolated), the mac's noise will be less of a problem. If it is noisy and not readily solvable in your setup, then other posters have talked (David Aldrich ???) about using the Pi4 endpoints in metal flirc cases.

 

[macdonjh]

My thoughts:
+1 for not starting vinyl. I tried years ago, and decided quickly the additional trouble involved in spinning a black disc wasn't worth it over spinning a silver disc.
+1 for ripping your CDs. Storage is so cheap now, I just ripped all mine to .wav. I used JRiver MediaCenter. It has some really powerful organizing tools. It's also great to just let your library program shuffle through your entire collection randomly. I also ripped all our DVDs.
-1 for keeping all your silver discs. I sold all of mine and really like not having them around. Sure, it's a risk, but if I lose my main hard drive and my back-up, I'll get really good at using a streaming service. It would be a good way to force myself into 2020.
-1 for the Mac Mini (unless you're an Apple user in your real life). I am using one as my media server and OS-X is different enough than Windows to simply make me angry. I wish I'd just bought a dedicated PC.

 

[Randolf711]

I love your post and I did something very similar to you recently. After spending many years, and many dollars, on records and a kick-ass turntable, I lost the Vinyl bug (maybe Mofi kicked it out of me with the $125 one step sets). At the time I had one Vidar and the Freya+. I decided to sell my expensive albums with the end game being another Vidar and a Yggy. I thought about this for a year and it was a very hard decision. However, I am so glad I went that route (for me). My set up smokes my high-end turntable. I stream Qobuz from a laptop. However, like you, I have several hundred CDs and am anxiously awaiting a Schiit Transport. Although, I’m not fully convinced it is even necessary.

I think if you can grab a Yggy and eventually pick up another Vidar you’ll be in love. I have my set up, fully balanced, and use Roon to organize my FLAC library and streaming. I have very power hungry speakers and the second Vidar made a huge difference.

As Yogi Berra once famously said, “when you come to a fork in the road, take it”

In anticipation of retirement, I have been working down the path of planning a two-channel speaker system, based mostly on Schiit products. I have reached the stage where I think I am settled on Maggie 1.7i, freya+ and Vidar monos, and this is where I hit the fork.

I have a moderate collection of CDs, about 500, mostly classical and a good Cambridge Audio transport, along with a Bifrost Multibit and a Valhalla 2. I have nothing left of my vinyl collection but fond memories.

Working to a budget cap I have worked out I could:

1. stick with CDs and upgrade my DAC to an Yggdrasil (probably drop from mono to stereo amp),
2. stay with my Bifrost, the CDs, and add a Sol/Mani to rekindle those old memories, or
3. retire all physical media and go digital with a streamer, like a Bluesound Node or better, and qobuz/tidal. Here I could squeeze in an Yggdrasil if I can sell my transport (truly burning my bridges!) as well as the Bifrost to help stay within budget.

If I had the resources, I would happily do all three and take pride in the sheer diversity of sources I would have managed to accrue—that truly would be doing a Yogi Berra!

But alas, I must and will choose, I’m curious as to what you would do?

 

[Roy G. Biv]

So an Apple Mac mini would serve as the Roon core and in your model, you would also have it feed the DAC via USB; I thought the core and endpoint had to be separate units largely because the Mac can be electronically noisy?

I use my MacMini as both the core and as an endpoint, meaning that it feeds my Modi-Multibit DAC directly through USB.

As far as the Mac being electronically noisy, I have to be honest in telling you that I've never perceived 'noise' in my system as being a problem. I'm a music aficionado, not an audiophile. There are many on this and other forums that will argue differently but that's my 2 cents.

You're in a great position to research and identify what works best for you. I look forward to reading about your results! Listen to your music, not your system!

-1 for the Mac Mini (unless you're an Apple user in your real life). I am using one as my media server and OS-X is different enough than Windows to simply make me angry. I wish I'd just bought a dedicated PC.

There are many people that whole-heartedly agree with you. My MacMini runs in the background running nothing but Roon and is reliable as a coffee pot.

 

[ev666il]

-1 for keeping all your silver discs. I sold all of mine and really like not having them around. Sure, it's a risk, but if I lose my main hard drive and my back-up, I'll get really good at using a streaming service. It would be a good way to force myself into 2020.

My .02 on this, but streaming doesn't necessarily equate to listening to your CDs even if you have a lossless streaming subscription. Granted, it largely depends on what music/records you listen to: If you're into the "classic" audiophile genres (e.g. classical and jazz), it might not make much of a difference—but with other genres, it does. For example, I could stream Iron Maiden from Tidal, but that would be strictly limited to recent, brickwalled remasters that sound nothing like the original first pressings from the 80s and early 90s. I am purposefully acquiring those first pressings on CD and ripping them to FLAC and, if I lost my FLACs, I would rip them again and keep going back to them over Tidal's remasters.

The same holds true for many other modern records that are only available for streaming in a brickwalled version, whereas a more dynamic mastering exists—and it's not limited to just the pre-Loudness War era records either. Omnium Gatherum's 2018 album "The Burning Cold", for example, released on CD with DR6—which is the version you can stream from Tidal as well—but the HDTracks version measures DR14.

 

[Zojokkeli]

Free Qobuz downloads:

https://headphone.guru/qobuz-music-gifts-free-downloads-of-high-rez-music/

Is there a way to download complete albums, instead of songs one-by-one? Nevermind, you need to download the Qobuz app to download complete albums.

Any standout recommendations from this selection?

 

[MrPretty]

Is there a way to download complete albums, instead of songs one-by-one?

There should be an option to download all of the songs in a zipped TAR file on the top of the download page

 

[Les Strat]

My thoughts:
+1 for not starting vinyl. I tried years ago, and decided quickly the additional trouble involved in spinning a black disc wasn't worth it over spinning a silver disc.
+1 for ripping your CDs. Storage is so cheap now, I just ripped all mine to .wav. I used JRiver MediaCenter. It has some really powerful organizing tools. It's also great to just let your library program shuffle through your entire collection randomly. I also ripped all our DVDs.
-1 for keeping all your silver discs. I sold all of mine and really like not having them around. Sure, it's a risk, but if I lose my main hard drive and my back-up, I'll get really good at using a streaming service. It would be a good way to force myself into 2020.
-1 for the Mac Mini (unless you're an Apple user in your real life). I am using one as my media server and OS-X is different enough than Windows to simply make me angry. I wish I'd just bought a dedicated PC.

Great post!
Although I have about 200 vinyl albums I also won't be going back! The vinyl is staying in boxes! Too expensive to buy a new turntable, phono stage, preamp....and overpriced new vinyl.
All my CDs, totalling about 1500, have been ripped. I couldn't bring myself to sell all the silver discs though.
Most listening is now done via Qobuz and I am a complete convert, having initially been very sceptical. At £14.99 per month I am a happy subscriber. I still listen to some ripped CDs if an album is not on Qobuz or if my internet fails.
Dedicated PC is used for ripped CDs and an old Logitech Transporter used to stream both from hard drive and Qobuz, into Yggy A2.

It sounds fantastic and on identical recordings I cannot tell the difference between a Qobuz FLAC file ( 16/44.1) and the same album via lossless ripped CD.

 

[Les Strat]

I love your post and I did something very similar to you recently. After spending many years, and many dollars, on records and a kick-ass turntable, I lost the Vinyl bug (maybe Mofi kicked it out of me with the $125 one step sets). At the time I had one Vidar and the Freya+. I decided to sell my expensive albums with the end game being another Vidar and a Yggy. I thought about this for a year and it was a very hard decision. However, I am so glad I went that route (for me). My set up smokes my high-end turntable. I stream Qobuz from a laptop. However, like you, I have several hundred CDs and am anxiously awaiting a Schiit Transport. Although, I’m not fully convinced it is even necessary.

I think if you can grab a Yggy and eventually pick up another Vidar you’ll be in love. I have my set up, fully balanced, and use Roon to organize my FLAC library and streaming. I have very power hungry speakers and the second Vidar made a huge difference.

It's reassuring to know that your Yggy with Qobuz 'smokes' your high end turntable. I am not surprised, even though I don't own a 'high end' turntable and I certainly have no intention of buying one now.
+1 on Yggy. It is fantastic.
I run mine balanced too ( direct into large active studio monitors) and it is the best sound I have ever had at home
I have also been waiting for the Schiit CD Transport, but my enthusiasm for that idea is fading fast

 

[Les Strat]

My .02 on this, but streaming doesn't necessarily equate to listening to your CDs even if you have a lossless streaming subscription. Granted, it largely depends on what music/records you listen to: If you're into the "classic" audiophile genres (e.g. classical and jazz), it might not make much of a difference—but with other genres, it does. For example, I could stream Iron Maiden from Tidal, but that would be strictly limited to recent, brickwalled remasters that sound nothing like the original first pressings from the 80s and early 90s. I am purposefully acquiring those first pressings on CD and ripping them to FLAC and, if I lost my FLACs, I would rip them again and keep going back to them over Tidal's remasters.

The same holds true for many other modern records that are only available for streaming in a brickwalled version, whereas a more dynamic mastering exists—and it's not limited to just the pre-Loudness War era records either. Omnium Gatherum's 2018 album "The Burning Cold", for example, released on CD with DR6—which is the version you can stream from Tidal as well—but the HDTracks version measures DR14.

I agree.
Qobuz often has several versions of the same album, mastered/mixed at different times.
It is great to be able to pick the one which sounds 'best'.
Occasionally, my original ripped CDs sound 'better' than any of the versions on Qobuz, so it's great to have the option.
I tried TIDAL but didn't like it. Much prefer Qobuz and 'only' at 16/44.1 as broadband speed will not support High Res streaming here!
I am not persuaded about the benefits of 'Hi Res' anyway, but that's a different debate altogether.
I remain convinced that recording quality has far more impact on sound quality than whether it is 16/44.1 or 24/96 ( or even 192).
Red book, done well, is good enough for me!
I am, finally, a satisfied audiophool

 

[ev666il]

I am not persuaded about the benefits of 'Hi Res' anyway, but that's a different debate altogether.
I remain convinced that recording quality has far more impact on sound quality than whether it is 16/44.1 or 24/96 ( or even 192).
Red book, done well, is good enough for me!

+1.

Unfortunately Qobuz is unavailable where I live, so I'm "stuck" with Tidal. Not that I mind, as Tidal sounds plenty good compared to other sources at my disposal (except my ripped CDs), but everyone and their neighbor keep singing Qobuz's praises and I'm kinda curious now.

 

[433521]

Chromecast audio is a Godsend, I can actually use optical now!

Hey Schitt leaders: how about a button for a hafler circuit on the next pre-amp?

How does the Asgard 3 compare to the Lyr 2? I really want to get a Magni 3+ because I like the idea of having a small speaker amp, but we all know the Asgard is due for a price increase, it's stupid cheap, so is this something I'll pick over the Lyr? Or will it collect dust?

 

[Les Strat]

I love vinyl and have a steadily growing collection, but if I were in your position and did not currently have vinyl, I would caution against going path 2. That is potentially a lot of media for you to buy or rebuy. If you are factoring in those costs and the energy to reacquire records, then maybe option 2. There is a bit of fun digging through crates looking at used stuff or trying to find diamonds in the rough. But it is a bigger commitment.

I would see if I could pull off a hybrid of 1 and 3. You already have the CDs, CD Player, and DAC, and adding a decent streamer with a subscription can be a great way to learn what new music is out there to enjoy. I have Qobuz and have started to pay attention to their emails about staff picks of things coming out and it is nice. Also, depending on what is in your CD collection, some of it might not be available on Tidal or Qobuz, and it would be a shame to lose those things.

+1
Excellent advice ( in my opinion)
I would also avoid going down path 2.

 

[Randolf711]

When I sold my records, I made enough for the Yggy in 5 days. Many of my “audiophile” albums sold for more than I paid (cashing in before the inevitable vinyl crash). The prices are insane. Now I can just invest money instead of buying way too many expensive albums.

It's reassuring to know that your Yggy with Qobuz 'smokes' your high end turntable. I am not surprised, even though I don't own a 'high end' turntable and I certainly have no intention of buying one now.
+1 on Yggy. It is fantastic.
I run mine balanced too ( direct into large active studio monitors) and it is the best sound I have ever had at home
I have also been waiting for the Schiit CD Transport, but my enthusiasm for that idea is fading fast

 

[ScubaMan2017]

As Yogi Berra once famously said, “when you come to a fork in the road, take it”

In anticipation of retirement, I have been working down the path of planning a two-channel speaker system, based mostly on Schiit products......{{snip}}...
stay with my Bifrost, the CDs, and add a Sol/Mani to rekindle those old memories, .....{{snip}}....

And I'm not a vinyl person (as a teenager, I was obsessed with cassette tape). I think the spinning platters would be fun. If you live near urban areas, you can visit record shops and such (once this health emergency runs its course).
I like obsessing about the different amplification technologies. I think you'll be pleased with upgrading your 2-channel system. For me, I've had the most enjoyment with purchasing various headphone models.

{{edit: I saw some of the other posts. Option 2 isn't embraced. All of my music's digital... and with some tone-control... sounds good to me. Heh, perhaps a 4th option could be considered... purchase music files that had top-tier recording/mixing/mastering engineering. Avoid slapdash releases. Meh, my 2 cents.}}