[j0val]

Well, my Gungnir MB upgrade queue position, went from 66 to 54 in a day. And that's after sitting at 66 for a couple of months. So, with your Gungnir, and some queue movement, it's finally nice to get the feeling that things are getting back to normal at Schiit. They deserve normal.

Plus, thanks for the Gumby impressions. Much appreciated. I also agree, the Gungnir has killer bass response. Tight, deep, and impactful. It builds a solid foundation for any genre of music.

Nice. Where do you check queue position?

 

[tincanear]

Quick question for any Ragnorak 2 owners...

When using speakers (high gain) and headphones (low gain) where do you have the volume set at? Mine is typically ~ 2pm for both. I have Grado HF-3s, Sennheiser HD660s & AudioQuest NightHawks for headphones. Martin Logan ESLs for speakers. Any gain other than low leads to distortion in the right channel for the headphones. Speakers are fine. Thanks in advance.

are you sure the problem isn't a DC offset coming from the source (modi)? you can try swapping the left and right inputs and see if the problem remains on the right headphone channel. turn volume off or mute the amp before disconnecting/re-connecting inputs.

if the input swap doesn't change anything, then there might be a DC offset / biasing problem on the Rag's right channel. to test this, try powering down, disconnecting all output and inputs from the Rag. then power it back up, set output to speakers, unmute signal, and check for DC Voltage (using a DMM) between each red and black speaker output binding post and signal ground (RCA shield). test all 3 gain settings, waiting about 30 seconds after each gain change to allow voltages to stabilize.

also, are your headphones using the SE (TRS) or Balanced (XLR 4-pin) front panel connector?

 

[Author]

An hour ago, my Gungnir MB got delivered. I unpacked it and put it in its new place on my desk, replacing my Bifrost 2.

Plugged it in, switched it on, set it up in Roon, hit play on one of my favorite reference tracks and OH … MY … GOD!
Where does all this bottom end come from?!?! So lush and smooth yet crisp and whatever the opposite of "in your face" is! The mids? So understated, in the very, VERY best sense of the word! And, oh my, the upper mids and highs, how can something be so very sparkly and yet not even attempt to lacerate your freaking eardrums at the same time?!

If I would have to describe the sound this thing puts out in just two words, I think it would have to be: Utterly effortless.
And not with an exclamation mark, mind you. With just a period. Because it's THAT effortless.

This Gungnir walked into my house, made itself comfortable on my desk, picked a cat hair from its meticulously creased dress pants, threw a friendly smile my way - and then proceeded to blow my mother-forking brains straight across the room.
This Gungnir, it is the George Clooney to my Bifrost's Brad Pitt, my Modius' Matt Damon, and my D90's Andy Garcia.
Nay, scratch that. It's George Clooney and Julia Roberts telling Vincent Cassel that he lost his wager, all wrapped into one.
THAT, folks, is the level of "effortless" that I am talking about.

What kind of devil's work is this, @Baldr?!

This thing isn't even warm yet, and it already blows my Bifrost 2 (and everything else I've ever heard, no matter how "fancy") cleanly out of the water. It took my Bifrost 2 at least a day or two to "find its tone," if you will. I would be more than happy if the sound of this Gungnir stayed the way it is – but man, now I'm seriously eager to find out what this thing might have in store for me over the coming days and week.

My desk setup, just in case someone wants to know:
M1 Mac mini -> USB (AudioQuest Cinnamon, obviously directly, meaning no hub, etc.) -> Gungnir MB -> XLR (Snake Oil Taipan) -> Lokius -> XLR (Snake Oil Taipan) -> Mjolnir 2 (on low gain, matched JJ E88CC Gold Pin tubes) -> braided 8-wire 4-pin XLR -> GoldPlanar GL2000

And for added context; I am almost exclusively listening to classical music (everything early romantics to contemporary, sans opera; usually fanboying for the Berlin Philharmonics).

@Timster, I owe you a mea culpa the size of Texas. You may now have a solid chuckle (or three) on my account, because: Wow!

And guys, this is honestly the first time this happened with any DAC I ever listened to. I swear!

Just, wow…

Awesome Post! Sent me right to Schiit‘s site for a look-see. Question for the thread: What would you pair with this DAC, Schiit or otherwise, now that Mjolnir is no more, for a headphone setup?

 

[StimpyWan]

Nice. Where do you check queue position?

When you order the upgrade, Schiit provides a link to the queue.

 

[RickB]

Just ordered a Jot 2. I surprise myself, because I didn't like Jot 1 (too steely/edgy). But the Bifrost 2 I use is warmer and smoother than the Modi Multibit I paired with the Jot 1, and I've read that the Jot 2 is less steely. I'm hoping that the synergy between Bifrost 2/Jot 2/HD600 will be good (using balanced cables). I sometimes find myself thinking that my current setup is too laid-back.

 

[Timster]

@Timster, I owe you a mea culpa the size of Texas. You may now have a solid chuckle (or three) on my account, because: Wow!

Wow! Great write up, Philosopher. And no chuckling from me, but a big grin to know you have found another step forward. Dang, though. Makes me want a Gungnir MB.

 

[mks100]

are you sure the problem isn't a DC offset coming from the source (modi)? you can try swapping the left and right inputs and see if the problem remains on the right headphone channel. turn volume off or mute the amp before disconnecting/re-connecting inputs.

if the input swap doesn't change anything, then there might be a DC offset / biasing problem on the Rag's right channel. to test this, try powering down, disconnecting all output and inputs from the Rag. then power it back up, set output to speakers, unmute signal, and check for DC Voltage (using a DMM) between each red and black speaker output binding post and signal ground (RCA shield). test all 3 gain settings, waiting about 30 seconds after each gain change to allow voltages to stabilize.

also, are your headphones using the SE (TRS) or Balanced (XLR 4-pin) front panel connector?

Single ended on my Grados and NightHawk. Single ended and balanced on my Sennheisers. Same results. Not sure if it's a problem necessarily. Just curious as to others experience/usage. Thank you.

 

[j0val]

Just ordered a Jot 2. I surprise myself, because I didn't like Jot 1 (too steely/edgy). But the Bifrost 2 I use is warmer and smoother than the Modi Multibit I paired with the Jot 1, and I've read that the Jot 2 is less steely. I'm hoping that the synergy between Bifrost 2/Jot 2/HD600 will be good (using balanced cables). I sometimes find myself thinking that my current setup is too laid-back.

Be prepared to wait. I’m going on 11 weeks now and others have been waiting much longer. Hopefully they’ll start clearing back orders soon. It’ll be worth the wait.

Contemplating going to the Schiitr today to see what I’m missing out on again.

 

[RickB]

Be prepared to wait. I’m going on 11 weeks now and others have been waiting much longer. Hopefully they’ll start clearing back orders soon. It’ll be worth the wait.

Contemplating going to the Schiitr today to see what I’m missing out on again.

I ordered a silver no DAC. It says it ships in 1-3 days.

 

[j0val]

I ordered a silver no DAC. It says it ships in 1-3 days.

Almost forgot about the silver option. I think you’ll get one much sooner then. I’ve read that they’re usually shipping out the next business day.

 

[zstokes]

As I wait for my Lyr 3 to ship for my desk, I've been mulling over what the living room refresh is going to be, and I think I've settled on a design. This is a 3.1 system for 75% TV/movies, and 25% 2.1 digital music streaming.

Marantz AV7706 preamp/processor --> XLR to 3 Aegirs in mono --> Zu Audio Dirty Weekends + Omen CC (if they ever start making them again) + SVS 3000 Micro

Perhaps a bit later on, I'll add a Freya+ and a Gungnir, but that feels like overkill to begin with.

Thoughts?

 

[Roy G. Biv]

As I wait for my Lyr 3 to ship for my desk, I've been mulling over what the living room refresh is going to be, and I think I've settled on a design. This is a 3.1 system for 75% TV/movies, and 25% 2.1 digital music streaming.

Marantz AV7706 preamp/processor --> XLR to 3 Aegirs in mono --> Zu Audio Dirty Weekends + Omen CC (if they ever start making them again) + SVS 3000 Micro

Perhaps a bit later on, I'll add a Freya+ and a Gungnir, but that feels like overkill to begin with.

Thoughts?

I at-home demoed a Rotel pre/pro and amp about 20 years ago that had a "three channel stereo" setting (plus sub for a 3.1 system) that didn't sound bad at all but I ended up much preferring 2.1. Having said that, I'm interested in how the Aegirs sound with the DWs. It seems like that would be a good amp/speaker combo. I'd like to know how you like it.

As far as adding a Gungnir to the mix, if the Marantz has a way to pass the analog inputs without digitizing them (bypassing internal DAC) then I don't think it would be overkill at all.

If the Marantz digitizes analog inputs then I wouldn't bother with an external DAC. My two cents.

 

[j0val]

Made it to the Schiitr today to check out the Jot 2 vs Lyr 3. I think I preferred the Lyr overall, but would be missing out on balanced connectivity. Tough choices…

 

[ArmchairPhilosopher]

Wow! Great write up, Philosopher. And no chuckling from me, but a big grin to know you have found another step forward. Dang, though. Makes me want a Gungnir MB.

Thank you for the grin. Trust me, I can't stop ginning myself. If this goes on for much longer, I might be in need of a grinectomy.

One day in, and this thing somehow sounds even more lush and lively all around. It's so euphonic, it's crazy.
As I am typing this, I am listening to a recording of Bruckner's 4th, 1st movement (Rattle & Berlin Phil, Warner Classics, recorded Oct 16-21 2006) and the sound is literally enveloping my whole body. I've heard my fair share of audio setups, but this is the first time that I feel like I'm actually sitting in the Grand Hall of the Philharmonie. (And I have, I know what this hall and orchestra sounds like.)
How is this even possible, and with headphones, no less?!

Just one example:
In the Finale of Bruckner's 4th, there's a passage where the bass tuba, horns, trumpets, and trombones play four ascending notes in unison (at around 1:45 in this recording). They are somewhat forceful (I mean, it's Bruckner, right?! ), and so it's kinda "expected," I would say, that the different instruments melt together into one to a certain degree. With all the DACs I had before, those notes sound like they are made up of four consecutive chords played by one single instrument. With Gumby, I hear them as distinct notes created by distinct instruments coming from distinct locations in space.
When I heard this passage for the first time earlier today, it borderline shocked me.

This isn't just "another step forward." I know this comes off a bit like hyperbole, but I am dead-serious when I say that I might have found my endgame. At least for a headphone setup. For the things that I listen to, this sounds as close to reality as can be without actually being there. (Dare I say: maybe even better? Because this way, I don't have to deal with people constantly coughing all around me! )
And I honestly can't imagine that even an Yggy could sound to any appreciable degree better than this Gumby does.

But I also have a rather serious (as 1st world problems go) problem now: This Gumby (in combination with the Mjolnir 2, Lokius, and the GL2000) makes all my other gear sound a bit like … well … Schiit's more odorous namesake. Last night I plopped down on my sofa to listen to some stuff before I headed to bed, and the whole time all I could think was "…meh…"
Sure, it's not the fanciest gear in the world, but it's more than decent. We're talking a somewhat geriatric Mac mini via USB into Bifrost 2, balanced into Lokius, balanced into Freya+ (with its stock tubes right now), balanced (obviously) into two Aegir mono blocks, and finally into two KEF Q950s. Up until yesterday, this was my most euphonic setup, and by a margin. But now it sounds kinda flat and outright lifeless to me.

I actually suspect that it's the Bifrost 2, which replaced the Modius that was driving that system until yesterday. As much as I appreciated the Bifrost 2's "softness" when driving my Mjolnir 2, I think it might lack the sparkle and the bottom end that the Q950s are so capable of providing. The Modius was at least capable of delivering the highs, even when it's somewhat lackluster in the lows. Right now, though, what comes out of the KEFs sounds a lot like someone draped a duvet over them. I'll have to play around a bit with Lokius, and I will probably also give Gumby a spin driving that setup. I have a sneaky suspicion that this might be able to fix this "…meh…"-problem that I'm facing.
I'll report back as soon as I'm able to remove myself from my headphones for long enough to try it out. If you don't hear back from me in a few days, though, call help; an intervention might be needed…

As for your "makes me want a Gumby," I honestly don't know.
Yes, I love mine, but all I can say for sure right now is that it shines like crazy in the context of my desk system, meaning with the Lokius, Mjolnir 2, the JJ E88CC Gold Pins that are in there right now, and the GL2000. It really seems to be this particular combination that works so incredibly well for me. I also gave my Sundaras a spin yesterday, which are by no means crappy cans. Changing nothing else, though, they somehow actually sounded _worse_ with the Gumby than they did with the Bifrost 2.
I'm really eager to find out what the Gumby does to my living room setup, that will be a much more meaningful test for me to see whether I lucked out and it's actually just the combination of gear in my office, or if Gumby really is that much of a step up from Bifrost 2.

Your case might be a lot different, though. Considering that you experienced such a profound step up from Modi MB to Bifrost 2 could be a sign that your setup might actually be working really nicely with your Bifrost, a Gumby might not improve your sound by all that much, if at all. Maybe you can find someone willing to give you a loaner to try with your setup?

If it is the combination of gear, which I am honestly suspecting, it would make me quite a bit nervous about my Mjolnir 2 and the fact that it got discontinued recently. Because it just got a promotion from "love it" to "priceless, and evidently very much irreplaceable." Please, Jason, tell me that the tubed Mjolnir is merely on some form of hiatus because of a parts shortage or to make way for a Mjolnir 2+ or 3, and not dead-dead?!

But then again, I wouldn't be surprised if Gumby really is that much of a step up and the aforementioned "Sundara effect" is an outlier. Twice the price, but ten times Moa Betta (tm). @Jason Stoddard and @Baldr both don't seem to care all that much about conventions. If anyone is able to not just break the law of diminishing returns but swoosh right by it, it's them, right?!

 

[artur9]

...

Just one example:
In the Finale of Bruckner's 4th, there's a passage where the bass tuba, horns, trumpets, and trombones play four ascending notes in unison (at around 1:45 in this recording). They are somewhat forceful (I mean, it's Bruckner, right?! ), and so it's kinda "expected," I would say, that the different instruments melt together into one to a certain degree. With all the DACs I had before, those notes sound like they are made up of four consecutive chords played by one single instrument. With Gumby, I hear them as distinct notes created by distinct instruments coming from distinct locations in space.
When I heard this passage for the first time earlier today, it borderline shocked me.

This isn't just "another step forward." I know this comes off a bit like hyperbole, but I am dead-serious when I say that I might have found my endgame. At least for a headphone setup. For the things that I listen to, this sounds as close to reality as can be without actually being there. (Dare I say: maybe even better? Because this way, I don't have to deal with people constantly coughing all around me! )
And I honestly can't imagine that even an Yggy could sound to any appreciable degree better than this Gumby does.
...

Yeah. You should also post your impressions over on the Gungnir thread. People hanging there are always looking for insights into what makes the Gumby special and different than other offerings.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiit-gungnir-dac.603219/