Jason, what closed-back headphone(s) do you like? Not asking for a shopping opinion, and definitely not soliciting an endorsement, just more out of curiosity about what works/resonates best for you on Schiit gear in terms of auditory fit, etc. This in turn may inform how Schiit's house sound evolves thorugh product development and iteration (realizing that many, MANY ears, brains, and opinions are part of that process).
Sorry for the particular vernacular. I would describe everyone here as an audio nerd. Probably on head-fi, certainly on this thread. Someone who is interested in subtle differences that others might not find noticeable. This is very much in the loose sense of the title of that book titled something like “The Nerds Will Inherit the Earth”. It’s a compliment in my book to anyone who is actively into a topic to call them an “X nerd” because it connotes some level of interest and at least budding mastery compared to the general population. Anyone who makes their own amp or disassembles and upgrades is an amp nerd. Same for headphones. By that token, you sir seem to me, by my definition, to be a knife nerd. And I say that with firm jealousy and aspiration to someday be one myself. But I’m on the edges, outside looking in. For now.
For me, I just get a fine point Sharpie and in my bestest bespoke Way of the Calligrapher, carefully craft an "11" at the point where the volume becomes for me, unbearable...
No offense taken lol. I spend time with various other hobbies and interests as well, mostly audio, chess, literature, and applying band aids when Finnegan gets playful.Sorry for the particular vernacular. I would describe everyone here as an audio nerd. Probably on head-fi, certainly on this thread. Someone who is interested in subtle differences that others might not find noticeable. This is very much in the loose sense of the title of that book titled something like “The Nerds Will Inherit the Earth”. It’s a compliment in my book to anyone who is actively into a topic to call them an “X nerd” because it connotes some level of interest and at least budding mastery compared to the general population. Anyone who makes their own amp or disassembles and upgrades is an amp nerd. Same for headphones. By that token, you sir seem to me, by my definition, to be a knife nerd. And I say that with firm jealousy and aspiration to someday be one myself. But I’m on the edges, outside looking in. For now.
Bifrost has every right to exist. Compared to the competition, getting one is a no-brainer.
OK now I'm on the edge, really thinking about that Freya N deal. It will wind up being about $1,000 Canadian, but that's still a deal compared to full-fare.
I used to have a Bifrost Uber that Schiit priced at $250. I think it used an AKM chip. It was supposed to be a fantastic DAC for its price. One day, I wanted to convert my USB to spdif, so I bought a $20 converter on Amazon. Incidentally, the converter also has a DAC function. After A/Bing the Bifrost and this dirt cheap DAC, I sold the Bifrost, because I couldn't hear a difference. At this time, I also had (and still have) a $140 brandless DAC that had an AKM 4490 (or was it 4485...w/e), that I also could not discern its sound from the Bifrost. There literally was no discernible difference between the three of them. I was so frustrated with that discovery. Just now I'm considering perhaps this new multibit stuff will change my mind about expensive DACs; and then I read your comment about how a $1200 MB DAC is a league above its $800 MB brother, and I can't help but wonder if there's a massive gaslighting operation going on in this industry, or my auditory cortex just isn't sophisticated enough for this deep dive into wallet-murdering DACs. Then again, I also have trouble discerning differences between 320kbps well-encoded files and lossless, so it may well be the latter. I can easily tell the differences between amps, though...well enough to never buy another amp whose marketing revolves around its measurements.
I'm not sure how stating a serrated knife is always sharp gets translated into anybody that hasn't learned how to sharpen a knife is an idiot. Seems a rather idiotic twisting of logic, but whatever.
You're right! What you say is absolutely understandable. But the best way to know for sure is to just try it for yourself. Maybe you know someone who could lend you some pricier MB DACs for you to audition for a little while?
As I mentioned here earlier, last Friday was a very very bad day. My first reaction when I read the mail........ That's it, I'm done with Schiit. I haven't ordered anything recently. But even $ 800 difference for a pair of Tyr mono blocks was rough. With the duty taxes that comes to a grand.
My friend keep trying to convince me to get Gungnir A1, but it's so hard to find now. That's and I have limited desk space.The Gungnir will be my backup as I work toward an upgrade, I think it very natural sounding as well.
Think of all the money you are saving!
We certainly hear differently!
There are much more important things in life, like who wins when the North Carolina basketball team comes to town next Wednesday night.
