[Robert Padgett]

OK, since it is in the wild now I cleared with Schiit that it is OK to discuss Unison. I was one of the early Alpha and Beta testers in Yggdrasil and Gungnir for both headphone and loudspeaker-based systems. All sources were digital and I tested with Windows, IOS, and Linux based sources. I do not own any Android-based devices.
--clip--

So, for those of you buying Bifrost 2, know that in my opinion you have just bought the next big thing in computer audio reproduction. And for those of you like me with other upgradable DACs, do it. Upgrade as soon as the parts are ready.

Schiit is going to be busy once people realize how good this interface really is.

Thanks for the input. You sold me on Unison--sooner rather than later. I thought EITR/ModiMB was my end-game but "BiF2" appears to top that technology in many ways.

 

[Ableza]

The early versions were pretty hilarious. Plug it in...computer locks up. Change sample rates...garble demon sounds. .

When I had the version that made the garble demon sounds (and with Linux an apparent pitch shift by an octave or so) I asked Mike if he had shipped me a Gadget proto by mistake. He thought that comment was both funny and not funny at all.

 

[Rensek]

@Jason Stoddard

Have you guys considered putting out a non upgradeable 4490 DS DAC with unison in the 350-450 price range?

With all this unison talk I'm going to have to seriously consider a unison card to go with my gen 1 USB less Bifrost.

 

[earnmyturns]

For sure Schiit will come out with an upgrade Unison usb module for the Yggdrasil and the Gungnir.

They said so on this and other threads, likely by January, but price not yet determined. Yggdrasil does not need a firmware upgrade to run with Unison, but Gungnir does. As with Gen 5, Schiit might allow self-installs for Yggdrasil. I did it 3 times (first when I got the original alpha board, then when I sent it back for revision, then when I got the revised board that I'm running now). It requires the right tools and proper care, but it can be done by anyone who is comfortable around complex electronic assemblies (eg. anyone who has assembled or serviced PC hardware successfully).

 

[Alexnova]

It does a fabulous job with every bit rate I could throw at it, and even using the most noisy source I own (an old Dell PC running Win10 Home and using the front panel USB interface. This connection to the Gen 5 USB card hisses. With Unison it did not.).

Ableza, thanks for your impressions. So in your opinion audiophiles shouldn't need to get into USB nervosa chasing the least noisiest source? Would any USB source work well? Or does Unison performance increase depending on how good the USB source is, like one that has a dedicated bus?

I absolutely hate getting into this kind of crap, where you need some special gizmo for something to sound good. But if Unison is forgiving enough for any source, then I don't have to worry about what USB source I use to get the most out of it.

 

[exdmd]

Anyone at RMAF 2019 get ears on that prototype Jotunheim R direct drive DAC/amp with the RAAL-requisite SR1a's?

 

[earnmyturns]

When I had the version that made the garble demon sounds (and with Linux an apparent pitch shift by an octave or so) I asked Mike if he had shipped me a Gadget proto by mistake. He thought that comment was both funny and not funny at all.

I felt tempted to ask whether the alpha board came with Donald Duck firmware by mistake, but I held back...

 

[Alexnova]

@Jason Stoddard

Have you guys considered putting out a non upgradeable 4490 DS DAC with unison in the 350-450 price range?

With all this unison talk I'm going to have to seriously consider a unison card to go with my gen 1 USB less Bifrost.

Mike is working on some cheap D/S DACs, so just be patient. I wouldn't be surprised if Unison is included in such products.

 

[Alexnova]

Anyone at RMAF 2019 get ears on that prototype Jotunheim R direct drive DAC/amp with the RAAL-requisite SR1a's?

Not at RMAF, but that same prototype was at another event and it was bananas. It was phenomenal with the SR1a. Now I just need to save some cash for the cans and that amp...

 

[earnmyturns]

Would any USB source work well? Or does Unison performance increase depending on how good the USB source is, like one that has a dedicated bus?

The source I'm using is an Allo USBridge with a separate USB board with a separate Sbooster LPS (which I happened to have around from a previous system). The main SBC on the USBridge (Sparky rather than Pi) runs from a SMPS. Quality is very good, better than Auralic Aries Femto>AES as I wrote earlier. But I've not compared with more barebones USB sources.

 

[Ableza]

Ableza, thanks for your impressions. So in your opinion audiophiles shouldn't need to get into USB nervosa chasing the least noisiest source? Would any USB source work well? Or does Unison performance increase depending on how good the USB source is, like one that has a dedicated bus?

I absolutely hate getting into this kind of crap, where you need some special gizmo for something to sound good. But if Unison is forgiving enough for any source, then I don't have to worry about what USB source I use to get the most out of it.

In my testing the Unison card cleans up the noisiest source I have. The best sound was with my best source, a Sonore Ultrarendu, but there may be other reasons for that besides USB interface I say you most likely will not have to worry..

 

[Rensek]

Yeah, Im not in the market for something like that, just asking. Bifrost 2 is my next Schiit purchase.

 

[valiant66]

It has microphone input. It loses the fixed output, analog input moved to back. Otherwise the same as Fulla 2.

Which reminds me, I should really write the press release for that pair...

Wellllll... it’s got an ADC, doesn’t it? That’s a non-trivial difference. Isn’t it essentially a Fulla ($99) and a Jil ($199) in this same case for $199? That seems like a big deal.

Or am I getting something wrong?
.

 

[Jason Stoddard]

Wellllll... it’s got an ADC, doesn’t it? That’s a non-trivial difference. Isn’t it essentially a Fulla ($99) and a Jil ($199) in this same case for $199? That seems like a big deal.

Or am I getting something wrong?
.

Yep, it has an ADC. It's a few steps below the Jil, and a few steps above the typical ADC you'd find used for an electret mic input.

AK5720 is the ADC we used. On Fulla 3, it's fronted by a Maxim AGC (auto gain control), because we really didn't have space for mic volume. Which means it's mono input. On Hel, it's fronted by a proper OPA1662-based stage with trim. So that one can be run stereo (or mono mics give you mono). Same ADC for both. Both use the Gen 2.8734523 C-Media USB interface.

Fulla 3 stays at $99, Hel is $189.

 

[garbulky]

@Jason Stoddard
Curious how you achieve speed stability of the platter's rotation?