So I finally got a rack built that is large enough to hold all my schiit in one spot. My wife asked for a solid cedar tv stand over a year ago, and I just got it sanded and installed last week. This means I can finally hook all my schiit up together, and check some stuff out..
I'm running Amazon HD into a Google home group that is feeding three Chromecast audios at the same time with the same signal. Those are going into Modi 3, Modi Multibit (mimby), and Bifrost 1, gen 1 with an AK 4396. Those are all feeding into a original Saga -> Vidar -> Zu Omen Dirty Weekends....
Tonights scotch mod is Woodford Reserve (yes it's a bourbon) with ice and a splash of ginger ale.
To me, It's very interesting learning to hear all the nuances of the different dacs. You don't really realize the differences they have until you jump around and each Input is playing the same stream on a different DAC.
I think I prefer Bifrost, Mimby, modi 3. But it's close and they all sound great to me. If I were to add the KLHs in I might feel different about my order. In my office system, I couldn't tell a difference between modi 3 and Bifrost, while here I can. I highly doubt I could pick the three apart from each other, unless you let me listen to the opening 30 seconds of Reelin in the Years about 4 times on each DAC, or maybe loop a 30 second spot halfway through come sail away.
It is very interesting how soundstage, instrument spacing/layering/body/placement can vary from DAC to DAC.
On come sail away by styx it was interesting how different the presentation was at certain points of the song, and how similar it was at others. Referring to the image you see (hear) when at the listening position.
Basically the original Bifrost has a good combination of richness/fullness and detail. Mimby has a richer/darker/fuller sound and might be more accurate
on some stuff (the attack of a cymbal crash), but it also seems to lack revelation of detail on other songs (Bifrost carries decay longer). Light/soft sounds can get washed out on mimby, if there are other louder, deeper, fuller sounds going on at the same time. Modi 3 seems to have the most detail, and might be the most evenly balanced but it doesn't have the fullness/richness that mimby and Bifrost have. It also seems to be the least accurate sounding (of the three) on things like cymbals. I have never thought it sounded less then fully accurate without doing an A/B/C. In this setup modi 3 is the DAC I listen to the least, but it's my most versatile DAC, and is so easy to move around the house, bring to work, etc.
I'm quite happy with the music I hear from all three. I feel like maybe my ears are just now learning enough to really appreciate and order a finer DAC like Bifrost 2. From what I have read and heard, it sounds like a revolutionary product for 699. Hopefully stereophile will review it too.
Thanks to
@Baldr and Jason for all these neato products... My wallet will never be the same.
I also appreciate everyone on this thread, I know I have learned much and enjoyed myself immensely while here. The story was worth a read, but the community keeps a guy coming back.