[Ableza]

Based on absolutely nothing said, I'd expect it to have USB in.

Why would a source device include an input?

 

[valiant66]

I gave you a like for the "Pyst-Off" name suggestion. I can't imagine why there would be a need for Schiit to come out with a Hub.

They had one. It was discontinued. They called it the Wyrd. Admittedly, it was a 1-port hub, but still...
.

 

[Juan_R]

Why would a source device include an input?

To include multiple sources via one USB out? Wouldn't be the first transport to include USB in, and Schiit's committed to Unison, this would cover computer as source and their transport. I'm merely musing from an ignorant place, but thinking practically

 

[valiant66]

Why would a source device include an input?

There's a lot of CD players out there that have inputs. After all, there's already a DAC in the box, so it's easy to throw a couple of SPDIF inputs on the back and tout the flexibility.

But this is not a player, it's a transport. No DAC onboard. I see no reason either for there to be an input.
.

 

[Ableza]

There's a lot of CD players out there that have inputs. After all, there's already a DAC in the box, so it's easy to throw a couple of SPDIF inputs on the back and tout the flexibility.

But this is not a player, it's a transport. No DAC onboard. I see no reason either for there to be an input.
.

My point exactly.

 

[JEnglishSmith]

My ideal small transport that has at least coax out, or optical, in addition to USB. Otherwise, I'll just continue to use a high end old player with digital outs...

There is a small transport on the market for around $500 - I forget the name - and then there's the Cambridge Audio unit for around $350-400. It'll be interesting to see where Schiit lands with the competition.

My "ideal" product would be a small form factor transport that has coax or optical out in addition to USB and would be in a $200-250 price point. I can dream, can't I?

 

[Ableza]

Not sure I would use this particular device, but such things exist.
https://plugable.com/products/usb2-switch2/

 

[wout31]

Not sure I would use this particular device, but such things exist.
https://plugable.com/products/usb2-switch2/

Tried a 4-port USB switch to be able to connect PC and Raspberry Pi to Yggdrasil. Degrades the sound a lot.
I bought just a cheap one to test, so maybe that's it, but to me this is a no go.

 

[NigelJ]

My ideal small transport that has at least coax out, or optical, in addition to USB. Otherwise, I'll just continue to use a high end old player with digital outs...

There is a small transport on the market for around $500 - I forget the name - and then there's the Cambridge Audio unit for around $350-400. It'll be interesting to see where Schiit lands with the competition.

My "ideal" product would be a small form factor transport that has coax or optical out in addition to USB and would be in a $200-250 price point. I can dream, can't I?

No harm in dreaming; however, don't expect a Schiit transport to match your needs (at least not the one expected this year). Jason Stoddard has stated that it will not be cheap or small:

...Don't expect the transport to be super-cheap, if that's what you're looking for, though we're not talking car-like prices (like other transports that use some of our mechanicals cost.)...

and in answer to whether it will be Bifrost size:

Not a chance, it won't fit.

If you want a small low cost transport in the near term, best to look elsewhere.

 

[sam6550a]

Tried a 4-port USB switch to be able to connect PC and Raspberry Pi to Yggdrasil. Degrades the sound a lot.
I bought just a cheap one to test, so maybe that's it, but to me this is a no go.

Try this one: https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-F1U200-4-Port-Switchbox-Device/dp/B00006B5VH

 

[ipeverywhere]

Jason, I'm going to show my ignorance by asking this: With respect to designing a CD player, couldn't you add a transport to either Gungnir or Yggdrasil and end up with a CD player/DAC combo for not much engineering effort?

By definition a "transport" is digital only. Read bits from disc and send bits out the back. The whole idea of "transports" is to keep the analog away from the noisy spinny bits. This concept started the "jitter wars". Back when expensive transport + DAC (before high-end digital audio was a thing) generated miles of threads about why some transports sounded better than others because "bits were bits". Then the arguments over jitter started. This should all sound familiar as we're still having the same discussions today except replace "transport" with "streamer". You can still buy very nice transports for whatever money your budget wants to allow. If you look at pictures from decades past you'll find very exotic loading trays, all kinds of "isolation technology", external clocks, etc. etc. I still use a Rega Apollo (not R) with it's USS Enterprise looking top loading door. It lights the "buy better gear" light but I'm not replacing it as my CD days are over. RIP or buying digital is the path forward. When the Apollo dies then I'll just use the blu-ray player as my "transport".

I can understand dropping a needle and the resurgence of vinyl but the resurgence of "CD" confuses me. CDs sound "ok" but there was never any magic to them. They don't have a "unique" sound; or at least none that I'd consider desirable. Sure, if coming from tape they sound amazing but there are better formats. Better formats for sound quality _and_ nostalgia reasons. I mean, you cannot even buy CDs in their double-tall packaging anymore.

 

[Alexnova]

I wish Reel 2 Reel had a resurgance. It's better than vinyl.

 

[ipeverywhere]

I wish Reel 2 Reel had a resurgance. It's better than vinyl.

Only limited by budget and patience. https://tapeproject.com
You can get reel to reel but its very expensive and fiddly. If I wanted to buy and listen to only 1 recording every few years I could afford it.

 

[JEnglishSmith]

This is the Olasonic unit - last year, I saw these as low as $550 on the 'bay but now it looks like they are going for a grand or more. This is what got me thinking about a Schiit transport (in silver) that could sit beside the other products, not take up a lot of room, and output to one of their dacs. I can't quite get my head around why a compact transport would need to be so freaking expensive...?!?

Olasonic CD Transport

 

[DougD]

Aaannndd...with respect to Amazon, I don't think they are going to come out of this crisis in a better position. They've taken away one of the primary reasons people purchase from Amazon--rapid shipping--and are attracting huge flak for their employee and business development policies. In addition, it is almost literally impossible to tell where something is coming from (country of origin).

We'll see how this ends up working out, but, bottom line, all the rules are changing, everything you expected is no longer certain, and there's gonna be a ton of change...for both good and ill...after we get through this. I'll share more once the smoke clears.

This is a very weird time.

To be fair to Amazon, their normal fast shipping was disrupted because they CHOSE to load up their warehouses and distribution centers with groceries and routine necessities ... which any one who has ever worked in grocery knows are high volume in terms of units needed, high volume in terms of the bulk storage size, and low margin. (Think of the retail value of a 6 foot tall pallet-load of say Sony BluRay players vs a same-sized pallet of paper towels or boxes of spaghetti noodles.) And the space requirements in the warehouses made it necessary to jettison much of the normal Amazon stuff for a while.

And the ROI of free shipping on high-weight stuff with low value stuff isn't good either.

So that was, at least arguably, a decision for the greater public good.

Which doesn't negate some of the other criticisms that Amazon gets.

But agree 100% with "all the rules are changing, everything you expected is no longer certain, and there's gonna be a ton of change."