[John Q Lin]

I'm looking to get into schiit, but don't know where to start. I have a grace design m903. Any help would be appreciated.

Oh! Which schiit product represent the most value?

Is the high end schiit that much better?

I have many high end headphones and good speakers.

 

[dumpsterfire]

I'm looking to get into schiit, but don't know where to start. I have a grace design m903. Any help would be appreciated.

Oh! Which schiit product represent the most value?

Is the high end schiit that much better?

I have many high end headphones and good speakers.

Given your stable of headphones and IEMs, I’d suggest starting with the Asgard 3 at the low end, and Lyr 3 at the higher end. If you also wanted to power efficient speakers, Ragnarok 2 will do it all.

 

[nasty nate]

I'm looking to get into schiit, but don't know where to start. I have a grace design m903. Any help would be appreciated.

Oh! Which schiit product represent the most value?

Is the high end schiit that much better?

I have many high end headphones and good speakers.

Within the past 3 years I've used many Schiit amps / DACs - the Modi 3, Bifrost 2, Asgard 2, Lyr 3, Mjolnir 2; with each upgrade I noticed several differences in quality of sound. Each step up a product line in terms of cost came with noticeable upgrades. Imo the performance-for-price always matched/exceeded the previous iteration.

My personal favorite combination (what I'm listening to right now in fact) is the Bifrost 2 / Lyr 3 stack. Coming from Mjolnir 2 and the SS Asgard 2 - I preferred the sound. Full, warm, great soundstage, very easy tube rolling, etc...

Hope this helps

 

[RickB]

Within the past 3 years I've used many Schiit amps / DACs - the Modi 3, Bifrost 2, Asgard 2, Lyr 3, Mjolnir 2; with each upgrade I noticed several differences in quality of sound. Each step up a product line in terms of cost came with noticeable upgrades. Imo the performance-for-price always matched/exceeded the previous iteration.

My personal favorite combination (what I'm listening to right now in fact) is the Bifrost 2 / Lyr 3 stack. Coming from Mjolnir 2 and the SS Asgard 2 - I preferred the sound. Full, warm, great soundstage, very easy tube rolling, etc...

Hope this helps

Is the HD650 too warm and soft with the Lyr 3? I've read words to that effect...

 

[nasty nate]

Is the HD650 too warm and soft with the Lyr 3? I've read words to that effect...

It is. You lose some of the top end, but tube rolling could change that I suppose...

 

[tafens]

My personal favorite combination (what I'm listening to right now in fact) is the Bifrost 2 / Lyr 3 stack. Coming from Mjolnir 2 and the SS Asgard 2 - I preferred the sound. Full, warm, great soundstage, very easy tube rolling, etc...

I also have Bifrost2 + Lyr3 and I’m very happy with it. Listening with the HD6XX, the Lyr3 sounds superb with the (then) stock upgrade new production Tung-Sol 6SN7GTB, and it is still my daily driver with (at least) 1500 hours on it.

I haven’t listened to any of Schiit’s higher tier offerings, but I’m so happy with the BF2+Lyr3 that I don’t really feel the need to look any higher. I will consider (read as: buy) any forthcoming upgrades to the Bifrost2 of course and Lyr4 if and when it comes!

 

[JamminVMI]

I'm looking to get into schiit, but don't know where to start. I have a grace design m903. Any help would be appreciated.

Oh! Which schiit product represent the most value?

Is the high end schiit that much better?

I have many high end headphones and good speakers.

Value is the interesting bit here. My sweet spot for value/performance is the Bifrost 2 / Lyr 3 combination, which is in my main listening area. I have owned more than a few pieces of Schiit, and have picked that as my sweet spot with Planars and my Sennheiser 6xxs (which are brilliant with that combo, by the way). Perhaps if I only had the sennheisers, I'd go for Valhalla, but I really love my Hifiman Sundara, and Lyr is outstanding there. For my office, I have an older Bifrost 4490, paired with Asgard 3, which is another dynamite, solid state combo.

Many choices, but when I have my druthers, Bifrost 2 / Lyr 3...

 

[FLN Luco]

I have a Sennheiser HD600 and I drive it with a Fiio BTR5 (balanced output). But, I'm thinking of buying a better DAC/Amp to drive this incredible headphone.

So, after a lot of reading, I'm thinking of buying a Schiit Magni 3+ to drive my HD600.

Initially, I think about this configuration:
Notebook
(USB to USB-C)
Fiio BTR5
(P2 to RCA)
Schiit Magni 3+
Sennheiser HD600

Questions:

1) using the Fiio BTR5 with the Schiit Magni 3+, would I be using the BTR5 as a pure DAC or as a DAC/Amp?

2) If I the Fiio BTR5 is used as a DAC/Amp, can I have a bad result mixing the BTR5's sound signature with the Magni 3+?

3) If I buy a Schiit Modi 3 + Magni 3+ combo, would I have much better result than the BTR5 + Magni 3+?

 

[Runrunsmithfly]

I would think about getting the Modius for an extra hundred if you can swing it. The Modi 3 is really good for the money and you'll be happy with it but the Modius really is a really amazing two hundred dollar DAC. I also owned a Magni 3+ and regret selling. After I sold it I used a Neve RNHP amp that cost 5 times as much but didn't sound 5 times better to me. I use Sennheiser HD650's.

 

[Green Golden Retriver]

I have been looking at Schiit website and found many DACs option. What would be the sound benefit of getting the higher price dac?

 

[JamminVMI]

I have been looking at Schiit website and found many DACs option. What would be the sound benefit of getting the higher price dac?

Good evening from California, krub!

In general, more detail, wider/deeper soundstage And amazing separation of discrete instruments. Obviously, the source quality really needs to be good, but that’s the idea. I've heard things on my Bifrost 2 that I didn’t know were there on many albums, the latest being the new remaster of the Beatles’ Abbey Road. You also get true balanced and better power supplies and components as you go up the ladder. I have Modi Multibit and Bifrost 2, though I have heard all their DACs. As I don’t use a USB source very often, I strongly favour separate components. What is your budget? I hope this helps answer your question.

The Schiit site has links to reviews as well. Also, another forum here by Jason Stoddard, “Schiit Happened”, and Mike Moffat’s thread “What a long, strange trip it’s been” are great places (better than this thread) to ask this question. Glad I saw your post!

Note: Stoddard and Moffatt are Schiit’s founders, and Moffat is the digital guy who has designed all the DACs...

 

[Green Golden Retriver]

Good evening from California, krub!

In general, more detail, wider/deeper soundstage And amazing separation of discrete instruments. Obviously, the source quality really needs to be good, but that’s the idea. I've heard things on my Bifrost 2 that I didn’t know were there on many albums, the latest being the new remaster of the Beatles’ Abbey Road. You also get true balanced and better power supplies and components as you go up the ladder. I have Modi Multibit and Bifrost 2, though I have heard all their DACs. As I don’t use a USB source very often, I strongly favour separate components. What is your budget? I hope this helps answer your question.

The Schiit site has links to reviews as well. Also, another forum here by Jason Stoddard, “Schiit Happened”, and Mike Moffat’s thread “What a long, strange trip it’s been” are great places (better than this thread) to ask this question. Glad I saw your post!

Note: Stoddard and Moffatt are Schiit’s founders, and Moffat is the digital guy who has designed all the DACs...

Good afternoon from Bangkok krub

Thank you very much for your explanation krub

Does moving up the ladder of DACs bring a lot of improvements to the sound quality krub?

I felt that for amps it did especially for hard to drive hp.

but I’m wondering if for the case if DACs would it be the same

as I just watched currawong on YouTube talk about bifrost and d90 and he said it’s almost the same as the super Yaddrasil krub

I am currently just using the dac on my daps ak SR15 and cayin N3Pro connected to the amp Asgard 2 and a90 krub.

wondering if getting a bifrost or higher end stand alone dac would improve the sound quality krub lol

 

[Green Golden Retriver]

I also read a few articles on google recently that mention some random audiophile blind testing DACs form medium to high end and thier was very slight difference.

 

[FLTWS]

Hi.
I was looking for desktop headphone amp for awhile, but now I'm leading toward Schiit.
However, I can't decide which Schiit. I like to get either Vallhalla or Lyr, but I want Lyr...but
my bank account said Vallhalla.. I have sennheiser hd800, which one would be good for
hd800?

Thanks

That's a tough decision, I have both HD800 and 800S, V2 and LYR3 and both sound just fine with Senn's 300 ohm load. I would suggest LYR3 because it will works well with a lot of different phones I own or have owned including Utopia and Abyss 1266Phi. Plus if you get into tube rolling I think you'll have a lot more options with 6sn7's. Do get yourself at least 1 socket saver/lifter for the LYR3, tubes and chassis run cooler. You'll need 4 for the V2 but they are not expensive depending on the style you want.

No future plans for other phones? Then save the money and go V2. More tubes and heat and more saver/lifters but limited tube rolling options without adapters and even then the field is pretty limited in numbers available compared to 6sn7 types.

OTL vs Hybrid amps? I like both types.

 

[GearMe]

Given your stable of headphones and IEMs, I’d suggest starting with the Asgard 3 at the low end, and Lyr 3 at the higher end. If you also wanted to power efficient speakers, Ragnarok 2 will do it all.

Would agree with the Asgard 3 as a great starting point...

Had a Bifrost/Valhalla 2 combo when I had a bunch of High-Z Senns and Beyers. As my headphones changed over time, didn't 'need' an OTL amp any more and the hassle of the tube rolling 'chase'. Kept the Bifrost and paired it with the Asgard 3...sounds very nice and drives anything I've got.

In another room's setup, I thought about getting the Lyr 3 route to have some tube 'magic' but decided to try the Cavalli/Drop CTH. It's also very enjoyable and allows for much less tube rolling hassle than the Valhalla 2. Going this route, also allowed me to pick up a set of Amiron Home (for a steal!) -- total for the setup was less than a Lyr 3.

S'pose I may 'upgrade' to the Lyr 3 someday but feel no itch to do so at this point. Would rather spend the $$$ on music.

FWIW...in a third room, I've got a Modius / Magnius combo which allows me to play some cans with balanced cables. This combo also sounds very nice especially for the $$$

TBH...over the years, I've really gravitated to a spending priority of music, transducers, electronics.