[Airrick10]

Quote:

 
Unless you actually get static or other interference on the line, both are fine and will likely sound the same.

Ok Thanks! Yeah, I'll try my Shiit out with these two cables once my Shiit comes in and hopefully they are decent enough.

 

[R Scott Ireland]

I just ordered the Uber-Bifrost with USB. Can anyone tell me if there is any difference between the optical and coax SPDIF inputs? Is one preferable to the other in any way?

Thanks!

 

[Mediahound]

Quote:

I just ordered the Uber-Bifrost with USB. Can anyone tell me if there is any difference between the optical and coax SPDIF inputs? Is one preferable to the other in any way?

Thanks!

i hear a slightly better low end mid range when using usb, so that's whyat i use.  this may be because my optical output on my Mac is not that great. i have heard they are not all necessarily equal. i have not tried coax digital.

 

[solserenade]

Optical always has the advantage of being not susceptible to interference. (cables proximate to each other, etc.).

phototristan, what is the issue with the optical out on your Mac?

I also like how lightweight optical is. … But, I do use the USB just as well and have absolutely no problems with it (And cannot discern a sound-quality difference between the two).

 

[R Scott Ireland]

Optical always has the advantage of being not susceptible to interference. (cables proximate to each other, etc.).

phototristan, what is the issue with the optical out on your Mac?

I also like how lightweight optical is. … But, I do use the USB just as well and have absolutely no problems with it (And cannot discern a sound-quality difference between the two).

i hear a slightly better low end mid range when using usb, so that's whyat i use.  this may be because my optical output on my Mac is not that great. i have heard they are not all necessarily equal. i have not tried coax digital.

Thanks for the tips! I think I'll try the optical (and can always revert to USB if need be).

 

[Mediahound]

Quote:

phototristan, what is the issue with the optical out on your Mac?
 

 
It sounds thin in the midrange and always has, even with other DACs. I thought it was just my imagination and how could that be if it was a digital output but I've done extensive listening tests and it appears that the optical out on my Mac is just not up to par or something. 
 
Male vocals for example sound a bit more full and rich when I use USB instead of optical. 

 

[kothganesh]

Quote:

Optical always has the advantage of being not susceptible to interference. (cables proximate to each other, etc.).

phototristan, what is the issue with the optical out on your Mac?

I also like how lightweight optical is. … But, I do use the USB just as well and have absolutely no problems with it (And cannot discern a sound-quality difference between the two).

For what its worth, I have the Bifrost with USB and asked Jason at Schiit whether it was worthwhile buying a converter to convert USB to SPDIF/optical. He said USB was best connected to USB in my Macbook Air. I have the Moon Audio cable (shameless plug 

) going from my Air to the Bifrost and the sound is just great.

 

[Mediahound]

Quote:

For what its worth, I have the Bifrost with USB and asked Jason at Schiit whether it was worthwhile buying a converter to convert USB to SPDIF/optical. He said USB was best connected to USB in my Macbook Air. I have the Moon Audio cable (shameless plug 

) going from my Air to the Bifrost and the sound is just great.

the Macbook Air does not have an optical digital out so connecting directly to the Bifrost USB makes sense. I would not go through a USB to SPDIF/TOSLINK converter since the Bifrost USB would be of better quality than the converter. Jason has said this elsewhere (maybe on their website) as well. 

 

[gefski]

For what its worth, I have the Bifrost with USB and asked Jason at Schiit whether it was worthwhile buying a converter to convert USB to SPDIF/optical. He said USB was best connected to USB in my Macbook Air. I have the Moon Audio cable (shameless plug  ) going from my Air to the Bifrost and the sound is just great.

Just 2 to 4 years ago many dac mfg had poorly implemented USB inputs, so USB/SPDIF converters were really necessary (my DacMagic for example). Now many have greatly improved USB inputs, so an extra box and the associated cabling can in some cases be a liability. I agree that the Bifrost has oustanding transparency and is very musical through USB.

 

[kothganesh]

Quote:

Just 2 to 4 years ago many dac mfg had poorly implemented USB inputs, so USB/SPDIF converters were really necessary (my DacMagic for example). Now many have greatly improved USB inputs, so an extra box and the associated cabling can in some cases be a liability. I agree that the Bifrost has oustanding transparency and is very musical through USB.

 
 
Quote:

the Macbook Air does not have an optical digital out so connecting directly to the Bifrost USB makes sense. I would not go through a USB to SPDIF/TOSLINK converter since the Bifrost USB would be of better quality than the converter. Jason has said this elsewhere (maybe on their website) as well. 

Thank you for the feedback. I was going to sink some money into the Audeophileo converter and that's expensive.

 

[Taliesin]

Just to let everyone know Jason Stoddard is going "start raising the price $50 for every question about when they'll launch" in reference to the overdue statement amps that lots of people are interested in. So stop asking questions because people need to be able to afford the statements.

 

[Jason Stoddard]

Yes, sorry to be testy about it, but we get asked about the Statement products all the time.
 
What you have to understand is while we are committed to doing the Statement products, and we are committed to making them like nothing else out there, the reality is that sales decrease exponentially with price, while care and feeding of buyer neuroses increases exponentially. While we're below the price level where I think a staff psychologist is necessary, we need to be ready for the increased support load. 
 
What you also have to understand is that these products are at least an order of magnitude more complex than anything we've done--and pretty much anything else on the market--and they need significant shakedown time. Consider that even the amp will be fully microprocessor controlled, and has significant software development time in it, as well as 5 separate PC boards and 7 chassis components. All of these have to be perfect. It's not a $99 Magni with a single tiny board, no wires, and a two-piece chassis. 
 
And, thanks to the current DSD mania (we are in the Benchmark and Ayre camp, not thrilled about it, but knowing we have to support it) we have to have our DSD strategy in-place before launch. So, you'll see DSD from us before a statement DAC. And no, you won't have to send in your Bifrost or Gungnir to add DSD. That's all I can say about that at the moment.
 
We're doing some (hopefully) final work on the amp this weekend, and, if it goes well, I will probably be making an announcement about preliminary specs, names, *estimated* price ranges, *guessed-at* possible announcement dates, and showing some renderings soon.
 
However, there will be no interest list, and no pre-order, until we are absolutely confident that we are ready to ship perfect products. And I will update the price to reflect the $50 increase for inquiries (kidding--for now, anyway).
 
Bottom line, if you're looking at something else that's available right now, and it works for you, it's better to go ahead and do it, because we will not release these products until they are absolutely done, perfect, and right. Asking 10000 questions won't make them come any faster, I'm afraid.

 

[Byronb]

Thanks Jason for the transparency. The wait is ok with me (more time to save the monies) in the mean time I will just enjoy the Schiit I already have!!!!

 

[Mediahound]

Quote:

And no, you won't have to send in your Bifrost or Gungnir to add DSD

Woah! Awesome. 

 

[Jones Bob]

Thanks for straight talk and no bull, Schiit!