[mulveling]

I've been listening a lot more the past couple weeks, and I tried to go back to USB input a couple times in order to simplify the setup. I can't stick to it -- the USB input is just too strident and fatiguing up top; also it lacks bass weight and midrange warmth. I have an iMac and I use an Audiophilleo 2 w/ PP to get an spdif/coax output. My Yggy is driving a KGSShv Carbon and Stax 009 or L700. I have no complaints about this system's sound via AP2/spdif; it's absolutely beautiful. This Yggy has been on continuously since December.
 
The strange thing is that the NAD M51's USB input was actually warmer and more laid back compared to the AP2/spdif input -- a near reversal of results compared to the Yggy's inputs. I could happily stick with straight USB on the M51, but not so with the Yggy.

 

[comzee]

Quick update for anyone that wants to try the Audio-GD DI series for the Yggdrasil.
I tried the Ygg again, with DI in option 3, and the BNC still does not work. Why it works with the cheap Matrix DAC, and not the Yggdrasil, unknown to me. 
 
I mean the technical reason is that it uses "Applied Current Conveyor Technology", but that is supposed to work with many DACs. Guess not the Yggy. 
 
@Currawong is correct in ordering the DI with 2 BNC, so you can have both "Applied Current Conveyor Technology" BNC and "Transmit insulate" BNC.
 
I'm going to order a BJC Digital RCA to get some prolonged impressions of the DI-2014 feeding the Yggdrasil.
 
 
Also one thing to note, the DI-2014 (can only assume the same is true for DI-U8) can simultaneously output 3 digital signals when set to option 3. 
1-> I2s
2-> BNC ACSS
3-> RCA TI
 
I had the M7+Matrix+Ygg all going at the same time off the Di-2014 (usb fed). Meaningless for headphone setups.
However, if you have speakers and want to feed the tweeters/mids/subs with three different DACs, this becomes a cheap way to do that.

 

[bobmysterious]

I know they're different animals, but have any of y'all compared this DAC to the Ayre Codex?

 

[jsgraha]

I used to have Sonicweld Diverter, using iUSB and LPS from my custom music server with LPS. When I had my previous dac, audio-gd ref7, I prefer those setup to everything from JKspdif mk3, Ciunas and AP with battery and/or with LPS. During break-in of yggy, still prefer Sonicweld Diverter setup, but after break-in, prefer USB of yggy (using LPS and dual headed Light Harmonic Lightspeed USB cable from my custom music server with ppa usb card). From memory, USB of yggy have bit more dynamic, texture and bit more extension on the top. Sonicweld setup offer bit more sweeter mid range and bit darker tone of SQ. I felt at that time that USB from yggy seem more transparent. 
 
But I do wonder how the new generation of SPDIF converter, like MUTEC had to offer compare to USB gen 3 of yggy. Interested to hear about this.
 
Regardless, with clean power from PC and LPS, usb gen 3 is very good. Improvement from this could be expected, but maybe minor IMO.
 

 

[ambrose1985]

  I used to have Sonicweld Diverter, using iUSB and LPS from my custom music server with LPS. When I had my previous dac, audio-gd ref7, I prefer those setup to everything from JKspdif mk3, Ciunas and AP with battery and/or with LPS. During break-in of yggy, still prefer Sonicweld Diverter setup, but after break-in, prefer USB of yggy (using LPS and dual headed Light Harmonic Lightspeed USB cable from my custom music server with ppa usb card). From memory, USB of yggy have bit more dynamic, texture and bit more extension on the top. Sonicweld setup offer bit more sweeter mid range and bit darker tone of SQ. I felt at that time that USB from yggy seem more transparent. 
 
But I do wonder how the new generation of SPDIF converter, like MUTEC had to offer compare to USB gen 3 of yggy. Interested to hear about this.
 
Regardless, with clean power from PC and LPS, usb gen 3 is very good. Improvement from this could be expected, but maybe minor IMO.
 

 
In my case, clean power supply (using a power conditioner) actually improved the background (made it blacker) and made all the dynamics more obvious and easier to catch. Bass and attack also tightened up ! 

 

[bazelio]

 
I used to have Sonicweld Diverter, using iUSB and LPS from my custom music server with LPS. When I had my previous dac, audio-gd ref7, I prefer those setup to everything from JKspdif mk3, Ciunas and AP with battery and/or with LPS. During break-in of yggy, still prefer Sonicweld Diverter setup, but after break-in, prefer USB of yggy (using LPS and dual headed Light Harmonic Lightspeed USB cable from my custom music server with ppa usb card). From memory, USB of yggy have bit more dynamic, texture and bit more extension on the top. Sonicweld setup offer bit more sweeter mid range and bit darker tone of SQ. I felt at that time that USB from yggy seem more transparent. 

But I do wonder how the new generation of SPDIF converter, like MUTEC had to offer compare to USB gen 3 of yggy. Interested to hear about this.

Regardless, with clean power from PC and LPS, usb gen 3 is very good. Improvement from this could be expected, but maybe minor IMO.

In my case, clean power supply (using a power conditioner) actually improved the background (made it blacker) and made all the dynamics more obvious and easier to catch. Bass and attack also tightened up ! 

I have also been recently impressed by the effect of adding an isolation transformer. To beat the USB inputs on the TOTL DACs, it's likely that one would need to spend a nice chunk of change on the USB to S/PDIF converter.

 

[Xcalibur255]

How are most users making use of their phase switch?  From what's been implied (that many albums are inverted) is the preference to just leave the inverted mode on all the time?

 

[tjl5709]

  How are most users making use of their phase switch?  From what's been implied (that many albums are inverted) is the preference to just leave the inverted mode on all the time?

No effect here.
 
PC>FLAC>Mediamonkey w/ Stereotool>USB>yggy>mj2>ether c

 

[Xcalibur255]

 
No effect here.
 
PC>FLAC>Mediamonkey w/ Stereotool>USB>yggy>mj2>ether c

 
I can clearly hear an effect.  I'm just not sure if I'd call it better, more just different.  It does seem to make the music sound more lively, get you more inside the notes.  The imaging and soundstage depth change very noticeably, more space between notes and more 3-dimensional.  Sometimes I get the impression it seems wrong, much like having the wires swapped on a speaker, but on some recordings it seems quite natural.  When I switch it back everything sounds a little dead and flat until I adjust.  I'm not sure I like what it does to the tone though, and I definitely don't like the idea of having to test it both ways on every single track so I'm leaning towards just leaving it on all the time and accepting the odd track or two that sounds weird because of it.
 
edit:  I should note the effect on the one piano piece I listened to was quite profound.  I've never heard piano sound so real from a recording before.  That's what's inspiring all the hand wringing I'm doing on the matter right now.  So are most Yggy owners just ignoring the existence of this feature?

 

[Baldr]

   
I can clearly hear an effect.  I'm just not sure if I'd call it better, more just different.  It does seem to make the music sound more lively, get you more inside the notes.  The imaging and soundstage depth change very noticeably, more space between notes and more 3-dimensional.  Sometimes I get the impression it seems wrong, much like having the wires swapped on a speaker, but on some recordings it seems quite natural.  When I switch it back everything sounds a little dead and flat until I adjust.  I'm not sure I like what it does to the tone though, and I definitely don't like the idea of having to test it both ways on every single track so I'm leaning towards just leaving it on all the time and accepting the odd track or two that sounds weird because of it.
 
edit:  I should note the effect on the one piano piece I listened to was quite profound.  I've never heard piano sound so real from a recording before.  That's what's inspiring all the hand wringing I'm doing on the matter right now.  So are most Yggy owners just ignoring the existence of this feature?

If you are not using it, on either headphone systems in general or on speaker systems in particular, you are missing out on the best possible imaging, which does indeed vary according to the mastering from track to track.  That is exactly why it is on our highest performing DAC. 

 

[mikoss]

If you can't hear a difference, it's entirely possible that the music you're listening to was recorded from more than one microphone (eg. one for the lead singer, one for their guitar, one for the mic on the drummer, one for the kick drum, one for the bass guitarist, one for his vocals, etc...) and the tracks aren't all in the same phase.
 
If you're listening to an acoustic performance with only one or two mics, it's entirely possible to hear the effect of swapping the phase. (Or a track where all the individual tracks were mixed with the same phasing, such that inverting the phase has the same absolute effect on all tracks).
 
If you have Gumby, or are too lazy to hit the switch, just use a player plugin to invert the phasing.

 

[Xcalibur255]

 
If you are not using it, on either headphone systems in general or on speaker systems in particular, you are missing out on the best possible imaging, which does indeed vary according to the mastering from track to track.  That is exactly why it is on our highest performing DAC. 

 
Would you recommend leaving the setting on all the time as opposed to leaving it off, on the assumption that more recordings are inverted than not?  I feel my internal OCD button being pushed by this and I really want to flip the safety cover back over that button. 

 

[steved21]

Mikoss
"just use a player plugin to invert the phasing.
What player plug in  would that be?
 
Steve

 

[mikoss]

  Mikoss
"just use a player plugin to invert the phasing.
What player plug in  would that be?
 
Steve

Hey Steve- Sorry I didn't get back to you about DSD playback as well. If you use Foobar 2000 for example, you can use component plugins to play DSD files as PCM to the Yggy. The software will simply convert them to PCM and send it to the DAC.
Same goes for the phase inversion... you can use a phase inverter plugin that does the same thing as the switch on the Yggy. I'm sure there are also ways to do this using other players as well.

 

[bearFNF]

Would you recommend leaving the setting on all the time as opposed to leaving it off, on the assumption that more recordings are inverted than not?  I feel my internal OCD button being pushed by this and I really want to flip the safety cover back over that button. 

I don't think you will get a definitive answer here. I think it's going to be track dependent and/or recording dependent. So you'll have to figure it out for each one and decide for yourself what each track will need.